First Lutheran Church of Little Rock

A. In the Name of the Father…Amen.
B. 2 Chronicles 33:1-20 serves as our sermon text for this evening, which
reads as follows:
2 Chronicles 33:1–20 (NASB95)
1Manasseh was twelve years old when he became king, and he reigned
fifty-five years in Jerusalem.
2He did evil in the sight of the LORD according to the abominations of the
nations whom the LORD dispossessed before the sons of Israel.
3For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down;
he also erected altars for the Baals and made Asherim, and worshiped all
the host of heaven and served them.
4He built altars in the house of the LORD of which the LORD had said, “My
name shall be in Jerusalem forever.”
5For he built altars for all the host of heaven in the two courts of the
house of the LORD.
6He made his sons pass through the fire in the valley of Ben-hinnom; and he
practiced witchcraft, used divination, practiced sorcery and dealt with
mediums and spiritists. He did much evil in the sight of the LORD,
provoking Him to anger.
7Then he put the carved image of the idol which he had made in the house of
God, of which God had said to David and to Solomon his son, “In this house
and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen from all the tribes of Israel, I will
put My name forever;
8and I will not again remove the foot of Israel from the land which I have
appointed for your fathers, if only they will observe to do all that I have
commanded them according to all the law, the statutes and the ordinances
given through Moses.”
9Thus Manasseh misled Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more
evil than the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the sons of Israel.
10The LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they paid no attention.
11Therefore the LORD brought the commanders of the army of the king of
Assyria against them, and they captured Manasseh with hooks, bound him with
bronze chains and took him to Babylon.
12When he was in distress, he entreated the LORD his God and humbled
himself greatly before the God of his fathers.
13When he prayed to Him, He was moved by his entreaty and heard his
supplication, and brought him again to Jerusalem to his kingdom. Then
Manasseh knew that the LORD was God.
14Now after this he built the outer wall of the city of David on the west
side of Gihon, in the valley, even to the entrance of the Fish Gate; and he
encircled the Ophel with it and made it very high. Then he put army
commanders in all the fortified cities of Judah.
15He also removed the foreign gods and the idol from the house of the LORD,
as well as all the altars which he had built on the mountain of the house
of the LORD and in Jerusalem, and he threw them outside the city.
16He set up the altar of the LORD and sacrificed peace offerings and thank
offerings on it; and he ordered Judah to serve the LORD God of Israel.
17Nevertheless the people still sacrificed in the high places, although
only to the LORD their God.
18Now the rest of the acts of Manasseh even his prayer to his God, and the
words of the seers who spoke to him in the name of the LORD God of Israel,
behold, they are among the records of the kings of Israel.
19His prayer also and how God was entreated by him, and all his sin, his
unfaithfulness, and the sites on which he built high places and erected the
Asherim and the carved images, before he humbled himself, behold, they are
written in the records of the Hozai.
20So Manasseh slept with his fathers, and they buried him in his own house.
And Amon his son became king in his place.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
C. Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our heavenly Father through
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.
D. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us pray:
LSB 452:1-2 O Perfect Life of Love
O perfect life of love!
All, all, is finished now,
All that He left His throne above
To do for us below.

No work is left undone
Of all the Father willed;
His toil, His sorrows, one by one,
The Scriptures have fulfilled.

