Sharper Iron From Kfuo Radio

Rev. Dustin Beck, pastor at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Warda, TX joins host Rev. Timothy Appel for Sharathon 2022 to study the Easter hymn, “O Sons and Daughters of the King.” This joyful Easter hymn tells the account of what happened on the day of Jesus’ resurrection and one week later. The faithful women went to Jesus’ tomb early in the morning on the first day of the week; there they were met by the angel who told them the news of Jesus’ resurrection. They told that news to the apostles, to whom Jesus Himself appeared with His peace that same evening. Thomas refused to believe, so Jesus came again to show Himself to Thomas in order to give Thomas the same peace. Thomas exclaimed in faith, “My Lord and my God!” That same faith is given to us today through the Word. Though we have not seen, we are blessed to believe. By Christ’s resurrection, we are children of the heavenly kingdom who rejoice in the eternal life Jesus has won and given to us. Lutheran Service Book 470 1 O sons and daughters of t

Rev. Sean Kilgo, pastor at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Lawrence, KS, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel for Sharathon 2022 to study Martin Luther’s Easter hymn, “Christ Jesus Lay in Death’s Strong Bands.” This marvelous Easter hymn helps us to rejoice that Christ is the Savior who has done what we could not do. Our sin left us powerless in the prison of death, but Jesus has come to conquer this greatest enemy of ours and strip it of its reign and power. The strife was real and strange, yet the outcome of Jesus’ victory was never in doubt. As the fulfillment of the Passover Lamb, Jesus’ blood marks us as His own people so that no enemy can harm us. In this Easter joy, we keep the festival of the Lord’s resurrection and receive Him and all His gifts in the Holy Supper of His Body and Blood. Lutheran Service Book 458 1 Christ Jesus lay in death's strong bands For our offenses given; But now at God's right hand He stands And brings us life from heaven. Therefore let us joyful be And sing to God right t

Rev. Sean Daenzer, director of worship for The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod and chaplain at the International Center in St. Louis, MO, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Luke 24:36-53. As all the disciples discuss the news from the two Emmaus travelers, Jesus Himself stands among them to give them His peace. He shows His hands and feet, not only as proof of His bodily resurrection, but also so that they would see the scars that mark Him as their Savior. Eating in their presence further confirms His resurrection and reminds them of the fellowship with them He continues to extend. Jesus takes the opportunity to teach them the truth concerning Himself in the Scriptures. The entire Old Testament has been fulfilled in Him, and now He sends His disciples as His witnesses to proclaim His death and resurrection for repentance and forgiveness of sins to all nations. They must wait in Jerusalem until He sends the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ ascends into heaven in their presence in Bethany, and they return to Jerusalem

Rev. Zelwyn Heide, pastor at St. Peter Lutheran Church in Hannover, ND and Zion Lutheran Church in New Salem, ND, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Luke 24:13-35. On Easter afternoon, Cleopas and another of Jesus’ disciples were walking to Emmaus, when the Lord Himself came and joined their journey. They were kept from recognizing Him, and He struck up a conversation about the events of the previous days. These two disciples had a decent picture of who Jesus was, but they had failed to grasp the necessity of His suffering for the redemption of Israel. Jesus quickly turns from student to teacher as He spends the rest of their walk interpreting the Scriptures to them. When they arrive, they pray for Jesus to stay with them, and He does. As He breaks bread, their eyes are opened to recognize Jesus, who promptly disappears from their sight. They run back to Jerusalem to tell the others what had happened. As we hear Jesus’ teaching and eat with Him in His Holy Supper, Jesus reveals Himself to be our crucif

Rev. Shawn Linnell, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Blair, NE, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Luke 24:1-12. St. Luke’s carefully arranged timeline establishes Jesus’ resurrection as the beginning of a new creation, the eighth day on which Jesus makes all things new. The women were faithful followers of Jesus as they went to the tomb to anoint His body, but like everyone else, they did not fully comprehend what Jesus had taught them. The two angels announce the Easter Gospel to the women: Jesus is the Living One! The words that He had spoken to them were the proof. As they remembered His Words, they went and told the eleven and the other disciples, who thought their words to be an idle tale. Peter went to the tomb and saw for himself, yet he too could still only marvel. The glorious truth of Jesus’ resurrection makes all the difference; because Jesus has risen, so will we and all who trust in Him. “The Beloved Physician’s Orderly Account” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that goes through

