The signs were there for you.

 

Sermon for Christmas Eve morning, December 24, 2023

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

Luke 2:1-20  In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered.  ²This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governing Syria.  ³And everyone went to register, each to his own town.  ⁴And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the town of Nazareth, into Judea, to the town of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was from the house and family line of David.  ⁵He went to be registered with Mary, his wife, who was pledged to him in marriage and was expecting a child.  ⁶And so it was that while they were there, the time came for her to give birth.  ⁷And she gave birth to her firstborn son, wrapped him in swaddling cloths, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.  ⁸There were in the same country shepherds staying out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock at night.  ⁹An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified!  ¹⁰But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid.  For behold, I bring you good news of great joy, which will be for all people: ¹¹Today in the town of David, a Savior was born for you.  He is Christ the Lord.  ¹²And this will be a sign for you: You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”  ¹³Suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude from the heavenly army, praising God and saying, ¹⁴“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward mankind.”  ¹⁵When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Now let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.”  ¹⁶So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger.  ¹⁷When they had seen him, they told others the message they had been told about this child.  ¹⁸And all who heard it were amazed by what the shepherds said to them.  ¹⁹But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.  ²⁰And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told. (EHV)

The signs were there for you.

Beloved in the Lord,

            We don’t rely on it so much anymore, but when travelling someplace unfamiliar years ago, it was common to ask for detailed directions including landmarks and signs we might watch for.  Today, with smartphones, we usually just put in the address of where we are going to and the computer keeps us heading to that location, even recalculating if we should miss a turn.  However, years ago, you would be told something like: go five miles south of town, take a right on the second asphalt road you come to, then go a half mile past the second cross road until you see the red barn with three cement stave silos on your right, and the place you are looking for is the next farm on the left with a large oak tree right in front of the house.  Even if you didn’t have road signs, you had those landmarks to guide you.  Forty some years ago, I made numerous trips and delivery runs with just such directions. 

Our God didn’t want any of us to miss out on the way to heaven.  Therefore, in His infinite wisdom, God gave us signs and landmarks to watch for so that we would recognize the Savior and by faith receive our entrance into eternal glory.  In our text this morning, we see that The signs were there for you.

Now, Caesar didn’t realize he was working for God’s plan, but the Lord used that pagan ruler’s ambitions to issue an edict that would fulfil the prophecy God had given through Micah: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, from you, will go out the one who will be the ruler for me in Israel.” (Micah 5:2)  There was no other earthly reason for Mary and Joseph to be in Bethlehem for Jesus’ birth, but God leaves nothing to chance so that you and I, and even the sceptic, can see the sign.

Likewise, The Lord made sure that the man chosen to marry the mother of the Savior came from David’s line, so that the newborn Christ Child would not only be from David’s bloodline through Mary, but in the eyes of the world would be a legal descendant of David because the presumed father, Joseph, was also in the Davidic line.  No adoption was necessary because with Joseph and Mary betrothed to each other, the legality of their marriage was already complete before Jesus’ birth.

However, so that there would be no doubt in our minds about the Father of this Child, we have the eyewitness testimony of the angel sent to Mary, as well as Joseph’s intent to divorce her when he learned of her pregnancy, but that might still be suspect if God had not prophesied through Isaiah in response to King Ahaz who refused to ask God for a sign.  The prophet said, “Look!  The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son and name him Immanuel.” (Isaiah 7:14)  Again, God provided the sign so that we would know without any doubt that Jesus is the promised Messiah sent to save us all from our sins.

Isaiah also prophesied that there would be witnesses to the birth of our Lord: “The voice of your watchmen—they lift up their voices.  Together they shout for joy, because with both eyes they will see it when the Lord returns to Zion.” (Isaiah 52:8)  The shepherds keeping watch over their flocks that night rejoiced to see the angel’s announcement was true.  Every detail given by that herald of the Lord Almighty was right there for those ordinary men of Israel to verify as a sign for you and me that Mary’s firstborn is the Savior of the world God had long promised.

As they returned to their flocks that night, and in the days following, those shepherds testified to everyone they met what they had seen and heard from the heavenly host: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward mankind.”  Likewise, “Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.”  The good doctor, Luke, who wrote this Gospel account took great pains to interview many of the people who had known Jesus during His earthly life.  Mary, obviously, was eyewitness number one, but who knows whether Luke was able to interview even those ordinary shepherds or some of the villagers who heard their testimony. 

There was nothing secret about Jesus’ birth.  Likewise, there was nothing kept secret about Jesus’ life of perfect obedience that is credited to each of us by faith, and there was nothing secret about the cruel treatment and abuse Jesus endured before suffering the death of the cross (every aspect of which was prophesied in Isaiah and the Psalms) so that you and I are counted holy in the only court that matters, the Judgment Seat where our Savior, now ruling all things from heaven, will render His verdict for everyone on the day He returns in glory with all His angels proclaiming His return and then gathering in the harvest of souls to be sifted and sorted, the elect who have been brought to faith in Christ Jesus being gathered into the mansions of heaven, and those who rejected the Son tossed into the eternal fires of hell.