Introduction

A. During this Lenten season, we have considered the good kings of Judah.
1. Week after week we saw that their reigns have been superseded by the
glorious reign of Jesus Christ, the Son of David.
2. Each of those kings was a sinner, but insofar as they ruled with justice
and led the people in righteousness, our great King, Jesus Christ, is their
perfect fulfillment.
1. Manasseh was the WORST king of Judah.
A. Tonight, we will not consider one of the good kings of Judah.
1. Instead, we turn our attention to King Manasseh, the WORST. KING. EVER.
2. Most of the kings in Chronicles are described as either following in the
ways of David or abandoning them.
B. For example, there was King Jehoram, who was said to have followed the
ways of wicked Ahab, his father-in-law.
C. However, Manasseh gets special treatment:
2 Chronicles 33:2–3 (NASB95)
2He did evil in the sight of the LORD according to the abominations of the
nations whom the LORD dispossessed before the sons of Israel.
3For he rebuilt the high places which Hezekiah his father had broken down;
he also erected altars for the Baals and made Asherim, and worshiped all
the host of heaven and served them.
1. His deeds are not compared to David or Solomon.
2. They are not even compared to the evil kings of Israel.
3. Manasseh is compared to the pagan Canaanites, Hittites, Hivites,
Perizzites, Girgashites, Amorites, and Jebusites (cf Joshua 3:10).
4. Judah under Manasseh returned to the state of wickedness, which
prevailed before the conquest of Joshua and the planting of Israel in the
Promised Land.
5. And he compares poorly:
2 Chronicles 33:9 (NASB95)
9Thus Manasseh misled Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem to do more
evil than the nations whom the LORD destroyed before the sons of Israel.
2. He shed innocent blood and destroyed the kingdom.
A. For most of his fifty-five years as king, Manasseh gave the ultimate
example of unrighteousness.
1. Manasseh’s greatest hits include erecting altars to the Baals and
Asheroth, which Hezekiah had torn down.
2. He worshiped the host of heaven—the sun, moon, and stars.
3. He defiled the temple, which Hezekiah had cleansed, erecting altars to
the heavenly hosts even in the temple.
4. Yes, in the very place where the Lord’s name was to be worshiped were
pagan altars.
5. He consulted sorcerers and necromancers.
6. He even offered up his own children as burnt offerings.
7. In 2 Kings, it is written that:
2 Kings 21:16 (NASB95)
16Moreover, Manasseh shed very much innocent blood until he had filled
Jerusalem from one end to another; besides his sin with which he made Judah
sin, in doing evil in the sight of the LORD.
8. What more could Manasseh have done to provoke the Lord God of Israel to
anger?
B. Therefore the army of the Assyrians was brought to capture Manasseh.
1. They put a fish hook in his nose and led him away bound in chains.
2. That is, he was treated like a wild animal that needed to be subdued.
3. He was wounded and humiliated by foreigners.
4. King Manasseh lost everything, even as the kingdom was about to collapse.
3. But when Manasseh repented, God’s great mercy moved him to forgive.
A. At this lowest point, far away in Babylon, the king of Judah humbled
himself before the God of his fathers.
1. In a foreign land, he finally prayed to the God of Israel for help.
2. Manasseh repented of his sins and sought the Lord’s favor.
3. By what can only be called a miracle of God worked in his pagan captors,
he was returned to Judah.
4. He restored God’s altar.
5. However, for the people of Judah, it was much too late.
6. The wicked influences on them had been too strong for too long.
7. We read in the next chapter (2 Chronicles 34) that the judgment of God
will not depart from Judah:
2 Chronicles 34:24–25 (NASB95)
24thus says the LORD, “Behold, I am bringing evil on this place and on its
inhabitants, even all the curses written in the book which they have read
in the presence of the king of Judah.
25“Because they have forsaken Me and have burned incense to other gods,
that they might provoke Me to anger with all the works of their hands;
therefore My wrath will be poured out on this place and it shall not be
quenched.” ’
8. Jerusalem and the temple will be destroyed.
B. But what about King Manasseh?
1. God was moved by his prayer!
2. What could move God so?
3. Was it his beautifully constructed prayer or earnest words?
4. Perhaps Manasseh promised to God something extraordinary to make up for
his sins? Of course not.
5. There’s nothing that could make up for the great sins of Manasseh.
6. The mercy of God simply flows freely for the repentant.
7. No matter what the sin, no matter when the repentance, the mercy of God
is very great.
8. This mercy flowed equally for both David and Manasseh at the ends of
their reigns.
4. For even the most grievous sins are forgiven in the Son of Manasseh.
A. Yet satisfaction must be made.
1. Only one perfect sacrifice would atone for the sins of Manasseh.
2. Manasseh had nothing of that caliber to bring to God.
3. There weren’t enough bulls or goats in all of Judah or even the world to
pay for his iniquities.
B. Indeed, only a perfect sacrifice would atone for our sins.
1. Perhaps our sins are not as public as Manasseh’s, but there is nothing
we can offer to God either to atone for our sins.
2. None of the blood of beasts could wash away the stain of our sin.
3. The prayer of Manasseh is not our hope.
C. Instead, we look only to Jesus, for:
1. The Son of Manasseh Shed Innocent Blood for Our Sins.
D. The Son of Manasseh offered that perfect sacrifice, not for his sins,
but ours.
1. He was the one true Innocent.
2. Yes, the Son of God was tempted, as all men are, but did not sin.
3. Still, the sin of the world was put on his shoulders—great sin which
weighs us down and brings us low.
E. The Son of Manasseh shed his blood to pay for the sin of the world.
1. For children offered up to Baal or the sun god.
2. For the blood of children killed in warfare.
3. For children’s lives who were snuffed out before birth for our
convenience.
4. For children who starve because of our indifference.
F. The precious blood of Jesus was spilled for innocent Jewish blood shed
by Manasseh.
1. For Jewish blood spilled by Hitler and the German Nazis.
2. For the many wicked anti-Semites throughout history.
G. The blood of Christ poured out for the thief on the cross.
1. For white-collar thieves of millions of dollars from unsuspecting folks.
2. For common thieves who cheat on taxes or timecards.
H. The blood of God was sprinkled on idols that were set up in the temple
of the Almighty.
1. For pagans who worship earth and heaven rather than the Creator.
2. For idolaters who worship money and success and forget about the Giver
of all good things.
I. The Son of David rode into Jerusalem with great expectation.
1. But soon he was bound and led into the headquarters of a foreign
governor.
2. There the King of the Jews was mocked and bled from wounds on that
sacred head.
3. Though he sought relief from his Father, praying earnestly that the cup
be taken from him, it was the will of God that he suffer for the sins of
Manasseh and us.
4. It was the right time for the sin of the world to be taken away.
5. The hour had come for the Son of Man to be lifted up and glorified.
6. Jesus now would bear the title “King of the Jews” while hanging on a
cross.
5. Jesus is the BEST king and established the kingdom.
A. After the sacrifice of his Son, God restored the temple.
1. The temple in Jerusalem has been permanently removed, both the temple of
Solomon and Herod’s temple.
2. But the temple of Jesus’ body is alive and well.
3. In that temple, Jesus continues to offer us forgiveness through his body
and blood as found in His holy supper.
4. And we continue to worship in the name of Jesus our Lord.

