Sermon for 2/16/25: Sixth Sunday After the Epiphany

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Blessing and Woe

Luke 6:17-26

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

 

There is simply no getting around it. Jesus declares the poor and hungry, the weeping and reviled, to be blessed; and woe to the wealthy and satisfied, the happy and popular. In other words, things are not as they appear. Those who are successful in the world are not necessarily blessed by God; those who seem to suffer all misfortune may, indeed, possess His eternal favor.

Wealth surely has its share of temptations. To gain riches, one might resort to all sorts of sinful practices: ignoring spouse and children, worshiping the job, taking credit for the work of others, just to name a few. The road to wealth is littered with all kinds of ways that make it necessary to ignore the Lord’s commandments. And once wealth is achieved, things seldom get better. Those who have riches are likely to put their trust in them, rejecting the grace of God. Or they may spend so much time with their luxuries that they have no time for the Lord and His Word. And those who fall prey to the temptations of riches will certainly face God’s wrath.

The Lord has said repeatedly that His message of sin and grace will be rejected by the world. So it was for the prophets and the apostles and the early Church; so it is for us now. One who enjoys immense popularity with the world has likely gained that popularity by being less than faithful to Christ and His Word; the one who is rejected is far more likely to be the faithful one!

But you and I know that it’s not quite that easy. Some are poor because, frankly, they are just too lazy to hold down a job or because they have done some incredibly foolish things that have cost them their livelihood. Likewise, some who are hungry may well have destroyed their chance at success by poor work habits or even criminal behavior. Some mourn and are sad because they have completely ruined their lives by their choice to indulge in all sorts of sinful behavior. Some people are unpopular because the are rude, irritating, or obnoxious.

Only Jesus has has been perfect in all that He does, of course. He alone has been perfectly poor and hungry, mournful and hated. St. Paul writes: “You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ that, though He was rich, yet for your sake He became poor, so that you by His poverty might become rich.” Taking on human flesh was not enough humiliation. He stepped even lower in that. He was born into poverty. He became even more poverty-stricken when He exchanged His perfect righteousness for our sin at the cross, suffering the judgment of God there for us.

Luke tells us: “Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by the devil. And He ate nothing during those days. And when they ended He was hungry.” Not only did Jesus go hungry, but He did so in the midst of constant temptation by the devil. And throughout those forty days, Jesus remained perfectly sinless so that He might remain the perfect sacrificial Lamb.

John tells us that Jesus wept at the death of His beloved friend, Lazarus, for He knew the wages of sin. Likewise, He wept over Jerusalem, because she had rejected God’s Word and persecuted and even killed the Word’s prophetic messengers. He grieved the sinfulness of man and mourned death, so much that He willingly died in our place.

And was Jesus reviled? Listen to the crowds: “Crucify Him!” “His blood be on us and on our children.” He was so hated that the crowd demanded the release of an insurrectionist while the holy Son of God was put to death. At the cross He was rejected by men for our sin, forsaken by the Father in heaven. Perfect in His love, He prayed that the Father would forgive them all.

Hear this good news of woes and blessings: The Savior takes away from you, and the Savior gives. The Savior takes away your sin and suffers its woes on the cross. He becomes the perfect Sacrifice whose blood is shed for your forgiveness. But even as the Savior takes away your sin and woe, He credits you with His holiness. He shares His merit with you so that you would be holy and blameless in the eyes of God. That is why St. Paul wrote to the Galatians: “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.” If Christ dwells in you with the forgiveness of sins, then He brings with Him all of the blessings He has earned for you.

And you can be sure that Christ is with you. When you were baptized, you were joined to His death and resurrection. By His Word that is preached and taught, the Word made flesh dwells with you. And at His Supper, He delivers His holy body and blood for you to eat and drink for the remission of your sins. Christ dwells with you, and so every blessing of His is yours.

