Tuesday, December 31, 2024

See the comfort, peace, glory, and redemption.

 

New Year’s Eve, Dember 31, 2024

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

Luke 2:22-40  22When the time came for their purification according to the law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord.  23(As it is written in the law of the Lord, “Every firstborn male will be called holy to the Lord.”)  24And they came to offer a sacrifice according to what was said in the law of the Lord, “A pair of turtledoves or two young pigeons.”  25Now there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon.  This man was righteous and devout, waiting for the comfort of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him.  26It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.  27Moved by the Spirit he went into the temple courts.  When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what was customary according to the law, 28Simeon took him into his arms and praised God.  He said, 29Lord, you now dismiss your servant in peace, according to your word, 30because my eyes have seen your salvation, 31which you have prepared before the face of all people, 32a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”  33Joseph and the child’s mother were amazed at the things that were spoken about him.  34Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Listen carefully, this child is appointed for the falling and rising of many in Israel and for a sign that is spoken against, 35so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.  And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”  36Anna, a prophetess, was there.  She was a daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.  She was very old.  She had lived with her husband for seven years after her marriage, 37and then she was a widow of eighty-four years.  She did not leave the temple complex, since she was worshipping with fasting and prayers night and day.  38Standing nearby at that very hour, she gave thanks to the Lord.  She kept speaking about the child to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.  39When they had accomplished everything according to the law of the Lord, they returned to Galilee, to their own town, Nazareth.  40The child grew and became strong.  He was filled with wisdom, and God’s favor was on him. (EHV)

See the comfort, peace, glory, and redemption.

Dear faithful waiting ones,

            Waiting.  It seems like a lot of life is just waiting for things to happen.  We wait in lines to check out at the store.  We wait for children to be born.  We may have to wait behind other vehicles while looking for a place to pass.  Many sports fans are waiting to see which team wins a certain football game this coming Sunday.  Others may wait to see the outcomes of bowl games.  Some even have money on the line.

In our area, we spend a lot of time waiting to see what the weather will bring.  We may wait anxiously, at times, to see whether it will rain enough, or too much?  We wait to see what the markets will do, whether grain prices will go up or down, or whether the stock market will hold up so that retirement plans don’t fall apart.  With all the waiting we do, worry and anxiety may also become a problem.  Or maybe we worry as we wait to see what a new president might do.  Perhaps personal or family issues cause us to wait and worry.  So, friends, what are you waiting for?

This evening, we meet two people who were waiting faithfully, and I believe, patiently for God’s promises to be fulfilled.  Of all the things we wait for in this troubled world, we see in those two people what should really be our focus—waiting to See the comfort, peace, glory, and redemption.

As Mary and Joseph were carrying out the requirements of the law after Jesus’ birth, a man named Simeon was waiting for just that event.  “It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.”  Simeon was a believer in all that God had promised in the Old Testament.  He was holding God to those promises of a Savior.  There, at the temple, as Jesus’ parents made the purification sacrifice required by Mosaic law, Simeon’s waiting was rewarded.  As he picked up that little Child, only forty days old, Simeon met his Savior face to face, looked into the face of God, his Redeemer and Savior, and Simeon was at peace.

Now, whether Simeon lived long enough to see Jesus carry out His salvation mission, we are not told.  Yet, every promise God makes is as good as done as soon as the promise is given.  Therefore, as excited and glad as Simeon was to see Jesus, he also was given the privilege of prophesying some things that from an earthly viewpoint, might be worrisome, but for those trusting in the Lord a sure hope. 

Many in Israel were expecting a Messiah to come with great glory.  Jesus’ glory, on the other hand, is that He came in gentleness, poverty, humility, and submission.  That humble situation and status are His glory as Jesus came to live for you and me and all people.  His great glory is not in pomp and circumstance nor in earthly riches and power, but in the fact that Jesus would live without any of those advantages while maintaining perfect holiness and obedience to God, all so that you and I can be counted righteous.

Then Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Listen carefully, this child is appointed for the falling and rising of many in Israel and for a sign that is spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.  And a sword will pierce your own soul too.”  The angels had sung at Jesus’ birth about peace on earth, but we need to understand that peace rightly.  Jesus said, “I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. (Matthew 10:34)  Most people want peace on earth, but Jesus came to establish peace between earth and heaven, or better said, between God and mankind.  There will always be division between those who believe and those who do not.  Consequently, many are the rebellious who reject Jesus and thus will never know peace.

Sadly, Jesus’ cross will always be a stumbling block to many souls for whom He lived and died, because our sinful, broken human nature, inherited from sinful broken parents, is always inclined to seek glory on earth.  We want winners.  We want riches.  We want victory over others.  We want the spectacle.  What we need is victory over ourselves and over our sinful hearts.  That’s what Jesus entered our world to accomplish.  By His holy life and substitutionary sacrifice, Jesus brought us true peace and comfort by reconciling us with our God and Creator.  Jesus’ holiness is counted to us by faith.  His death on the cross paid the penalty for our crimes against God and each other.  Thus, Mary would live to experience the exquisite pain of watching her Son give His life for her sins and for ours.

Simeon was waiting to See the comfort, peace, and glory.  I suspect he was also waiting to see what the second waiting individual in our text was looking for, redemption.  Anna had been waiting a long time.  It’s a little heard to tell from the Greek whether she was eighty-four years old, or had been a widow for eighty-four years.  Either way, she had waited a long time, fervently praying and worshipping God as she looked forward to redemption. 