Conclusion

A. The Son of Manasseh is the BEST. KING. EVER.
1. Not only does he lead his people in righteousness, but he accomplished
righteousness for us.
2. Whatever our sins,
3. however long we’ve been distant from his body,
4. however close we are to death,
A. Jesus’ sacrifice has moved God to mercy.
B. The King of Judah has established an eternal kingdom of righteousness
through the forgiveness of sins.
B. On this holy day, let us pray to our Father through the great King Jesus
Christ, confidently believing that he is moved with mercy by the
sacrificial death of the Son of Manasseh, our Lord and Savior. Amen.
C. Let us pray:
LSB 452:6-7 O Perfect life of love
In ev’ry time of need,
Before the judgment throne,
Thy work, O Lamb of God, I’ll plead,
Thy merits, not mine own.

Yet work, O Lord, in me
As Thou for me hast wrought;
And let my love the answer be
To grace Thy love has brought.
Text: Public domain
D. The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts
and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
E. In the Name of the Father…Amen.

A. In the Name of the Father…Amen.
B. Portions of 2 Chronicles 30 serve as our sermon text for this evening,
which reads as follows:
2 Chronicles 30:1–5, 10-13, 22b-27 (NASB95)
1Now Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah and wrote letters also to
Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the LORD at
Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover to the LORD God of Israel.
2For the king and his princes and all the assembly in Jerusalem had decided
to celebrate the Passover in the second month,
3since they could not celebrate it at that time, because the priests had
not consecrated themselves in sufficient numbers, nor had the people been
gathered to Jerusalem.
4Thus the thing was right in the sight of the king and all the assembly.
5So they established a decree to circulate a proclamation throughout all
Israel from Beersheba even to Dan, that they should come to celebrate the
Passover to the LORD God of Israel at Jerusalem. For they had not
celebrated it in great numbers as it was prescribed…
10So the couriers passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim
and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun, but they laughed them to scorn and
mocked them.
11Nevertheless some men of Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves
and came to Jerusalem.
12The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the
king and the princes commanded by the word of the LORD.
13Now many people were gathered at Jerusalem to celebrate the Feast of
Unleavened Bread in the second month, a very large assembly…
22Then Hezekiah spoke encouragingly to all the Levites who showed good
insight in the things of the LORD. So they ate for the appointed seven
days, sacrificing peace offerings and giving thanks to the LORD God of
their fathers.
23Then the whole assembly decided to celebrate the feast another seven
days, so they celebrated the seven days with joy.
24For Hezekiah king of Judah had contributed to the assembly 1,000 bulls
and 7,000 sheep, and the princes had contributed to the assembly 1,000
bulls and 10,000 sheep; and a large number of priests consecrated
themselves.
25All the assembly of Judah rejoiced, with the priests and the Levites and
all the assembly that came from Israel, both the sojourners who came from
the land of Israel and those living in Judah.
26So there was great joy in Jerusalem, because there was nothing like this
in Jerusalem since the days of Solomon the son of David, king of Israel.
27Then the Levitical priests arose and blessed the people; and their voice
was heard and their prayer came to His holy dwelling place, to heaven.
This is the Word of the Lord. Thanks be to God.
C. Grace, mercy, and peace be yours from God our heavenly Father through
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
D. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us pray:
LSB 445:1 When You Woke That Thursday Morning
When You woke that Thursday morning,
Savior, teacher, faithful friend,
Thoughts of self and safety scorning,
Knowing how the day would end;
Lamb of God, foretold for ages,
Now at last the hour had come
When but One could pay sin’s wages:
You assumed their dreadful sum. Amen.

