Silencing the Word

Silencing the Word

Holy Tuesday – 3/31/2026

Jeremiah 11:18-20

Rev. Thomas Van Hemert

In the name of the Father and of the +Son and of the Holy Spirit.

The prophecy for Holy Tuesday is written in Jeremiah, chapter 11 and is mostly in the first-person singular:

"In those days the prophet Jeremiah spoke, saying: The Lord gave me knowledge, and I know; for You showed me their doings. But I was like a docile lamb brought to the slaughter; and I did not know that they had devised schemes against me, saying, “Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be remembered no more.” But, O Lord of hosts, You who judge righteously, testing the mind and the heart, let me see Your vengeance on them, for to You I have revealed my cause, O Lord my God.”

Who is speaking and what is it that the Lord made known? Well, in the immediate sense and context, Jeremiah is the speaker. The Lord made it known to Jeremiah that his own townspeople of Anathoth were plotting to kill him. They didn’t particularly like Jeremiah and they really didn’t like the words that he spoke from the Lord. So his own townspeople sought revenge against Jeremiah, who had been preaching against the baals and the ashteroths, against the false gods.

Like many of the prophets before and after him, Jeremiah had been preaching repentance—return to the Lord! Turn back from your evil ways and live! For with the Lord

there is forgiveness.

Now Jeremiah was spared from the vengeance of the townspeople. He did not die at their hand. But this prophecy is also a prophecy concerning Jesus, for all the Law and the Psalms and the Prophets were written concerning Him. Thus, we can read it this way:

“The Lord made it known to [Jesus] and [Jesus] knew; then [He] showed [Jesus] their deeds. But [Jesus] was like a gentle lamb led to the slaughter. I did not know it was against me they devised schemes, saying, ‘Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, let us cut [Jesus] off from the land of the living, that his name be remembered no more.’ But, O Lord of hosts, Who judges righteously, Who tests the heart and the mind, let me see your vengeance upon them, for to you have I, [Jesus], committed my cause.”

Jeremiah was spared pain and death but Jesus was not. He was tried as a common criminal, yet He did not even attempt to defend Himself. He knew His purpose. His purpose was to be the Lamb led to the slaughter upon a cross. Just as the townspeople in Jeremiah’s day shouted, “Let us destroy the tree with its fruit, let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name be remembered no more,” so also do the crowds at the trial and before Pilate shout the same about Jesus.

In their attempt to destroy Jesus and to silence Him through coercion and violence, it would have seemed that they succeeded, having crucified Him upon a tree. For a time, they silenced Him, they killed the Lord by means of a tree. They cast Him out of the Holy City and cut Him off from the land of the living.

But what seemed to be permanent was only temporary. The crowds, incited by violence and hatred, attempted to remove Jesus’ name from the history books. But what they refused to believe was that He came from heaven in order to save them. His name is Jesus—He saves His people from their sins. He even blots out the sins of the people from the crowds, the very people who put Him to death.

And so it is for us as well.

Because of our sins, we needed a Savior. And so Jesus came. Every time we receive the Lord’s Supper, every time the Body and Blood of our Lord is placed into our mouths, every time we celebrate this wondrous Sacrament, we proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes, and in so doing, we confess His name. This means that when we eat and drink of this bread that has come down from heaven, we also remember our Savior. We remember Jesus. We remember all He has done for us. This cup is for the forgiveness of sins. The crowds may have cut Jesus off from the land of the living but they could not stomp out His name from the record books. He gives us Himself in the Sacrament that we would partake of Him and that He would fill us with His righteousness. To His Father, He committed His cause. To us, for us, He committed His cause. Everything He does, He does for His Father because He and His Father are one. And because we are in Him and He is in us, we are also one.

So whenever we think on Christ’s Passion, whenever we think about His suffering and death. Let us think of the Jeremiah’s prophecy and know that we are those who plotted against Him—to cut Him down, the tree and the fruit. But at the same time, we are those for whom He died. Let us also think on Him as He comes to us, not in anger or wrath, but in mercy, shrouded in bread and wine and thereby, we proclaim His holy name and most precious death until He comes again.

Dear Lord Jesus, our Savior, at Your gracious invitation we come to Your table to eat and drink Your holy Body and Blood. Let us find favor in Your eyes to receive this holy Sacrament in faith for the salvation of our souls and to the glory of Your Holy name.

In the holy Name of + Jesus. Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.