Redeemed by the Son for adoption as sons.

 

Sermon for Christmas 1, December 26, 2021

Grace to you and peace from God the Father and our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our redemption and hope.  Amen.

Galatians 4:1-7  What I am saying is this: As long as the heir is a young child, he is no different from a slave.  Although he is owner of everything, ²he is still under guardians and managers until the day set by his father.  ³So also, when we were younger children, we were enslaved under the basic principles of the world.  ⁴But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son to be born of a woman, so that he would be born under the law, ⁵in order to redeem those under the law, so that we would be adopted as sons.  ⁶And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts to shout, “Abba, Father!”  ⁷So you are no longer a slave, but a son.  And if you are a son, then you are also an heir of God through Christ. (EHV)

Redeemed by the Son for adoption as sons.

Dear friends of the new-born King,

            It is not uncommon at this time of year to hear complaints and read articles lamenting that people are forgetting the real meaning of Christmas—often coming from people who don’t seem to understand the real meaning of Christmas either.  Fortunately, Paul here gives us an explanation of what Christmas is really all about.  He tells us we are Redeemed by the Son for adoption as sons.

Expanding a family often comes quite easily, however, when the only way is adoption, growing a family usually takes intensive planning and a lot of expense.  The same is true of God growing His family.  In some respects, the initial family was easy, God formed the man from the dust, and the woman from the man’s rib, and after introducing them to each other, He blessed that holy couple to be fruitful and multiply.  Sadly, as we all know, through Satan’s deception that original family was kidnapped from the One who loved them.  All people ever since were born under a different overlord, a taskmaster of hatred and a driver of fear.  Because of Adam’s fall, we all came into existence being born in the image of our sinful fathers.

Glory be to God, that is not the end of the history of mankind.  From the beginning, even as God created the world and everything in it, He knew He would have to rescue those He loved from the kidnapper.  God carried out our rescue through a meticulous plan at extreme cost, and He continues the rescue through adoption to this day.  Throughout the thousands of years of Old Testament times, God was executing every detail of His rescue plan, laying down prophecies and transforming kingdoms to get every detail exactly in place.  Then, “when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son to be born of a woman, so that he would be born under the law, in order to redeem those under the law, so that we would be adopted as sons.”

What is Christmas all about?  It’s about God giving His Son as the ransom price for our souls.  Because of our sin, the devil held control over our futures.  At the same time, the devil isn’t really in control of anything; he merely keeps the sinner under the bondage of sin through deceptive lies and accusations.  Satan doesn’t want anyone to know about Jesus because Jesus has already won the battle that paid the price for our freedom.

The people in Galatia were being tormented by deception.  Though the Gospel had been proclaimed there, and people had believed it, deceivers had come in claiming with false bravado that the Galatians had heard only part of the story.  Those misleading the Galatians didn’t outright deny Jesus.  Instead, they taught that in order to be saved one still needed to follow the Mosaic laws, especially demanding circumcision and obedience of law for the hope of salvation.

Under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, Paul wrote this letter to those Christians under attack to remind them of the freedom they had received through faith in Christ.  To require believing Christians to go back under the Mosaic covenant would be to put them back in slavery.  Paul gave us a picture of what he meant: “What I am saying is this: As long as the heir is a young child, he is no different from a slave.  Although he is owner of everything, he is still under guardians and managers until the day set by his father.  So also, when we were younger children, we were enslaved under the basic principles of the world.”

Israel had been placed under guardianship of the law to keep them separate from idolaters until Christ had come, to teach them what their freedom would cost, and to train them in faithfulness to their Father’s will until the day they were Redeemed by the Son for adoption as sons.

However, if once released from the law believers would go back under law, they would never be truly free.  Whoever aspires to earn entrance into God’s kingdom by obedience of law remains under the curse of law.  No sinner can fully satisfy even the simplest of the law’s requirements.  Therefore, we would remain under its curse, which is death—everlasting separation from God and His love. 

In Paul’s picture, we are shown how the children are controlled by law.  The law teaches right from wrong as it should, it controls to a degree the natural impulses of our sinful nature, but the law has no power to free us.  We can never graduate to the kingdom of heaven by obedience, because we all fail the test of the law which is perfection.  No partial scores will do.  Thus, the law would remain our overseer, and the devil would continue his accusations against us.

Jesus changed the accounts.  He changed your record under the law.  He changed mine and the accounts of the whole world.  You see, Jesus came into this world without sin and lived in holy obedience to His Father’s will every moment from conception until He breathed His last on the cross.  For our redemption and salvation, God counted our sins to Jesus and credited the holiness of His Son to those of us who could never measure up.  Because of that great exchange, our grade in the everlasting record went from one hundred percent failure to valedictorian of the class.

To redeem means to buy back.  By the price of the sacrifice of His beloved Son, God bought us all away from the devil’s control.  Because the perfectly holy Son of God bore our sins to the cross, the death He died was not for Himself but for you and me and the world.  The punishment Jesus endured satisfied the law’s demand of death for sin, so the devil no longer has control over us.  Christ’s resurrection on Easter morning remains the clear sign that Jesus’ victory is complete.