Introduction

A. Tonight we begin the three-day journey which traces our Lord’s exodus as
he led his people from death to life through the depths of the earth.
1. The memorial each year of the Israelite exodus from Egypt was celebrated
by God’s people in the Passover and the Feast of Unleavened Bread.
1. Hezekiah sought to celebrate the Passover after years of neglect.
A. Unfortunately, the Judeans did not always remember the mighty acts of
God as they had been instructed.
B. King Hezekiah took the throne after his father Ahaz.
C. For sixteen years, Ahaz reigned and led the people in all sorts of
abominations, acts which were hallmarks of the pagan people whom the Lord
had driven out in the days of Joshua.
D. Ahaz suffered military defeat and humiliation from all sides.
E. Yet the Scripture says:
2 Chronicles 28:22 (NASB95)
22Now in the time of his distress this same King Ahaz became yet more
unfaithful to the LORD.
F. Even with disaster crashing around him, this could not bring Ahaz back
to God and, in fact, he plundered the house of the Lord and shut up its
doors.
G. So Hezekiah began his reign and:
2 Chronicles 29:2 (NASB95)
2He did right in the sight of the LORD, according to all that his father
David had done.
H. Right at the beginning of his reign, Hezekiah began to cleanse the
temple and restore the service of the house of the Lord.
I. Immediately, King Hezekiah sought to celebrate the Passover.
2. Political and religious issues prevented and postponed the gathering.
A. The invitation was sent to all Israel and Judah to come to Jerusalem and
celebrate the Passover.
1. However, there were political and religious difficulties that would
delay the celebration and prevent the full gathering of the twelve tribes.
B. Although Hezekiah invited all Israel, the northern ten tribes had been a
separate kingdom for centuries.
1. They had been at war for most of that time, even during the previous
administration of Ahaz.
2. Moreover, they rejected Jerusalem as the central place for the worship
of the Lord.
3. They had set up high places and altars for themselves so they didn’t
need to travel to Judah and Jerusalem.
4. Hezekiah’s messengers were therefore rejected by most of the people in
Israel.
2 Chronicles 30:10 (NASB95)
10So the couriers passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim
and Manasseh, and as far as Zebulun, but they laughed them to scorn and
mocked them.
5. Some men from the north humbled themselves and came, but this would not
be the reunion of Israel that Hezekiah desired.
C. Moreover, this Passover was going to be uniquely delayed.
1. Hezekiah and the princes took counsel to keep the feast one month late
because not enough priests were consecrated!
2. Even though it is written in Numbers, chapter 9, that an individual who
is ritually unclean or on a trip can celebrate the Passover in the second
month, this had never applied to the whole people before.
3. And so, it would be like celebrating Christmas in January or the Fourth
of July in August.
D. Remember, Ahaz had closed the temple, so the Judeans hadn’t been
celebrating the Passover every year as they were commanded by the Lord.
1. But Hezekiah was eager to hold this feast, so all the preparations were
hastily made.
2. Even so, many people, especially the northerners who came, were ritually
unclean.
3. Yet God gave the people one heart to celebrate the feast.
A. Yet God was evidently pleased by this worship and passed over the
irregularity of the ceremonies, giving his grace freely.
2 Chronicles 30:12 (NASB95)
12The hand of God was also on Judah to give them one heart to do what the
king and the princes commanded by the word of the LORD.
B. Even those who came unclean were pardoned by God and healed.
C. This was a Passover unique in the history of Judah.
1. The assembly rejoiced greatly as in the days of Solomon, and the prayers
of the Levites were heard not only in the temple but in the Lord’s
habitation in heaven.
2. The mighty acts of God’s salvation once again were put in as the central
focus as the Judeans, their Israelite brothers, and the sojourners in the
land worshiped the one God of heaven and earth who had brought them out of
the land of Egypt.
4. The Son of Hezekiah gathers his people around his body and blood.
A. King Hezekiah certainly led the nation to a great revival of faith at
this time.
1. However, despite his efforts to follow David, his father, Hezekiah’s
reforms were short-lived.