Now, many in Israel at that time, expected redemption to come in the form of military victory over the Jews’ Roman enemies.  As a faithful believer, however, Anna recognized that the Baby Jesus had entered this world to accomplish a far greater redemption.  Redemption is buying back from a kidnapper.  In this case, it is paying the ransom price that sets us free from sin, death, and the devil.  In her day, many people might have looked down at Anna as some kind of sinner for being deprived of her husband so young in life.  She may have felt some guilt with her sorrow.  It happens a lot among those who grieve. 

From that day forward, though, Anna’s worship became complete joy, joy for a Savior who had come to set her free.  Joy at the opportunity to tell others what she saw in that infant sent by God to rescue a world of hurting people.  Joy as she was gathered into her Savior’s arms to be carried from this life into the everlasting peace of heaven.

Dear friends, neither Simeon nor Anna lived to see on earth the ultimate comfort, peace, glory, and redemption.  Yet, they experienced it when the Lord called them out of this world into the glory of heaven.  For you and me, the story isn’t yet complete.  We don’t know when Judgment Day will come.  Yet, at the same time, we know that Jesus will come to take us home, because God always keeps His promises, and Jesus promised His disciples, “I am going to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and take you to be with me, so that you may also be where I am.” (John 14:2-3)

For now, we wait, and sometimes in our waiting, we grow frustrated.  Yet, we do not wait as those who have no hope.  We wait, not with earthly comfort, necessarily, but with the comfort of having sure salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.  All of our sins have been taken away and we have peace with God.  Jesus assured us, “In this world you are going to have trouble.  But be courageous!  I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)  Thus, we wait in comfort and peace for the glory of God to be revealed when Jesus returns in all His glory on the Last Day.  At that time, all the earthly waiting, and all the frustrations and sins that go along with it, will be a thing of the past.  Our sins and frustrations have been paid for and forgiven to us as the Holy Spirit worked faith in us through baptism and hearing the Good News of what Jesus has done to reconcile us with God.

Now, I can’t tell you what we will see in the coming new year.  I don’t know what the weather or the markets will do.  I honestly can’t say who will be healthy and whose health might fail.  I pray, just as I know you all do, with great faith that the Lord our God will take care of us in any trouble and will be with us through everything we have to experience.  St. Paul explains it beautifully when he writes:

We know that all of creation is groaning with birth pains right up to the present time.  And not only creation, but also we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly while we eagerly await our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body.  Indeed, it was for this hope we were saved.  But hope that is seen is not hope, because who hopes for what he already sees?  But if we hope for something we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with patient endurance. (Romans 8:22-25)

The redemption Paul mentions happens when our Lord takes us home to heaven, and on the last day reunites us body and soul with all those who have believed in Jesus as Savior, and with our God and Creator who has rescued us from the darkness and pain the devil brought on this world.  At that time, when “this perishable body has put on imperishability, and this mortal body has put on immortality,” (1 Corinthians 15:54) we will forever See the comfort, peace, glory, and redemption, while we dwell with our God and Savior in heaven forevermore.  Amen.

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

Sunday, December 29, 2024

From then to forever, the Lord God gave.

 

Sermon for Christmas 1, December 29, 2024

Mercy and peace to you all, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all people.”  Amen.

Isaiah 50:4-9  4The Lord God gave me a tongue like the learned, an instructed tongue, so I know how to sustain the weary with a word.  He wakes me up morning by morning.  He wakes up my ears so that I listen like the learned.  5The Lord God opened my ear, and I myself was not rebellious.  I did not turn back.  6I submitted my back to those who beat me, and my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard.  I did not hide my face from disgrace and from spit.  7The Lord God will help me, so I will not be disgraced.  Therefore I have made my face hard like flint.  I know that I will not be put to shame.  8The one who will acquit me is near!  Who can accuse me?  Let us take our stand.  Who can pass judgment on me?  Let him approach me.  9Look, the Lord God will help me.  Who then can declare me guilty?  Look, all of them will wear out like a garment.  A moth will consume them. (EHV)

From then to forever, the Lord God gave.

Dear children of the Giver,

            In a time when Israel’s future looked bleak, and trouble was all around, when punishment for their unfaithfulness to God was soon to come down on the people, The Lord God gave a word of encouragement through His prophet, Isaiah.  The metaphor immediately preceding our text pictures a divorce occurring because Israel had been acting toward God like an unfaithful wife to her husband.  Though Israel had prostituted itself with idols, and made alliances with idolatrous nations, God in His everlasting faithfulness was providing the gift of intercession.  Our text tells us about what is easily the best Christmas gift ever given; From then to forever, the Lord God gave—He gave His message of hope.  He gave His Son to be our Redeemer and Savior, and He gives us forgiveness and peace.

Our text truly speaks about Jesus, who told the Judeans as they rejected Him: “You search the Scriptures because you think you have eternal life in them. They testify about me!” (John 5:39)  Because we needed a Savior to rescue us from the damnation we deserved for all the times we were unfaithful and sinned against God, He gave His own dear Son into human flesh to live and die so that we might be made righteous.  Here, the Savior speaks as though already born into the world; “The Lord God gave me a tongue like the learned, an instructed tongue, so I know how to sustain the weary with a word.  He wakes me up morning by morning.  He wakes up my ears so that I listen like the learned.”  God gave us the Savior and through Him a message of hope.