The Lord has given us signs and landmarks that tell the story of His love for us, so that we could see what Jesus meant when He said, “I am the Way and the Truth and the Life.  No one comes to the Father, except through me.  If you know me, you would also know my Father.  From now on you do know him and have seen him.” (John 14:6-7)  Every detail of Scripture was recorded so that you could know the way of salvation.  As St. John reported on the work and life of Christ, he wrote, “Jesus, in the presence of his disciples, did many other miraculous signs that are not written in this book.  But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:30-31)

On that night almost two thousand years ago, under the light of the glory of God, an angel announced Good News to a group of shepherds out in the fields.  He gave them precise directions with landmarks and signs to see the Savior, and after seeing and believing, “the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.”  Isaiah likewise prophesied of every herald who tells a friend or neighbor of all Jesus has done: “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of a herald, who proclaims peace and preaches good news, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, ‘Your God is king!’” (Isaiah 52:7)

There is one more sign that God put on you personally so that you can be sure that Jesus lived and died so that you are forgiven of all sin, and that it is God’s will to save you.  In our epistle lesson from Titus we read, “He saved us through the washing of rebirth and the renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior.” (Titus 3:5-6) 

In Baptism, God had his called messenger put the Lord’s indelible mark of adoption and fatherhood on you.  The pastor made the sign of the cross over your forehead and your chest as a sign that the Lord God of heaven and earth has redeemed you as His own precious child that He personally laid down His life on a cross to save.  Just as we read in the Revelation that the angel “called out with a loud voice to the four angels who were given power to harm the earth and the sea.  He said, ‘Do not harm the earth, the sea, or the trees until we have placed a seal on the foreheads of God’s servants.’” (Revelation 7:2-3)

Dear friends, as we remember and celebrate this momentous birth of the Christ Child, Jesus, remember that God sent His Son and set out all these signs and markers for you personally, so that by faith you would be delivered from everlasting torture wandering lost in the wilderness of hell’s prison.  See the signs God told us to look for.  Treasure this birth and the baptism by which God adopted you as His own beloved child for Jesus’ sake.  The signs are there for you.  Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

The God of peace sanctifies for blameless living.

 

Sermon for Advent 3, December 17, 2023

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.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-24  ¹⁶Rejoice always.  ¹⁷Pray without ceasing.  ¹⁸In everything give thanks.  For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.  ¹⁹Do not extinguish the Spirit.  ²⁰Do not treat prophecies with contempt.  ²¹But test everything.  Hold on to the good.  ²²Keep away from every kind of evil.  ²³May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.  ²⁴The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it. (EHV)

The God of peace sanctifies for blameless living.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus,

            Since we live in challenging times, it can be difficult to read these verses without despairing at our lack of doing what is commanded.  Eight times, Paul gives us present imperatives which are basically ongoing commands for continuous action.  We should well understand this to say, “Be rejoicing continuously, be praying constantly, giving thanks in all circumstances, and so on and so on.”  And if that doesn’t leave you feeling a little bit guilty, then I wonder about how honestly you are examining yourself. 

Lately, it has seemed like every family in our congregation is dealing with one stress, illness, accident, or age-related weakness after the next.  Almost no one has been spared from these physical and emotional tolls, so who would question any of us if we do not rejoice continuously?  Who could honestly claim to be giving thanks, always?  To the world, these commands likely seem like nonsense.  To our sinful nature, it feels impossible to measure up.  Even our new man of faith likely wonders how it will ever be possible to live with such joy and peace, but then, our new man of faith also surrenders to the God who saved us, and that is the point of this text, not that we must live like this to be saved, but that God in His mercy and kindness will make it our reality in the life He has planned for us.  You see, there is so much more to life with our God than following commands—our God gave His life on the cross so that we might truly live.  Then, too, The God of peace sanctifies for blameless living.

When we truly realize and believe what God has done for us, we can smile through the gloom and rejoice in the face of danger, fear, pain, or even death.  So much of the Christian faith is looking forward to the future we are promised.  We know that we are but strangers here on earth.  Our true home in now in heaven where there is no more sorrow, pain, sin, or death.  This faith is what makes it possible for us to rejoice even through our tears at the grave of a loved one called from this life.  Made holy by the blood of the Lamb, we can rejoice in our salvation for Christ’s sake, even in the face of danger, persecution, or simply the everyday trials we experience in this sin-damaged world.

The Christian faith teaches and understands that we did not choose to believe in Jesus, but that God chose us to hear His holy Word and believe it.  He chose to claim us as His dear children through baptism, to give us faith in His Son, and through His gracious work, we become stronger in faith as He gives us to drink from the living water of His Word.  The gospel works faith in us and increases that faith day by day as we walk with the Lord.  And to those God has granted faith in His Son, He also offers an invitation to bring all our troubles, needs, and urgent cares to our Father in heaven.  Jesus assured His disciples, “Amen, Amen, I tell you: Whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you.” (John 16:23)  Therefore, with that gracious invitation, we have our Savior’s assurance that God has His ears attuned to our cries.  More than that, because the Son has loved us with the shedding of His holy blood, and intercedes for us at His Father’s side, all our needs are fully supplied.