One thing yet remained, our adoption as sons of God.  However, the adoption happens in the same way today that it has since the fall into sin; we enter God’s family through faith.  We have the example of Abraham.  “Abram believed in the Lord, and the Lord credited it to him as righteousness.” (Genesis 15:6)  By faith in God’s promise of a Savior, Abram was adopted into the family and kingdom of the Almighty.  It works the same for us; “Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message comes through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17)  When we hear the message of salvation through faith in Jesus, the Holy Spirit works faith in those who believe, who were Redeemed by the Son for adoption as sons.

Now, the natural man, still controlled by sin, earnestly desires to take credit for that conversion, but on our own, the sinner who is dead in sin cannot make that decision.  Therefore, 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)  The Ephesians who were now tempted to go back under the law had already been made children of God through faith.  To return to the law meant a return to condemnation.  The same holds true for you and me.

That is why “We preach Christ crucified, because the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” (1 Corinthians 1:25)  Calling that tiny Babe in a manger our Savior looks like foolishness to the world, but in that manger bed is the Son of God in human flesh come to rescue us from darkness and death.  The cross looks shameful and weak to the world, but on that cross, God’s Son gave His life so that we could live.  The Gospel also gets little respect from those who seek salvation by law, yet Paul tells us, “I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes.” (Romans 1:16)

Another way God uses the humble and small is to bring faith and salvation through the water and Word of Baptism.  Much of the world, and many Christians, deny that anything happens in that ceremony, yet the Bible promises us, “In [Noah’s] ark a few, that is, eight souls, were saved by water.  And corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the body but the guarantee of a good conscience before God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 3:20-21)

Dear friends, what all of this means is that you have been saved by God’s grace through faith.  You no longer need to fear the devil’s accusations nor the curse of the law.  God brought peace between us and Him by the gift of His Son and the sacrifice His Son made on our behalf.  Through the Good News of all Jesus has done for us, God has adopted into His family all those who believe in Jesus.  “And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts to shout, “Abba, Father!”  So you are no longer a slave, but a son.  And if you are a son, then you are also an heir of God through Christ.”  Now, adopted by God, we are clean of all guilt, forgiven for Jesus’ sake, and heirs of a home in heaven.  Glory be to Jesus; we are Redeemed by the Son for adoption as sons.  Amen.

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

 

The Word Is Born for You!

 

Sermon for Christmas Day, 2021

The grace and peace of God Almighty be yours in abundance through the saving gift of the Word.  Amen.

John 1:1-14  In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  ²He was with God in the beginning.  ³Through him everything was made, and without him not one thing was made that has been made.  ⁴In him was life, and the life was the light of mankind.  ⁵The light is shining in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.  ⁶There was a man, sent from God, whose name was John.  ⁷He came as an eyewitness to testify about the light so that everyone would believe through him.  ⁸He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light.  ⁹The real light that shines on everyone was coming into the world.  ¹⁰He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not recognize him.  ¹¹He came to what was his own, yet his own people did not accept him.  ¹²But to all who did receive him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.  ¹³They were born, not of blood, or of the desire of the flesh, or of a husband’s will, but born of God.  ¹⁴The Word became flesh and dwelled among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory he has as the only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth. (EHV)

The Word Is Born for You!

Dear rejoicing brothers and sisters of Christ,

            Martin Luther called this bit of Scripture the most important gospel reading of the Church year, which quite amazes me since they are all so beneficial, but consider all that is wrapped up in these few short verses: an explanation of whom this Messiah really is, why He came into this world, and how you and I came to know about Him.  So, John’s message shows us The Word Is Born for You!

In these first verses of his gospel, John tells us about the nature of Christ.  “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.”  Throughout the ages, many heretics have tried to portray Jesus as just another man, a prophet or perhaps a teacher, albeit a very good one, but in denying the divinity of the Son of God they deny every portion of what God says about Himself and about the Savior He sent into the world.  Here, the Holy Spirit has John tell us that this little Babe in the manger of Bethlehem is not new as we generally think of infants.  Rather, this new Baby Boy is as old as time, and older, because He has always been with God, and in fact, He always is God with the Father and the Holy Spirit. 

“Through him everything was made, and without him not one thing was made that has been made.”  This gospel takes us back to the very beginning of the world.  In each step of the creation God said, "Let there be …" and there was. (Genesis 1:3)  The Word who is eternally begotten of the Father was actively involved in every step of the creation.  Not one thing was made apart from the Word who is Christ.  King David recognized the Savior’s involvement as he said, “You created my inmost being; You knit me together in my mother's womb.” (Psalm 139:13)  Did you ever wonder if Jesus knows or understands you?  John’s words teach us that Jesus knows you inside and out, for He has always been actively involved in God’s creating.  You and I can rejoice today, because that eternal, all-knowing Word of God came into the world and took on human flesh to be the answer to our greatest need.  The Word Is Born for You!

John wrote, “In him was life, and the life was the light of mankind.  The light is shining in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”  All living things were fashioned through the power of God’s Word and God breathed the breath of life into man.  But the breath of immortality was lost to man when he fell into sin.  Death became the fate of every person ever since.  You and I were born on that path to the grave.  However, to alter our grim fate, Jesus came into the world.  Because Jesus is God, He possesses everlasting life, but He doesn’t give us His divinity to give us life.  Rather, Jesus took our death upon Himself so that we don’t have to suffer that horrible fate.  He suffered the separation from the Father that is eternal death, so that you and I could have everlasting life.  The Word Is Born for You!