Because all the world needed a Savior to restore righteousness to mankind, God made that happen just as Gabriel explained to Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.  So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God.” (Luke 1:35)  Our Creator was not willing to leave anything about our salvation to chance.  Therefore, rather than just instruct sinful people how they might somehow try to work for peace with God (knowing that no sinner ever could), God gave His dear Son into obedience even unto death.  Because Jesus is God’s Son from all eternity, His Word is all powerful to save.  Furthermore, throughout His earthly life, Jesus relied on His Father for everything, just as we should but so often fail.

When God gave His Son as an infant born of a virgin, that Son came into human form needing to go through all the stages of human life, including learning everything we need to live.  Jesus had to learn how to speak, how to walk, and how to do all the things we need to do.  The one difference is that He went through all those stages from infancy to adulthood without ever once sinning, and all the while He lived on earth, Jesus was looking to His heavenly Father with complete trust in His love and care.  At twelve years old, Jesus was already at His heavenly Father’s business of saving souls through the hearing of the Word.  His instructed tongue then taught the people what they needed to hear and believe to receive eternal life.

The prophetic words of God’s Servant Son show us how Jesus would suffer for our sins.  “I submitted my back to those who beat me, and my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard.  I did not hide my face from disgrace and from spit.”  Imagine receiving a gift at Christmas time that we knew would soon be destroyed because of our mistreatment.  That’s exactly what Isaiah promises here.  God was giving His Son to save the world, but that salvation would be granted through the suffering, torture, and death God intended to lay upon Jesus in our place.  This morning, we are in the midst of the Christmas season—just the fourth day of Christmas—and already we are forced to recognize that the infant in that Bethlehem manger is God’s suffering Servant sent to bear all the sins of the world, sent into our broken world to die cruel death so that God could be reconciled with you and me.

As much as that idea might tug at our heartstrings, even horrify us, Jesus was not without help.  Of course, none of that help came from any of us, nor from the Jews or His disciples.  Certainly not from the elders, scribes, Pharisees of His day, or the Romans either.  No, on earth, Jesus was all alone to live for us a holy life, then to suffer and die as the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of the world.  Every undignified treatment and abuse Jesus had to endure was suffered by Him alone.  Yet, He says, and we know it is true, “The Lord God will help me, so I will not be disgraced.  Therefore I have made my face hard like flint.  I know that I will not be put to shame.” 

Because He perfectly and absolutely trusted His Father in heaven, Jesus was rock-solid set on going through every painful step on His road to the cross of shame.  Because He trusted His Father in heaven, Jesus readily and willingly endured the poverty and meekness, the ridicule and abuse of men, the lies we have told, the sins we committed which were shameful to His holiness but all piled on Jesus.  “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)  Think of any and every evil thing you have ever said, thought, or done, and the shame of everything you have ever failed to do, every time you doubted or lacked confidence in His care, everything you would be ashamed for God to know, all that guilt was put on Jesus to seal the warrant for His arrest and death.  Jesus set His face like flint to bear all that guilt so that it would never, indeed could never, be held against you on Judgment Day. 

Because He trusted His Father, Jesus knew He could face the depths of hell in His separation from His Father while He hung on that cross for you.  Therefore, already seven hundred years before He entered Mary’s womb, God’s Servant Son could declare confidently, “The one who will acquit me is near!  Who can accuse me?  Let us take our stand.  Who can pass judgment on me?  Let him approach me.  Look, the Lord God will help me.  Who then can declare me guilty?”  The Man, Christ Jesus, holy in every way, lived God’s love for us by laying down His life for our sins.

Here is what we know is true—Jesus bore our guilt alone, even suffering complete separation from God in heaven for our sins, yet God did not abandon Him to the grave or to Satan’s eternal prison.  When Jesus died bearing the guilt of the world, though without ever once betraying His Father in heaven, the Father was there to welcome Jesus in His victory.  The Psalmist prophesied Jesus’ confidence in His all-powerful Father’s love, “You will not leave my soul in Sheol, nor will You allow Your Holy One to see corruption.” (Psalm 16:10 NKJ) 

By His holy life and innocent death, Jesus satisfied the law’s demand for righteous punishment for sin.  For you and me, God bore the guilt.  For you and me, God’s Son suffered the death that was owed.  Here, in Isaiah, the suffering Servant declares that no one will ever again be able to accuse those who are in Jesus of any sin.  All those sins put on Jesus have been paid for, so how does it work?

As we read this prophesy, we see a change from the prophet speaking about the Savior to the Savior speaking what He would do for us.  Then, while the Savior speaks, He is also saying what is true for all those connected with Him in His future glory.  All those who believe in Jesus are the elect united with Him by faith.  Therefore, at the time of Judgment, we will be saying along with Jesus, “The one who will acquit me is near!  Who can accuse me?  Let us take our stand.  Who can pass judgment on me?  Let him approach me.  Look, the Lord God will help me.  Who then can declare me guilty?” 

Who will accuse us when the suffering Son, who paid the penalty for all our guilt, is standing with us?  Who will be able to accuse us of any sin when the Son, who died on our behalf, is the Judge given authority to determine the eternal destination of every soul brought before Him?  Therefore, anyone who would desire to accuse Jesus, or us, of any guilt “will wear out like a garment.  A moth will consume them.”