2. When Hezekiah’s son Manasseh took the throne, he led Judah into
degradation and the destruction of Judah, Jerusalem, and the temple.
3. This is the natural cycle of the rulers of earth.
B. The greater Son of Hezekiah will have to do more.
1. Instead of thousands of bulls and sheep, the Son of Man offers his blood
as a ransom for many.
2. His flesh is offered up as the Passover Lamb.
3. He is the consecrated priest, wholly by means of himself.
4. In fact, Jesus was defiled by the priests’ standard because he entered
Pilate’s headquarters
John 18:28 (NASB95)
28Then they led Jesus from Caiaphas into the Praetorium, and it was early;
and they themselves did not enter into the Praetorium so that they would
not be defiled, but might eat the Passover.
C. However, it was not an outward purity that mattered.
1. It was his purity as the unblemished Lamb of God.
2. The Son of Hezekiah didn’t need to delay a month to be ready; he was
consecrated by the Spirit of the Father to save his people from their sins.
D. So as the hour drew near for Jesus to give his life, he also celebrated
the Passover.
Luke 22:15 (NASB95)
15And He said to them, “I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with
you before I suffer;
E. Although he sent Peter and John to prepare the meal, it was clear that
Jesus had already done the preparation.
1. And certainly it is Jesus who offers his body and blood to them (and us)
for the forgiveness of sins.
F. In this last meal before our Lord’s death, Jesus changed the Passover
forever.
1. It would no longer be a memorial day and feast to recall the final
plague and exodus from Egypt.
2. Instead, Jesus says:
Luke 22:19 (NASB95)
19And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave
it to them, saying, “This is My body which is given for you; do this in
remembrance of Me.”
3. It is the Son of Man who goes according to the plan of God and frees the
people of God.
G. The Son of David gathers his flock from the whole world even as his
sacrifice pays for the sin of the world.
1. His invitation goes beyond Jerusalem.
2. His invitation goes beyond Judea.
3. His invitation to this sacrificial feast goes beyond even Samaria, the
limit of Hezekiah’s couriers.
4. Yes, Jesus sends his invitation beyond Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria
even to the ends of the earth so that the nations and kings of nations will
come to worship him on the throne.
5. He will feed them with the bread of life.
H. Like what happened to Hezekiah, however, Jesus’ invitation is not
received by all men.
1. Jesus was mocked and scorned also—not by the Samaritans, but by the
Judeans!
2. The King came to Judah, to the temple in Jerusalem itself, and his own
did not receive him.
3. Yet in great mercy his invitation spreads near and far, to you and your
children, to slave and free.
4. His glory has been made known to the nations, and:
John 1:12 (NASB95)
12But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children
of God, even to those who believe in His name,
5. So a multitude from every nation and tribe is indeed gathered into one
family tonight.
6. With one heart, this family is cleansed by the Spirit of God, worshiping
the one Father who is over all, through all, and in all.
I. The Son of God invites us to worship, not in earthly Jerusalem, but in
Spirit and truth.
1. The earthly Jerusalem is a physical and historical place.
2. But true worship happens wherever two or three gather in the name of
Christ Jesus, our Lord.
3. The Passover is celebrated wherever Jesus’ flesh is eaten and his blood
is drunk for eternal life in the Son of Man.
J. Our King and our Lord prepares the table often in the presence of our
enemies.
1. As he directed the disciples to the place the Passover would be prepared
that holy night in Jerusalem, he has also prepared the feast tonight.
2. And he is not content to give us this Passover remembrance once a year,
but at least every week.
3. As we do this often, we remember not the Passover and exodus from Egypt,
but the Messiah, who gives us freedom and life by his blood.
4. As we do this often, we proclaim the Lord’s death and wait for his
return in glory.
5. Jesus is eager that we eat at his table.
A. While our prayers mingle with the prayers of the saints around the world
tonight and ascend to our Father in heaven, it is the Lord who descends and
enters our mouths to bless us.
B. The Son of Hezekiah Has Prepared the Passover Celebration for Us.

