June 28, 2026
Sermon for the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost, 2026, from Jeremiah 28:5-9.
Pastor Peter Ziebell
The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all. Amen.
The text for our sermon today is our First Reading read before, Jeremiah 28:5-9.
5 Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to Hananiah the prophet in the presence of the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of the Lord, 6 and the prophet Jeremiah said, “Amen! May the Lord do so; may the Lord make the words that you have prophesied come true, and bring back to this place from Babylon the vessels of the house of the Lord, and all the exiles. 7 Yet hear now this word that I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people. 8 The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and pestilence against many countries and great kingdoms. 9 As for the prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of that prophet comes to pass, then it will be known that the Lord has truly sent the prophet.”
Lord God, heavenly Father, sanctify us through Your truth, Your Word is truth. Amen.
Dear friends in Christ,
Down through the history of mankind, there have been showdowns of all types — some big, some small, some dramatic, some not so dramatic. Perhaps we are witnessing the beginning of a showdown in our country’s political realm! Anyhow, today, our text gives us an opportunity to witness a showdown of a different sort, namely, a spiritual showdown in the house of the LORD between two men: the prophet of the LORD, Jeremiah, and the false prophet Hananiah. Let’s begin today with a little background on what led to the showdown.
Last Sunday, we were introduced to Jeremiah. Recall how the LORD had called Jeremiah to be His prophet, whose task was to declare His coming judgment, although we also see God’s concern for repentance and righteousness in individuals and nations. This dual focus is seen in God’s instructions to Jeremiah, who was “to pluck up and to break down” but also “to build and to plant” (1:10). Jeremiah sees a future day when God will write His Law on human hearts, and “they will all know Me,” and “I shall remember their sin no more” (31:33-34).
Jeremiah lived and worked in the Southern Kingdom of Judah. For about 20 years, he had proclaimed to the people of Judah that Jerusalem would be destroyed by the Babylonians. In 605 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar attacked Jerusalem and carried off into exile the “cream” of Judah’s citizens — men such as Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego.[1] Eight years later, Nebuchadnezzar confiscated many valuable articles from the house of the LORD and deported ten thousand people from Judah — including the King of Judah, Jehoiachin.[2] Nebuchadnezzar then installed Zedekiah as his puppet-king in Jerusalem.
As you can imagine, these were extremely difficult times for the people of Judah and Jerusalem. Not only had the Babylonians already deported some of the highest-ranking members of Jewish society, not only did every dust cloud on the horizon cause the people of Jerusalem to shake and shiver in their sandals, but the prophet Jeremiah was always there! For thirty-three years, Jeremiah had been faithfully reminding the people of what the LORD Himself had revealed: the beloved city of Jerusalem would most certainly be destroyed because of her sins, and Judah would most certainly go into exile because of her stiff-necked and rebellious ways!
Jeremiah, however, was not the only person who claimed to be a prophet of the LORD. A man named Hananiah also claimed to have a message from the LORD, a very different message from Jeremiah’s. Hananiah stood up in the house of the LORD and loudly proclaimed, “Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: I have broken the yoke of the king of Babylon. 3 Within two years I shall bring back to this place all the vessels of the LORD’s house, which Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon took away from this place and carried to Babylon. 4 I shall also bring back to this place Jeconiah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, and all the exiles from Judah who went to Babylon, declares the LORD, for I shall break the yoke of the king of Babylon” (Jer. 28:2-4).
The prophet Hananiah, whose name means “the Lord has been gracious,” used the first and oldest deception in the world. He denied everything the Lord had said through Jeremiah, directly and boldly. He spoke a message that would find immediate and favourable reception in his listeners’ hearts. Hananiah proclaimed that what Jeremiah had been proclaiming was not true, thus setting up a showdown between himself and Jeremiah!
Since Hananiah publicly stood up in the house of the LORD and directly contradicted the message that God Himself had given to Jeremiah, we are told, “5 Then the prophet Jeremiah spoke to Hananiah the prophet in the presence of the priests and all the people who were standing in the house of the Lord, 6 and the prophet Jeremiah said, “Amen! May the Lord do so; may the Lord make the words that you have prophesied come true, and bring back to this place from Babylon the vessels of the house of the Lord, and all the exiles. 7 Yet hear now this word that I speak in your hearing and in the hearing of all the people. 8 The prophets who preceded you and me from ancient times prophesied war, famine, and pestilence against many countries and great kingdoms. 9 As for the prophet who prophesies peace, when the word of that prophet comes to pass, then it will be known that the Lord has truly sent the prophet.”
