Four Branches—December 2025

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Eschatological Discourse, Part One: Introduction

Christ’s return for judgment at the end of the world is a prominent theme throughout Scripture. But the most comprehensive treatment comes from Jesus himself in his Eschatological Discourse (ED), also known as the Olivet Discourse. On the Tuesday of Holy Week, after censuring Jerusalem’s hypocritical Jewish leadership with seven scathing woes (Matt 23), Jesus sat down with his disciples on the Mount of Olives to deliver the ED. It is recorded only in the Synoptic Gospels (Matt 24­–25; Mark 13; Luke 21).

The ED is rather difficult. “Few chapters of the Bible have called forth more disagreement among interpreters…. The history of the interpretation of this chapter is immensely complex…. Numerous details in the text are much disputed and hard to understand.”[1] “Widely divergent interpretations of the discourse have been proposed, and it remains the most disputed area in the study of Mark’s gospel.”[2] “It is no understatement to suggest that more ink has been spilt on this chapter, with its synoptic parallels, than on any other in the Gospel narratives.”[3]  “There is no passage in the Gospels more replete with critical and exegetical difficulties than the Olivet Discourse.”[4]

The Synoptic Gospels record the same flow or progression of thought from the beginning of the Eschatological Discourse (ED) to the end, with only slight variation. Therefore, rather than propose a traditional outline, I offer the following progression of movements or sections through the ED. I will use these section headings as reference markers throughout this series of articles:

  1. Beauty Destroyed            Mt 24:1–2            Mk 13:1–2                Lk 21:5–6
  2. When & What?                 Mt 24:3                Mk 13:3–4               Lk 21:7
  3. Signs                                Mt 24:4–14          Mk 13:5–13             Lk 21:8–19
  4. Great Distress                  Mt 24:15–21        Mk 13:14–19            Lk 21:20–24
  5. More Signs                       Mt 24:22–28       Mk 13:20–23
  6. Heavenly Upheaval         Mt 24:29              Mk 13:24–25           Lk 21:25–26
  7. Cloud Rider                       Mt 24:30–31        Mk 13:26–27           Lk 21:27–28
  8. Fig Tree                             Mt 24:32–33       Mk 13:28–29           Lk 21:29–31
  9. This Generation                Mt 24:34–35       Mk 13:30–31           Lk 21:32–33
  10. Unknown Day                    Mt 24:36–44       Mk 13:32–37           Lk 21:34–36

There is great unity among the synoptic accounts. Not only is the basic flow or progression of the ED consistent in all three Gospels, but also many of the phrases are identical or nearly identical, especially in Matthew and Mark. Luke does present certain sections elsewhere in his Gospel and does not include some of the topics covered in Matthew and Mark. Nevertheless, the Holy Spirit has preserved a great unity of this discourse among the Synoptics.

This structural harmony urges the interpreter to let the synoptic accounts interpret themselves. The Bible is its own interpreter. This means we should let each Gospel account of the ED help us interpret the others.

[1] D. A. Carson, Matthew 13–28 (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995), 488–9.

[2] R. T. France, The Gospel of Mark: A Commentary on the Greek Text (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2002), 498.

[3] Michael P. Theophilus, The Abomination of Desolation in Matthew 24.15, quoted in Jeffrey A. Gibbs, Matthew 21:1—28:20 (St. Louis: Concordia, 2018), 1245. 

[4] George Eldon Ladd, The Presence of the Future: The Eschatology of Biblical Realism (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974), 309, fn 5.

Rev. Kirk Lahmann serves as pastor at St. John Lutheran Church in Burlington, WI.

Systematic Theology: Jesus wants everyone baptized.  

Is baptism important? Almost every Christian will affirm baptism is important. If the question were changed to “Is baptism necessary for salvation?” you will find the cause of division between the Southern Baptist Convention and The Churches of Christ, and a major point of contention among many Christians today.[1]

Is baptism necessary? Necessary for salvation?

The question might back you into an uncomfortable corner. Article IX of The Augsburg Confession states: “Concerning baptism [Lutherans teach] that it is necessary for salvation.”[2]

How does Jesus speak about baptism’s necessity? 

Jesus tells us to make disciples of all nations, baptizing them. Nothing in the Great Commission suggests baptism is unnecessary. Jesus’s urgency benefits souls and reminds us to work while we can. John 3:5 makes us realize why many church fathers call baptism necessary for salvation, and why the Augsburg Confession holds on to that language: “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born or water and the spirit.” Baptized and taught is the ordinary pattern for a Christian.[3] Baptism’s necessity gives the pastor courage to ask the pregnant woman we just met or the parent of a newborn, “Have you made plans to baptize your baby?” Baptisms and adult confirmations have followed from that simple question. God wants to richly bless that child through baptism, and for that child to remain in the Word. 

But what if baptism is impossible? We cannot change the past. Our hearts break for those who would have been baptized if they could but died before the baptism could occur. Or before a child could be born.[4] God’s Word still creates faith. Jesus promised the thief on the cross a place in paradise.

Franz Pieper describes baptism as necessary, but not absolutely necessary for salvation.[5] Examples like the thief on the cross comfort when baptism could not be administered. John 3:5 and Matthew 28:19 encourage us to work with urgency for the benefit of souls.

[1] If understanding the differences in belief among some Christian groups interests you, you might enjoy Understanding Four Views on Baptism, edited by John Armstrong and Paul Engle and published by Zondervan. This book is a series of essays and responses sharing Baptist, Reformed, Confessional Lutheran, and Church of Christ views on baptism. It can be purchased here: https://zondervanacademic.com/products/understanding-four-views-on-baptism

[2] Kolb-Wengert. 