The Scriptures describe eternal condemnation to hell as banishment to outer darkness.  It is eternal separation from the light of God’s being.  As John tells us concerning the Word, “In him was life, and the life was the light of mankind.”  That infant in His manger bed doesn’t look all that extraordinary.  But the Glory of God was lying there.  You and I couldn’t go to God, so He came to us.  You and I couldn’t stand in God’s holy presence lest we face instant destruction for our unholiness.  Therefore, the Word of God veils His glory in human flesh so that He could restore to us the life and holiness we had lost. 

As Jesus lived His life on earth, the common man noticed that there was something different about Him.  Jesus didn’t run to the sins that entice us.  He didn’t cause the pain that you and I tend to inflict on others around us.  No, Jesus’ actions stood out from those of other men, just as His words stood out from the others who call themselves teachers.  Thus, we hear John say, “The Word became flesh and dwelled among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory he has as the only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”  The glory of God is not that He commands men how to live—though He has that right.  Rather God’s glory is that Jesus lived for us what He, as God, demands of us.  The Word Is Born for You!

Have you begun to wonder why I keep repeating that this all took place for you personally?  When God created the world, He created us to live.  It was not God’s intention that we should have to suffer and die.  Yet, because sin entered the world, we each were consigned to die for the sins we commit.  It’s a death sentence that the best lawyers and doctors could not forestall.  We all were condemned to suffer the darkness of death, but Jesus came as the true Light that overcomes the deep darkness.  He came to restore His Light of life to all mankind.  The Word Is Born for You!

Now, on our own we couldn’t come to know Jesus.  We needed to be brought into His Light.  How much does God love you and me?  “There was a man, sent from God, whose name was John.  He came as an eyewitness to testify about the light so that everyone would believe through him.  He was not the light, but he came to testify about the light.”  Not only did the Father send His own Son to live and die for us, but He made plans to tell us His saving Gospel to restore us to life. 

Before Jesus began His ministry on earth, God sent John the Baptist to preach repentance to the people, for the kingdom of God was near.  A little later, the apostle, John, was called to bear witness to all those people who would come after him, to share the salvation Jesus was accomplishing with all who will listen.  It wasn’t God’s goal to save just a few people, but rather, the apostle assures us, “God our Savior,… wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:3-4)  Though even the people who should have welcomed Christ with open arms did not recognize Him, Jesus sends out His witnesses so that all people might have access to His salvation—Jew and Gentile alike.

John described the Word as “full of grace and truth.”  God’s Word is pure truth and nothing but truth.  Nothing but God’s pure grace, His unmerited love, brings salvation to sinful people.  Salvation is given to those “born, not of blood, or of the desire of the flesh, or of a husband’s will, but born of God.”  None of us could chose God or decide to come to Him, so God came to us in the Word made flesh in that stable at Bethlehem so that we might become His children, through adoption by His choice, through faith in Christ given to us through the Gospel in Word and Sacrament.

If you are like most people in our country, last night or this morning you gave a number of gifts, probably without asking whether the recipient deserved to receive those presents.  Though much of the world may not recognize it, in that stable in Bethlehem, God gave each of us a gift of immeasurable worth that none of us had any right to receive, for in that Infant in the manger God gave a Savior to a world of sinful people.  God gave the One Man who could be the perfection and love necessary to restore us as the children of God.

God’s gift to you and me didn’t come wrapped in fancy paper with ribbons and bows.  Rather, Jesus humbled Himself to come into this world enclosed in human flesh, born of a poor humble peasant girl, a virgin who became pregnant by the Holy Spirit.  Mary and Joseph wrapped the Baby Jesus in the rags of the poor and laid Him in a manger. 

It is to God’s glory to use the humble and small to restore mankind.  Jesus came as a humble, little baby to live a full human life of perfect obedience, because we could not.  Then, Jesus suffered our death, and after dying on the cross for you and me, Jesus demonstrated His power over life and death by rising from the dead.  God used the humility of the cross to demonstrate His power and glory.  The world, in ignorance, views Christ’s cross as a sign of death and shame, and many stood mocking Jesus as He died, but it is to God’s glory that Jesus died even for those who mocked and whipped and hit and spit and nailed Him to the cross.  It is to God’s glory that Jesus died for you and me, even though we have mocked His will with our sins.  Again, The Word Is Born for You!

But what joy is ours in the humble birth, God’s gift of the Word Made Flesh brings you forgiveness of sins and life everlasting.  The darkness of death has been overcome by His Light.  Rejoice, today, every day, and forever!  For in that tiny Baby in the manger, God gave you Himself to rescue you from sin and death: The Word Is Born for You!  Amen.

Blessed be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who alone does marvelous deeds.  May the whole earth be filled with his glory.  Amen.

Treasure the Savior’s gift.

 

Sermon for Christmas Eve, 2021

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  By His great mercy He gave us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.  Amen.

