This message was adapted from the CPH Lenten Series The Hand of the Lord for delivery to the people of Emmanuel Lutheran Church in Adell, WI.

The Hand of the Lord Who Holds All Things

Text: John 3:11-18, 22-36

Let us pray: May the words of my mouth and the meditations of our hearts be

acceptable and pleasing in Your sight, O Lord, our Rock and our Redeemer.

          “He’s got the whole world in His hands.” I’m sure you recognize that one from Sunday School or VBS. Since its first known publication in 1927, it’s been sung by people all over the world. Successive stanzas say that He’s got the wind and the rain, the little tiny baby (oh, and by the way, that includes Antje Popp who was just born last night (Michelle and baby are both healthy). And then He’s got you and me, brother, and you and me sister, and everybody here in His hands. With each successive stanza, we could very well keep going and list everything that He has in His hands. Of course, the “He” in “He’s got the whole world in His hands” is our Lord Himself. For this hymn is a hymn of trust in the Lord’s hand, even when the circumstances of this fallen world are set against God’s people.

How well Psalm 95 states what this hymn proclaims: “Oh come, let us sing to the Lord; let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation! Let us come into His presence with thanksgiving; let us make a joyful noise to Him with songs of praise! For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods. In His hand are the depths of the earth; the heights of the mountains are His also. The sea is His, for He made it, and His hands formed the dry land. Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker! For He is our God, and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand.” You’ll recognize that as the text of the Venite that we sang last week at Matins.

Indeed, everything in all of creation is in the Lord’s hands. Our very lives are in His hands, including our past, our present, and our future. From the beginning of creation to the end is in His hands. “He’s got the whole world in His hands.”

But oh, how we try to take that control from God’s hands and put it into our own. We can sometimes get the illusion that things are in our control. There was a CNN article from 2018 called “Illusion of Control: Why the World Is Full of Buttons That Don’t Work.” The article illustrates our desire to have everything in our own control. And it states that in some cities, there are an incredible number of crosswalk buttons that actually do not work. Now, for those of you who have always lived in Adell, a crosswalk is lines painted on the road that tell you where you’re supposed to cross that road. That’s going to be my own kids some day too. What do you mean I can’t just run across the road wherever I want to? And then there are these buttons on the corner that are supposed to tell the light that someone is there so that they can activate the walk signal. The article states that in some places there may be no real incentive to fix these buttons. They’re essentially a placebo that give us the illusion of control. You know how that little “close elevator door” button usually doesn’t seem to actually do anything immediately. The door seems to close on its own timing no matter what. But pressing it makes you feel like you’re in control over this capsule made to take you up and down. So often we surround ourselves with things that give us the illusion that we’re in control. We can easily be consumed by constant dings and buzzes and alarms by little devices that we keep in our pockets that tell us “new message,” “new reminder,” or “breaking news.” It all collectively adds up to task after task. You feel like you should be getting somewhere, responding to important matters, and acquiring information to understand the world. But it often feels more like our hands are tied at the end of each day. Now add on top of all that the things that we know that we have no control over, such as the happenings across the world. Think about the stock market this past week. And it all probably make you want to just throw your hands up in the air. Maybe, just maybe, you start to wonder, “Does He have the whole world in His hands?” Because there are many times when our attempts at explanations don’t suffice.

John the Baptist proclaimed the truth in our reading. John knew the Messiah was coming and was now here. He boldly proclaimed, “The Father loves the Son and has given all things into His hand. Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”

Just as we said last week, Jesus is the Word made flesh. He is before all, and all things have been created through Him. Now John is echoing that truth. If you want to know God, look to Christ. To hear the words of Christ is to hear the words of God. The Father has sent the Son and loves the Son, and all things are given into His hand.

In fact, there’s an artistic tradition in which Christ holds the globe to emphasize this point. Christ does have the whole world in His hands. He is King. He has authority over all things. But He has come first in humility. The world looked at Him and laughed and jeered as they mocked, spat on, and crucified Him. “If You are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” That’s what our hands have done. By appearance alone, it didn’t look like He had the whole world in His hands.

If you remember back a couple weeks ago, we mentioned the Isenheim Altarpiece, which depicts Christ’s crucifixion. John the Baptist is also depicted in that scene, even though he was not physically or historically there. But he is depicted to state the truth, nonetheless. John is depicted with an abnormally long and extended finger pointing at Jesus on the cross with the words “He must increase, but I must decrease.” John knew his place; he was to be that finger pointing to Jesus. Like Moses pointing to the serpent elevated on the pole, John is depicted as pointing to Christ—the one who brings eternal salvation from our sins—elevated on the cross.

The hand of the Lord was in control the whole time. The whole world was in His hands as He was enacting salvation for the sake of the each of us. He has healed us through His suffering. He brought salvation through His crucifixion. He brought forgiveness through His death. He brought justification to us as He was raised on the third day. He ascended to the right hand of the Father, where He now reigns. And one day, the whole world will know that He does, in fact, have the whole world in His hands.

Jesus’ hand is still at work through His church today, baptizing and teaching. Jesus’ hand is at work when young and old alike have the promises of Baptism poured out upon their heads. Jesus’ hands are at work when His body and blood are delivered into our mouths to eat. Jesus’ hands are at work when He opens the Scriptures to us to teach us the words of God. Our whole lives are in His hands.

This also means something for the use of our hands in this world. We certainly do not have ultimate control over this life. Yet, at the same time, the Lord uses our hands in our daily vocations at home, at work and society, and in the church to love and serve our neighbors. Knowing that our eternal lives are in His hands gives us the freedom to reach out and deliver His many gifts to those in need.

Everything is in Jesus’ hands. All of history is in His hands. Our lives are in His hands. Your future is in His hands. Your salvation is in His hands. “He’s got the whole world in His hands.” Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.