Most people think of the Ten Commandments as the rules that God came up with to keep us in line. But I want you to notice something. When we heard the Ten Commandments from the book of Exodus tonight, when we heard them as they were given to Moses on Mt. Sinai and then by Moses to the children of Israel—when we heard these words, they started out not with "I'm God and you'd better do what I say." How did they start? "I am the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt, out of the house of slavery!" The Ten Commandments actually start off with Good News. With salvation! What the Lord is saying to the children of Israel is that He has rescued them from their enemies and therefore, as He makes them His people and brings them to the promised land, they have NO NEED for any other gods. They don't have to look to anyone else to take care of them. All that they need is right there with the Lord who has created them and saved them. And so that they might live happy and fruitful lives, He gives them the Ten Commandments in which He teaches them how to live. So with you and I, brothers and sisters in Christ. Our Lord Jesus Christ has rescued us from sin and death and made us the children of God. So now we have the Ten Commandments as a gift and blessing guiding and teaching us how to live and what to do for a happy and blessed life.
In the Ten Commandments, we have everything we need to live a happy and fruitful life. Jesus even summed up the TEN commandments in as little as TWO when He said that the two greatest commandments are to "Love the Lord with all your heart and soul and strength and love your neighbor as yourself." The Commandments, dear Christians, teach us how to glorify God and serve our neighbor, the very reason you were put upon this earth. Brothers and sisters, there is no trick to living a life that is pleasing to God and that is a benefit and blessing to those around you. Glorify God by having nothing else first in your life than Him. Call upon His name and pray for everyone and everything. Come to His house and hear and learn His Word. Serve your neighbor. Be a useful person by first of all honoring your parents; protect the lives of others; love and cherish your husband or wife; keep your hands off other people's property; only speak well and say good things about others; be content with what you have. The Lord has set us free from sin and death and given us His holy commandments to show us how to live and give glory to Him and be of some use to our neighbor. Brothers and sisters, learn these Ten Commandments. Read and meditate upon the meanings of these commandments in the Catechism each day to show you how you should live and what you should be doing. No need to make up things to do or not do to be a good Christian! No, just read and learn and live the Ten Commandments. After all, as the Catechism teaches us: God promises grace and every blessing to all those who keep His commandments. Therefore we should love and trust in Him and gladly do what He commands."
But that's easier said than done, isn't it! The problem with the Commandments, which is not a problem with God's commandments but with us sinners trying to keep it, is that we are born spiritually dead and unable to fear, love and trust in God and therefore unable to truly love our neighbor and keep ANY of the Lord's Commandments. The commandments, which are a holy, precious, glittering jewel and treasure have become for us sinners a mirror which shows us our sins. After all, the commandments say "do" or "don't do" and we don't do or else do, whatever the opposite of the command is! But we must be careful! The commandments themselves cannot save us and they cannot make us keep them. In fact, if we give the commandments our best shot, we are likely to wind up in one of two places. Either we'll say, "I've kept the commandments! It's not that hard! I'm not really all that sinful!" Such a thing we say when we have no clue about what these commandments really mean and how they judge even the thoughts of our hearts! On the other hand, we might look at the commandments and despair, saying, "It is impossible to keep these! How can I hope to call myself a child of God when I so easily break His Law!" The Catechism teaches, "God threatens to punish all who break these commandments. Therefore we should fear His wrath and not do anything against them." And that would be that: condemned in our self-righteousness or condemned by our own despair unless the Word of God reveals to us the very price that is paid because of our sin. Because you and I have broken these holy commands, the Lamb of God must shed His blood to remove our guilt and shame!
Fellow children of Abraham, hear this: Strive to keep the commandments! But do not think that keeping those commandments will save you! Look into the mirror of the holy Law of God! But do not think that fixing what is wrong with you will make you able to keep it! Rather, cast away your trust in yourself and your false gods and idols and cling to Jesus Christ, the Holy Son of God and the Lamb who has come to rescue us from the Law's ultimate curse. What has Jesus done to save us? He has come in the flesh to do two things: to live our life and die our death! To live our life means that Jesus became a man to do what you and I cannot: keep the commandments. Obey the Father. Keep and treasure and obey the Law of God. Jesus is the sinless One who truly loves God the Father above all things and who perfectly loves His neighbor. But not only did Jesus live our life, He died our death. The very One who actually kept the Law for sinners who cannot keep it, this One also suffers the death and damnation of sinners who do not keep the Law. By dying our death, Jesus takes upon Himself all of our disobedience and breaking of the commandments and He even takes into Himself the very curse of original sin which causes us to despise God's Law. All this He takes upon Himself and bears it on the cross and suffers for us. And His rising the Third Day is our proof that the Law has been fulfilled and in Christ it has been kept! Therefore, in Jesus, we see true love of God because He obeys His Father's will to save sinners. And He truly loves His neighbor by laying down His life for us undeserving sinners. In fact, in Christ, in His very divine and human nature, Christ takes the Commandments into Himself. Being true God and true man, He is both lover of God and of neighbor.
Now, in the holy means of grace, Christ gives to you what the Law cannot. The Law teaches us how to live. It shows us our sins. But it is the preaching of Christ the Lamb and Substitute which saves us. Brothers and sisters, look to the Law to learn how to live. Look to the Law to learn how to confess your sins. But do NOT look to the Law and Commandments to be saved. Rather, look to Jesus who keeps the commandments FOR YOU. In your Baptism, you are clothed with Christ. Therefore when the Father looks at you He sees only Jesus who is the perfect Law-Keeper. Take away Jesus and the Law shall condemn you. But wearing Jesus, you are perfect in God's sight. In the Absolution and preaching of the Gospel hear the forgiveness of your sins. Hear that your sins, your breaking of the commandments and the despising of God's gifts are not held against you. In fact, because you are forgiven, you are now a commandment keeper. As St. Augustine said, "All the commandments are kept when what is not kept is forgiven." And finally come to the Lord's Table. Feast upon the flesh and blood that were given into death to fulfill God's Law and rescue you from the Law's condemnation. Now, with Christ the Commandment keeper living in you, you too are a doer of the Law in Jesus, who does good works through you. It is the holy means of grace: the Good News of the forgiveness of sins, delivered at font, altar and pulpit that has rescued you from the Law's curse and now makes you a lover of the Law in Christ.
Learn the Ten Commandments. If you know the Ten Commandments and understand what they mean and what they teach, you will know God's Word and be able to live happily and judge all doctrine and be a great blessing to others. Meditate upon the meaning of God's Holy Law and learn to say with the Psalmist, "Lord, I love your Law!" But when that Holy Law turns around and bites you because of your sins, when the Law of God becomes your accuser and threatens you with the sentence of death, then flee to Christ in whom the Ten Commandments and all the Law are fulfilled and kept. And there, in the Lamb of God, live knowing that what you have not kept is kept in Christ, and that what you have broken has been made right in Jesus who is the fulfillment of the Law and therefore praised and glorified with the Father and the Spirit forever. Amen.