Beloved children of the heavenly Father,

            I would like all of you to do me a favor this evening; I want you all to close your eyes and think about the best Christmas gift, or gifts, you ever received in years past.  Take one minute and think about what that great Christmas gift was—who gave it to you—where it is today—and what kind of condition it is in.  Take your time—I’ll time us while we ponder.

Sixty seconds is a long time to ponder with your eyes closed, isn’t it?  Did you all think of something from your past?  What was your favorite gift?  What stirs your heart as you thought about it?  A pretty doll, a bicycle, a certain game, your first baseball glove, or if you were thinking a bit older in your youth, maybe an X-Box, Gameboy, a computer, or a car, or diamond ring? 

Those of us who have lived more than a few years have probably received quite a few precious gifts over that time, so how did we treat those things?  Do we still have them all in like-new condition?  Did you wear out the gift with much use?  Did you put it on a shelf thinking it was too precious to touch or do anything with it?  Have you forgotten what happened to that thing that was once so precious to you?  When you thought about that gift were you also reminded about the person who gave it to you?  I sure am asking a lot of questions, aren’t I?

The reason I ask is because I wonder how many of us thought of the most precious gift any of us have ever received.  When we think about what is most precious to us, are the first things that come to mind material things, or our children, our spouse, or our reputation, farm, or business?  All those things are precious to us, as they should be, but with the text we consider this evening, the Holy Spirit encourages us to do so much more than simply maintain a fond memory of the most precious gift we have ever been given.  Through the writer, the Holy Spirit teaches us to Treasure the Savior’s gift.

Titus 2:11-14  ¹¹For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people.  ¹²It trains us to reject ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age, ¹³while we wait for the blessed hope, that is, the glorious appearance of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.  ¹⁴He gave himself for us, to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people who are his own chosen people, eager to do good works. (EHV)

            The letter to Titus reminds us that Jesus entered this world to bring salvation to you, me, and all people.  No other gift in the history of the world compares to what God the Father gave us in that manger bed at Bethlehem.  No other gift has ever cost so much.  No other gift has ever been shared with so many people yet lost none of its value in the sharing.  God in His great love, a love we did nothing to deserve, sent His Son on what some would call a suicide mission.  God calls it redemption of those He loves.

Most people give gifts to people they love, especially their dear children and grandchildren.  We perhaps give a gift to some of our favorite helpers and associates, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8)  Jesus left His glorious home in heaven to redeem people who were in that moment His enemies.  So often, as we think about the pretty scene of the Baby Jesus in the manger with angels singing His praise in the skies above and the parents and the shepherds adoring the newborn King, we forget that this Child entered our world—to die—for us. 

The point of this text is to remind us that the gift of God has changed those of us who now believe in the Child born of Mary.  By Christ’s holy life and sacrificial death, Jesus redeemed us and set us free from the devil’s corrupt control.  Furthermore, by the work of the Holy Spirit, our hearts have been transformed and our lives along with that.  We went from people who knew nothing of the God who created this world and everything in it to people who know that we belong to God, that we are loved by Him, and that He has set us free from the devil’s control and free from the doom that once darkened our future.

When we look into that Bethlehem manger, we see the Son of God who by His life, death, and resurrection completely transformed our existence.  This is, and should be, the most precious gift we have ever received.  By the work of the Spirit in Word and Sacrament, we have peace with God, total forgiveness of all sin, a sure and certain hope of eternal life in heaven, and the power finally to live God-pleasing lives.  Our sins have been removed and wiped from God’s memory.  Now, how will we treat that gift of God’s grace?  Paul instructs us to Treasure the Savior’s gift.

This is where the rubber meets the road.  We owe our lives and our souls to Jesus.  Through His willingness to live and die on our behalf, Jesus has made us precious in His Father’s sight.  Now, if you are considered precious by God, don’t you think we should see ourselves as quite valuable?  As we remember that Jesus died for all people, shouldn’t we view every soul on earth as someone worth reaching out to with forgiveness and the promise of eternal life through faith in Jesus?

Paul wrote, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people.  It trains us to reject ungodliness and worldly lusts and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope, that is, the glorious appearance of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ.”  God’s grace comes to us by faith.  Faith is the greatest gift one could even imagine, yet faith isn’t like any other gift you have ever received. 

Faith isn’t some precious trinket that God wants you to set up on a shelf as something too precious to monkey with.  Our heavenly Father doesn’t want us just dusting it off when we have time.  We dare not neglect our faith because it is a living part of us that needs regular nourishment and exercise just as our bodies need to be fed, strengthened, and even healed if illness or injury strikes.  For that training, the Holy Spirit has given the Gospel and sent men out with that message of forgiveness and salvation.  He commands believers to keep on sharing that good news to strengthen faith in Jesus.  Jesus also gives us His own precious body and blood in the Sacrament while urging that we partake of it, often, for the forgiveness He has won for us, for the strengthening of our faith against the attacks of devil and world, and as medicine of immortality to heal the degeneration that came with the fall.  In all these ways, the believing Christian Treasures the Savior’s gift.

