Sharper Iron from KFUO Radio

Rev. Harrison Goodman, pastor at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church in San Antonio, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Mark 14:66-72. As Jesus undergoes His trial before the Sanhedrin, Peter undergoes a trial of his own. The bravado He displayed earlier in the evening of Maundy Thursday is gone now that Jesus is bound. When a servant girl challenges him, Peter feigns ignorance. His distance from...

Rev. Jacob Dandy, pastor at Zion Lutheran Church and School in Terra Bella, CA, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Mark 14:53-65. Jesus’ trial before the Sanhedrin shows the horrific result of unbelief. The chief priests, elders, and scribes otherwise would not have seen eye-to-eye on many issues, yet their hatred toward Jesus binds them together to destroy Him, even by legally questionable me...

Rev. Mark Squire, pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church in St. Ansgar, IA, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Mark 14:43-52. The groups whom Jesus had silenced previously in Holy Week now seek to carry out their violent intent to silence Jesus. In fulfillment of several Psalms, Judas, one of Jesus’ own, cruelly betrays his Teacher and Lord into the hands of the armed crowd with a kiss. The incide...

Rev. Tim Koch, pastor at Emanuel Lutheran Church in Milbank, SD, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Mark 14:26-42. Even with His betrayal, suffering, and death looming, Jesus still sings with His disciples as they go to the Mount of Olives. He bluntly tells His disciples that they will all fall away, as the prophet Zechariah foretold. Peter responds selfishly, contending that he will not. Jesu...

Rev. Jason Kaspar, pastor at Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church in La Grange, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Mark 14:12-25. As the LORD delivered His people Israel from death through a sacrificial lamb in the Passover, so Jesus now delivers His people from death by His own sacrifice on the cross. The preparations that Jesus sends His disciples to make are really His own preparations; Jesus is...

Rev. Jeremiah Johnson, pastor at Glory of Christ Lutheran Church in Plymouth, MN, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Mark 14:1-11. The events of Holy Week now turn to focus on the Passover. This is not only the Passover Jesus celebrates with His disciples; this is the Passover that Jesus accomplishes for His disciples and for the world in fulfillment of everything the Old Testament has spoken....

Rev. Dr. Adam Koontz, assistant professor of exegetical theology at Concordia Theological Seminary in Ft. Wayne, IN, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Mark 13:32-37. As Jesus concludes His discourse on the destruction of the temple and His second coming, He knows that His disciples will be tempted toward speculation. He knows that what they need is vigilance, and so He clearly states that onl...

Rev. Dr. Adam Filipek, pastor at Holy Cross Lutheran Church and Immanuel Lutheran Church, both in Lidgerwood, ND, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Mark 13:14-31. Jesus continues to speak to His disciples concerning the destruction of the temple and His second coming. As Jesus’ disciples once saw the abomination of desolation in the temple prior to its destruction, so whenever Christians see...

Rev. Jeff Hemmer, pastor at Bethany Lutheran Church in Fairview Heights, IL, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Mark 13:1-13. Jesus’ teaching during Holy Week reaches a climax when He leaves the temple for the final time. His words concerning the utter destruction of the temple building left His disciples in shock. This had been the place they knew they would have access to God. In speaking of...

Rev. James Preus, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Ottumwa, IA, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Mark 12:38-44. As no one dares to ask Jesus any more questions, He continues His teaching by warning against the scribes and other religious leaders. This warning is necessary because their outward show of piety only covers the evil of their false teaching and refusal to learn the truth of wh...

Rev. David Appold, pastor at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Paducah, KY, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Mark 12:28-37. The motive of the scribe who comes to question Jesus is less important than the question itself. “Which commandment is the most important of all?” Jesus’ answer ties together love for God and love for neighbor. The scribe responds positively. He recognizes the truth that Je...

Rev. Andrew Preus, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Guttenberg, IA and St. Paul Lutheran Church in McGregor, IA, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Mark 12:18-27. Jesus faces yet another challenge during the early days of Holy Week. The Sadducees, who deny the resurrection and only hold to the five books of Moses, come to Jesus with a case study concerning levirate marriage. They cannot se...

Rev. Zelwyn Heide, pastor at St. Peter Lutheran Church in Hannover, ND and Zion Lutheran Church in New Salem, ND, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Mark 12:13-17. Despite theological and political differences over paying taxes to Rome, the Pharisees and Herodians find common ground in their hatred of Jesus. During Holy Week, they come to Jesus in an effort to trap Him. As they flatter Him wit...

