The King of Righteousness is born to reign.

 

Sermon for Christmas 1, December 27, 2020

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.  Amen.

Isaiah 11:1-5  A shoot will spring up from the stump of Jesse, and a Branch from his roots will bear fruit.  ²The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him: the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.  ³He will be delighted with the fear of the Lord.  He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, nor will he render decisions based on what he hears with his ears, ⁴but with righteousness he will judge the poor, and he will render fair decisions in favor of the oppressed on the earth.  He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath from his lips he will put the wicked to death.  ⁵Righteousness will be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his hips. (EHV)

The King of Righteousness is born to reign.

Dear friends in Christ,

            Looks can be deceiving.  That neighbor with the big house, fancy cars, boats, recreational vehicles, and other toys might be struggling under a load of debt, while another neighbor without all the trappings of the moneyed class, might just be worth millions. 

The world is often in awe of those people who make large donations to charity even when it might be just a tiny fraction of their accumulated wealth.  The world also likes to look down on ordinary individuals who do the less glamorous jobs for low pay and miniscule prestige, yet those humble people greatly benefit their families and perform valuable, God-pleasing service for their neighbors.

There are despised and hated individuals and even people in jail who now stand justified before the Lord, and there are upstanding citizens and even some people attending churches who will hear the Lord’s condemnation come Judgment Day.  Looks can be deceiving.

The once mighty house of Jesse from whom generations of rulers had once reigned over Israel and Judah now looked like a dead dynasty that would never rise again.  The first king from that line had looked like the least likely candidate when Samuel was sent to anoint one of Jesse’s sons to replace King Saul.  Each of the boys was rejected as Jesse brought them out before the prophet, until Samuel had to ask if he had any others, and Jesse sent for the youngest son, still an adolescent, just a boy tending his father’s sheep in the hills around Bethlehem.  David had no training yet for military or governance, yet he proved to be Israel’s greatest king.

Two thousand years ago, a young peasant couple travelled from their home in Nazareth to their ancestral village, the little town of Bethlehem, at the command of the Roman governor so that they might be taxed.  Inconveniently, I suppose, while away from their modest home, a Baby was born to them in makeshift quarters arranged for a family that was far from wealthy, and the baby was laid in a manger.  To the outside world, that baby didn’t look like anything special.  In fact, when it was reported to Herod that a future king had been born in Bethlehem, Herod didn’t try to identify the child, he just had all the baby boys in the area destroyed as if they were all the same, but One was of the house and lineage of David, son of Jesse.  Thus, The King of Righteousness is born to reign.

Seven hundred years before Jesus was laid in that manger, and before He was protected from Herod’s deranged rampage by the family’s midnight escape to Egypt, Isaiah prophesied, “A shoot will spring up from the stump of Jesse, and a Branch from his roots will bear fruit.”  The Lord had promised King David, Israel’s most faithful king, that from his seed, God would raise up a King who would reign on David’s throne forever.  There, in that humble manger lay the King who will reign long past the day this world is ended.  To the world, that Baby Jesus is often mistaken for just an ordinary baby boy.  Some call Him a prophet, some a teacher, some doubt He ever lived.  But, now and forever, The King of Righteousness is born to reign.

Looks can be deceiving.  Isaiah also foretold, “He had no attractiveness and no majesty.  When we saw him, nothing about his appearance made us desire him.” (Isaiah 53:2)  To mortal eyes, Jesus looked like any other child.  To mortal eyes, even as an adult, there was nothing about His appearance that would make us call Jesus God.  But within that human body is the Son of God with all the wisdom and holiness of His Father, and all the power and authority available in the universe.

Here, in our sermon text, Isaiah wrote, “The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him: the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.  He will be delighted with the fear of the Lord.”  For our sakes, and for our salvation, Jesus laid aside His divine majesty so that He could live as a Man in our place, but don’t be deceived by Jesus’ humble appearance.  Even in that manger bed, Jesus possessed all the power and authority that His Father granted to Him for ruling the world.  The baby Jesus, born of Mary, was also the Son of God in full union with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  By that true God and true Man lineage, Jesus could live as one of us, even as that infant in a manger, while also maintaining the whole of creation.

So that a man might live in perfect obedience, the Man, Christ Jesus, desired only to do His Father’s will.  No sin interfered with His desire to honor and serve His Father.  None of the things of this world, not even Satan and his minions, could distract Jesus from His mission to save.  Even as a twelve-year-old boy, Jesus astonished the teachers with His eagerness to grow in God’s Word and the depth of His understanding.  So we see that The King of Righteousness is born to reign.

This prophecy has some amazing and gracious promises for us.  Isaiah foretold, “He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, nor will he render decisions based on what he hears with his ears, but with righteousness he will judge the poor, and he will render fair decisions in favor of the oppressed on the earth.”  When we look honestly into the mirror of God’s Law, all we can see is our shortcomings, our failures to be perfect, our weakness in trusting God’s guidance and decisions.  When the devil and our consciences get hold of us, all we really hear is the accusations of all we do wrong.  Even when the devil is behind the temptations that cause us to fall, he is right there needling us for our failures to love God as we should.  None of this will sway Jesus’ judgment when He determines our eternal destination.

Dear friends, the poor and oppressed Isaiah described are those who fall before the Lord in humble sorrow for their sins, who recognize and confess their failures to love God and neighbor as we should, but who also trust in that Babe in the manger for their righteousness and salvation.  The whole human population fails to be holy before God.  Even one sin makes us unworthy to enter God’s presence, ineligible to enter the kingdom of heaven, but the Good News for us is that the King, who will reign over God’s people forever, does not look at what is in us or what He hears about our wicked deeds.  When we stand before our eternal Judge and recognize Him as the one who was laid in that manger bed, the Lord, our King, will not be judging us based on our deeds or intentions, but on what He has done for us. 

“With righteousness he will judge the poor, and he will render fair decisions in favor of the oppressed on the earth.”  As poor, humble sinners, the faithful Christians will be judged by Christ’s righteousness, that which He lived on our behalf in perfect submission, trust, obedience, and love for His Father in heaven, for the robes of Jesus’ righteousness were put on us at Baptism where the Spirit washed away our sins and granted us forgiveness through faith in the Son of God in that manger bed. 

