The Hall of Faith: Time Fails Us to List Them All

Rev. Bryan Wolfmueller, pastor at St. Paul and Jesus Deaf Lutheran Churches, both in Austin, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Hebrews 11:32-40. As the author of Hebrews draws his list of saints to a close, he says that there is not enough time right now to list everyone. As he moves quickly through the time of the judges and kings and prophets, the author then begins to describe a wide range of the exploits accomplished by faith. At first, this list seems to be growing in the grandeur of earthly victory, yet the list then continues into the even greater glory of suffering. Faith receives both abundance and lack, life and death, with all praise and thanksgiving to God. The saints of old received these from the hand of God as they waited to be joined with the saints right now, that together the whole Church would be made perfect in the fulfillment of God’s promises: Christ Jesus our Lord. “The New Covenant in Christ” is a series on Sharper Iron that goes through the book of Hebrews. The book of Hebrews is best understood as a sermon preached to those who have gathered for the Divine Service, exhorting them to continued faithfulness to Jesus. As the Son of God and our Brother, Jesus is both our exalted King and faithful High Priest who is truly present with us so that we might fix our eyes on Him.