Rev. Shawn Linnell, pastor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Blair, NE, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Mark 12:1-12. Jesus’ parable against the chief priests, scribes, and elders uses Old Testament imagery that describes God’s people Israel as His beloved vineyard. The actions of the tenants in the parable indicate their enmity toward the master. They intend to send him a message by their over...

Rev. Mike Newman, president of the Texas District of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Mark 11:27-33. On Tuesday of Holy Week, Jesus’ enemies begin to confront Him. Threatened by the Lord’s actions in Jerusalem the previous two days, they come to Jesus with the false belief that they have authority of their own. They do not trust that authority is God’s gif...

Rev. Luke Zimmerman, pastor at Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church in Mechanicsburg, PA, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Mark 11:12-25. Jesus’ words to the fig tree on His way into Jerusalem on Monday of Holy Week serve to illustrate what He does in the temple that same day. The fig tree Jesus sees is not fulfilling its vocation of producing figs. Jesus speaks words of judgment upon that fi...

Rev. Brian Flamme, pastor at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Roswell, NM, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Mark 11:1-11. Jesus’ ministry reaches a pivotal moment as He enters into Jerusalem. He instructs two of His disciples very specifically as to where and how they will acquire a colt for Him to ride into Jerusalem. The fervor of the crowd following Jesus grows as they realize that Jesus’ use...

Rev. Kurt Cockran, pastor at Faith Lutheran Church in Tucson, AZ, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Mark 10:46-52. Although Bartimaeus is blind, he sees Jesus truly in faith. He comes to Jesus as a little child with nothing, crying out the prayer of every Christian: “Lord, have mercy!” Although the crowd initially rebukes him, Bartimaeus only repeats his prayer louder. Jesus shows mercy by ac...

Rev. Roy Askins, managing editor for The Lutheran Witness, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Mark 10:32-45. As Jesus continues to lead the way up to Jerusalem, He adds to what He has taught His disciples concerning what awaits Him there. He speaks with great clarity and precision concerning the details of the betrayal, condemnation, mockery, torture, and death He will endure at the hands of b...

Rev. Jacob Dandy, pastor at Zion Lutheran Church and School in Terra Bella, CA, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Mark 10:17-31. The rich young man stands in contrast to the little children Jesus has just welcomed. Whereas those little children came with nothing and desired to receive from Jesus, this man presumes that he does have something to offer Jesus. He believes he has kept the law. Je...

Rev. Steve Andrews, pastor at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Lee’s Summit, MO, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Mark 10:13-16. This text is far more than a heart-warming scene. Children are brought to Jesus because they are in need of His eternal gifts of forgiveness and salvation, and Jesus desires to give it to them. Jesus’ disciples, however, have failed to recognize their Lord’s prioriti...

Rev. Dustin Beck, pastor at Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Warda, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Mark 10:1-12. Jesus’ ministry of teaching continues in the region of Judea and beyond the Jordan. In the same area where John the Baptist had once spoken against Herod’s sin against adultery, the Pharisees come to Jesus to test Him with a question about divorce. When Jesus turns the question...

Rev. Timothy Appel goes “Back to the Forge” to answer some listener email concerning the work of the devil against Jesus. How did the Pharisees and scribes ally themselves with the devil? How are all unbeliever’s under Satan’s power? Did the devil want Jesus to die or not? Let the Word of God sharpen your faith on these matters and rejoice that Jesus has conquered your enemy for you! Do you have a...

Rev. Mark Barz, pastor at Crown of Life Lutheran Church in San Antonio, TX, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Mark 9:38-50. John breaks the disciples’ recent silence with a question for Jesus concerning an unnamed man who had been casting out demons in Jesus’ name. Jesus’ response calls His disciples to gentleness toward this man. His use of Jesus’ name indicates faith; he is not in league wi...

Rev. AJ Espinosa, assistant pastor at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church in Irvine, CA, joins host Rev. Timothy Appel to study Mark 9:30-37. Jesus continues to teach His disciples concerning His upcoming suffering, death, and resurrection. For the sake of the salvation of sinners, the Father delivers Jesus as the Son of Man into the hands of men. They will do their worst to Him by killing Him, yet He will...