Fourth Sunday in Lent (1883)

John 6:1-15 "Rejoice with Jerusalem" etc.1 With this beautiful cry of joy (as the Introit) the ancient Christian Church used to introduce this Divine Service and with this wanted to encourage the children of God in the spiritual Jerusalem to a proper heartfelt joy in the Lord. It so happened that this Sunday was called Laetare and was called the Sunday of Joy. But also we rightly call out to each other today: Rejoice with Jerusalem etc., and happy are you all who have love for their Jesus. If you all have been deeply saddened in the last few weeks with your suffering Savior, then you shall now once again have pleasure and joy in Him. My spirit rejoices in God my Savior, Mary cried in her praise, and truly she had cause for it. But not only her, no, everyone has reason to rejoice in the Lord Jesus, because this one is his God and Savior. Therefore, the Holy Spirit wants to encourage us all today to such joy in the LORD in that He holds up today's Gospel to us, almost as a painting that shows us how the people that had followed the Lord Christ into the wilderness had warmly rejoiced with Him and in Him. The joy of the people in the wilderness over their God and Savior. We consider in reverent attentiveness 1. those who rejoiced; a. according to their numbers: it was a large crowd2; it was about five thousand men3 - Even this makes pleasure when one sees Christian people in great numbers coming to places on Sundays and feast days, in town and country, where altars of the Lord stand, where the glory of His Name dwells; b. according to their devotion: they followed the Lord Christ into the wilderness where nothing earthly was to obtain. And why? Because they saw the signs etc.4 Again, this was joy to see how the sick were healthy at a word of the Lord, the dead were alive; joy especially for those who experienced this miracle on themselves or on their own people. But what joy for all to hear the Gospel, that He is the Savior of sinners, the Redeemer from sin, death and all misfortunes, the man to whom God is gracious on us all and would give eternal joy! And what time was this people so full of joy? It was the time that we go towards the cheerful time of Easter;5 2. the source of joy. This is Jesus. But He prepares joy a. with His careful eye, while He looks back in accordance with the people coming to Him.6 A very dear friend only looks at you, it seems like sunshine to you. But what a beam of joy when you find that the eye of your Savior is pointed on you! - He looks especially on the existing or impending
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Isaiah 46:10-11. John 6:2. 3 John 6:10. 4 John 6:2. 5 John 6:4. 6 John 6:5.

distress. While He put Philip's faith to the test, He said, Where can we buy bread, that etc.7 He also knows all your need, and better than yourself; perhaps if you cry, you have no more cause to cry any longer. Because He already knows what He wants to do8, and does it. He prepares joy b. with His gracious mouth, as He asks according to the stock brought in.9 The child feels refreshed by the very sympathetic question from the mother: "What ails you?". How refreshing, however, to hear from Jesus' mouth in the spirit of such a demand: "What torments you, my child, what do you lack?"! - What a word of joy: "Make the people sit down"!10 It was apparently nothing more than a call to dinner. How lovely the amount of the soft grass of the Easter season probably appeared in the wilderness; it was like a carpet spread for them. - Finally, the Lord prepares joy c. with His almighty Hands, as He took the bread, gave thanks and gave etc.11, and as He so wonderfully increased it through His blessings, that twelve baskets were filled with the fragments after the five thousand were satisfied.12 - He still does the same thing today. Now the same fields, where the few seeds are entrusted and still should be entrusted, to a barren wilderness. The seeds are the five barley loaves. But if the blessings with rain and sunshine are allowed to come down from the hand of the Lord, then therefore hundreds of thousands and millions are fed in His time; 3. the rejoicings of those fed. These consist sometimes in cheerful words, sometimes in cheerful deeds: a. their cheerful words: This is truly the Prophet that etc.13 And their astonished joy was not therein mistaken, their "truly" had good reason. How might they have felt at this wonderful table of God in the wilderness! What body and soul refreshing joy! b. their joyful deeds.14 This was so wrong, it thus proves that the Lord had prepared for them an unspeakable joy in the desert. And we - should we not and better, as that crowd of people, choose Him only and alone as our Lord and King, as our Helper, Savior and Redeemer in physical and spiritual distress? Provided that we do this, He will not escape, but come and stay. Hence, all fear and sadness! For the Lord of gladness, Jesus, enters in.15 Georg Stckhardt

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John 6:5. John 6:6. 9 John 6:5-7. 10 John 6:10. 11 John 6:11. 12 John 6:12-13. 13 John 6:14. 14 John 6:15. 15 LSB 743:6.