Furthermore, we can look forward to Jesus’ verdict, because He will be judging fairly when He announces us forgiven and holy, for that little shoot from Jesse’s root grew up to be the Lamb of God who suffered and died on a cross in full payment for the sins of the world.  The debt for the sins of the whole human race was paid in full by the blood of the God-Man when He died on the cross for you and me.

In our times, much of the world is worried about the future.  Scientists and environmentalists agonize over various schemes to save the planet.  Here too, looks can be deceiving, for no matter what the deep thinkers of our times intend to do to save the world, they will accomplish nothing in the end.  Isaiah said, “He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath from his lips he will put the wicked to death.”  The day is coming when our King will return to end this corrupt and deceitful place.  Jesus declared, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” (Matthew 24:35)  While we should indeed be good stewards of all God has put into our hands, this world is doomed, and the devil and all who follow in his rebellion will be repaid for their rejection of God’s love with an eternity in the prison of hell.

In the Revelation, St. John saw the Son of God and Man dressed in all His glory, with a two-edged sword proceeding from His mouth, symbolizing that Jesus’ words will both kill and make alive.  The Gospel of all that Christ has done for us, believed, brings us eternal life.  On the other hand, those who do not believe will hear from the same mouth of God, “Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire, which is prepared for the Devil and his angels.” (Matthew 25:41) This judgment for their unbelief will be final, resulting in everlasting death—the eternal separation of those souls from God’s love.

That little Child in the manger at Bethlehem, praised by the angels and feared by Herod as a threat to his reign, is often viewed with contempt by the world.  That is a horrible mistake, for in that little Child is the God of all creation, fully equipped and fully prepared to win salvation for the world.  The prophet wrote, “Righteousness will be the belt around his waist, and faithfulness the belt around his hips.”  Holiness and righteousness are the tools Jesus used to win our release from the devil’s chains.  His faithfulness is our everlasting dress, covering our sins, and making us perfectly clothed to celebrate at the wedding banquet of heaven. 

Do not be deceived by the humble appearance of Jesus’ birth, nor by the wretched scene of His shameful death.  Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promise to David that his descendant would rule God’s people forever.  With His perfect life, innocent death, and glorious resurrection from the grave, Jesus has established His kingdom of grace for all eternity.  He has prepared a place in it for you and me.  Though the world cannot see Jesus working for His kingdom, all authority over heaven and earth is in His hands, and He works all things for our everlasting good.  The King of Righteousness is born to reign.  Jesus reigns to give you eternal peace.  Amen.

The peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus unto life everlasting.  Amen.

Rejoice for what shepherds saw and heard.

 

Sermon for Christmas Day, December 25, 2020

Behold, I bring you good news of great joy, which will be for all people: Today in the town of David, a Savior was born for you.  He is Christ the Lord.  Amen.

(EHV) Luke 2:15-20  ¹⁵When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Now let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”  ¹⁶So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.  ¹⁷When they had seen him, they told others the message they had been told about this child.  ¹⁸And all who heard it were amazed by what the shepherds said to them.  ¹⁹But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.  ²⁰And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

Rejoice for what shepherds saw and heard.

Dear faithful witnesses,

            Last night we heard the prophecy about an amazing sign and a miraculous presence, and how that was all fulfilled in Jesus, but what do you do when you see or hear something that is so amazing that everyone on earth will eventually have a reaction to it?  Some, like King Ahaz in our text last night, reject the news out of hand and go to their destruction, but others have it change their hearts and lives.  This morning, we see what happens when ordinary people experience extraordinary things, and seeing what they experienced, we Rejoice for what shepherds saw and heard.

On an ordinary night in an ordinary Judean field, ordinary shepherds were startled by a heavenly light, by an angel announcing good news for all mankind, and the heavenly host praising God with exultant voices.  What would you do if that happened to you?  Would you run away scared?  Would you marvel momentarily and go back to what you were doing?  Would you roll over in your sleeping bag and decide it was just a hallucination?

It is always risky to speculate on what-if scenarios like that, because we tend to overestimate the good things we might do, though the reality is often quite different.  When those humble shepherds heard the messenger tell of a Savior born for them and saw the angel hosts break forth in praise to God for putting His plan for our salvation in motion, many people might think that they should keep such a wild tale to themselves.  Why tell anyone something so fantastic and farfetched?  Why risk embarrassment if your friends and neighbors don’t believe you?

On the other hand, whenever we do experience something so life-altering, it’s hard to keep quiet, isn’t it?  When someone we are madly in love with says yes to our proposal, we want to shout that news from the rooftops, and we spend thousands of dollars celebrating with family and friends.  Students who get offered scholarships get their pictures in the newspaper with their parents smiling proudly behind them.  When our favorite team wins the Super Bowl, most places celebrate with a giant ticker tape parade.  I’m not sure what would happen if Minnesota should ever experience that, but I’ll bet there would be excitement in every town and city around.

What did those sheep herders do when they heard the news?  First of all, they believed the message.  It was so out of the ordinary that they couldn’t imagine doing anything but believe.  They were so amazed; they couldn’t wait to go see the Savior in person.  “When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Now let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”  “Let’s go now,” they said.  They didn’t wait till morning.  They didn’t wonder if their sheep would be okay if they left the flock alone in field for a few hours.  They immediately went to see and worship their Lord and Savior.

So maybe, we should ponder what those shepherds saw in themselves that would make them react with such speed.  They didn’t see themselves as so righteous they didn’t need a Savior.  They didn’t assume God is so weak that He wouldn’t judge them guilty.  No, nothing like that.  Out there in the fields, they knew exactly their own faults, and God’s righteous judgment they could not deny, so they rejoiced to hear the news of God’s promises being fulfilled in their time and their presence.  They didn’t hesitate or dawdle along the way but hurried to meet this Child who the angels had told them was God’s Son and their Savior.