Paul also warns of the dangers we face as the Lord blesses us so richly.  He wrote, “Do not extinguish the Spirit.  Do not treat prophecies with contempt.  But test everything.  Hold on to the good.  Keep away from every kind of evil.”  We could not be so powerful, of course, that we could stop the Holy Spirit from doing His will.  At the same time, the Spirit is extinguished by so many who find little value in the Spirit’s fire.  When the Christian believer becomes complacent in earthly life, it is all too easy to forget who gave that person the blessed life he or she lives.  In times of prosperity, it is all too common for many to abandon the faith of their parents while succumbing to the temptations of the world, enjoying the pleasures of wealth and leisure, and even indulging in sensual enticements and spiritual illusions that are ultimately damaging to both body and soul.  Sadly, even some parents are then enticed to follow the wanderings of their wayward youth.

On the other hand, the Church has often grown fastest when persecution is severe.  Look through the history of ancient Israel.  That nation was so richly blessed in God’s intense, personal care that seemingly every other generation would forget the God who had so lovingly cared for them.  It seems to be the nature of sinful man to assume that good times come through personal labors and initiative.  Yet, without God’s blessing, every effort is doomed to failure, and especially any effort to save oneself for future glory.  When a person, even a former Christian, becomes so foolish as to think he doesn’t need a Savior, he is already lost.

The vast majority of the people who surround us today have forgotten the value of God’s Word, which alone is true and faithful in all ways.  God’s prophecies are treated with contempt when people refuse to believe the prophets He has sent.  Just as bad are those who misinterpret the prophecies to teach their own faulty desires.  In our own times, there are many who claim to prophesy, but upon closer look, it is soon apparent that their new prophecies preach from a different spirit than what God has already spoken through His chosen messengers.  Therefore, we are to test all such teaching, but we are to test it in comparison to the one true standard of God’s holy Word.  Anything that misleads from that truth is from the devil.  Thus, Paul wisely warns us to keep away from such corrupt things.

At the same time, when we find teachers and fellow believers who walk in true faith in Jesus, we rejoice and give thanks for the fellowship with them with which God has blessed us.  Paul encourages us to use this standard for every part of our daily lives: for music, entertainment, recreation, and personal relationships.  Hold on to all the good parts of our surroundings with which God has truly blessed us, while also being aware of how sneakily the devil can misuse God’s gifts in ways to trap and mislead the weak. 

St. Paul then closes with what is essentially a prayer and a promise.  With the certainty that it is only by God’s grace and work that any of us can be saved, Paul prays, “May the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  This is the proclamation that God’s Word gives us.  We, lost and condemned creatures that we were, are saved by God because He loves us.  God loves us so much that He willingly sent His own beloved Son to live and die in our place as He paid the full price for our guilt. 

God’s Son displayed His love for us with every action of His earthly life, and especially by His willing sacrifice on the cross for people who rejected Him, feared Him, betrayed Him, and for countless others who never knew Him nor even desired to know the One true God.  Yet, Jesus willingly and lovingly died for all.  All of this was prophesied in the writings of the Law and Prophets and Psalms.  All of it was known among the Israelite people, and still, they rejected Jesus when our Savior was put on trial for a crime He could never commit because He is true God.  But Jesus died for them just as He died for you and me, who though we have known Him from our youth, have often been tempted to walk away from the Savior who loves us dearly still today, for Jesus has risen from the grave triumphant over every force that tried to keep us away from His Father—and ours.

So that we may never be lost, God continues His work among us through the messengers He sends bearing the Good News of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.  It is through that Good News preached from the pulpit in our churches, shared by parents in their homes, studied in personal Bible reading and Christian schools, and shared among friends one to one, that The God of peace sanctifies for blameless living.  On our own we can do nothing, Jesus explained, but grafted into the Vine of our Savior, we do produce much fruit of sanctified living.  Jesus promises us, “I am the Vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him is the one who bears much fruit.…If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.  My Father is glorified by this: that you continue to bear much fruit and prove to be my disciples.” (John 15:5, 7-8)

It is by the Spirit of our God that we are made holy in God’s truth.  From the beginning of time when Adam and Eve soon fell into sin, God has been faithful in every way.  He continues to provide for all the living creatures of the world: food and health, life and love, sunshine and rain, springtime and harvest.  Yet, most important of all, God has been faithful to His every promise that He would send a Savior to redeem us from the devil’s lies.  This we have in Jesus. 

Paul wrote from lived experience, “The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.”  Paul had once been the worst of sinners, persecuting Jesus and His Christian followers alike.  Still, the Lord Jesus called him out of his wicked ways and delivered Paul from the condemnation and death he deserved.  Like Paul, none of us deserved God’s mercy, yet the God of love and peace loves each of us so much that He moves heaven and earth to bring us to peace and safety with Him through faith in Jesus Christ.