Grace trains us to live as part of the body of Christ.  Most people would be horrified to knowingly put poison into their bodies.  Just as much so, we should recoil in horror from the sinful ways of our former selves and the world around us.  The new man of faith, that God has raised up in us by His grace through faith in Christ, desires to walk in harmony with our Savior, and why wouldn’t we?  Christ Jesus rescued us from certain damnation.  Jesus saved us from the torments of an evil overlord and set us free from the works of darkness so that we could truly serve our Rescuer. 

Paul wrote, “He gave himself for us, to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people who are his own chosen people, eager to do good works.”  Through faith in Jesus, we are connected with holiness.  We are joined with the Savior who lived perfectly obedient to the Father on our behalf, who sacrificed His life in payment for our sins, and who continues to reign over all things for our everlasting good. 

Dear friends, the call to all people at Christmas time is again the call that goes out from our Lord continually.  Jesus invited all poor and lowly sinners, “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, because I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)  As most of you know, the yoke joined two together to make tough jobs possible.  When we, who once were lost sinners, are joined together with Christ, we can walk in holy living.  With Jesus at our side, we can take on forces that alone we had no power to resist. 

By the grace of God, Jesus entered our world, humbling Himself to be one of us, yet remaining without sin, so that He could be the atoning sacrifice that rescued us out of eternal darkness and despair and brought us into the glorious kingdom of the everlasting, Almighty Creator of heaven and earth—the God who has loved you with an everlasting love, and brought to you the saving message that made you a believer in Jesus.  “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  By His great mercy He gave us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, into an inheritance that is undying, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.  Through faith you are being protected by God’s power for the salvation that is ready to be revealed at the end of time.” (1 Peter 1:3-5)  That is a gift worth holding on to, and a gift worth sharing.  Treasure the Savior’s gift.  Amen.

1.    He gave His life for us.

2.    We owe our lives in return.

3.    He purified us for service and salvation.

God comforts us with His unfailing Word.

 

Sermon for Advent 4, December 19, 2021

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, the love of God, and the comfort of the Holy Spirit be with you all.  Amen.

Isaiah 40:1-8  Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.  ² Speak to the heart of Jerusalem and call out to her.  Her warfare really is over.  Her guilt is fully paid for.  Yes, she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.  ³ A voice is calling out: In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord.  In the wasteland make a level highway for our God.  ⁴ Every valley will be raised up, and every mountain and hill will be made low.  The rugged ground will become level, and the rough places will become a plain.  ⁵ Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all flesh together will see it.  Yes, the mouth of the Lord has spoken.  ⁶ A voice was saying, “Cry out!”  And I said, “What shall I cry out?”  All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like a wildflower in the countryside.  ⁷ Grass withers, flowers fade, when the breath of the Lord blows on them.  Yes, the people are grass.  ⁸ Grass withers, flowers fade, but the Word of our God endures forever. (EHV)

God comforts us with His unfailing Word.

Dear fellow redeemed,

            Sin has consequences.  Adam and Eve discovered that immediately after they disobeyed God.  Unfortunately, the consequence of their sin has troubled the world ever since.  Our sins lead to problems as well.  An ill spoken word can shatter a heart and ruin a relationship.  A broken law, or even a hasty mistake, might lead to time in prison.  A one-time affair will destroy a marriage, but longer-term neglect is just as destructive. 

Most of us have been on the receiving end of sin.  We recognize that because sin hurts us, but part of being sinful is that we don’t always recognize the hurt we cause others.  Still, those unrecognized sins also have consequences.  An unwanted child might lead to murder in the womb.  Selfishness easily leads to envy, to racism, and even war.  Meanwhile, every sin separates us from God.  Even one sin leads to eternal damnation. 

The inherited sin that infects us all, and the curse that comes because of sin, leads to all the sorrow and pain we experience in this world.  Because of sin, the whole world suffers, and distrust, betrayal, and lack of harmony is evident everywhere you look.  The main consequence of sin is death.  Because of the curse of sin, we are soon separated from those we love.  Disease and pain are endemic to the world.  Everything wears out, including our own bodies.  We fear God, hate His commands, and struggle to love anyone, even ourselves, much less our neighbors. 

As you can see, sin has caused a lot of pain and sorrow in our world, and in our own lives.  Isaiah was sent to warn Judah about the consequences that would come upon that nation because of their sins.  God warned of the destruction of their nation, and the exile in a foreign land of most of the few survivors.  The prophecy spoke of great sorrow that reminds us of the sorrow so afflicting the world today.  Through it all, though, God hasn’t forgotten His people.  Rather, God comforts us with His unfailing Word.

To Isaiah, and to every believing Christian, God says, “Comfort, comfort my people.”  The command is doubled to emphasize that God is serious about bringing relief to those He loves.  Much of the early part of this book of prophecies has been very harsh, tough-love, kinds of warnings.  Yet, while God is just, He is also the God of love.  God loves unconditionally, and unwaveringly.  What God promises, He will do.  Therefore, “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.”

Why the command to comfort His people?  God says, “Speak to the heart of Jerusalem and call out to her.  Her warfare really is over.  Her guilt is fully paid for.  Yes, she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.”  An older translation said, “Speak tenderly.”  The sense that God wants to convey is His sincere, kind, compassion, and His loving promise that He will deliver, and what amazing promises God gives to those of us who don’t deserve anything but just punishment for our many sins. 