Rev. Clint Poppe, pastor at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Lincoln, NE, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Luke 23:50-56. As a member of the Sanhedrin and a rich man, Joseph of Arimathea seems an unlikely disciple. Yet the Lord’s Word had brought Joseph to faith. Looking for the kingdom of God, Joseph actually got to see the King bringing His kingdom, though Joseph probably didn’t expect to see it as he buried the Savior. As Jesus was wrapped in swaddling cloths as a baby, now Jesus was wrapped in a linen shroud for His burial. Joseph’s unused tomb teaches the uniqueness of what Jesus accomplished by His death and also serves as further evidence that Jesus is the One who was raised on the third day. Jesus’ burial takes place quickly, as both He and His followers observe the Sabbath according to the commandment. Jesus’ burial gives comfort to Christians that they have been clothed with Christ, and as He was raised from His rest in the tomb, so will all His faithful ones be raised from their rest in th

Rev. Luke Zimmerman, pastor at Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mechanicsburg, PA, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Luke 23:26-49. With Jesus weak from all the beatings He received, the Roman soldiers force Simon of Cyrene to carry Jesus’ cross to Golgotha. In this way, Simon provides a concrete picture of discipleship. As the crowd around Jesus grows, the faithful women begin to mourn and lament. Jesus instructs them not to lament both because the things He does are necessary and because mourning is actually necessary for the destruction that will come upon Jerusalem. When Jesus arrives at Golgotha, He is crucified between two criminals. Even in the midst of shame and mockery, Jesus speaks with forgiveness for the soldiers and promises Paradise to the repentant thief. He dies the blessed death of the faithful, commending Himself into His Father’s hands as He dies for our salvation. “The Beloved Physician’s Orderly Account” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that goes through the Gospel acco

Rev. Andrew Jagow, pastor at Bethany Lutheran Church in Alexandria, VA, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Luke 23:1-25. Jesus is brought to trial before Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor of Judea. The Sanhedrin lobs false accusations against Jesus, but Pilate is primarily concerned with whether or not Jesus claims to be a king who will lead a rebellion against Rome. Though Pilate finds Jesus innocent, the crowd’s persistence leads to Pilate sending Jesus to Herod. In Jesus’ trial before Herod, the tetrarch is disappointed that Jesus will not do any sign, so he mocks Jesus along with his soldiers before sending Jesus back to Pilate. The Roman governor again finds Jesus innocent, but offers to punish Him to satisfy the growing crowd. However, they demand crucifixion for Jesus, and Pilate ultimately gives in to their demands. The guilty man, Barabbas, goes free, while the innocent Man, Jesus, goes to death. This exchange provides a picture of the justification that God works for us sinners by giving our

Rev. Rick Jones, chaplain and director of spiritual life at the Dakota Boys and Girls Ranch in Minot, ND, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Luke 22:54-71. As Jesus is led away to His trial, Peter undergoes the trial that Jesus had predicted. With escalating intensity, Peter denies knowing Jesus, being among His disciples, and even being from the same geographic region. When Jesus looks at Peter, the disciple is brought to tears as He remembers Jesus’ words. This provides an example of contrition and faith as we confess our sins to the Lord still today. St. Luke turns his attention back to Jesus. As the soldiers mock Jesus, they ironically prove that Jesus is the Christ, the very thing they deny. As Jesus is put on trial, He gives the good confession as to His own identity in a way that forces His accusers to either confess or deny the truth. They continue in their hard-hearted denial as Jesus continues on toward His death. “The Beloved Physician’s Orderly Account” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron

Rev. David Boisclair, pastor at Bethesda and Faith Lutheran Churches in north St. Louis County, MO, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Luke 22:39-53. Jesus takes His disciples from the upper room to the Mount of Olives. There He prays in great agony, knowing the suffering He is about to endure. Even as He asks if salvation for sinners can be accomplished in another way, Jesus prays that His Father’s will would be done. Jesus finds His disciples sleeping instead of praying as Judas comes to betray the Lord with a kiss. When one of the disciples strikes with a sword, Jesus shows His great mercy and compassion in healing the soldier’s ear. Jesus lets His captors know that although they will do their worst in their hour of darkness, He remains in controls of His Passion and goes willingly to His death. “The Beloved Physician’s Orderly Account” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that goes through the Gospel according to St. Luke. The Evangelist wrote his well-researched account of Jesus’ life, death, and