Dear friends, we may struggle to speak so boldly in our present broken world, but Jesus is certain to speak in our place and on our behalf.  St. Paul was moved by the Holy Spirit to declare,

If God is for us, who can be against us?  Indeed, he who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us allhow will he not also graciously give us all things along with him?  Who will bring an accusation against God’s elect?  God is the one who justifies!  Who is the one who condemns?  Christ Jesus, who died and, more than that, was raised to life, is the one who is at God’s right hand and who is also interceding for us!  What will separate us from the love of Christ?  Will trouble or distress or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? … No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.”  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor rulers, neither things present nor things to come, nor powerful forces, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:31-39)

From then to forever, the Lord God gave.  From Isaiah, and even from the beginning of time, through to the time of St. Paul writing to the Roman congregation, and on to the very end of days, the same message rings true.  God’s Son, Jesus, came into this world to save sinners.  He came to cleanse you and me of all guilt by His sacrifice on the cross.  Jesus came to give us life that cannot be taken away.  He came to make us righteous and holy in His Father’s sight.  You and I didn’t, and couldn’t, do anything to save ourselves, but God in His infinite wisdom, mercy, and power has washed away our guilt in Baptism, and by His Gospel has given us faith in His Son, Jesus, which connects us to the only source of life.  The Psalmist sang, “Under his wings you will find refuge.  His truth will be your shield and armor.” (Psalm 91:4)  And again, he sings along with us, “Yes, you Lord are my refuge!” (Psalm 91:9)  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. 

Wednesday, December 25, 2024

Witness the Word, the life, the light, and the glory.

 

Sermon for Christmas Day, December 25, 2024

The Light, who brings light and life to the world, shine upon you, for the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared for all people.  Amen.

John 1:1-18  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. 15John testified about him.  He cried out, “This was the one I spoke about when I said, ‘The one coming after me outranks me because he existed before me.’”  16For out of his fullness we have all received grace upon grace.  17For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.  18No one has ever seen God.  The only-begotten Son, who is close to the Father’s side, has made him known. (EHV)

Witness the Word, the life, the light, and the glory.

Dear friends of the living Word,

            How do you truly know who a person is?  For instance, you know my name, and my wife’s name, but how do you know whether we are who we say we are?  Did you do a background check?  Would you call those we claim to be related to and ask if we are telling the truth?  For that matter, how do you truly know the person sitting next to you, or across the aisle?  And much more important, by far, how do you know who that Babe in the manger of Bethlehem truly is?

Our Lord God, who wants nothing more than to save you from eternal destruction, wanted to make absolutely certain that you would have no doubt who Jesus is.  Therefore, God had four different Gospel writers tell you about His Son.  Matthew spoke of Christ’s human parentage and how Jesus fulfilled the prophecies God had given to help us recognize the Messiah.  Luke spoke, too, of human parentage, and then showed how this Savior was for all people, and Mark showed Jesus as the power and action of God leading to divine sacrifice for sinners.

The apostle, John, on the other hand, wrote his Gospel a few decades after the other three writers, at a time when many were questioning Jesus’ true nature, and false teachers were spreading half-truths and lies about Christ.  Inspired and empowered by the Holy Spirit, St. John wrote to emphasize the divine nature of Christ Jesus and to Witness the Word, the life, the light, and the glory.

At the time John wrote his Gospel, some teachers were claiming to have special knowledge that allowed only them to enjoy salvation.  They denied much that was true about Jesus, so John countered with his eyewitness testimony, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”  In connection with the creation of all things, the Word, that is Jesus Christ, already was.  Before any created thing was brought into existence, Jesus already lived.  Begotten of the Father from eternity, Jesus is the Son of God, and was with His Father before time began, true God in both persons.

Jesus is the Word.  He represents everything God tells us about Himself.  We cannot see God because He is spirit, so God took on human flesh in the person of the Son, so that we could see God’s love and mercy in Jesus and not just fear God as some invisible, angry Judge.

In our time, famous philosophers and scientists theorize about the origins of life.  That question isn’t new.  Secular philosophers of John’s day also pondered that question.  Therefore, the Lord informs and confirms for us that He is the sole source of all life.  John wrote, “The Word was God.  He was with God in the beginning.  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.”  The Greek emphasizes that not even one thing of creation was made apart from the Word of God.  Every aspect of life came from God and God alone.  Only those still caught in the delusional darkness of unbelief cling to the notion that the source of life remains to be found.

The spiritual life that man enjoyed at creation was lost when Adam and Eve sinned.  They suffered spiritual death as a consequence of their rebellion and, ever since, every one of their descendants is also born spiritually dead.  Without God’s intervention, death would be our eternal condition.  This is why God sent His Son.  Jesus entered this world to restore spiritual life to our fallen race.  “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.”

Being the only source of all life, only God could restore life to the people He had lovingly hand-crafted and into whom He had breathed true life.  Jesus entered this world as the Light who would restore life to men.  Without His light, we would remain entombed in the darkness of eternal separation from God.  Therefore, we needed to Witness the Word, the life, the light, and the glory. 

To restore that original image of God in us, Jesus came to live a perfectly holy life for us.  He came to restore peace between God and mankind so that we could live with God again.  God needed to shine that Good News on those of us trapped in darkness.  We couldn’t see His light on our own.  Indeed, by our nature, we would hide from His light, scurrying around in the darkness that felt familiar and safer to us even though it kept us separated from our Creator and Lord.