He says, “Call out to her.  Her warfare really is over.  Her guilt is fully paid for.  Yes, she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.”  God doesn’t say, “Here’s what you can do to make things right.”  He doesn’t say, “This is what you must do to satisfy My just anger.”  No!  Instead of what our sinful nature would expect, God tells us what He will do for us.  God looks forward to what He has planned and announces it as already accomplished.  First, “Her warfare really is over.” 

My friends, whether anyone recognizes it or not, we were perpetually at war with God.  Every sinner was.  Every unbeliever still is.  Man’s sin broke the bond of love between God and mankind.  Because we all sin, none of us could reconcile ourselves with God.  Therefore, in His amazing love, as we will be reminded again in a few days, “God sent his Son to be born of a woman, so that he would be born under the law, in order to redeem those under the law, so that we would be adopted as sons.” (Galatians 4:4-5)  God didn’t just declare the war over, He finished the conflict, and He didn’t send us away as conquered foes, but rather, being reconciled with us, He adopted us into His family.  God comforts us with His unfailing Word.

This turn of events is so mind-boggling, we are forced to ask “why?”  Isaiah tells us, “Her guilt is fully paid for.”  We admit what the law declares, our sins required death, yes, both physical death, and eternal separation from God.  We couldn’t pay without being condemned forever in hell, and no sinner could pay for anyone else, so we were all doomed.  Therefore, God sent His Son, perfectly holy, perfectly righteous, perfectly trusting in His Father, perfectly obedient in every way.  God’s Son, Jesus, had no sin for which He had to pay.  There was no rift between God and the Son.  Yet, “God made him, who did not know sin, to become sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)  Only God’s love could be so strong that He would bear the punishment for enemies, traitors, liars, swindlers, thieves, and betrayers, so that none of us would be required to suffer everlasting death in hell.

Thus, the prophet is told, “Yes, she has received from the Lord’s hand double for all her sins.”  This is the Lord’s declaration.  Instead of the punishment, death, and eternal banishment we all deserved for our depravity and lack of love, God gives us two great treasures—grace and mercy.  By grace, God gives us the forgiveness and glory we don’t deserve and could never earn.  That’s what grace is—it gives what cannot be earned.  At the same time, God grants us mercy—mercy is God not giving us what we do deserve.  By His mercy, God chooses to punish His Son in our place, so that He can declare us righteous for Jesus’ sake. 

But, listen!  What was heard before Jesus came into the world to save us?  “A voice is calling out: In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord.  In the wasteland make a level highway for our God.  Every valley will be raised up, and every mountain and hill will be made low.  The rugged ground will become level, and the rough places will become a plain.”  John the Baptist was sent ahead of Jesus to call people to repentance and to prepare them to meet God’s Son, the One true Savior of the world.  In our times, faithful pastors preach the law so that people recognize their need for a Savior.  More than that, Jesus said, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life.  No one comes to the Father, except through me.” (John 14:6) 

John prepared the way for Jesus, but Jesus prepared the road that leads us home to His Father’s mansions in heaven.  Those spiritual mountains that were too tough and forbidding for us to climb, Jesus has knocked down.  Those valleys that might trap us in darkness and fear, Jesus has raised up to level ground.  The stumbling blocks of sin that would trip us and hinder our walk home, Jesus has cleared away by living for us in perfect agreement to His Father’s will.  Walking with Jesus gives us an clear path, not necessarily easy in this world, but the only way to the next home in heaven.

In his vision, Isaiah saw the future history of salvation compressed into one picture, so he heard, “Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all flesh together will see it.  Yes, the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”  When God speaks it is as good as done.  No force in heaven, hell, or earth can oppose God and win.  Therefore, since God has promised it, the Lord of glory was revealed to the world first in that humble manger as Jesus united Himself with human flesh.  In His humble service and sacrifice, we witness the fullness of God’s love for our race, “For all the fullness of God’s being dwells bodily in Christ.” (Colossians 2:9) 

Though Jesus first came into our world in humility and weakness so that He might save us from our sins, at the end, He will enter in the fullness of God’s glory to judge the world and take His own home to heaven.  The reaction of the world then will be just as telling.  St. John wrote, “Look, he is coming with clouds, and every eye will see him, including those who pierced him.  And all the nations of the earth will mourn because of him.” (Revelation 1:7)  Just as many people opposed Jesus when He walked this earth in our place, on Judgment Day many will cower in terror at the sight of His glorious return.

Still, God did not desire that any should be lost but that all people would recognize Jesus as God’s Son and Savior of all.  Indeed, it is God’s desire to save everyone even though many will not be willing to believe.  Through Isaiah, we are warned and comforted.  “A voice was saying, ‘Cry out!’  And I said, ‘What shall I cry out?’  All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like a wildflower in the countryside.  Grass withers, flowers fade, when the breath of the Lord blows on them.  Yes, the people are grass.  Grass withers, flowers fade, but the Word of our God endures forever.”  The warning shows us that even the very best of what we produce is only temporary.  We are born.  We grow.  We live.  We die.  Even the best of us only try to do what is good, but in the end, we fade away, and without Christ Jesus, our good would also fade into oblivion.