Rev. Steve Andrews, pastor at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Lee’s Summit, MO, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Luke 22:24-38. The disciples’ questions concerning who would betray Jesus turn into a dispute concerning who is the greatest. As they have throughout Jesus’ ministry, the disciples continue to misunderstand the way Jesus will bring the kingdom of God through His suffering and death. Jesus teaches them that earthly greatness is not a concern in His kingdom; rather, life in the kingdom of God is one of service. The disciples will give that service after Jesus’ ascension as pastors in the early church, even as all Christians continue to serve in their vocations today. Jesus knows that Peter will deny Him, even as Peter denies that such a thing could ever happen. Yet the Lord still seeks to strengthen Peter and all His disciples for the persecution to come. Even though the disciples do not understand at the moment, the Lord will make them His faithful servants after the Holy Spirit is given on

Rev. Matt Ulmer, pastor at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Bishop, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Luke 22:1-23. As Jesus enters into His Passion, the Old Testament context of the Passover provides the background. Jesus is the Lamb of God who gives Himself as the sacrifice in order to rescue us from slavery to sin, death, and the devil. The devil takes an active role by leading Judas to betray the Lord into the hands of the chief priests. Nonetheless, Jesus remains in control; He directs Peter and John to prepare the Passover with specific details that happen just as He had said. His words to His disciples at the meal indicate that He will bring the kingdom of God by His coming death and resurrection. Jesus fulfills the Passover meal and makes it His own as He institutes His Holy Supper. With the bread, Jesus gives His Body, and with the cup, Jesus gives His Blood, just as He said. “The Beloved Physician’s Orderly Account” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that goes through the Gospel according

Rev. Brian Flamme, pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Roswell, NM, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Luke 21:5-38. When people begin to speak of the temple’s noble stones, Jesus foretells the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem. In response to their question concerning the timing and the signs, Jesus teaches an extended discourse that not only accurately speaks of the siege and fall of Jerusalem in AD 70, but also speaks about His own return on the Last Day. Wars and natural disasters will always happen prior to Jesus’ return. Such terrors should not alarm Christians, nor should they try to calculate when the Last Day will come. Instead, they should lift up their heads and live in constant expectation of the Day that brings their redemption. The things of this world will not avail in preparation for Christ’s return; only Jesus’ words will never pass away and provide salvation that lasts forever. “The Beloved Physician’s Orderly Account” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that goes through th

Rev. Joel Heckmann, pastor at St. John’s Lutheran Church in Okarche, OK, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Luke 20:41-21:4. After some of the scribes recognize that Jesus had spoken well, the Lord puts the question to them. He asks them how to interpret Psalm 110. They rightly recognize that the Christ is David’s son; how can Psalm 110 also call the Christ David’s Lord? Through His insightful question, Jesus teaches us to read the Old Testament with Him as the center and calls the scribes to believe that He is both true man and true God. When the scribes continue in their unbelief, Jesus tells His disciples and the listening crowd to beware the idolatry of the scribes that has led them to reject His Lordship. A poor widow who gives the Lord everything serves as the example of a faithful Christian who lives and acts with faith in Jesus as Lord. “The Beloved Physician’s Orderly Account” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron that goes through the Gospel according to St. Luke. The Evangelist wrote his wel

Rev. Nate Hill, pastor at St. Michael’s Lutheran Church in Winchester, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Luke 20:27-40. The Sadducees, known for their rejection of the resurrection, spirits, and angels, take their turn at trying to trap Jesus. They pose a ridiculous example to Jesus based on the practice of levirate marriage, a practice given by Moses in the Law. They believe they have Jesus trapped, as the situation seems ludicrous in the resurrection. Though Jesus could have simply ignored their malicious question, He gives the good confession while not stooping to their games. Jesus tells them that they are wrong to equate this age to the resurrection. In the resurrection, there is no death; therefore, levirate marriage is entirely unnecessary, and the purpose of marriage in bringing about the next generation is no longer needed either. Jesus shows that the resurrection is taught in Scripture by quoting from Exodus 3. God is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living! “The Beloved