Jeremiah was certainly not opposed to the Babylonians staying at home and minding their own business, and was certainly not opposed to having both the exiles and the articles that were stolen from the house of the LORD returned. At the same time, however, Jeremiah clearly reminded both Hananiah and the priests and all the people there that the LORD their God says what He means, and He means what He says!
Down through the ages, the LORD had repeatedly sent His prophets to warn individual people and even entire countries and great kingdoms that if they were unfaithful to Him, the one and only Living God, if they rebelled against Him, the Almighty Creator of heaven and earth, they would not enjoy peace but rather they would experience His wrath and His justice. And now, if someone like Hananiah wants to stand up and prophesy peace to the people of Judah and Jerusalem — people who had become unfaithful to the LORD by worshipping other gods, people who had rebelled against the LORD and broken the covenant He had made with them — if that’s what Hananiah wants to proclaim to the people, then Jeremiah said, “Fine! Go ahead! But remember — all the prophets who had come before you have spoken the very opposite of what you have just said. The God of Israel does not lie or change His mind. He is faithful to His Word and promises. He does not contradict Himself. His faithfulness is the very foundation of the covenant and of all we believe. His Word is consistent with itself. To accept what you say, we would have to deny the LORD. The weight of Scripture is against you. Only if and when the peace you have promised actually comes will your words deserve a hearing. But that peace will not come.”
It must have been very powerful and dramatic for the people standing there, witnessing the showdown between Jeremiah and Hananiah. How did it all turn out? Two months later, the prophet Hananiah died.[3] A few years later, King Zedekiah rebelled against Babylon, and Jerusalem was completely destroyed. The house of the LORD was stripped of anything of any value and was burned to the ground, and Judah was carried into exile — exactly as Jeremiah had prophesied.
That was then; this is now. Do we ever have showdowns today that are similar to the one portrayed here in our text? Yes, we do! How? Where? Why? Let’s answer those questions on three different yet intertwined levels.
The first level is the broadest level.
At one time, Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?” (Matthew 16:13), and they responded by saying, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” Jesus then asked, “But what about you? Who do you say I am?” The apostle Peter responded with that rock-solid confession of faith upon which the Christian Church is built: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
After praising His heavenly Father for creating that rock-solid conviction in Peter’s heart, Jesus goes on to say something that serves as both a warning and a comfort for the Christian Church right down to this very day when He says, “I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I shall build My church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it.” Peter’s rocklike confession of faith was the solid foundation on which Christ would build His Church.
There are two kingdoms that are constantly at war here on this earth. There is the Kingdom of God, which is built on the rock-solid foundation of the truth as it is found in the Bible, and then there is the Kingdom of Satan, which is built upon the sandy foundation of lies and deception. Wherever and whenever these two Kingdoms collide, there is always a showdown.
This is why just before He was arrested by His enemies Jesus warned His disciples, “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). This is why, as children of God, you and I should never be surprised when the unbelieving world attacks us because of our relationship with Jesus and because we boldly take a stand on the Word of God. Why shouldn’t this surprise us? Think about it. The unbelieving world refuses to acknowledge Jesus as the eternal Son of God and this world’s only Saviour from sin. The unbelieving world cannot understand or accept God’s truth! Remember the words of the Apostle Paul, “The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are discerned spiritually” (1 Cor. 2:14). This Spirit-given wisdom makes no sense to the unbelieving world. Man, as he is by nature—physical, material, concerned about things of this world—cannot understand God’s ways because natural man is unspiritual. The Spirit of God is not in him to enable him to understand. The contrast between the person who has the Spirit and the person who does not have him in his heart is absolute. It’s the difference between day and night, between life and death. As a result, the unbelieving world clenches its fist and gnashes its teeth every time we strive to faithfully proclaim God’s truth. Since that’s all they know how to do, since that is the “default setting” of the unbelieving world, it surely doesn’t surprise us when the unbelieving world acts and reacts, thinks and talks like unbelievers! Thankfully, Jesus assures us that no matter how often His Church finds herself in a showdown with Satan, not even “the gates of Hades” itself will ever be able to overcome the Church that is being built by our crucified, risen and victorious Saviour!