It is God’s glory that overpowers darkness.  In His divine Sonship, Jesus lived perfect holiness for you and me and for every sinner of every time period of this world’s eventual history.  To demonstrate the glory of God’s mercy and grace, Jesus took all the sins of the world upon Himself.  He who had no sin of His own, became the ultimate sin for us all.  His Father then poured out the absolute worst punishment of eternal death upon Jesus.  This Babe in the manger, God’s own dear Son, came into the world to endure the complete separation from God that we deserved, laying down His life in sacrifice for the whole human race, so that we can be restored to life through faith in Him. 

In his rebellious uprising that led mankind astray, Satan schemed and lied trying to overthrow God, but God cannot be overpowered.  Jesus surely laid down His life then to His glory took it up again.  His glory shines through any battle, against any evil foe.  Jesus said, “This is why the Father loves me, because I lay down my life so that I may take it up again.  No one takes it from me, but I lay it down on my own.  I have the authority to lay it down, and I have the authority to take it up again.  This is the commission I received from my Father." (John 10:17-18)  Because Jesus lives after having experienced our death, we have the Witness of the Word, the life, the light, and the glory to show us who Jesus really is.  He is the Son of God, begotten of the Father, conceived by the Holy Spirit in His human mother, Mary.

St. John also told us of a man who was chosen by God to bear witness to Jesus’ true nature.  As an eyewitness, John was there to recognize the Son, to store that knowledge in his heart and mind, and to testify to the court of world opinion that Jesus had, indeed, demonstrated His true nature.  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.”  This is testimony to God’s glory.  God didn’t send a Savior for only those who deserved to be saved (which is none of us), or even only for those who would gladly believe (again, not one of us).  Rather, it is God’s greatest desire that every soul on earth would believe in Jesus and receive the light that gives life everlasting.  John testified to the people of his day with a fervor that few have ever matched.  His testimony remains a witness to the truth that Jesus is “The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!(John 1:29)

Not one person on earth deserved a Savior, “because all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) With our sins we each earned God’s eternal wrath and punishment.  Because of sin in us, not one of us, by nature, even desired to be given Jesus’ light and life, for the undeniable truth is that even though Jesuswas in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not recognize him.  He came to what was his own, yet his own people did not accept him.”  This is our natural condition.  Satan had so deceived us and robbed mankind of any spark of life or truth that we had no power or ability to change on our own.  However, through the love of God, as shown to man by the Holy Spirit, the Witness of the Word, the life, the light, and the glory allowed many to see the Light of Christ, believe in Him, and receive eternal life and glory.

Therefore, we have true hope of salvation because to all who did receive him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.  They were born, not of blood, or of the desire of the flesh, or of a husband’s will, but born of God.”  Forgiveness and salvation is never something that we achieve on our own.  We do not inherit it from our parents.  We cannot attain it by anything we strive to do or any decision we make.  Forgiveness is granted to us by the sole grace and good will of God.  He sent the Son.  The Son suffered, died, and rose again for us.  He sent His Spirit through the Word and witnesses.  The Spirit turned our stone-dead hearts to the light and life that only Christ can give, and He made the decision to adopt us into His beloved family through the water and Word of Baptism.

This morning, we are celebrating the most wonderful event in human history, the birth of the Savior.  John affirmed this for us saying, 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 testified to what he saw happen in his lifetime—that Jesus, God’s One and only Son, entered this world of sorrow and death, and gave new life that will never end to all those who will believe in Him.

That, dear friends, is also our story.  Through the testimony of the Holy Spirit through His appointed apostles and prophets, you and I see Christ in the Word of God.  By the Word, you and I behold His glory—that though we were sinners and enemies of the One who created us, God’s Son came into our world to cleanse us from all sin and save us from eternal death.  By the power of the Spirit in the Word, we beheld His glory and believed.  Therefore, we have been given the right to be children of God, and we have the sure hope of an everlasting inheritance in heaven.

Because we have this tremendous gift of a Savior, we have the opportunity, and the call, to Witness the Word, the life, the light, and the glory to those around us.  We have this command not to glorify ourselves, for that glory has already been given to us, but so that others, also, might see the Light of Christ and receive the life He gives through the Word. 

For much of the world in our times, a baby born in a manger some two thousand years ago seems like a quaint myth without importance in our times, but that is no different today than it was back then.  To those who reject Jesus, the whole salvation story is a silly fantasy, a waste of time.  However, it is only through our witness to an unbelieving world of His virgin birth, and His life, death, and resurrection that any of those who now are lost can be saved.  Like for John the Baptist, it may cost us our physical life to be His witnesses, and like the Apostle John, it might bring us ridicule and rejection from those still walking in darkness.  However, today and every day, we rejoice, because to all who did receive him, to those who believe in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.”  Beloved friends, that is you and me: children of God, and Witnesses to the world of the Word, the life, the light, and the glory.  Amen.

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

Tuesday, December 24, 2024

The Child does it all for us.

 

Christmas Eve, December 24, 2024

The grace of the Almighty God, the peace of His Son, and the comfort of the Holy Spirit be with you all.  Amen.

Isaiah 9:2-7  2The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.  For those living in the land of the shadow of death, the light has dawned.  3You have multiplied the nation.  You have increased the joy for it.  They rejoice before you like the joy at harvest time, like the celebration when people divide the plunder.  4For you have shattered the yoke that burdened them.  You have broken the bar on their shoulders and the rod of their oppressor, as you did in the day of Midian.  5Every boot that marched in battle and the garments rolled in blood will be burned.  They will be fuel for the fire.  6For to us a child is born.  To us a son is given.  The authority to rule will rest on his shoulders.  He will be named: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  7There will be no limit to his authority and no end to the peace he brings.  He will rule on David’s throne and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from now on, into eternity.  The zeal of the Lord of Armies will accomplish this. (EHV)

The Child does it all for us.