I wonder sometimes how we see ourselves.  Do we see the sinner inside?  Do we respect the righteous God who created us?  Do we believe what He promised?  If we see ourselves as we truly are, we must Rejoice for what shepherds saw and heard.  As we heard last night, God gave miraculous signs that have only been fulfilled in Christ Jesus.  But, God also provided us with so many reliable witnesses that everything the Bible says about the Savior simply has to be fact. 

How do we know that these shepherds are reliable witnesses?  Because they had no agenda to fulfill.  They had no airs to maintain.  They didn’t start some cult or political movement.  They simply heard the message, rushed to confirm the truth, and rejoiced telling their friends and neighbors the marvelous things they had seen and heard.  Then, they went back to their ordinary jobs but still kept telling their friends and families about the Savior who has come into the world to save us.

The people who heard the shepherds’ report were also amazed.  What they did with their amazement we are not told.  Yet, we can expect that many believed their friends.  Many trusted that the Promised One truly had entered the world.  Did they ever learn more?  The Bible is silent on that, but we do have God’s promise that “Just as the rain and the snow come down from the sky and do not return there unless they first water the earth, make it give birth, and cause it to sprout, so that it gives seed to the sower and bread to the eater, in the same way my word that goes out from my mouth will not return to me empty.  Rather, it will accomplish whatever I please, and it will succeed in the purpose for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:10-11) 

Whether or not the people dwelling near Bethlehem in that day believed, thousands upon thousands have heard the shepherds’ story and believed for the salvation of their souls.  Throughout the centuries since that night in the fields around Bethlehem, the Christian Church has grown from those few shepherds into a body of billions of believers.  St. John was given a vision of this church in the future and he reported, “I looked, and there was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people, and language, standing in front of the throne and of the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and with palm branches in their hands.  They called out with a loud voice and said: ‘Salvation comes from our God, who sits on the throne, and from the Lamb.’” (Revelation 7:9-10)

The shepherds rejoiced for what they had seen and heard, and they didn’t hesitate to tell their friends and neighbors.  The news was too good not to share.  Likewise, Mary treasured both the messages and the events that happened to her, in her, around her, and through her.  Her first-born Son would be her Savior too.  The child she was privileged to carry in her womb, nurse at her breasts, and raise to adulthood under her care, is the Lamb of God who would carry the debt of sin for the whole human race to the cross where He would die for you and me and all people. 

The angel had told Mary the pain this Child would cause in her heart.  But no, it wasn’t pain caused by failure, rebellion, or ordinary childhood faults; it was the pain of seeing what her sins and the sins of the world would cause her beloved first-born Son to suffer.  Mary’s heart would be pierced by knowing that we all needed her Son to die so that we might live.

An angel appeared to those humble shepherds that night telling them about the Lord and Promised One who had come to earth to be their Savior and how and where to find Him.  They saw the glory of the Lord and heard the angelic choirs singing praise to God for the peace this Child came to win.  Startled, amazed, excited, and full of wonder, the shepherds went immediately to meet the Child and there in the little town of Bethlehem they confirmed the truth of all they had seen and heard.

Dear friends, Rejoice for what shepherds saw and heard.  Everything they witnessed that night confirms for us that this Baby born of Mary is the Savior God had been promising since Adam’s fall into sin.  God’s Son left His Father’s side in heaven to dwell on earth in all lowliness and humility so that we may dwell on high in glory.  That little Baby, entering our world in humblest fashion gave Himself into life and death so that our sins can never again be counted against us.  He lived so that we are counted righteous in His Father’s eyes.  He lived with us on earth so that we can be confident of our welcome back into God’s presence forever.  And, Jesus died on a cross for sins He didn’t commit, so that the devil can never again accuse us before the throne of God. 

With the angel hosts and those humble shepherds, “I bring you good news of great joy, which will be for all people: Today in the town of David, a Savior was born for you.  He is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:10-11)  “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward mankind.” (Luke 2:14)  Rejoice for what shepherds saw and heard.  Amen.

The peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus unto life everlasting.  Amen.

The LORD gives a sign like no other.

 

Sermon for Christmas Eve, December 24, 2020

Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward mankind.  Amen.

Isaiah 7:10-14  ¹⁰The Lord spoke to Ahaz again.  He said, ¹¹“Ask for a sign from the Lord your God.  Ask for it either in the depths below or in the heights above.”  ¹²But Ahaz responded, “I will not ask.  I will not test the Lord.”  ¹³So Isaiah said: Listen now, you house of David.  Is it not enough for you to test the patience of men?  Will you test the patience of my God as well?  ¹⁴Therefore the Lord himself will give a sign for all of you.  Look!  The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and name him Immanuel. (EHV)

The LORD gives a sign like no other.

Dear children of the heavenly Father,

            King Ahaz was afraid.  Neighboring armies were threatening the kingdom of Judah, and Ahaz was so afraid that he was willing to seek help from a dangerously powerful, wicked, idolatrous nation against those lessor neighbors, even Israel.  In His mercy, the Lord God of heaven and earth sent His prophet to offer His protection, but it was readily apparent that the one true God was no longer Ahaz’ God.  When King Ahaz didn’t believe the offer of God’s protection, the Lord offered to give him a sign—a visible proof to show Ahaz that he could trust the Lord, but Ahaz refused God’s offer.

Many people in our world are also afraid.  Some are afraid of troublesome neighbors.  Some fear a tiny yet terrible virus.  Government officials fear losing their power, while many people fear the government’s power.  Lots of people, even among ourselves, feel afraid even when they can’t identify what it is that makes them feel scared.  Sadly, like King Ahaz, many don’t trust the one true God.  Yet, the sign God offered to King Ahaz remains a powerful sign, to any and to all, that God is faithful and we can trust God to rescue us, because The LORD gives a sign like no other.

The Lord spoke to Ahaz again.  He said, “Ask for a sign from the Lord your God.  Ask for it either in the depths below or in the heights above.”  God made an offer of pure, unselfish generosity.  Ahaz had done nothing but reject God’s help, yet God was loving and so faithful to His promises to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that He was willing to help even one of the worst of Judah’s kings. 