Dear friends, the world, and even our own flesh may fight against us to keep us from walking with the Lord, but “God has said: ‘I will never leave you, and I will never forsake you.’  So then we say with confidence: ‘The Lord is my helper, and I will not be afraid.’” (Hebrews 13:5-6) 

As we walk in this world, today, trying to live up to Paul’s expectations expressed in these verses, we have the confidence of knowing that we do not walk alone.  Our God is faithful; He is moving us and molding us into the holy children who will dwell with Him in perfect harmony and peace in heaven.  There, all imperfections in our efforts will be gone, and we will live in holy service and peace forevermore, because The God of peace sanctifies you and me and all faithful Christians for blameless living.  Amen.

May God be gracious to us and bless us.  May his face shine on us unto life everlasting.  Amen.

God comforts His people in Christ.

 

Sermon for Advent 2, December 10, 2023

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  He gave himself for our sins to rescue us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father—to whom be the glory forever and ever.  Amen.

Isaiah 40:1-11  Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.  ²Speak 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.  ³A voice is calling out: In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord.  In the wasteland make a level highway for our God.  ⁴Every 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.  ⁵Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all flesh together will see it.  Yes, the mouth of the Lord has spoken.  ⁶A 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.  ⁷Grass withers, flowers fade, when the breath of the Lord blows on them.  Yes, the people are grass.  ⁸Grass withers, flowers fade, but the Word of our God endures forever.  ⁹Get up on a high mountain, O Zion, you herald of good news.  Lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, you herald of good news.  Lift it up!  Do not be afraid!  Say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!”  ¹⁰Look, God the Lord will come with strength, and his arm is ruling for him.  Look, his reward is with him.  The result of his work is in front of him.  ¹¹Like a shepherd he will care for his flock.  With his arm he will gather the lambs.  He will lift them up on his lap.  He will gently lead the nursing mothers. (EHV)

God comforts His people in Christ.

Dear sons and daughters of the One true God,

‎`~k,(yhel{a/ rm:ßayO yMi_[; Wmßx]n: Wmïx]n: 

I think that is one of the coolest passages in the Hebrew Scriptures, and in English it is equally beautiful, “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.”  Much of the previous message in Isaiah’s book is harsh judgment and discipline being applied to a rebellious Israel.  In His great love and kindness, God had always treated Israel with utmost care.  He provided for them, protected them, and poured out blessings upon them in immeasurable quantity, and in response, the nation turned their backs to God, chased after their neighbor’s idols, and sought help from nearby kings rather than the King of kings. 

God had shown great patience with their wandering, idolatrous ways, but their continual rebelliousness forced God to discipline His people in hopes of bringing them back into His loving embrace.  His righteousness and justice demanded that their adulterous idolatry be punished, that their seeking comfort, safety, and peace in relationship with foreign gods and neighboring kings had to be stopped.

Still, God’s love required that He not give up on His people.  God’s perfect holiness demanded that sin and the sinner be punished.  Yet, rather than leaving His people bereft of all hope, God calls for comfort for those He has afflicted in the hope of bringing them back into His family of peace and love.

God commanded His prophet, “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.  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.”  God wants His people to hear His tender heart for them.  He wants His elect to know how greatly He desires to care for them and to be united with them in peace and harmony.  Yet, God knows full well that His people can never accomplish that reconciliation on their own.  Therefore, He commits Himself to winning peace and unity of heart with them through His own sacrifice.

The nation of Israel suffered greatly for its rebellious ways.  The ten northern tribes had been driven off into permanent exile in foreign lands and never heard from again as a unique people.  Now, the southern remnant in Judah is being carted off into a seven decade captivity in Babylon.  God’s comfort is applied first to those captives in Babylon, but they foreshadow all God’s people held captive in this rebellious and idolatrous world.  The whole human race was captive to the sinfulness we inherit from our first parents, and all of us have our own guilt and shortcomings.  Yet, recognize God’s loving care for us.  The warfare between God and mankind has been ended.  Our guilt has been paid for, eliminated, wiped from God’s memory forever, when His own dear Son was counted as sin and sinner for you and me.

Now, many modern scholars like to imagine that the Israelite people, through their trials in Babylon, have somehow accomplished this reckoning that makes them right with God.  However, nothing could be further from the truth.  Today, in hindsight, we know that God was sending His own dear Son to win this peace on our behalf.  Isaiah was shown the forerunner who would pave the way for Jesus.  “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.”  Every obstacle that kept us separated from God would be removed when God’s Son entered the world to save.

John the Baptist was sent by God to call people of Judah to repentance, to prepare them to meet the Savior and recognize Him as God in human flesh.  Every obstacle to God’s plans would be smoothed over.  It may not always be obvious to us how this played out in real life, because Jesus wasn’t always widely recognized when He walked this earth.  Yes, many people called Him a prophet or teacher.  His disciples adored Him, while His enemies feared and hated Him.  Thus, in the end, they killed Jesus.  At the same time, that is exactly as God had planned it so that His own beloved Son would pay the debt for the sins of the world.