If you will seek perfection by being poor enough, or sad enough, or enough of anything, you will face only woe. But blessed are you, for your Savior, Jesus, has been perfectly obedient in your place; He covers you completely with His saving merits. Blessed are you, for you are forgiven all your sins: in the name of the Father, and of the Son (+), and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always.  Amen. 

Sermon for 2/9/25: Fifth Sunday After the Epiphany (c)

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Sinners in the Presence of God
Isaiah 6:1-8 (9-13)

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

Sometime about 750 years before Jesus was born, a man named Isaiah received a revelation from the Lord God Almighty. God brought this man into the heavenly Temple and right to the very throne of heaven itself. And so, Isaiah stands before the Maker of heaven and earth—or, as we confess in the Athanasian Creed, “the Uncreated, the Incomprehensible, the Eternal.” No sinner can look directly into the face of God and survive; Isaiah knew it. Even Moses was not allowed to see the face of God. And yet, there stood Isaiah in God’s divine presence.

It is not an easy or comfortable feeling, to realize that you are a sinner in the presence of God. This isn’t some random NFL official who can seemingly be paid off with a bribe or a town that tickets speeding drivers and is satisfied with a fine. God is the righteous, incorruptible Judge, and we have no defense before Him. The Judge has just one sentence to pass for sinners: death.

Isaiah was one of God’s chosen people when the Lord brought him into the heavenly Temple. Still, Isaiah remained a sinner, and he knew it. “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts.” Isaiah had nothing to offer God to stay the arm of judgment and wrath—no good work, no sacrifice, nothing. His continued existence in the very Presence of God was due solely to the mercy and grace of God in Christ Jesus.

You have come here this day to the House of God, to this sanctuary which is consecrated to the Lord. You have come here to be in the very Presence of the Lord God. But you are no less a sinner, no less unclean than Isaiah. You dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips. Do you realize what you have done by appearing here and seeking to be in His Presence? Do you understand what you have said when you added your “amen” to the Invocation? You have called upon the name declared unto you on the day of your Baptism: the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. And in doing so, you have left yourself open to His righteous judgment.

Here today, in the Presence of God, you made confession of your sin. You have nothing to offer God to stay the hand of condemnation and wrath—no good work, no sacrifice, nothing. You can only plead “guilty.” Your continued existence here and now in the very Presence of God is due solely to the mercy and grace of God in Christ Jesus.

This guilty plea has a strange and unexpected result. After Isaiah confessed his sin, one of the Lord’s angels, one of the messengers, flew to Isaiah, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. And he touched Isaiah’s mouth with it and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; your iniquity is taken away, and your sin purged.”

It worked the same way this morning. After you confessed your sin, one of the Lord’s messengers, one of Christ’s under-shepherds, announced to you, “Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins. As a called and ordained servant of Christ, and by His authority, I therefore forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Instead of requiring a live coal be touched to you, the Word of God is sufficient to remove the iniquity of your sin. The sacrifice of Christ on the cross is enough. Instead of the righteous sentence of death, we are shown mercy and are given a full pardon.

Now, with all our sins removed as far as the east is from the west, with all our transgressions forgotten by the God Who knows all things, we are ready to enter into His Presence, where we are permitted to sing the Sanctus: “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of power and might; Heaven and earth are full of Your glory.” Then, for those who are prepared, one of God’s messengers takes the very Body and Blood of Christ. He places it in your mouth and says, “Take and eat: the Body of Christ, given for you.” “Take and drink: the Blood of Christ, shed for you.” It has touched your lips. Just as it was when the water applied to you with the Word in Holy Baptism, just as it is with the holy word of Absolution, so it is with the Lord’s Supper: your iniquity is taken away; your sin is purged.