However, notice the comfort and promise at the end: “the Word of our God endures forever.”  St. John wrote, “The Word became flesh and dwelled among us.  We have seen his glory, the glory he has as the only-begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14)  God comforts us with His unfailing Word.  That is the message we need to carry with us.  The Word that promised forgiveness and peace through the life and death of God’s Son doesn’t end.  Though Jesus died, He rose from the grave victorious, never to die again.  The word of the Holy Spirit promises us, “God made him, who did not know sin, to become sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.” (2 Corinthians 5:21)  Jesus, the Word made flesh, who lived and died and rose again to give us everlasting life promises, “The one whom God has sent speaks God’s words, for God gives the Spirit without measure.  The Father loves the Son and has put everything in his hands.  The one who believes in the Son has eternal life.” (John 3:34-36)

Dear friends, the sin that infects us has tortured and shamed us throughout our walk in this world.  The corruption within us leads us to sin and causes no end of trouble for us.  Yet, that is not the end of our story, because God in His love and mercy rewrote our record.  He took our sins and put them on Jesus, and He took Jesus’ righteousness and dressed us in that glory.  In that beautiful holiness, we will stand before the Lord one day, and Jesus will gather us in as a Shepherd gathering in His precious flock.  By God’s mercy and Jesus’ love, we have been forgiven of all sin, and by His Word and the power of the Holy Spirit, we have been made children of God, holy in His sight, and dearly loved.  Be comforted today and always, not by what you may or may not have done, but by what your God and Father has done for you, for God comforts us with His unfailing Word.  Amen.

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

Take those you love to Jesus.

 

Sermon for Advent 3, December 12, 2021

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ!  By His great mercy He gave us a new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.  Amen.

Matthew 11:2-10  ²While John was in prison, he heard about the things Christ was doing.  He sent two of his disciples ³to ask him, “Are you the Coming One or should we wait for someone else?”  ⁴Jesus answered them, “Go, report to John what you hear and see: ⁵The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the gospel is preached to the poor.  ⁶Blessed is the one who does not take offense at me.”  ⁷As these two were leaving, Jesus began to talk to the crowds about John.  “What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  ⁸What did you go out to see?  A man dressed in soft clothing?  No, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses.  ⁹So what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I tell you!  And he is much more than a prophet.  ¹⁰This is the one about whom it is written, ‘Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way before you.’” (EHV)

Take those you love to Jesus.

Dear children of the heavenly Father,

            Biblical scholars like to debate John’s motives in this text.  Many guess that John was having his doubts about Jesus.  They point to the question John sent his disciples to ask: “Are you the Coming One or should we wait for someone else?”  Some students of the Word assume this question indicates John wasn’t so sure Jesus really is the promised Messiah.  Some think John doubted Jesus as a person, and others suggest John doubted Jesus’ actions.  They say that while John heard the reports of the miracles Jesus was performing, he wondered where was the judgment the prophets had said God would bring?

To be honest, however, the Bible speaks well enough of John the Baptist that we have no need to doubt the man’s faith in Jesus.  To question his integrity is nothing short of slander.  Yet, if I am to draw that conclusion, how should we take John’s question?  Why did he send his followers to ask Jesus if He is the One?  I believe the most faithful way to perceive John’s motives is to assume John cared about his disciples’ salvation.  Likewise, you and I should Take those we love to Jesus.

Scripture hints that some of John’s followers were enticed by the religious laws of the Pharisees.  John was sent ahead of Jesus to preach a baptism of repentance, but it may be that his disciples put more stock in their acts of penitence than in the Savior who was living righteousness on their behalf.  In fact, “John’s disciples came to [Jesus] and said, ‘Why do we and the Pharisees fast often, but your disciples do not fast at all?’” (Matthew 9:14)  Based on their question, we can conclude that John sent his disciples to Jesus to ask today’s question much more for their benefit than for his own.  Naturally, Jesus’ answer would be a blessing to John, but his greater concern was that those wavering in their faith might hear and see what Jesus was doing in fulfillment of the scriptures.

Now, I don’t know whether John thought this all out in advance.  This most likely was an instance of John living the message he once spoke.  When John’s disciples were concerned that his followers were going over to Jesus, John replied, “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.  He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:29-30)  Unfairly confined in prison, John understood that his role of preparing people to receive salvation through faith in Christ Jesus was nearing its end, so to the end John continued to point his disciples to the Lamb of God.

John implored his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the Coming One or should we wait for someone else?”  In other words, John wanted his followers to see personally whether Jesus was merely another prophet, or is He the fulfillment of all Old Testament prophecy?  The question is blunt and direct.  “Are you or not?”  Notice, though, how Jesus answers.  He doesn’t give a simple yes or no.  In fact, Jesus’ answer should quell any doubts John, or anyone else, might ever have about Jesus. 

Jesus didn’t say look at how my enemies fear Me or look at the big crowds that follow Me.  Rather, He quoted what the ancient prophets had foretold God’s people would see: “The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the gospel is preached to the poor.”  Jesus instructed His questioners to compare what they heard and saw Him doing with what the prophets had foretold concerning the coming Messiah.  Then Jesus declared, “Blessed is the one who does not take offense at me.” 

