Historic First Lutheran Church of Pasadena

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

How many of us would have been as bold as Abraham? I mean, after all, he brokered a deal with God. Not only did he broker a deal, but he was bold enough to keep renegotiating the terms of the deal to be more in his favor, more in favor of human beings. How many of us would have been as bold as Abraham?

There are no copies of government census reports available from Abraham’s day, so we don’t know how many people lived in Sodom and Gomorrah before their destruction, but archeology has confirmed that, prior to this catastrophe, the now dry area east and southeast of the Dead Sea had ample water and was well populated. We could be taking about several hundred or several thousand people living in Sodom and Gomorrah.

Why Abraham started negotiations at 50 people we don’t know. It could be that he had a very intimate knowledge about just how bad, how evil, were the people of Sodom and Gomorrah. He could have imagined a potential of 50 righteous people – probably a small number of the total population overall, yet big enough to approach God about. When Abraham found God favorable to be gracious to both cities for the sake of 50 people, he probably started counting more carefully and realized that 50 might be pushing it, so then the negotiation started. 45? 40? 30? 20? 10? Why did Abraham stop at 10? Most likely because, in the end, the only righteous ones he could actually visualize in his mind were his nephew Lot, Lot’s wife, his two sons, his two married daughters and their husbands and his two unmarried daughters. That’s 10 people and, as unbelievable as it may seem that God would actually allow a human being to negotiate with Him, God indeed promised that for the sake of even 10 righteous people, He would spare two entire cities. Isn’t that awesome? Isn’t that incredible?

That’s certainly something to celebrate, but that’s not why we’re here today. We’re not here today to celebrate the grace and mercy of God offered to 50 people or to 30 people or to 10 people. Abraham stopped at 10, probably because that was the lowest number he could imagine and he didn’t want to press his luck too much, but Jesus Christ negotiated a deal for God’s grace and mercy to be extended even for the sake of one. That’s what we’re here to celebrate!

This morning, the one was Aiden Christopher Schmutzer. What happened here this morning was not just a family tradition, although for the Schmutzer family, it is a tradition. What happened here this morning was not just a church tradition, although for this church it is a tradition – more than 1,800 have been baptized at that baptismal font. What happened here this morning was not just a great opportunity for some good pictures and some good food, although we will today certainly enjoy both.
What happened here this morning was the proof of the deal brokered by Jesus Christ – “For God so loved [Aiden Christopher] that He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life” [John 3:16]. Today, God’s grace and mercy was extended to Aiden – for the sake of one. Today, through the waters of Holy Baptism, Aiden learned just how foolishly lavish God is to sinful human beings, how reckless God’s love might appear to just be thrown around even in today’s sinful world. But’s that’s just how our God is – lavish, even reckless, loving, graceful, merciful – as Abraham discovered in his negotiations with God and as Aiden discovered through the cleansing waters of Holy Baptism, as his sins were forever forgiven and that guarantee of eternal life received his name on the dotted line.

You see, Jesus isn’t satisfied talking in generic terms. Jesus is not satisfied just being the Savior of the entire world. Jesus is not satisfied just being the Savior of 50 people, or 45, or 40 or 30 or 20 or10. Jesus is not satisfied until each and every one of us accepts the invitation to put his or her name also into John 3:16 – “For God so loved [me]” – whatever is my name, whatever is my past, however far I have wandered, or even if I have never before come to know the incredible grace and mercy of Jesus Christ, “God so loved [me].” “Chief of sinners, though I be, Jesus shed His Blood for me!” For the sake of one – me – we can each say that – Jesus Christ came from Heaven to earth not just to live a good life, not just to be an incredible teacher, not just to set an example for us but to become our sin so that each one of us might be the righteousness of God [2 Corinthians 5:21].

You see, that’s what’s so different about Jesus Christ. Unlike any other world religion, unlike any “god” or philosophical system believed by human beings, our God, in Jesus Christ, actually died to show His love for His people – and not just for people in general. Our God, in Jesus Christ, died for the sake of one – me – and we can each say that. Yes, Jesus lived a good life. Yes, Jesus was an incredible teacher. Yes, Jesus set an example for each of us to follow, but in the end, boil away all of that and you get to the very core of Who Jesus is – He is the God Who loved me – and you – and Abraham – and Aiden so much that He died and rose again even for the sake of one. Even if this entire world was populated by just one sinner, Jesus Christ would have died.

Maybe you’ve heard the little saying that goes something like this – “I woke up one morning and asked God how much He loved me. He stretched out His Arms and died.”

“Lord, will you sweep away the righteous with the wicked?” That was Abraham’s question. And God’s answer remains the same to this very day. “For the sake of [one], I will not destroy it.”

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, Amen.

Pastor Christopher Schaar
Historic First Lutheran Church of Pasadena