Many people think God only helps those who love and honor God, but God often sends His messengers with promises and calls to repentance because “He is patient for your sakes, not wanting anyone to perish, but all to come to repentance.” (2 Peter 3:9)  God wanted Ahaz to repent of his wickedness and return to trusting his Creator as his forefathers had.  Furthermore, God was carrying out His plan to bring salvation to the world through a descendant of King David, and as wicked as Ahaz was, he was in that line of descendants that led to our Savior, (Matthew 1:9) so God was concerned for that man’s eternal welfare, just as He is for ours. 

Ahaz was given the opportunity to ask for any miraculous sign he could think of, from the depths of the underworld to the heights of heaven.  Ahaz could ask for anything—there was no limit—yet Ahaz chose, instead, to rely on his enemies’ idols.  Ahaz responded, “I will not ask.  I will not test the Lord.”  Such is the mindset of the unbeliever.  Ahaz refused the most powerful help in the universe; he refused even to consider testing the God who was bending over backward to help him.

Firmly in the devil’s control, Ahaz brazenly defied the invitation to test God.  Ahaz likely knew enough of Moses writings to remember the Scripture which condemned the tests of the rebels, but Ahaz wasn’t being humble, obedient, or pious.  He was arrogantly defying the living God’s open hand.  Such is the case of anyone who rejects God’s promises, yet will not read the Bible, attend church services, or accept the outreaching hand of a Christian friend.

God’s patience with Ahaz was running out, yet God remained merciful to the world, so The LORD gave a sign like no other.  Isaiah said: “Listen now, you house of David.  Is it not enough for you to test the patience of men?  Will you test the patience of my God as well?  Therefore the Lord himself will give a sign for all of you.  Look!  The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and name him Immanuel.”

A sign like no other.  There are two amazing miracles promised in God’s sign, the first is a virgin birth.  This is such an amazing sign that many stumble over it, imagining that it just can’t be.  They believe a virgin birth isn’t possible because in the whole of history, it has happened only once.  However, our human experience cannot and should not control what God does.  Just because a new baby comes into the world, ordinarily, through the coupling of man and woman does not mean that God is limited.  Yet, because it is a one and only event in all of human history, no one should doubt that it really, truly is God’s promised One in that manger bed in Bethlehem.

There is more than adequate documentation in the Bible to show that Mary was indeed a virgin when the angel, Gabriel, came to her with the news that she would bear the promised Messiah.  Mary herself wondered how this was possible.  The reaction of her betrothed husband, Joseph, also verifies the account.  Even the infant, John, in Elizabeth’s womb, testified to Mary’s honesty and purity at the time she brought forth her first-born Son.  For numerous reasons, we trust that in Jesus’ birth The LORD gives a sign like no other.

Now, for the shocking part: that first miracle of the sign given to King Ahaz is the lessor part of the sign.  The greater part comes at the end of the promise.  “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and name him Immanuel.”  This Child to be born in such monumental, unusual circumstance is the One and Only.  Already these hundreds of years before the Messiah would enter the world, the world is told that this one and only Child to be borne via a virgin birth will be God with us.

Names in the Bible often have meaning.  This one has the greatest meaning of all.  God with us means that this Child is God Himself come down to earth to share our humanity.  God with us means that God isn’t leaving our reconciliation, redemption, and salvation in the hands of frail sinners like you and me.  All the laws of the Bible and every other religion, state, or society couldn’t bring us one inch closer to God, so God Himself came down to be with us.

Ahaz tested God’s patience, just as every sin, and every sinner, tests God’s patience.  Every time we violate even one of God’s commands or His will for our lives, we are defying the love of our God.  Every time we fall even a smidgeon short of perfect holiness, God’s perfect justice demands retribution and the punishment of death.  There is no room in heaven for any type of sin—certainly no room for sinners of any kind.  God told Moses, “You cannot see my face, for no human may see me and live.” (Exodus 33:20)

At the same time, heaven is occupied and ruled by one God who is love.  Every part of God’s being wants to do what is needed to save you and me.  Therefore, God sent His Son from heaven to earth, so that the Son could do for us what we could not do for God.  Because of this promised Sign, born of a virgin, John was able to testify, “We have all received grace upon grace.  For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.  No one has ever seen God.  The only-begotten Son, who is close to the Father’s side, has made Him known.” (John 1:16-18)

Dear friends, when you gaze into that manger bed this Christmas Eve, see there the fulfillment of all God’s promises, and see the Sign that has amazed the world since the promise was given to King Ahaz.  A miraculous birth took place there in Bethlehem—a Virgin gave birth to a Child without the input of a man.  More importantly, though, than even that, is that this Child is God with us.  That Baby in the manger is the exact image of the holy God of heaven, who came down to earth to live in perfect humility, righteousness, and holiness, so that you could have perfect peace with the God who created mankind in His own image, an image of unblemished holiness that was lost in the fall but is restored through faith in Christ Jesus. 

That Baby came also so that having lived in perfect obedience to all His Father’s will on our behalf, God’s Son, Jesus, could give His human life on a cross outside of Jerusalem so that justice is satisfied, and you can be counted holy and perfectly fitted to enter heaven as God’s own dear child.  Our God and Savior promised those who believe and trust in Him, “I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.” (John 10:10)  This is the Savior who by His life, death, and resurrection has taken away every fear that might ever trouble us, for He has opened the gates of heaven to all who believe.  That is what you see and believe, when The LORD gives a sign like no other.  Amen.

Now, the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless in connection with the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Amen.

Christ, the Bridegroom, is superior to all.

 

Sermon for Advent 4, December 20, 2020

Grace to you and peace from Him who is, who was, and who is coming.  Amen.