Second, from that broad level of the showdown between the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of Satan, we also need to recognise that—sadly—we often encounter a showdown between churches which consciously strive to remain faithful to the Lord and to His Word and those churches for whom faithfulness to the Lord and to His Word is not their main focus.
Some years ago, we found it necessary to establish our own church body and to reaffirm the Word of God as being holy, inspired, and inerrant from beginning to end. We believe and confess that it makes a difference what church we belong to because just as a groom expects his bride to remain 100% faithful to him (and vice versa), so also Jesus expects us, His Bride, the Church, to remain 100% faithful to Him. And the only way to determine whether someone remains faithful to Jesus is to see whether they remain faithful to everything Jesus has revealed to us in His holy Word. Again, taking our stand on God’s Word alone, we maintain that Jews, Muslims, and Christians do not worship the same God! There is only one true God—the Triune God, God the Father who created us, God the Son who redeemed us and God the Holy Spirit who sanctifies us. Clearly and boldly taking such a stand will set us apart in Australia’s religious landscape today. Clearly and boldly taking such a stand oftentimes sets us up for a spiritual showdown, even with many other so-called Christian churches today.
And finally, as our Lord Himself reminded us in our Gospel lesson for today[4], sometimes we encounter these showdowns on a very personal level—even within our own family. While it may not be as dramatic as the showdown between Jeremiah and Hananiah, we know how hard and stressful it can be to have discussions with family members belonging to other churches and to point out our differences. Nevertheless, loyalty to Christ requires loyalty to His truth, and any denial of Christ’s truth is a denial of Christ Himself. Any true child of God must therefore not only confess the truth of Christ faithfully, but must also reject every false teaching that is opposed to the truth of Christ and ought to dissociate himself from it. That’s what the Apostle Paul tells us when he says to “watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them” (Romans 16:17). No false teaching is acceptable for God’s Church, whether it contradicts the Law or the Gospel.
From Moses’ showdown with Pharaoh to Joshua’s showdown with the city of Jericho, from David’s showdown with Goliath to Elijah’s showdown with the prophets of Baal, from Jeremiah’s showdown with Hananiah in the house of the LORD to Jesus’ showdown with Satan on the cross of Calvary’s hill, whenever the truth of God is confronted by false teachings or human opinions there will always be a showdown. Remember that the next time you come face to face with someone who is promoting or even supporting something that contradicts God’s Word. But also remember this: The Lord your God is always right, and if it comes down to a showdown, the Lord your God always wins! Amen.
The peace of God, which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.
Prayer of the Church for the Fifth Sunday after Pentecost
Holy God, You are our strength and our shield. Teach us to sing of Your steadfast love and make known Your faithfulness as we live in Christ’s favour and light.
Lord of heaven and earth, rule and govern Your Church and all her pastors and ministers, that she may be preserved in the pure doctrine of Your saving Word and defended against all adversaries, and that faith may be strengthened and love increased.
Father in heaven, bring peace, not a sword, to our homes by Your grace. Foster a common love and knowledge of Your Word among husbands and wives, parents and children, and guide their love for one another by Your love for them.
Almighty God, watch over all who make, judge and administer the laws of our nation, and preserve us from sinful contempt of good order and godly laws. Give to our authorities integrity and honour, and bless all citizens with charity and love.
Most merciful Lord, grant to those in trouble, want, sickness, anguish of labour, peril of death or any other adversity the healthful Spirit of Your grace for healing, strength, comfort and relief. Bless especially those who suffer for the sake of Your name and Your Word. Give them the courage and patience to stand firm in their afflictions until the day of Your deliverance.
Heavenly Father, through the body of Christ we have died to the Law, that we may belong to Him and bear much fruit. Receive our inadequate thanks for Your kindness toward all who have died in the faith and now rest from their labours. Preserve us in the way of the Holy Spirit until we stand with them in glory.
Graciously receive our prayers, deliver and preserve us, for to You alone we give all glory, honour and worship, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
[1] Daniel 1:1-7
[2] 2 Chronicles 36:9-10
[3] Jeremiah 28:17
[4] Matthew 10:34-42