Isaiah wrote, “Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all flesh together will see it.  Yes, the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”  The glory of the Lord was revealed to the world at the cross where God’s  Son, Jesus, laid down His life to pay for all sin.  To the world, it seemed that God had lost, but on Easter morning, the true revelation of victory over sin, death, and the devil was revealed as Jesus rose from the grave gloriously alive again.  Still, there is another day coming in which the Lord will fully reveal His glory as He returns to judge the world.  Then the word of the Lord will be complete, as John prophesied, “Look, He is coming with clouds, and every eye will see Him, including those who pierced Him.” (Revelation 1:7)

Our need for a Savior is not neglected in Isaiah’s prophecy.  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.  Just as John the Baptist called for the Judeans to repent and believe, so we are called to repent, because our time here on earth is short, and without our Savior’s intervention, our lives would end in the flames of destruction.  Yesterday, we experienced again the cold, northwest wind that so often cuts down the plants of the field.  Naturally, this is only a picture of the Lord cutting short the lives of sinners.  Even if we should live to be in our hundreds, compared to eternity, life without Jesus is nothing.

On the other hand, God’s Word will never fall.  Nothing on earth can interfere with what God has promised.  We could preach law until we are blue in the face, but the law will show our sins and condemn us.  Still, God does not neglect us.  He says to the prophet and His people, “Get up on a high mountain, O Zion, you herald of good news.  Lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, you herald of good news.  Lift it up!  Do not be afraid!  Say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!”  Look, God the Lord will come with strength, and his arm is ruling for him.  Look, his reward is with him.” 

Zion and Jerusalem are synonymous for the elect of God’s kingdom.  Of course, Christ Jesus is first on this list.  He is the Son of God who came proclaiming salvation to the people of Judah.  John the Baptist preceded Jesus and he pointed to Him exclaiming, “Look!  The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!  This is the one I was talking about when I said, ‘The one coming after me outranks me because he existed before me.’” (John 1:29-30) 

Jesus came with the strength of the Almighty to live according to the will and law of God, then to take on death and the grave and even the devil and leave them all in ignominious defeat.  After Jesus rose from the grave triumphant and returned to His Father’s side in the throne room of heaven, the apostles were sent out to proclaim the power and victory of Jesus to the world.  Their work is continued to today through the Church, empowered and directed by the Holy Spirit sent by Jesus from the Father.  Christ’s reward is to honor His Father with the souls He has won to salvation.

Finally, Isaiah assures us that Jesus is still in control.  Just as the prophets had foretold, God has put all things under Jesus’ feet, and Jesus promised to be with us, to help us, and to work all things for our everlasting good.  Isaiah wrote, “The result of his work is in front of him.  Like a shepherd he will care for his flock.  With his arm he will gather the lambs.  He will lift them up on his lap.  He will gently lead the nursing mothers.”  This is the picture to which Jesus refers as He speaks to His disciples, “I am the Good Shepherd.  I know my sheep and my sheep know me ^… And I lay down my life for the sheep.” (John 10:14-15)

No one in Jesus’ care is ever forgotten.  No thief can ever snatch the child of God from his Savior.  Salvation is only lost when the weak reject the Lord as their Savior.  Therefore, through all the troubles and sorrows that beset us in this life, we should never be afraid or ever despair, because Jesus has done everything needed to restore us to life everlasting.  He gave His life on the cross to reconcile us with God Almighty  Jesus lived perfection for us so that our record now reads as perfectly holy in thought, word, and deed for Jesus’s sake.  Furthermore, the God who was willing to sacrifice Himself so that you may truly live, made sure that you heard and believed the words that brought you forgiveness, salvation, and eternal life in heaven.  What greater comfort could ever be ours than to know that God Himself has made us right with Him eternally?  The voice rings out again and again as we wait for Jesus to return in all His glory; through the water and Word of baptism, we are comforted as we are welcomed into the kingdom of heaven as children made holy by the blood of the Lamb.  In His holy supper, our Savior again offers us comfort and peace as He brings to us forgiveness of all sin in the medicine of His body and blood in the bread and wine.  Hear the Good News again and again: “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.”  Amen.

The Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way.  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all.  Amen.

Sing praise for the Lord’s salvation.

 

Sermon for 1^st Mid-week Advent, Our Savior’s Belview, 12-6-2023

Grace, mercy, and peace be with you from God the Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the Father, in truth and love.  Amen.

Luke 1:67-79  Now his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Spirit, and prophesied, saying:  ⁶⁸ "Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people, ⁶⁹ And has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David, ⁷⁰ As He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets, who have been since the world began, ⁷¹ That we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us, ⁷² To perform the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant, ⁷³ The oath which He swore to our father Abraham: ⁷⁴ To grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear, ⁷⁵ In holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.  ⁷⁶ "And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, ⁷⁷ To give knowledge of salvation to His people by the remission of their sins, ⁷⁸ Through the tender mercy of our God, with which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; ⁷⁹ To give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."