Of course, both John and Jesus had to deal with people who were assuming that the Messiah was coming into the world to set up a kingdom on earth.  Many of those who followed for a little while assumed Jesus would end poverty and sickness, end Roman rule, and create a new Jewish state of world domination.  If you think that sounds like some outlandish modern-day speculation, it isn’t that far off from how many people react today.  However, we need to be careful not to look for a Jesus of our own imagination, but rather seek Jesus as God has shown Him to be. 

A grave danger many fall into is that they think being a follower of Jesus should bring earthly peace and prosperity.  Then, when trouble, sorrow, danger, poverty, or even boredom comes upon them, they abandon Jesus to seek earthly pleasures rather than the riches of heaven Jesus came to give.  Or despairing from misconceived notions, they put their hope for a good life in themselves.  In other words, they become offended at Jesus—the word in Greek means a deadly snare that catches and kills.

Rather than being concerned primarily with the good and bad things of earth, which are so very temporary, we must be like John the Baptist and focus on the Savior God actually sent, because Jesus didn’t come into the world for the minor goal of setting up a kingdom on earth.  Instead, Jesus came into this world to win everlasting peace with God for those who believe in Him.  Instead of trying to solve every earthly problem, or making your life on earth a temporary pleasure garden, Jesus came to make it possible for you to enjoy paradise forever with Him in heaven.

Dear friends, Take those you love to Jesus, because Jesus accomplished His goal of winning our forgiveness and salvation.  He opened the gates of heaven for us by living exactly as His heavenly Father had planned for Him to live in our place.  Instead of listening to the temptations of the devil or the world, Jesus obeyed His heavenly Father’s will every moment of His life.  Instead of doing what the flesh desires, Jesus walked in perfect harmony with the Ten Commandments, all His life, on our behalf.  Rather than wander aimlessly through His days, Jesus purposely fulfilled all the Old Testament prophecies so that we could recognize Him as the Savior God sent.  Then, in the end, the holy Son of God in human flesh, Jesus Christ, went to the cross, not by force, but willingly to die for the sins of the world, so that the Father in heaven could justly declare the whole world innocent of sin because Jesus became sin for us.

You know, it is not surprising that the scholars wonder about John the Baptist and whether he had begun to doubt.  It’s called projection.  We so often grow weary and doubtful that we assume everyone else does as well, and sure, it could be that John was truly wondering.  However, Jesus doesn’t indicate that at all.  As Jesus sent John’s disciples back with the Good News of all that Jesus was doing to fulfill the Scriptures, "Jesus began to talk to the crowds about John.  ‘What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind?  What did you go out to see?  A man dressed in soft clothing?  No, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses.  So what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I tell you!  And he is much more than a prophet.’”  Now, listening to Jesus, do you really think John was wavering in his faith?  Was John swayed by the circumstances of life, or was he merely seeking material gain?  Based on what Jesus says, I highly doubt it.  Therefore, neither should we be swayed by the events of our lives or the glitter of earth. 

You see, John the Baptist also fulfilled the prophecies God had made about him.  Not because John was something more than a man, but because God had planned every detail of Jesus’ coming into the world to save you.  Everything God has foretold about Jesus is fulfilled exactly in the time God says it will happen, and everything God says works faith in us also does exactly as God says.

This morning, we witnessed a baptism.  In that simple act of pouring on water with God’s Word of declaration, God made a human baby His own dear child.  The Holy Spirit caused St. Peter to assure us, “In [Noah’s] ark a few, that is, eight souls, were saved by water.  And corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the body but the guarantee of a good conscience before God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.” (1 Peter 3:20-21)  To the world, this simple act doesn’t look like much, but with God’s promise behind it, the child is given faith in Jesus by this baptism, and faith in Jesus saves.  Now, it is also true that this faith needs to be nourished so that it sustains the child to eternal life.  And that’s where the Word and Sacraments play in.  Parents, God gives you the role of Taking the one you love to Jesus.  As you bring him regularly to church and Sunday school, and teach him the full counsel of God, you are feeding and strengthening the faith that brings him peace with God and eternal life.  Hear then what Jesus promises, “Blessed is the one who does not take offense at me.” 

This whole congregation has the same invitation.  As you gather together around God’s Word, here in church, in Bible study, in your home with daily Bible and devotional reading, the Holy Spirit is building up your faith in the Savior who loved you enough to die for you.  Furthermore, Jesus gives His precious body and blood through the Sacrament of Holy Communion so that He can personally place in your mouth the evidence of His sacrifice, the human body and blood of the Lamb of God who paid for your sins on the cross, so that you receive again the forgiveness He won by His sacrifice. 

Those who avoid the Word of God, and the worship services through which God serves us, actually hate, not only Jesus, but also themselves.  They fall into the deadly snare of keeping themselves from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The second chief commandment is summarized as “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  Because Jesus promises, “Blessed is the one who does not take offense at me,” this morning I urge you all to show true love to yourself, to your children and family, and to your neighbor; Take those you love to Jesus.  Amen.

Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you faultless in the presence of His glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, be glory, majesty, power, and authority through Jesus Christ our Lord, before all time, now, and to all eternity.  Amen.