Rev. Jacob Dandy, pastor at Zion Lutheran Church and School in Terra Bella, CA, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Luke 20:19-26. The scribes and chief priests realize that Jesus has spoken a parable against them. They send spies in an attempt to trap Jesus. In their hypocrisy, these men end up speaking true words concerning Jesus, even though they do not believe what they say. They attempt to trap Jesus in a question about paying taxes to Caesar, thinking that He will either run afoul of the Romans or the faithful Israelites. Jesus exposes their hypocrisy and teaches the truth in having His opponents show Him a denarius. Caesar rightly is concerned with money and taxes, as God has entrusted earthly authority to him. Yet Jesus places Caesar’s authority in the proper context of God’s authority over all. Even as Christians render to Caesar the things that are Caesars, Christians always give to God all that belongs to Him, for their faith is finally in God alone. “The Beloved Physician’s Orderly Acco

Rev. Jeremiah Johnson, pastor at Glory of Christ Lutheran Church in Plymouth, MN, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Luke 20:9-18. In response to the challenge against His authority, Jesus tells the people a parable about a man who owned a vineyard and leased it to tenants. His tenants owed all the fruit to him, but they refused to deliver it to any of the owner’s servants. When the owner finally sent his son, the tenants treated him worst of all and killed him. In this parable, Jesus uses the familiar Old Testament image of God’s people Israel as a vineyard. The religious leaders killed the prophets the Godhad sent, and now they were about to kill the Son of God. Jesus warns them that the vineyard will be given to others who do have faith in Him. In one way or another, everyone must face Jesus as the true cornerstone. Those who put their trust in Him now die to their sin but are raised to life with Him on the Last Day. “The Beloved Physician’s Orderly Account” is a mini-series on Sharper Iron tha

Rev. Sean Kilgo, pastor at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Lawrence, KS, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Luke 20:1-8. On Holy Tuesday, Jesus continues His teaching in the temple, filling it with His true doctrine and the good news of the salvation He is about to accomplish in Jerusalem. The Sanhedrin was rightly concerned with discerning true teaching from false doctrine, but they were derelict in their duty. They questioned Jesus’ authority in an attempt to carry out their desire to destroy Him, but Jesus turned the tables on them and called them to repentance by calling them to consider His entire ministry all the way back to John’s baptism. The Sanhedrin, however, was unwilling to answer Jesus’ question by asking for His forgiveness, and they were too cowardly to face the crowds with their rejection of John. They weasel out of Jesus’ question without answering, and so Jesus will not give the answer that His life and ministry have already answered. The warning of the Sanhedrin’s negative example encou

Rev. Richard Mittwede, pastor at University Lutheran Church in Austin, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Luke 19:41-48. The joy surrounding Jesus’ ride toward Jerusalem contrasts with His weeping and lament upon seeing the city. Though Jesus enters the city to make peace between God and sinners, Jerusalem refuses to receive Him in faith. As they had rejected the proclamation of repentance by prophets such as Jeremiah, so they now reject Jesus. In the Old Testament, the Babylonians brought God’s judgment; now their judgment will come at the hands of the Roman army because they did not recognize the presence of God in Jesus. He proceeds to the temple, which He claims as His own house, the place where prayers for His mercy are offered. They have abused the true purpose of His temple; by His continued teaching in the temple during Holy Week, Jesus shows the good news that comes when God dwells among men and shows Himself to be the true temple. The building in Jerusalem has become obsolete because God

Rev. Tim Eden, pastor at Bethel Lutheran Church in Bryan, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Luke 19:28-40. The time has arrived. Jesus has set His face toward Jerusalem, and now He prepares to enter into His city as the true King. His entrance on a colt clearly identifies Him as the King, yet the King who comes in humility for the purpose He has revealed to His disciples many times: He comes to suffer, die, and rise in Jerusalem. Jesus’ precise instructions to His disciples concerning the colt reveal the trustworthiness of His Word. Though the crowd of disciples may not have fully understood everything they sang, their words proclaimed the truth concerning Jesus. He is the fulfillment of Psalm 118 who has come to give true peace between heaven and earth. The Pharisees’ response of unbelief stands as a warning for all who would not receive Jesus in faith. The Palm Sunday text reminds us to receive Jesus as the King who has come to die and rise to be our Savior. “The Beloved Physician’s Orderly