Sing praise for the Lord’s salvation.

Dear children of the heavenly Father,

            Can you imagine the joyful emotions that had to be flooding through Zacharias as he held his newborn son.  After so many years of frustration and continual prayer for the Lord to give him and Elizabeth a son, the wonderful blessing had finally arrived.  You could expect that Zacharias would praise God for giving them a child to provide for them in their old age, for a son to carry on the family name, and for removing the stigma of childlessness in a society that perceived barrenness as a curse from God.  You might expect Zacharias to give thanks for the possibility of someday having grandchildren, or perhaps simply, that his voice had been restored.  You might even expect Zacharias to be thanking God for overlooking his impatience and doubt that the Lord would give him a son.  In fact, though, Zacharias doesn’t mention any of those things.  Rather, he Sings praise for the Lord’s salvation.

Zacharias had spent his life as a dutiful priest to the nation of Israel, but it is apparent that his faith had its weaknesses, which likely shouldn’t surprise those of us who have also had our doubts and questions about God and His care.  When the angel, Gabriel, startled Zacharias with the good news that finally in his old age he and Elizabeth would have a son, Zacharias faltered.  He had believed God’s promises in the Old Testament, but when put to the test by the promise that he would be a part of its fulfillment, he couldn’t quite believe it true.  Now though, with the proof in his hands and filled with the Holy Spirit, all the doubts were wiped away, and we hear in Zacharias’ song his confidence and sure hope in God’s promises.

It would be easy for us to read this text and think of ways you and I should be obedient from now on, but that would use it as law, and Zacharias sings pure, sweet Gospel: "Blessed is the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people, and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David.”  Zacharias looked into the gift of his baby son, and he didn’t just see John, but the promise of the Savior of the world whom John was preceding. 

John was a great blessing for Zacharias and Elizabeth, but the humble priest understood that there was a much greater blessing coming from the Lord after their little miracle baby had been born.  God Himself was coming to earth to save people from their sins.  The Son of God visiting—living right here in this troubled world with the hurting people God loves.  The Son of God doing everything necessary to buy back the lost from the clutches of evil.  The Son of God—powerful in conquering any enemy, any danger, any foe—now at last, Zacharias clearly understood God’s plan and believed it!

Zacharias said, “He spoke by the mouth of His holy prophets…that we should be saved from our enemies and from the hand of all who hate us.”  All his life, Zacharias had been immersed in the teachings of the law and the prophets, but now it all made sense to him.  God wasn’t working to save His people only for this world but for the world to come.  God had long foretold of the Savior He would send, and that the Savior would deliver God’s chosen people—but not just from Roman oppressors, or Persian, Egyptian, or Greek—for God was delivering mankind from the hand of every enemy force.  The devil, who despised mankind from the beginning, would soon meet his Maker born in human flesh, but the devil would be on the losing end of the battle.  Satan, that hater and liar, the oldest enemy of God and man, would be crushed under the heel of the One and Only Son of God and Man.

The prophets had foretold this day.  Zacharias rejoiced to see it.  He was at the threshold of God’s action “to perform the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant, the oath which He swore to our father Abraham.”  All that had been lost in the fall into sin was now being restored.  In loving mercy for a fallen race, God was coming to fight and finish the battle against man’s most powerful enemy.  You see, when God lifts up His hand to swear, the promise is as good as done.  Zacharias understood that truth, and what great joy was his to know this battle was as good as already won.

The Savior of the world was at hand, “To grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of our life.”  As we look at our lives, we certainly see lots of times when we are no more faithful than Zacharias in his moment of weakness.  We believe the Lord, but how often we doubted.  We wanted to live right, but mostly, we wanted to avoid punishment, so we served out of fear.  We wanted to tell the story of salvation, but how often our tongues were tied by doubts and fears.  Jesus came to rectify all of this and to restore righteousness and peace to His redeemed people. 

Jesus came to take away every sin that has been committed in history.  He came to live in perfect agreement with His Father’s will and perfect obedience to His Father’s law.  Jesus did that for you and me, and His righteousness is credited to our accounts.  The Law has no more hold on the believer.  It is finished, fulfilled by the Son of God.  Therefore, we truly can serve our Lord without fear.  Just as Adam could walk through the Garden of Eden comfortably at peace with God, so now can we!  Jesus has restored perfect harmony between God and His people, and no Satan can ever again take it away. 

Today, we can walk fearless in this world of torment, because the old evil foe has been chained by the life, death, and resurrection of God’s Son.  We can faithfully serve our God knowing that we have life that will not end when our bodies are laid to rest in the dust, for we have a home in heaven waiting for us because of Jesus.  That’s what Zacharias, too, saw as he looked down at his little baby boy.  No longer would Zacharias worry about his old age or about who would take care of him in his frailty.  The Savior was entering the world, and this little boy that Elizabeth had delivered would be calling people to repentance before the revealing of the Savior to the nation of Israel.  John is the prophet God had promised through Malachi.  John would proclaim repentance so that many of Zacharias’ friends and neighbors could be saved.  