Conclusion

A. Jesus may seem as if he is in no hurry for his final return on the
clouds.
1. But the Lord is definitely eager to come into our presence in the
Sacrament.
2. So we hasten to his Passover.
3. Hurry up!
4. The salvation of God is at hand.
5. Come to his table; it is prepared.
6. Come soon and come often.
B. Whether you’ve been to Communion every other week year after year or
whether you’ve been away for many years like the Judeans in Hezekiah’s day,
let us rejoice tonight.
1. With the Church around the world and in one heart, we receive the
blessings of the Lord. Amen.
C. Let us pray:
LSB 445:4 When You Woke That Thursday Morning
One in faith, in love united,
All one body, You the head,
When we meet, by You invited,
You are with us, as You said.
One with You and one another
In a unity sublime,
See in us Your sister, brother,
One in ev’ry place and time. Amen.
Text: © 1991 Concordia Publishing House. Used by permission: LSB Hymn
License no. 110000247
D. The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, guard your hearts
and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
E. In the Name of the Father…Amen.

Text: 2 Chronicles 34:1–3; 35:20–27
Theme: Our last hope: Josiah
Psalm 30; Revelation 21:1–6b; Luke 23:26–31
Hymns: LSB 436, 532

A. In the Name of the Father…Amen.

B. The reading from 2 Chronicles 34-35 serves as our sermon text for this
evening.

C. Grace, mercy, and peace be yours from God our heavenly Father through
our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

D. Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, let us pray:
1. Holy God, I carry the burdens of words spoken that I wish I had not; of
acts done in anger or pride that I wish I could undo.
2. I hold grudges for a long time, and I do not reconcile with those from
whom I am estranged.
3. Forgive me.
4. Forgive those words and deeds and inactions that cause You and others
sorrow.
5. Restore me, renew me, and give me the strength, courage, and love I need
to be Your gracious child and effective witness.
6. In the Name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, I pray.
7. Amen.

Introduction

A. This is our final Lenten midweek service, and we turn to Josiah, the
last of the good kings of Judah.
1. Over the previous fifty-seven years, Judah had suffered under two of the
worst kings she ever had.
2. The first was Manasseh, who reigned fifty-five years and was succeeded
by his son Amon for two years.
3. Amon was assassinated, and his son Josiah was made king.

B. Fifty-seven years of worshiping idols and an ever-weakening kingdom took
its toll on Judah.
1. Imagine for a moment if since 1966 our nation had been led by
persecutors of Christianity.
2. The faithful remnant remained, but it was very weak.
3. Several generations had passed without regular celebration of Christmas
or Easter and teaching of the Bible.
4. Instead, they were accustomed to worshiping sports or spending time or
communing with nature.
5. The church was again in disrepair; this is what always accompanied long
periods of faithlessness.

A. Josiah was Judah’s last hope.

A. At this time, the boy Josiah, just eight years old, began to reign.

A. 2 Chronicles 34:2 (NASB95)
2He did right in the sight of the LORD, and walked in the ways of his
father David and did not turn aside to the right or to the left.

B. Even as a boy of sixteen, he sought the God of David.

C. Josiah’s reign began in the chaos of an assassination and foreign
enemies on every side.

D. Could Josiah stave off the destruction of Judah and lead the people back
into glory?

E. It sure seemed that he was the last hope of Judah.

B. But Josiah died opposing God’s Word.

A. At the age of twenty-six, Josiah began to repair the house of the Lord
again, as his faithful ancestors had done.

A. As the carpenters and builders were working, amid the clutter, Hilkiah
the priest found the Book of the Law, the Torah of Moses.
B. This book, more precious than all the money that was found in the
temple, was brought to King Josiah.