It’s no coincidence that we find Isaiah in the middle of a worship service. You see, that’s what heaven is all about. Every image we have of heaven in Scripture is of the hosts of heaven gathered around the divine Presence to worship God. Whether it’s Isaiah in his book, the angels as they appear to the shepherds in Luke, or John in his Revelation, the hosts of heaven are in the midst of worship, praising God for what He is and what He has done and continues to do for His people. Whether we sing “Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabaoth,” or “Worthy is Christ, the Lamb who was slain,” or “Glory to God in the highest, and peace to His people on earth,” as we did this morning, we are joining in the hymns of heaven in praise to God. When we gather at the altar to receive the body and blood of our Savior, we gather “with angels and archangels and with all the company of heaven.” We have gathered here in the name of the Triune God, invoking His holy name, and even as Jesus promised, where two or three are gathered in His name, He is in our very midst! We stand here in His presence to receive His gifts. We stand in the presence of God in this place, and, by His grace, we live.

Like Isaiah, you have been chosen by God. He has called you by name, and He has forgiven you by the power of His name. You need not fear to be in the presence of the righteous God, for your sins have been forgiven, and you have been freed to do the work for which God has chosen you. He will continue to grant you peace in His presence from now unto eternity. In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always. Amen.

Sermon for 2/2/25: Fourth Sunday After the Epiphany (c)

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Understanding

I Corinthians 13:1-13

 

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

 

 

Though we do not always understand the ways of God, the way of faith is to calmly trust Him. We walk by faith, not by sight. And that faith leans on the Word of the One who cannot lie, whose love for the world has been clearly shown in the saving gift of His Son. Though we cannot always comprehend, much less explain, the ways of God, we know that everything He does and all that He permits to come our way will serve as a blessing to us. So St. Paul directs us to that day when we will understand these things. “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been known.”

St. Paul, that great apostle of the Lord, did not always possess the knowledge needed to solve every problem he faced. At times it seemed as though evil forces were in control; he was hindered in the very work the Lord had given him to do. The same has been true of the children of God of every age. Abraham was commanded to sacrifice Isaac, his only son. Job, a man who feared God and hated evil, saw his children and possessions taken from him, and his body covered with boils and sores. Joseph was sold into slavery in Egypt. Truly, God’s ways are past finding out. His thoughts are not our thoughts. His ways are not our ways.

The same experience is ours today. We cannot understand why God often permits His faithful children to weep while the ungodly laugh and prosper. We cannot understand why one child of God spends a lifetime in suffering while another enjoys continuous health. We cannot understand why parishioners advance in age and are weary of life and long for the hour of deliverance from this world of sin and sorrow, while a young child can be quickly and even tragically taken from this life. We cannot understand why Christians often struggle mightily and seem to get nowhere, while the children of the world gain wealth and power so easily. There is so much that is beyond our comprehension.

So it is not surprising that many a faithful soul asks, “Why does God deal with me this way?” This side of eternity, there is not always a satisfying answer to be found. Now we know only “in part.” But what we do know, we know with certainty! All of God’s dealings with us are just and right; indeed, they are His ways of love and mercy. As St. John declared in the Book of Revelation: “Great and marvelous are your works, Lord God almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the saints!”

Short-sighted mortals that we are, we must learn to trust God in all His ways. Our life here is not the end; it is only the beginning of our existence. Here we are learning only those first elementary truths of the great counsel of God: “...Now we see in a mirror dimly... Now I know in part.” Can a child in kindergarten grasp and understand all the intricacies of algebra or physics? Of course not. But as years pass into maturity, that child grows in knowledge and understanding. And by the grace of God, as years pass, we also make some progress in understanding the wisdom and ways of God. As we grow in age and experience, we begin to see with more clarity that the seemingly aimless ways of God have a definite end in sight; all things come from and return to the love and mercy of our heavenly Father.

Faith and confidence in God is strengthened through trial and testing. We learn to look beyond death and the grave, to rejoice increasingly more in the hope of the eternal blessing that is ours. And though the ways of God remain beyond our understanding, we eventually come to realize that this should not trouble us. We have a loving Father who never seeks to harm or hurt—a Father who has our eternal good in mind.