Zacharias sang, "And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Highest; for you will go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways, to give knowledge of salvation to His people by the remission of their sins.”  Zacharias rejoiced because now he knew that he had been forgiven.  His doubts no longer separated him from his Father in heaven.  He praised God for that blessing and for the blessing that many more would also be saved. 

You and I, likewise, rejoice day after day, week by week, and year after year, because we too have been forgiven.  We have been brought to faith in Jesus.  Our sins were washed away in the water and Word of Baptism.  The Holy Spirit has entered us and filled us with faith in the promises of God and in His Son.  All those times we doubted, all the times we stumble, or our tongues failed to speak God’s praise, all those sins were taken away, and now by faith, we truly can Sing praise for the Lord’s salvation.  We sing it here on earth with nothing to fear, and we will sing it forever in the presence of God in heaven.

“Through the tender mercy of our God, with which the Dayspring from on high has visited us; to give light to those who sit in darkness and the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace."  Zacharias remembered Isaiah’s prophecy, “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in the land of the shadow of death, upon them a light has shined.” (Isaiah 9:2) 

Dear friends, Jesus is “the light of the world.” (John 8:12)  His glorious light shines on us and gives us the way to heaven—poured out upon us in the water and Word of Baptism and the hearing of the Gospel.  It is also His light that we shine on the world as our faith reflects Christ’s glory.  The darkness of death no longer touches those who walk in Jesus’ light.  In His glory, darkness has been banished, never to trouble us again.  Therefore, enjoying forgiveness and salvation through your God-given faith in Jesus, Sing praise for the Lord’s salvation.  Amen.

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

Be watching as the Lord returns.

 

Sermon for Advent 1, December 3,2023

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

Mark 13:26-37  ²⁶Then you will see the Son of Man coming on clouds with great power and glory.  ²⁷At that time he will send out his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of the sky.  ²⁸“Learn from this illustration of the fig tree: Whenever its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near.  ²⁹So also when you see these things happening, you will know that he is near—at the doors!  ³⁰Amen I tell you: This generation will certainly not pass away until all these things happen.  ³¹Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.  ³²“No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.  ³³Watch!  Be alert and pray, because you do not know when the time will come.  ³⁴It is like a man going away on a journey.  When he left his home, he put his servants in charge and assigned what each one was to do.  He also commanded the doorkeeper to keep watch.  ³⁵Therefore keep watch, because you do not know when the owner of the house is coming: whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or early in the morning.  ³⁶If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping.  ³⁷What I say to you, I say to everyone: Keep watch! (EHV)

Be watching as the Lord returns.

Dear fellow redeemed,

            How long would you wait at the airport to pick up a family member if you had no idea when that person’s plane was scheduled to arrive?  It sounds preposterous, doesn’t it?  No one would expect you to wait continually without some idea of when that person might arrive, would he?

To the people of the world, it certainly sounds crazy that we would wait in eager expectation for a Savior to return from someplace we don’t yet really know at a time that no one could possibly guess.  Yet, those same people who may call us crazy don’t know what they are missing.

There are a lot of opinions and myths floating around in our times about how or when this world might end.  Many are consumed with worry and plans for what we might do to stop this world from ending, at least the world as we know it.  Yet, God doesn’t leave us in the dark about the end.  The only thing He withholds is the actual date and time.  Still, God isn’t without His purpose in keeping us in suspense.  Rather, so that we will be saved by faith, Be watching as the Lord returns.

Immediately before He spoke the words of this text, Jesus gave an extensive list of things that must happen before His ultimate return to earth.  All of them have been happening for nearly two thousand years.  The only signs remaining are those happenings Jesus spoke of concerning Judgment Day.  Now, this is not to say that I know when Judgment Day will occur, for if I pretended to know and to tell you when that day would happen, it would mark me as a false prophet.  So, what is the point?

First, Jesus tells us what will happen: “Then you will see the Son of Man coming on clouds with great power and glory.  At that time he will send out his angels and gather his elect from the four winds, from the farthest end of the earth to the farthest end of the sky.”  Among the myths that float around our world is that people will have time to change their ways once Jesus returns.  However, Jesus makes it clear that when He returns, it will be with a display of His full divine majesty and power, and the final harvest of souls for His Father’s house will be accomplished in moments, not years.  Furthermore, those who demand visible proof that Jesus is who He claims to be before they will believe will get that visible evidence, but it will be too late.  What Mark leaves unsaid is that those not gathered with the elect will not get a second chance at faith, but instead, they will be gathered as weeds and discarded into the fires of hell.

Jesus said, “Learn from this illustration of the fig tree: Whenever its branch becomes tender and sprouts leaves, you know that summer is near.  So also when you see these things happening, you will know that he is near—at the doors!”  We easily recognize when summer is right around the corner, therefore, since all the signs Jesus gave us have been happening for centuries, it is even more clear that His return is imminent.  No matter when Jesus will return, we will be without excuse if we are not expecting and eagerly awaiting His arrival to judge the world.