Dear rejoicing friends,

            The Lord our God put such rich depth in these few verses that over four days of the 1532 Christmas season, Martin Luther preached five very long, very rich sermons on just this text.  I promise you, I won’t make you sit through four or five hours of preaching tonight.  Still, in just these few minutes, we can be richly blessed by God’s words here.  This text lists many magnificent names and accomplishments of our Savior, so many, that we learn The Child does it all for us.

Do you remember what you were like the day you were born?  Likely, no one does, but I’ll bet that you remember what your newborn children were like, and we were no different.  We were all little tyrants!  We all came out of the womb needing and demanding that everything be done for us.  We had to be fed.  We had to be dressed.  We had to be held and comforted and burped and cleaned and taken care of from morning until night, and I can assure you that our neediness didn’t stop when the sun went down.  No, we needed to be taken care of right on through the night, or we were screaming bloody murder with each slight discomfort.

Pretty much in every way, none of that has changed.  We still need someone to make sure that we are fed, that we have clothes to wear, a home to live in, a job to go to so we can pay for the things we need.  We even need someone to make sure we keep on breathing, but most important of all, we still need someone to clean our mess; someone to take away our disgusting sins so that we don’t have to be discarded into the eternal fires of hell.  Now that’s a pretty rude awaking for Christmas Eve, isn’t it?   Yet, the Good News of this birth we are celebrating is that The Child does it all for us.

Isaiah says,For to us a child is born.  To us a son is given.”  By nature, we, and all babies, are born extremely self-centered.  But this little Baby born in Bethlehem was exactly the opposite.  He did not enter this world so that He might be served, but rather, so that He could serve us.  Of course, Jesus did not come to serve us at our demand, because we, by nature, were too self-centered to realize we needed Him.  Instead, God’s Son entered this world because God knew we needed Him.  The Son of God laid aside His Mighty power and the glory of His throne in heaven to rescue us from sin, the devil, and the grave.  Plus, it is God’s great gift to us that Jesus serves without any merit or worthiness on our part.  God gave His Son to save you and me, little self-centered tyrants that we are, simply because of His great love and mercy and grace.

Now, understand that the baby Jesus had the same physical needs that we all had as infants, but you and I need to realize that all the while Jesus was here on earth growing up to be a Man, He did so without the temper tantrums, selfish demands, and corrupt desires that shame us, and even as He allowed Himself to be taken care of as a little child, He remained completely God and perfectly in control of everything this world needed for our everlasting good.  The Child does it all for us.

Isaiah prophesied, The people walking in darkness have seen a great light.  For those living in the land of the shadow of death, the light has dawned.”  Dear friends, each of us once walked in the darkness of sin.  The self-centeredness that is our human nature kept us blind to the truth of God’s love.  Thus, we were marching wearily along in the darkness of sin without even comprehending that we were lost, until Jesus entered our world and brought everything to light.  As His Law was preached, we were shown the depth of our sin, bringing terror to our hearts.  Yet how the Light shined on us in the wonderful saving message of Christ’s Gospel.  His Good News gave light to our eyes bringing life, forgiveness, and the salvation Jesus entered this world to win for us.  The Child does it all for us.

What’s next?  Isaiah declared, You have multiplied the nation.  You have increased the joy for it.  They rejoice before you like the joy at harvest time, like the celebration when people divide the plunder.”  Tonight, we rejoice for the great wonder of God’s grace that brought our Savior into this world to serve us sinners who needed Him so much.  We rejoice that Jesus came to win our salvation, and we rejoice because of His loving efforts to share that Good News with us.  We rejoice that as the Gospel is proclaimed, Christ’s kingdom is multiplied as new children enter in.

Isaiah says that people will celebrate Christ’s salvation like they do the harvest.  Do you understand why men celebrated at harvest time?  The ancients didn’t celebrate the harvest because they were glad to be done with their work for the year, or because they suddenly felt rich.  No, they were celebrating because they knew that they could live another year.  Today, people are often so far removed from agriculture they don’t realize that without a harvest, no one survives.  The same is true of Christ’s birth.  If Jesus hadn’t entered the world to save us, or if no one would tell us this Good News, our fate would be eternal torment and death.

The same is true with Isaiah’s picture of victorious people dividing up the spoils of war.  Soldiers rejoice as they plunder a defeated enemy because they know that if they had not gained the triumph, their opponents would be picking through their carcasses.  Likewise, victorious soldiers know that in victory they can enjoy peace and prosperity.  We rejoice for the same reason.  Christ has won everlasting victory for us.  The Holy Spirit shared His win with us, and the devil will never get to pick through our remains, because we will live with Christ forever.

The joyous things we celebrate as we gaze upon that little Baby in the manger in Bethlehem are the peace and eternal prosperity that Jesus entered the world to win for us.  Our Savior entered the world in this humble way so that through His life, death, and resurrection we will have life that can never be taken away, because Jesus accomplished peace with God on our behalf.

Isaiah wrote, You have broken the bar on their shoulders and the rod of their oppressor, as you did in the day of Midian.”  Jesus entered this world because He, alone, could break the devil’s hold on us.  Jesus, alone, could release us from the slavery of sin and lift the heavy condemnation of the law off our weary shoulders.  We sing our praises to heaven, because by the heavy lifting of His life and sacrificial death, The Child set us free from the devil’s chains.