John 3:22-36  ²²After this, Jesus and his disciples went into the Judean countryside where he spent some time with them and was baptizing.  ²³John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was plenty of water there.  People kept coming and were being baptized, ²⁴for John had not been thrown into prison yet.  ²⁵Then an argument broke out between John’s disciples and a certain Jew about purification.  ²⁶His disciples came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, the one who was with you across the Jordan, about whom you testified—look, he is baptizing, and everyone is going to him!”  ²⁷John answered, “A man cannot receive a single thing, unless it has been given to him from heaven.  ²⁸You yourselves are witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent ahead of him.’  ²⁹The one who has the bride is the bridegroom.  But the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and listens for him, is overjoyed when he hears the bridegroom’s voice.  So this joy of mine is now complete.  ³⁰He must increase, but I must decrease.  ³¹The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in a way that belongs to the earth.  The one who comes from heaven is superior to everyone.  ³²He testifies about what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony.  ³³The one who has received his testimony has certified that God is true.  ³⁴In fact, the one whom God has sent speaks God’s words, for God gives the Spirit without measure.  ³⁵The Father loves the Son and has put everything in his hands.  ³⁶The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who rejects the Son will not see life; instead, God’s wrath remains on him.” (EHV)

Christ, the Bridegroom, is superior to all.

Dear fellow redeemed,

            Are you ready for the Savior’s coming?  Are you ready for Christmas?  I have to admit that I am great at volunteering to do things, but not so good at carrying through.  I have lots of good intentions, but I am mainly a champion of procrastination.  Now, think about John the Baptist; John was sent to prepare the nation of Israel for the Savior’s arrival.  Imagine the burden of meeting that goal.  Consider the challenge of moving a nation of people from indifference to actively looking forward to meeting God’s Son face to face.  How did John not whither under the pressure?

To be honest, I don’t know how much stress John the Baptist felt.  By all accounts, he certainly was not afraid of what people thought about him.  On the other hand, many today might like to emulate John, because he definitely was a man with little impact on the environment.  He would have used precious little fossil fuel.  His diet was about as politically correct as one could imagine, locusts and wild honey.  Only the most diehard vegan would protest.  Of course, none of this has anything to do with the real John.  John wasn’t an environmental warrior.  He wasn’t a political activist.  Rather, John was a servant of God sent to prepare God’s people for Jesus’ arrival, and John was great at his assignment.  That being said, Christ, the Bridegroom, is superior to all.

The scene of our text takes place fairly early in Jesus’ ministry.  John the Baptist was still active, though apparently not for much longer.  The apostle, John, reports one thing that reminds us of the religious world today—a dispute arose between John’s disciples and a certain Jew.  Now, we are not told the details of the dispute, but we can guess about the cause of the friction.  John’s disciples rightly wanted to support their teacher, and another person thought his side’s ideas were better.  Likewise, today, personal feelings, jealousy, and selfish attitudes often drive disagreements in the churches.  “There is nothing new under the sun.” (Ecclesiastes 1:9) wrote Solomon.  As long as mankind exists on earth, there will be the danger of putting ourselves above God and His Word.

Thankfully, John the Baptist wasn’t swayed by the arguments of men.  Instead, John relied on his promised Savior.  John answered, “A man cannot receive a single thing, unless it has been given to him from heaven.”  John pointed his disciples to the truth that comes down from heaven—God’s Word.  Those disciples wanted to defend the Baptizer, but John was content to serve in the role he had been given.  It’s a good example for all of us.  Rather than wish we were something we are not, we should serve God to the best of our abilities in the role and office He gives us.

Therefore, John clarified for his disciples and the crowds that surrounded him, “You yourselves are witnesses that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent ahead of him.’  The one who has the bride is the bridegroom.  But the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and listens for him, is overjoyed when he hears the bridegroom’s voice.  So this joy of mine is now complete.”  John compares himself to the friend of the groom who has been given the privilege of announcing the groom’s approach to claim his bride. 

In the ceremonies of the time, a groom would only come to claim his bride after he had made all things ready for their married life.  He would establish his house and business to support a wife and family.  A banquet celebration would be arranged with guests invited and prepared.  Only then would the groom come for his beloved, but though the day might well be known in advance, the hour was not always so clear, so this friend of the groom would be called upon to go ahead of the groom to prepare the guests, and especially, to announce the imminent arrival of the groom so that no invited guest would miss out on the celebration of the wedding.  It was a great honor for the friend to be chosen as the groom’s representative.  This was John’s spiritual role, and he was humbled by the privilege.  Yet, he fully understood that he was not the focus of the celebration.

The Bridegroom of the heavenly wedding is God’s Son, Jesus.  The bride is that assembly of believers throughout all history who believe in the promised Savior—all members of the holy Christian Church.  This meeting was the focus of all the scriptural record.  Everything in history led up to this moment when the heavenly Bridegroom would come to claim His bride.  Therefore, John says, “He must increase, but I must decrease.”  John’s role was coming to an end.  Now, that the Bridegroom was present and active, the need for a forerunner was over, and John rejoiced, because he knew that our Savior was his Savior too.

John said, “The one who comes from above is superior to everyone.”  John the Baptist was far above most of us in his diligence and faithfulness.  The angel, Gabriel had announced that John would “be great in the sight of the Lord.” (Luke 1:15)  Jesus also declared, “Among those born of women there is no prophet greater than John.  Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” (Luke 7:28)  None of this went to John’s head, because he knew that like you and me, John had inherited sin from his parents.  John knew he had not earned his place in the kingdom of heaven, but he trusted in the Savior that was promised even in the announcement of John’s birth.  Therefore, John was rejoicing to hear His Savior’s voice for that meant his salvation was at hand.

“The one who is from the earth belongs to the earth and speaks in a way that belongs to the earth.  The one who comes from heaven is superior to everyone.  He testifies about what he has seen and heard, yet no one receives his testimony.  The one who has received his testimony has certified that God is true.”  John knew and believed that Jesus was no ordinary man.  Jesus is the Son of God and Mary, thus true God and true Man in one flesh.  God gives the message of salvation through Jesus.  Throughout His life, Jesus testified to the plans His Father in heaven had made to rescue sinners from their guilt.  Who received the testimony?  John?  Jesus?