B. And so it was that the people of Judah were reminded of the great
promises and curses of the Mosaic covenant.

A. There was a renewal of faith as all the people, great and small, heard
the words of the Book of the Covenant.
B. There was repentance and turning away from idols.
C. There was a renewal of the covenant as Josiah kept a Passover in
Jerusalem.
D. It is written that:
1. 2 Chronicles 35:18 (NASB95)
18There had not been celebrated a Passover like it in Israel since the days
of Samuel the prophet; nor had any of the kings of Israel celebrated such a
Passover as Josiah did with the priests, the Levites, all Judah and Israel
who were present, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
E. But hanging over the reign of King Josiah was the word of the prophetess
Huldah, who had prophesied impending disaster, only delayed until the death
of Josiah.

C. Not long after this, Josiah, the king who was given God’s Word, was
confronted with a very worldly problem.
1. Pharaoh Neco of Egypt was marching his army north through Judah in order
to fight further north at the Euphrates River, probably against the newly
expanded kingdom of Babylon.
2. We don’t know exactly why Josiah opposed it, but there are many possible
reasons.
3. It’s unsettling for any government to have foreign troops travel through
its land.
4. Whatever the motivation, Josiah was disturbed and went out with an army
to meet Neco.
5. Remember, Neco was not intending to fight Judah.
6. But Josiah sought to pick a fight with Neco.
7. Neco was headed north to fight at Carchemish.
8. In fact, Neco apparently had the command of God for this mission and
declared as much to Josiah.
9. In a remarkable exchange:
A. 2 Chronicles 35:21–22 (NASB95)
21But Neco sent messengers to him, saying, “What have we to do with each
other, O King of Judah? I am not coming against you today but against the
house with which I am at war, and God has ordered me to hurry. Stop for
your own sake from interfering with God who is with me, so that He will not
destroy you.”
22However, Josiah would not turn away from him, but disguised himself in
order to make war with him; nor did he listen to the words of Neco from the
mouth of God, but came to make war on the plain of Megiddo.

D. Nevertheless King Josiah couldn’t resist interfering in international
politics and was determined to fight Pharaoh Neco.
1. So Josiah was found opposed to God’s Word, spoken by Neco, one of the
most unlikely prophets of Scripture.
2. It’s clear that Josiah knew he was doing wrong, because he did not call
on God and go into battle leading his forces.
3. Instead, he disguised himself, as wicked king Ahab of Israel had done
many years before.
4. He was trying to oppose Egypt without having to do so publicly.
5. But King Josiah was not disguised from God, and an arrow hit and
mortally wounded him.
6. The arrow, a long-range weapon, was not aimed at the king, but found him
by God’s will.
7. And so the words of Pharoah Neco were fulfilled as King Josiah was
destroyed in the valley of Megiddo.

E. Thus the last hope of Judah had fallen in an unnecessary war with a king
acting by God’s command.
1. Josiah’s son Jehoahaz reigned in his place for only three months until
the Egyptians installed a puppet king, that is Jehoiakim.
2. Soon Babylon invaded and set up one of its own puppet kings with
Zedekiah.
3. One thing led to another, and Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed,
the chosen people exiled.
4. The prophecies of Huldah, Isaiah, and Jeremiah were all fulfilled.

C. Now what hope is there when a good king dies?

A. While the future was unknown, it was clear at Josiah’s death that the
kingdom of Judah would never be the same.
1. The glory days were now gone, and foreigners would have the upper hand
in the land of David.
2. Thus the death of Josiah was a time of weeping and lamentation.
3. Weeping for a good king whose death was untimely and unnecessary.
4. Weeping for a lost nation whose future was certainly a shadow of her
past.
5. This weeping would continue for at least two hundred years.
6. With the lament of Jeremiah and others by men and women singing, the
Judeans continued to mourn the death of their king and his kingdom.

B. King Josiah was a good king—truly a great king.
1. But even his righteous repentance and sacrifices were unable to stop the
destruction of the kingdom.
2. After all, what good is a king if he can only give his people peace
until his death and then comes the end?
3. What hope is there when all that a man works for is passed on to the
next generation, who sees its destruction?