He will be named: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”  Jesus is called “Wonderful Counselor” because He is perfect in every way: perfect in His love for all people, perfect in His obedience of the Law in our place, perfect in His Father’s eyes, and His life is the perfect payment for our sins.  His Word shows us how we should live, and how we have sinned, but also shows us our salvation as His Gospel tells us of the redemption He gained for us on the cross. 

He is called “Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” because He now lives and reigns from His Father’s throne, taking care of our every need.  No question is too hard for Him, no need too great for Him to supply.  Yet, like a loving Father, He disciplines us so that we do not wander away, so that we never let go of His strong hand.  Jesus is our “Prince of Peace,” because of the reconciliation He has gained between God and the human race.  He gives that peace to believers like you and me through the work of His Spirit in the Word and the Sacraments.  The Child does it all for us.

Dear friends, There will be no limit to his authority and no end to the peace he brings.  He will rule on David’s throne and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from now on, into eternity.  The zeal of the Lord of Armies will accomplish this.”  Our Lord Jesus, even as a tiny babe in the manger, took all the weight of our sin upon His own perfect shoulders, and He carried our guilt away so that we never again have to be afraid to stand before God. 

The peace Jesus won for us is eternal for God declared, “It is enough,” as He raised Jesus from the grave.  When we entered Jesus’ kingdom through faith, we were granted permanent sonship in God’s family.  St. Paul wrote, “In all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor rulers, neither things present nor things to come, nor powerful forces, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.” (Romans 8:37-39)

For the love Jesus showed for us, the holiness He lived on our behalf, and for the sacrifice He made, God has put all things under His feet.  All authority in heaven and on earth now rests in Jesus Christ, our Savior.  Until the end of time when we are all safely home, body and soul in heaven, all forces, all powers, all governments, all people, and all spirits must bow in submission before Jesus as Judge.  We no longer must answer to anyone else.  Satan can no longer accuse us for Jesus took the just punishment for our guilt as He paid with His life.  The purchase price of His blood bought us for His kingdom.  We are His, and nothing and no one can take that away.  Jesus is our Redeemer, our King, our Savior, and our God.  The Child does it all for us.  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.

Sunday, December 22, 2024

The humble exalted by the mercy of God.

 

Sermon for Advent 4, December 22, 2024

Grace, mercy, and peace will be with us from God the Father and from Jesus Christ, the Father's Son, in truth and love.  Amen.

Luke 1:39-55  39In those days Mary got up and hurried to the hill country, to a town of Judah.  40She entered the home of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth.  41Just as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.  42She called out with a loud voice and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!  43But why am I so favored that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  44In fact, just now, as soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy!  45Blessed is she who believed, because the promises spoken to her from the Lord will be fulfilled!”  46Then Mary said, My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, 47and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior, 48because he has looked with favor on the humble state of his servant.  Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed, 49because the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.  50His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.  51He has shown strength with his arm.  He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their hearts.  52He has brought down rulers from their thrones.  He has lifted up the lowly.  53He has filled the hungry with good things, but the rich he has sent away empty.  54He has come to the aid of his servant Israel, remembering his mercy, 55as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his offspring forever. (EHV)

The humble exalted by the mercy of God.

Dear fellow redeemed,

            The prophet, Joel, foretold a time in which the sons and daughters of Israel would prophesy. (Joel 2:28)  We usually associate Joel’s prophecy with Pentecost when the Lord poured out His Holy Spirit upon Jesus’ apostles to enable their spreading of the Good News of all Jesus has done for us.  At the same time, however, Joel’s prophecy is just as much in action in the events before us.  Filled with the Holy Spirit, both Elizabeth and Mary prophesy of God’s work for mankind, and Gabriel’s prophecy to Zechariah is fulfilled in the action of Zechariah’s still unborn son, the baby John.  Yet, the exciting part of this outpouring of the Holy Spirit is the report for you and me of The humble exalted by the mercy of God.

Immediately after the angel, Gabriel, visited Mary, she responded to the news that her relative, Elizabeth, was being blessed with the gift of an unexpected, long-desired child by rushing to Zechariah and Elizabeth’s home to congratulate her and share with her fellow-blest relative the news that Gabriel had brought to Mary.  Certainly, those two women would have much to talk about, and Mary could be a help to her aging relative in her pregnancy, but there is no mention that Mary told anyone else about Gabriel’s message before leaving to visit Elizabeth. 

Imagine, then, how unlikely the greeting Elizabeth gave Mary when she arrived.  Before Mary had a chance to break the news, before the prophecy of the birth of the Christ Child from Mary could reach her ears, the Holy Spirit enlightened Elizabeth with the news, and her response was immediate.  “Just as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit.  She called out with a loud voice and said, ‘Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!’”  For you and me and all people, the Spirit of God was confirming that God’s plan to save us was being implemented in these two women.  Of course, the world might scoff and pretend that these two somehow imagined this news, or that a later writer made it up, but there is no possible likelihood of either being the case.  The leaping baby confirms that the Holy Spirit was active in their faith and in their lives.

Elizabeth continued, “But why am I so favored that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  In fact, just now, as soon as the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy!  Blessed is she who believed, because the promises spoken to her from the Lord will be fulfilled!”  One of the definitions of the word, blessed, is to be a “privileged recipient of divine favor.”  How perfectly that describes what God did for Mary, for Elizabeth, and for you and me as well. 