Certainly, Jesus is the seal of God’s truth.  Also true, no person can accept God’s salvation message on his own accord.  However, by the power of the Holy Spirit, everyone who believes in Jesus as Lord and Savior is living proof that God is true.  As St. Paul wrote, “Indeed, it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9) 

John believed, therefore he rejoiced, and he could honestly say, “In fact, the one whom God has sent speaks God’s words, for God gives the Spirit without measure.”  This is perfectly true in Jesus, but it was also true in John, for the Spirit had given him the words to speak to prepare the people for Jesus’ arrival.  When John called people to repentance, it was the Spirit working in the Word that made the change in them.  When John baptized, it was the Spirit working through the water and Word to give life through faith in the Christ.

It is at this point that John clearly spoke God’s salvation plan: “The Father loves the Son and has put everything in his hands.  The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who rejects the Son will not see life; instead, God’s wrath remains on him.”  Every part of our salvation rested upon Jesus.  Only Jesus could perfectly honor and obey His heavenly Father.  Only Jesus could die for the sins of the world yet take up His life again.  Only God’s Son could defeat the devil’s wicked rebellion.  At the same time, because Jesus is true God, there was never any doubt as to the success of His mission.  No matter what schemes the devil might try, Jesus would come out victorious.  And, it is only through faith in Jesus that anyone can be saved.  Yet, what an amazing, wonderful promise is ours—"The one who believes in the Son has eternal life.” 

John believed and though Herod cut off his head, John lives in heaven with his Savior.  That promise holds for all of us, as well.  Our world may be in turmoil right now, but we have full possession of eternal life.  Jesus won it for us with His perfect, innocent life, and sacrificial death.  The Holy Spirit sent by Jesus and His Father through the Gospel in Word and Sacrament has granted this life-giving faith to us, and no one can take away what God has given us.

Naturally, John gave his listeners a warning.  He was, after all, sent to call people to repentance.  John warned, “The one who rejects the Son will not see life; instead, God’s wrath remains on him.”  Millions upon millions of people have passed through earthly life without humbling themselves before God.  Millions walk this earth in our time frantically trying to get by on their own.  For all those who do not believe, the end is God’s eternal wrath.  Though their sins have been paid for, for those who reject Christ, the judgment will be as if they were not. 

Some might think that as long as they don’t actively reject Jesus they will still be saved, but the word John used here is the word from which we get our English word, apathy.  We like to think that apathy is somewhat neutral, but there is no neutral when it comes to faith.  Jesus said, “Whoever is not with me is against me.  And whoever does not gather with me scatters.” (Matthew 12:30) 

Dear friends, believe in the heavenly Bridegroom.  He came to take you to His heavenly home.  With His holy life and innocent death, Christ Jesus paid the bride price for your freedom.  His sacrifice and service are complete.  His love for you is everlasting.  His house is prepared for you.  All things are finished for your eternal salvation, because Christ, the Bridegroom, is superior to all.  Amen.

The peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus unto life everlasting.  Amen.

Ready to serve the Lord, He serves us!

 

Sermon for Advent 2, December 6, 2020

Grace to you and peace from God the Father and Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

Luke 12:35-40  ³⁵“Be dressed, ready for service, and keep your lamps burning.  ³⁶Be like people waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him.  ³⁷Blessed are those servants, whom the master will find watching when he comes.  Amen I tell you: He will dress himself and have them recline at the table, and he will come and serve them.  ³⁸Even if he comes in the second or third watch, they will be blessed if he finds them alert.  ³⁹But know this: If the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.  ⁴⁰You also be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you are not expecting him. (EHV)

Ready to serve the Lord, He serves us!

Dear servants of the living God,

            Two weeks ago, we were reminded to be ready for Jesus’ return on Judgment Day.  Our text this morning seems to say much the same thing.  Yet, Jesus taught this to His disciples much earlier in His ministry than the text two weeks ago, and rather than telling us to be prepared to wake up from sleeping to meet the Lord, this text explains how we are to be ready to serve Him as we go about our daily lives.  Furthermore, it shows us that when we remain Ready to serve the Lord, He serves us!

This text comes in the context of Jesus telling the people not to be worried about their lives in this world.  That encouragement is particularly relevant in this day and age where every headline screams discouragement and disaster.  If we listen to the world, everything sounds hopeless, and you are considered a fool to believe anything else.  Yet, it is pure idolatry to believe that our troubles go unnoticed by our Father in heaven.

You see, Jesus assured His followers that, at all times, God knows exactly what we are going through, and the Father cares about our needs and our fears, and He provides exactly what is needed for our eternal good.  Likewise, the Holy Spirit promises “that all things work together for the good of those who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)  Because of Jesus, “whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.” (Romans 14:8)  Therefore, being Almighty God’s blood-bought children means that He will take care of us and we have no reason to be afraid.

Consequently, since Christ has brought us into the household of God who is taking care of everything we need, Jesus told His disciples, “Be dressed, ready for service, and keep your lamps burning.”  We are not merely pawns on a stage; we have purpose in this world.  By faith and through baptism, our God has dressed us in the righteousness of His Son so that we may glorify Him by our works of service. 

Dear friends, the two main commands of the Law are these, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’  The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’” (Mark 12:30-31)  You really cannot do one without the other because, in fact, “We are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared in advance so that we would walk in them.” (Ephesians 2:10)  We are reminded of another time Jesus taught His disciples, “Let your light shine in people’s presence, so that they may see your good works and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 5:16)  The works we do to serve God and our neighbor call out to the world that our Master has done special things for all.

Therefore, Christians have a responsibility to their Savior to be ready to serve Him at all times by working to advance His business which is the saving of souls.  We don’t know when those opportunities will come, but Peter later advised, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that is in you.” (1 Peter 3:15)  In the context of calling a sinner to repentance and faith, Jesus promised His disciples, “Where two or three have gathered together in my name, there I am among them.” (Matthew 18:20)  Thus, it is not a stretch to understand this text to mean that we are to be prepared to meet Jesus at any moment and at every opportunity to share with fellow sinners the Good News of what He has done for us.  Jesus said, “Be like people waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him.  Blessed are those servants, whom the master will find watching when he comes.”