The next sentence has confused many, but we needn’t be mystified by it.  Jesus said, “Amen I tell you: This generation will certainly not pass away until all these things happen.  Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”  Scholars have long debated what Jesus meant by the word, generations, but it doesn’t really matter.  Whether Jesus was speaking of the tribe of Israel, or the unbelieving hoards that so clearly ruled His day, both groups still exist and will until His prophecy is proven true.  It clearly did not mean just that forty-year section of the population we might randomly call a generation. 

Still, the primary point, and our reason for hope, is that the words of the Man who lived, died, and rose again in fulfillment of all God’s prophecies, will never be lost.  No word of God has ever been found false.  Even the actions of Christ’s enemies merely support what Jesus promised.  For this reason, we put our entire confidence in Jesus’ words.  When He said, “I lay down my life for the sheep, (John 10:15) we can be completely certain that He laid His life against the wood of that cruel cross for you and me.  When Jesus said, “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) we can know with certainty that not only is Jesus returning as promised but He will have a home ready for our eternal dwelling place, so Be watching as the Lord returns.

As you all know, Jesus told us time and again, “No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”  Therefore, we won’t spend any time speculating about the day or hour.  Rather, we will focus on what our Lord assigned us before He left.

Our duty and command is this: “Watch!  Be alert and pray, because you do not know when the time will come.  It is like a man going away on a journey.  When he left his home, he put his servants in charge and assigned what each one was to do.  He also commanded the doorkeeper to keep watch.”  Our job is not to speculate about the when.  Our sole purpose in this life is to do those things our Lord has commanded of us.  Ordinary things like trust Him.  Believe His words.  Serve in our vocations as dedicated servants who want to honor our Lord.  Among the commands was to repent, to believe in Him, to share the Good News of all Jesus has done for us, to bring our children into His presence so that He might bless them with faith.  We lead our children to Jesus’ living water, pray for them, guide them, and lead them by example so that they too receive His salvation.  Together as His assembly of believers, we are to reach out both near and far with the promise of the Gospel so that many more little ones of faith may yet come to know Jesus and believe in Him as Lord and Savior.

We do none of these things in the hope of earning a reward toward salvation.  Rather, we serve our Lord as the beloved One He is who rescued us out of the curse of eternal torment by paying with His own lifeblood the price for our eternal freedom from the devil, the world, and our own sinful flesh.  We serve Jesus out of thanks for the washing of baptism that cleansed us of all guilt and connected us with His life, death, and resurrection, so that we are assured that we too will rise from the grave triumphant over the devil’s chains.

We don’t know the day or hour of Jesus’ return because God the Father chose not to reveal that to anyone.  Even Jesus laid that knowledge aside as He lived as one of us on earth.  But Jesus also tells us, “If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping.  What I say to you, I say to everyone: Keep watch!”  This is not a command concerning our physical rest, but that we never be found outside of our faith in Jesus.  Jesus invited all people, “Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)  Jesus’ love and concern for mankind is universal, just as His Father in heaven “wants all people to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth.” (1 Timothy 2:4)  Therefore, His invitation to all people, Be watching as the Lord returns.

By pleading with everyone to keep watch, Jesus again demonstrates His concern for all of humanity.  Our loving Savior didn’t lay down His life for only a few but for all.  Long ago, the Father explained to the Son, “It is too small a thing that you should just be my servant to raise up only the tribes of Jacob and to restore the ones I have preserved in Israel, so I will appoint you to be a light for the nations, so that my salvation will be known to the end of the earth.” (Isaiah 49:6)  Jesus likewise shared this truth with those around Him, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish, but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)

The main point of this text is to remind us that the things of this world will pass away, but the message of the Bible is true forever.  Therefore, we need to keep our focus, and the worship of our whole lives, centered in God’s Word and not any earthly concern.  Seed time and harvest are indeed important, but not more important than spending time hand in hand with the Lord Jesus in worship, prayer, and the hearing of His word.  Earthly riches will come and go.  Political winds will change and often be against those who believe in Jesus.  Yet, whether we have peace on earth, or persecution most cruel, let us trust in the One Man who came from the Father full of grace and truth, Jesus Christ, the Father’s Son. 

By the very mouth of Jesus, we have promises such as: “I am the resurrection and the life.  Whoever believes in me will live, even if he dies.  And whoever lives and believes in me will never perish.” (John 11:25-26)  He said, “But be courageous!  I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)  And, “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved.” (Mark 16:16)  Through the power of His Holy Spirit, we are assured, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)

Therefore, dear friends, let us not be sleeping in neglect of our Friend who gave His life on the cross so that we are purified and holy in God’s sight, who pours out His own blood along with His body in the Supper by which He again forgives our sins and strengthens us to endure throughout the hardships and trials of this rebellious world.  Heed the invitation.  Be watching as the Lord returns.  Amen.

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