D. The Son of Josiah died fulfilling God’s Word.

A. One generation follows another, and this pattern continues.
1. So it was that the Son of Josiah came to a wicked and sinful generation.
2. The kingdom of God was at hand, but there was much opposition to it.
3. The faithful had been prepared by the prophet John the Baptist.
4. He called the people of God to repentance in the Judean wilderness by
the Jordan.
5. So the Son of God brought out the Torah and Prophets while teaching in
the temple, synagogues, and countryside.

B. Moreover, the Son of David suffered according to the Word of God.
1. Jesus often taught that the Son of Man must suffer and die and be raised
again.
2. So the Son of David entered Jerusalem when he knew that it meant certain
death.
3. It wasn’t just a matter of divine foreknowledge.
4. His disciples noted closely that the chief priests, scribes, and
Pharisees had been eager to stone him for months.
5. Jesus wasn’t going for a coronation but an assassination!

C. Yet Jesus would not be deterred.
1. The Son of Josiah would not disguise himself or hide from the enemy like
Josiah or Ahab had done.
2. He taught openly in the temple.
3. He confronted false teachers wherever they opposed God’s Word.
4. It was instead his enemies who sought the cover of darkness to hide
their evil deeds.
5. Out of fear of the crowds, the chief priests took Jesus into custody in
the dead of night.
6. By morning, the Son of God was stripped of his clothes and hung bare
under the sign, which read, “This is the King of the Jews.”

D. While the crowds called for blood, the faithful women wept and lamented,
as St. Luke recorded.
1. On Sunday morning, St. John tells of Mary Magdalene weeping at the empty
tomb for her deceased Lord and his body that was nowhere to be found.
2. Fear gripped this would-be king’s followers.
3. He was the one they had hoped would redeem Israel.
4. Now he was dead and gone, and the future was bleak indeed.
5. It would be forty years later, but their Lord had told them that
Jerusalem and the temple therein would be destroyed.
6. The nation they loved would once more be a relic of past glory.

E. So now Jesus is Israel’s last hope.
1. So it was that the last hope for Israel hung on a cross.
A. Not shot accidentally by archers but knowingly nailed to the tree.
B. The sign proclaimed what their hearts refused to believe: that Jesus is
the king of the Jews.
C. And the world rejoiced at the death of this innocent man.
D. Wicked men had opposed God’s Word and violent men took the kingdom by
force.
E. Meanwhile, his followers wept and lamented.

B. But this is not the end, for The Son of Josiah Has Turned Our Mourning
into Joy.

Conclusion

A. What Jesus knew, what the disciples and the women could not believe, was
that the path to an eternal kingdom went through the cross.
1. Only by suffering death could death be overcome.
2. With our sins forgiven, we can follow our Savior into life, where
weeping is no more and sorrow is turned to dancing.

B. The reign of this Son of David was incredibly short by earthly
standards.
1. He was marked for death, already sentenced to death when he was crowned
king.
2. But there would be no successor, because Jesus is the only king to
succeed himself at death.
3. So we no longer mourn King Josiah; we do not mourn the destruction of
the temple or Jerusalem, whether the first or second time.
4. Those things we do not need!
5. Our King lives eternally, and his kingdom is all around us.
6. In him, in our resurrected Lord, we have all the hope we will ever need.
7. Whether devils fill Armageddon or fear grips our hearts, we need only to
look to the cross.
8. There we see the power of God and his King, our Lord and Savior.

C. When we turn to the cross, our sorrow is turned to joy because the
eternal King says:
1. John 16:22–24 (NASB95)
22“Therefore you too have grief now; but I will see you again, and your
heart will rejoice, and no one will take your joy away from you.
23“In that day you will not question Me about anything. Truly, truly, I say
to you, if you ask the Father for anything in My name, He will give it to
you.
24“Until now you have asked for nothing in My name; ask and you will
receive, so that your joy may be made full.
B. Amen.

D. Let us pray:
1. Holy God, I admit to You that all is not right – in my heart and in my
world, I look to the darkness and not to the light.
2. I look for what is broken, and not at what is being mended.
3. I look to criticize and not to praise.
4. I look at myself and not at You.
5. Turn me around so that I look at the possibility, at hope, at promise,
at grace, at healing, at Your love.
6. This I pray in the strong name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy
Spirit. Amen.

E. The peace of God, which transcends all understanding, guard your hearts
and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

F. In the Name of the Father…Amen.