To be watching with vigilance is to serve faithfully.  It is through Christian believers that God serves this world.  That is our chief purpose in life, so everything we do in whatever vocations we are assigned should be done with serving Christ in mind.  By devoting ourselves to serving our Lord and Savior, we share Christ with our neighbors in everything we do.  That doesn’t make us all preachers, but in our faithfully serving Christ in our regular vocations, we show Jesus to the world as we serve our neighbors.  God’s Son will be known by the actions of His true servants, and on Judgement Day, Jesus will recount all those ways His followers have served Him, and He will say, “Just as you did it for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it for me.” (Matthew 25:40)

In this text, we have a foreshadowing of the joy and glory that will be ours in heaven.  We meet Jesus where He promises to be found, and here on earth, that is in His Word and Sacrament.  Therefore, we meet Him most prominently in the regular church services.  Jesus said, “Blessed are those servants, whom the master will find watching when he comes.  Amen I tell you: He will dress himself and have them recline at the table, and he will come and serve them.”  It is here that we are dressed for service in the white robes of Christ’s righteousness.  Here, in church, is where He returns to be with us and where we are renewed as His servants, where He feeds us and refreshes us with His holy Word and with His true body and blood as nourishment and healing for our souls.

What an amazing thing Jesus promises; that we His servants will be served by our Lord and Savior.  In the liturgical worship service, we have exactly that invitation.  Whenever we gather around the Word in worship, God is serving us.  Christ Jesus has dressed Himself in righteousness so that He can likewise refresh us with His grace and truth.  In the invocation, we meet our Savior in His hall and welcome Him back into our presence.  With the confession and absolution, He washes us clean and restores us in grace.  With the readings and especially with the sermon, Jesus feeds us with the richest of foods. 

Through Isaiah, our Lord pictured this feast when he said, “Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost.…Listen carefully to me, and eat what is good.  Satisfy your appetite with rich food.  Turn your ear toward me, and come to me.  Listen, so that you may continue to live.” (Isaiah 55:1-3)  After the feast of His message, Jesus gives us His real body and blood as healing medicine for our souls, rebuilding the damaged heart so that sin no longer condemns or controls.  Finally, our Lord opens His arms and His ears to hear our prayers, and after listening to our needs, He gives us His blessing to send us on our way.

God serving us through Word and Sacrament foreshadows what we will experience in heaven, and God doesn’t want anyone to miss it.  This is why Jesus pleads with His people to remain ever vigilant in our service and in our watching.  Every promise God ever made about the Christ has come true with one still remaining to be fulfilled.  That is Jesus’ return to judge the world, but no one knows the day or the hour.  That is as it should be for our lives are to be lived by faith.  If we knew the time in advance what would that leave for faith?  So Ready to serve the Lord, He serves us!

Our Savior gave us a picture to remind us of this need to be ready.  It’s kind of a reverse picture: “If the master of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into.”  The homeowner in this picture didn’t expect the burglar when he came, so he had no plan in place to defend his property which was then ransacked.  Likewise, if we are not ready for Jesus’ return, our residence in His heavenly home is at stake.  When we see the day approaching, Jesus wants us to look up eagerly expecting His return in glory, but He also warns about the unbelievers that when He comes, “they will say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us!’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’” (Luke 23:30)  For the unfaithful and the wicked, the end will be a disaster of unending proportion.  Yet, for those Ready to serve the Lord, He serves us!

In the final statement of our text, Jesus says, “You also be ready, because the Son of Man is coming at an hour when you are not expecting him.”  Jesus tells us what He can about the end.  It is all we need to know.  We are not to know the hour, but we do know His grace.  For servants that have often been found lacking, Jesus died on the cross.  For those who trust in His love, Jesus lived the perfectly holy life that will be our fine white clothes forevermore. 

Though many have grown tired of waiting, and many have abandoned their posts, for those who remain faithful till the end, the reward is eternal life at the banquet feast of heaven, the marriage celebration of the Son of God and His bride, the Church.  You don’t want to miss it, because the heavenly Bridegroom gives the greatest gifts and the greatest love this world has ever seen.  He gave it all for you.  Amen.

The peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus unto life everlasting.  Amen.

Victory comes through the hearing of the Word.

 

Sermon for Advent 1, November 29, 2020

Grace to you and peace from the Faithful Witness who is, who was, and who is coming.  Amen.

Revelation 3:20-22  ²⁰“Look, I stand at the door and I am knocking.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will go in with him and dine with him, and he with me.  ²¹To the one who is victorious I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne.  ²²Whoever has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” (EHV)

Victory comes through the hearing of the Word.

Dear repentant friends,

            The apostle John was charged with writing messages to seven congregations in the Roman province of Asia, in what is present day Turkey.  The words of our text are taken from the seventh letter, written to the city of Laodicea.  I sometimes fear that the condition of Christianity in our country most closely resembles that of the congregation at Laodicea.  That’s not a good thing. 

Jesus describes a congregation that considered themselves rich and healthy, and needing nothing, but they were anything but that in spiritual things.  In fact, the Lord describes them as poverty-stricken and dying, declaring them lukewarm, neither hot nor cold, so He was ready to spit them out of His mouth.  That is a brutal rebuke against people who were Christian, but who had allowed earthly prosperity to dull their faith to the point that faith was nearly extinguished.

Neither hot nor cold; food is best served hot or cold, lukewarm brings the danger of rapid spoilage.  Every holiday, we hear the warning that we should beware of letting our leftovers sit too long on the table lest they spoil and cause food poisoning.  Lukewarm spirituality is no different.  People who grow complacent and satisfied with life are often not so sure of their need for the Savior.

The point of this seventh letter, though, was not to bring condemnation.  It is, rather, our loving Savior’s call to repentance.  Those He loves, our Lord chastises.  He is not ready to give up on His children so easily as a less loving god might.  To such lukewarm Christians, Jesus said, “I rebuke and discipline those whom I love.  So take this seriously and repent.” (Revelation 3:19)  Then He speaks the invitation of our text to remind His people that Victory comes through the hearing of the Word.