Elizabeth’s reaction is what one might expect when a commoner is visited by royalty.  Such is the way we might feel if Jesus walked into our living room, because He is the King of Kings in whose presence we could hardly expect to stand, and indeed, in our humble state would have to fall in submission and fear.

Yet, there is no fear in Elizabeth.  Why?  Because the Holy Spirit has revealed to her that this Child of Mary would bring her forgiveness, salvation, and everlasting peace.  Elizabeth shouts that promise to Mary in the blessing.  Through the humble faith that the Good News established in Mary, God made that virgin a “privileged recipient of divine favor.”  The same thing happened to us in our baptisms when the Lord of all creation removed our sins and implanted in us faith in the Son of God so that just as for Elizabeth and Mary, we are made The humble exalted by the mercy of God.

Certainly, Elizabeth was correct to say that God has blessed Mary by making her the mother of Jesus, but Mary had the perfect response.  She declared, “My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior, because he has looked with favor on the humble state of his servant.  Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed, because the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.”  In contrast to what many in the world have desired to do for Mary, she herself gives all glory to God.  Mary recognized that the world will regard her as blessed, and she agrees in the correct way.  Mary admits that she is not the holy one; she is an ordinary person stricken with the curse of sin that made her a sinner also.  God alone is without sin or guilt.  Mary did nothing to deserve God choosing her to be the mother through whom the Savior of the world would be born.  Yet, God elevated Mary in the mercy He shows to the world through her Son.

Mary’s words to Elizabeth have become known as the Magnificat, a song of praise that the Church often sings still today as in our evening Vespers services.  By her words, the lowly peasant girl recognizes her complete lack of merit to be honored with such great service, even as she celebrates and praises God’s divine mercy and grace, because He gives these precious treasures to the world without a requirement of merit.  Mary sang, “His mercy is for those who fear him from generation to generation.”  As we are confronted with our guilt and total lack of anything to offer to God to purchase our freedom from the devil’s devices and schemes, as we tremble in fear of God’s judgment, He holds out His grace to us in the form of His beloved Son who lovingly invites all people, “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)

Again, Mary sang, “He has shown strength with his arm.  He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their hearts.”  As she sings her song of praise to the Lord, Mary alludes to numerous promises made through the prophets of how the Lord of glory would win redemption and peace for those He calls to believe.  The strength of God’s Son as our deliverer is shown again and again in His meekness and submission to His Father’s will.  Jesus didn’t enter this world to conquer our enemies by force.  He came, instead, to defeat the devil’s lies with truth, the devil’s challenges with faithfulness, and the devil’s accusations with the sacrifice of His own life as a ransom for ours.  At the same time, for those arrogant, belligerent, rebels who reject God’s right to judge, God gave His Son authority to condemn to the fires of hell all those sinners who refuse to repent of their guilt.

Mary said, “He has brought down rulers from their thrones.  He has lifted up the lowly.  He has filled the hungry with good things, but the rich he has sent away empty.”  By His condemning Law, God shows all people their lack of holiness and their need for this Savior.  Those who rely on their own efforts or goodness are stricken from eternal life, but by His powerful Gospel, the Holy Spirit then leads repentant persons to believe in Jesus as the long-promised Messiah, the Son of God delivered into this world as a human baby through this humble virgin.  It is to those who believe in Him that the promises of an everlasting home in the heavenly glory are made sure and certain.  Though we may be poor and lowly on earth, by God’s grace we will be rich in His heaven as The humble exalted by the mercy of God.

Finally, Mary confirms her confidence in the angel, Gabriel’s, revelation to her that what God had promised since mankind’s fall into sin was now as good as accomplished.  “He has come to the aid of his servant Israel, remembering his mercy, as he spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and his offspring forever.”  Again and again in her song of praise, Mary shows us true faith, not elevating herself or putting any confidence in what she has done, but rather, by pointing to the Lord of heaven and earth as the Giver of all the blessings that were coming to her through this Child.  This amazing mercy is available to all people.  Out of love for our fallen race, God sent His beloved Son, Jesus, to be our redemption, ransom price, and Savior.

God promised Abraham, “All of the families of the earth will be blessed in you.” (Genesis 12:3)  And that blessing is now granted to you and me by faith.  This virgin-born Child, whose birth we will celebrate again in just a few days has taken away all our sins, our guilt, our rebellious deeds, and failures.  By the shedding of His blood in His sacrifice on the cross, Mary’s Son paid the penalty of death for all the sins ever committed against God—yours and mine included.

In a dream, Abraham’s grandson, who became known as Israel, saw the Lord God standing at the top of a stairway to heaven, and the Lord promised him, “In you and in your seed all the families of the earth will be blessed.” (Genesis 28:14)  Mary prophesies here that her Son, Jesus, has made Himself our entrance way to the glories of everlasting joy and peace with God.

Dear friends, through the gift of His Son, God has granted us forgiveness and everlasting peace.  Through the hearing of the Gospel and the washing of Baptism, the Holy Spirit has brought that gift of peace to you and me who believe in Jesus as our Savior.  We look forward to the day when we see what Mary and Elizabeth now enjoy, the peace and joy and glory of being forever united with our God and Savior in heaven—to finally see perfectly in ourselves The humble exalted by the mercy of God.  Amen.

Now to him who is able to strengthen you—according to the gospel and the proclamation of Jesus Christ, . . . to God, who alone is wise, be glory forever through Jesus Christ.  Amen.