[3] This is not the absolute or only pattern for a Christian however. One converted by the Word possesses salvation in its entirety.  

[4] Martin Luther in Comfort for Women Who Have Had a Miscarriage and Martin Chemnitz in CPH’s Chemnitz’s Works Vol IX: Church Order, 108 both have excellent, pastoral advice to those who have suffered from miscarriage. They both encourage those suffering to pray to our God who cannot ignore a Christian’s grief and to comfort the grieving with the image of the child in paradise. I picture my unborn child in Jesus’s arms at peace, tears dried. No matter the answer to this open question, I know Jesus will perfectly dry my tears in the end.

[5] Pieper, Christian Dogmatics, 3:280. WLS’s Dogmatics Notes also offer the same caution against saying “baptism is absolutely necessary” with quotations from Gerhard and Quenstedt. May God keep us on the narrow lane between not saying too much and not saying too little!

Rev. Patrick Freese serves as pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Abita Springs, LA.

Historical Theology: Teaching Church History, Part 5: Church History Is Worthwhile

Objection to teaching church history #4: “I’m still not convinced this is worth my time, or that my people would be interested or consider it worthwhile.”

Ultimately, only you can determine how teaching church history best fits into your ministry context. Maybe you teach a specific church history course. Or maybe you just try to sprinkle church history examples or scenarios into your other classes. Either way, it doesn’t have to be an overly time-consuming commitment, and I hope my course can be a beneficial resource. Use it in whatever way you see fit to help you incorporate church history into your congregational life.

You’ll likely find that most participants enjoy learning about church history. While one person said, “I’m glad we’ll just be studying the Bible again in our next class,” the majority expressed gratitude. Here’s what they especially appreciated:

  • The material was new, interesting, and insightful and illuminated past events and current issues they had never understood before.
  • The breakdown of eras and timeline of events helped them to see the big picture and follow along.
  • The scenario questions really made them think and wrestle with the past and the present from new and biblical perspectives.
  • The course highlighted that God prevails and protects his people and his Word throughout all the controversies, heresies, conflicts of interest, disinterest, and attempts to destroy them, just as he promised.

In an age of sound bites and shorts full of shallow and artificial content, our people need deep discipleship. Church history provides greater cultural context, shows the complex reality of the Christian life, and demonstrates the timeless relevance and comfort of God’s Word. At a time when people often relocate and denominational allegiance is diminishing, people need measured and nuanced explanations of the differences in churches and what matters most when choosing one. Church history helps provide that too.

Whether from institutions or the internet, our people can easily encounter countless heresies, lies, and historical inaccuracies. These distortions—such as the claim that the church invented Jesus’s divinity at the Council of Nicaea—seek to pull people away from Christ and his Word. Furthermore, if someone interacts with content of this sort, search and social media algorithms will continually feed them more of it. Teaching church history is a worthwhile and proactive way to prepare our people to face these attacks and to stay standing firm in Jesus.

Church history Bible study here.

Rev. Nathanael Jensen serves as pastor at Cross of Christ Lutheran in Las Cruces, NM.

Practical Theology: Old Testament Stories in the Pastor’s Hands, Part 4

Old Testament Stories from the Pulpit

In the first three articles, I’ve argued that telling OT stories is not only effective and beneficial, but the lens through which God has taught his people to understand the world. If that is true, they deserve a regular, load-bearing place in our preaching.

Preaching on an OT text: When you preach on an OT story, let it carry the sermon. (I’m thankful the new 3-year lectionary includes more OT narratives!) Give the congregation a vivid retelling, noting its surprises, turning points, and tensions. Reveal context, cultural blind spots, and seek to dress it in modern clothes as appropriate. Then apply Law and Gospel through that frame so that your points remain anchored in the story, rather than leaving it behind for the rest of the sermon.

As an example, here’s one super simple structure suited to narrative texts:

  1. Opening Question
  2. Setting / Place in Salvation History
  3. Tell the Story!
  4. Law
  5. Gospel
  6. Sanctification

This outline is easy to memorize and keeps the text, not our cleverness, at the center. A concrete question invites the congregation to start thinking. The setting locates them in salvation history. The story is then allowed room to breathe. Finally, Law, Gospel, and Sanctification are applied using the texture and language of the narrative they have just heard. I’d also suggest giving extra care to the sentences that connect the story to Christ. Those links need to shine. They are often the hinge on which the sermon turns.

OT Illustrations: OT stories also serve well as illustrations, giving a concrete picture of the doctrinal truth in your Epistle or Gospel. I like to connect texts with a reminder about the Holy Spirit’s inspiration: “What Paul states in Romans 8, the Spirit has already demonstrated in the life of Joseph.” It’s an opportunity to show the one Mind and Heart behind all of Scripture.

You can also use an OT story as a “flashback” illustration to give background to another text. For Micah 5:2–5a (Christmas Eve A), you might begin with a retelling of Samuel’s visit to Bethlehem to anoint the youngest son of Jesse. By Micah’s day, that moment in Bethlehem’s history seemed buried and unimportant, as the countryside was being squeezed to support the power and luxury centered in Jerusalem. When Micah says, “Bethlehem Ephrathah,” he pulls that forgotten story back onto the stage. The town where the Lord once chose an unlikely king now becomes, again, the unlikely place from which he will bring forth David’s greater Son, just as the angels announce to the shepherds in Luke 2.

Practical steps this month:

  • Try using the simple structure above on an upcoming Old Testament sermon.
  • In your next Epistle or Gospel sermon, add one Old Testament story illustration that ties both texts clearly to Christ.
  • Prepare an Old Testament “flashback” to give narrative background to the one of Gospel texts in Epiphany.

Rev. Peter Schlicht serves as pastor at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in West Bend, WI.

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