Jesus declared, “Look, I stand at the door and I am knocking.  If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will go in with him and dine with him, and he with me.”  There are many of our world who want to twist this statement into some synergistic condition of faith.  In other words, they say Jesus will do His part through the work of the Holy Spirit, but you have to do your part by opening the door to Him, or inviting Him into your heart.  The words of our text have none of that intent. 

The Bible is clear that we do nothing to contribute to our salvation.  Before the work of the Holy Spirit in us, we were dead, blind, enemies of God who had no intention or ability to come near to God or even to hear His invitation.  This text is addressed to those who are already Christians, but who through indifference, or sinful living, have pushed their dearest Friend out the door.  The Friend who has loved them beyond all measure, to the very last drop of His blood and His own life sacrificed to the grave was pushed aside and forgotten, and this is why Jesus calls for their repentance and pleads to enter their lives again, so that in hearing His Word, their faith would regain its vigor.

In our world, it is so very common for Christian churches to forget that repentance is necessary.  Some would rather focus on helping one’s neighbor or welcoming any stranger and any strange sin into their midst.  The thought is why call people to repentance when it might drive someone away?  Yet, it doesn’t help anyone to tell them sin is okay.  Making light of sin is like seeing someone staggering blindfolded toward the edge of a cliff, but instead of turning that one away from danger, putting a sandwich in his hand and telling him to have a nice trip.

Others take the truth that God loves His people and twist it into a false notion that the Lord will never allow His friends to suffer, so they pretend that if things don’t go exactly like you want them to, you must not be doing the right things to keep God happy with you, which is nothing more than one of the devil’s oldest lies.

Therefore, the warning, here, is that we do not turn Jesus away.  We are to seek Him where He promises to be found—in His Word, and in the Sacraments He ordained.  There is a danger in the present epidemic.  Many who began staying away from church out of respect for the safety of their neighbors may find it easy to become complacent about hearing God’s Word.  Others may grow so comfortable staying home and watching a service from the comfort of the couch, they may not feel the need for the blessing Christ intends to give us through His holy body and blood in the Supper.

Dear friends, there are times when common sense tells us to stay home, but we dare not become indifferent to gathering with the body of Christ which is His Church on earth.  The writer to the Hebrews said, “Let us not neglect meeting together, as some have the habit of doing.  Rather, let us encourage each other, and all the more as you see the Day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:25)  When the conditions of this pandemic allow us to return to a more complete gathering, we must do so.  And while we operate under these restrictions, we dare not turn away from our Savior or each other by indifference, but rather, access the Word of our Lord by whatever means available: the worship service and Bible study offered online and in print, personal devotions and Bible study, call your pastor to bring you the Lord’s Supper privately, seek him out for comfort from the Word, and share with your friends and dear ones the assuring promises of a Savior who lived and died for them and for all.

Jesus said, “To the one who is victorious I will give the right to sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne.”  The victory is ours by faith.  Just as in Old Testament Israel, the victory is always won when the Lord fights the war.  We win, not by great works of valor, but by hearing the Word of our Lord through which the Holy Spirit works in us the faith to humbly bow before the Lord in repentance for our sin and indifference and then trust that our sins are forgiven for Jesus’ sake. 

Remember the account of the Pharisee and tax collector.  The Pharisee bragged before God about how much he was serving, but the Lord held that man in contempt, not because he shouldn’t serve, but rather because his trust was in his own works and not in the holy Son of God.  The tax collector, on the other hand, knew he had nothing to offer, so he threw himself before God’s mercy, and he was justified by faith informed by the Word of God.  Thus, Victory comes through the hearing of the Word.

The people of Laodicea likely assumed that because they had been so well-blessed materially, that surely they must have been doing some things right for God to be so generous with them.  From that mistake, they went down the path of life indifferent to the Savior who was pleading for them to return to Him in faith and repentance. 

The Advent season is, likewise, a call to repentance in preparation to meeting our Savior, both at the manger at Christmas time, and in person on Judgment Day.  To walk before the Lord on our own merit merits disaster, because we will never measure up on our own to the holiness of God’s Son.  Yet, God loves us as His chosen people, so He calls us to repent continually and to trust continually in the love He has shown to us in His Son, Jesus. 

Jesus left His Father’s side in heaven to come to earth to become one of us to live for us in perfect humility and obedience.  Jesus had no need to repent for He never once went against His Father’s will, yet Jesus bore the sins of the world and was punished with exile from His Father in our place, so that we could be reconciled with the One who loved us before the beginning of time.

“Whoever has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”  What a graceful invitation to any and all.  This thought is repeated in each of the seven letters.  By hearing what the Spirit says, faith is worked in the penitent sinner giving life and peace.  “This is good and pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:3-4)  We should well stand with those who observed Jesus’ life on earth, for “They were amazed beyond measure and said, ‘He has done everything well.’” (Mark 7:37)  Even in rebuking the indifferent, Jesus comes to us in love.  He wants only to save those who were lost, and to keep those in His loving care that He has already found, so Victory comes through the hearing of the Word.

Dear friends, as troubling as this year has been, we still live in such luxury that the danger of complacency is ever present.  We have such peace in our land that the threat of death is somewhat a new fear for many.  That is one reason why this pandemic is such big news.  We don’t like to face death.  However, death isn’t new.  It is the result of sin, and on our own, we should fear the One who has power over life and death.  Still, for the Christian believer, that fear is not terror but awesome respect for the One who holds our eternal lives in the palm of His hand, that is Jesus.

Jesus is the Author and Giver of life.  As John said, “Through him everything was made, and without him not one thing was made that has been made.  In him was life, and the life was the light of mankind.” (John 1:3-4)  This Man who came down from heaven, who in the beginning gave life to all living things, gave His human life so that you and I may live and never die.  That is the promise of God’s Word and the sure and certain hope of Christianity. 

The Gospel tells us all that Jesus has done to make us right with God above.  It tells us how He lived and died and rose again for you and for me.  It tells us that our sins are forgiven, now and forever.  It tells us of the Human God became so that we could enter the divine.  It tells us that Victory comes through the hearing of the Word.  Therefore, hear that the Good News is ours for Jesus’ sake for hearing it with faith brings your eternal victory.  Amen.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, forevermore.  Amen.