“One Shepherd, Jesus Christ”
Concordia Seminary President Thomas Egger’s sermon for Call Day 2021
Feeding on the Scriptures
Dr. Tom Egger talks about how to listen to the Scriptures in a time of suffering
Proper 21 • Luke 16:19–31 • September 25, 2016
By Thomas Egger It is interesting to look at different paintings inspired by this Bible story. The rich man is surrounded by friends and servants and tables furnished with food, and his gaze is fixed on one of his friends or on an alluring woman or on the platters of food. Poor Lazarus is surrounded ..
Lectionary@Lunch Live – Deuteronomy 18:15-20
Tom Egger discusses the Old Testament pericopies in the Epiphany season, in the Year B lectionary
Lectionary@Lunch Live – Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11
Tom Egger continues his discussion of the Old Testament pericopies in Advent Year B
Proper 20 • Isaiah 55:6–9 • September 21, 2014
By Thomas Egger Better ways, better thoughts. The ways and thoughts of God are immeasurably better than the ways and thoughts of sinful people. God therefore calls all humanity to true repentance, that is, to abandon their own wicked thoughts and ways and to return to God in faith—for God’s ways include incomprehensible mercy toward sinners! The iniquitous ways ..
Proper 6 • Galatians 2:15–21; 3:10–14 • June 16, 2013
By Thomas Egger Proposed theme: The sermon focus developed here highlights the language of curse and blessing in Galatians 3. No power of our own, but only Jesus Christ, has delivered us from the God-sized curse of sin and death. Through Jesus, we receive the God-sized “blessing of Abraham.” General notes: This pericope continues from ..
Proper 12 • Genesis 9:8–17 • July 29, 2012
By Thomas Egger Congregations of the LCMS have not heard many sermons on the rainbow, since Genesis 9 did not occur in the lectionary cycles of Lutheran Worship. In fact, the LW three-year lectionary did not include a single reading from the Flood narrative in Genesis 6–9. With the biblical illiteracy of our culture and ..
Proper 25 • Matthew 22:34–46 • October 23, 2011
By Thomas Egger At the Jerusalem temple (Mt 21:23), as the great feast approaches, a high-profile religious confrontation takes place. Jesus has entered the city amidst shouts of “Hosanna,” hailed by the throngs as the son of David (21:1–9). Now the religious leaders lock horns with Jesus, challenging his authority, attempting to trap him in his ..
INTERPRETING THE HISTORICAL BOOKS, Handbooks for Old Testament Exegesis series. By Robert B. Chisholm, Jr.
INTERPRETING THE HISTORICAL BOOKS, Handbooks for Old Testament Exegesis series, vol. 1. By Robert B. Chisholm, Jr. Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2006. 232 pages. Paper. $19.99. Reviewed by Thomas Egger Joshua at Jericho, Gideon and his three hundred men, Samuel anointing the boy David to be king—any pastor, teacher, or Sunday School child may come up ..
Epiphany 4 • Matthew 5:1–12 • January 30, 2011
by Tom Egger In this pericope, Jesus is proclaiming the blessings of his reign to those gathered around him on the mountain. His words address a repentant, lowly people with the assurance of God’s presence and reign over them (in Jesus: Immanuel) and the promise of eschatological blessings. These blessings which are yet to come ..
Epiphany 2 · Isaiah 62:1-5 · January 17, 2010
By Thomas Egger This text presents a wonderful opportunity to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus in a way that faces up to the homeliness of fallen humanity, reconstructs our shallow contemporary notions of beauty and embraces the promise of the coming age. For the shriveled and the decrepit, for the lonely divorcee, for the sixth-grade ..
Proper 6 · Mark 4:26-34 · June 14, 2009
By Thomas Egger Mark 4 begins and ends with references to Jesus as a teacher (4:1, 4:38). Yet it is clear from the central theme of his teaching (the kingdom of God) and from his authority over wind and sea that Jesus is much more than a teacher. In his words and works, the end-time ..