When we are tempted to complain about our lot, let us turn our eyes to that midnight scene in the Garden of Gethsemane, where our Savior knelt in agony, already bearing the burden of the sins of the world. He cried out in agony. But His anguished cry was tempered with prayer: “Father, not My will, but Yours be done.” If we will but go from day to day with that same confidence in the Father’s will, we will begin to see the preparation for heaven that occurs even in the darkest days: a greater patience, a more perfect trust, a longing and desire for “the courts of the Lord.”

We are moving toward understanding because our faith rests on the promise of the One who is the Truth—the One who has redeemed us from sin, death, and the power of the devil—so that we would be the children of God, heirs of His heavenly glory. That is what we will ponder again in the coming season of Lent. As we walk with our Lord again to His suffering, death, and resurrection that wins for us life eternal, we will find reason again to rejoice that the Day is coming, when we will see for ourselves those glories of the life to come through Christ our Lord. For now, we can only wonder. But then we will see Him face to face. “For now we see in a mirror dimly...Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.” In the name of the Father and of the Son (†) and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

 

The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always.  Amen.

 

Sermon for 1/19/25: Second Sunday After Epiphany

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Wine for You

John 2:1-12

 

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

 

 

The clock was ticking. His short ministry had begun, the battle with the devil had been joined, and Jesus was slowly making His way to Jerusalem. He had not yet gathered all of His disciples. He still had much to do. He was not in Cana for pleasure. He never really went anywhere for pleasure. He was there to serve, to fulfill the Law, to endure temptation, to suffer. His hour had not yet come, but the countdown had begun. For Jesus, being baptized by John was not at all unlike being diagnosed with a terminal disease. He had been given a death sentence in the Jordan River and had only three years to live. So His time was short, and yet here His mother comes to Him with trivialities. What concern was it of His if some wedding party was not quite as spectacular as the planners had hoped?

His answer to Mary was direct—some might even say He was rude. “What does this have to do with Me?” In other words, “I have more important things I need to be doing.” And did they really need more wine? Rare indeed is the man who actually needs more wine, nor by that time were they likely to appreciate it. So whatever it was Mary was hoping for, it seemed that she was denied. Jesus simply told her that her concern was not His at that moment, her request unimportant in the face of His looming betrayal, suffering, and death.

But her response to His rebuke could not have been better. She believed that, despite His seeming rejection of her concern, He would help; He would rescue her and the wedding couple in some way, because that is who Jesus is. That is what He does. He is always rescuing people.

Despite the rejection, she believes that nothing of her concern is really outside her Son’s concern; she believes that no request she makes is trivial; she believes that He hears and answers every prayer. So in faith, she gave the servants the best piece of advice the world has ever heard: “Do whatever He tells you.” And what a surprise He had in store for them! He gave them wine like the world has never known—and more than they could ask or imagine.

God gives His gifts for us to enjoy them. He never gives them with the idea that we will send Him a thank you note or build a statue, nor does He do these things for His pleasure, or because it makes Him feel good to help us. He does them for us, because we have need of them, and because He would see us enjoy the life He has given us. He was not in Cana to enjoy Himself. He was there to give of Himself, to give His blessing, and even to provide wine.

And to this day we rightly pray to Him, just as Mary did. We may not ask for wine as she did, but our prayers echo hers. “Lord, this life is hard. I am tired. I am weak and frustrated. Sometimes I am sad and at other times just plain mad. Lord, I wish that I was happier than I am, and more content, that my spouse was more understanding and would pay more attention to me, that my job was easier, that I wasn’t hassled by people who don’t think I am doing it very well. Lord, I need more wine.”

While God may not always answer the prayers the way we want Him to, He never ignores those whom He loves, those for whom He laid down His life. He will do what is good and right. He may well surprise you. So pray away in boldness and confidence. Nothing is insignificant to Him if it is important to you. And if He holds out for now, don’t despair. He provides what He knows you need now, and He knows what you need for eternity. He withholds no necessary gift from you. He provides “all [you] need to support this body and life,” and He provides all you need for eternal life with Him.

God is good. He knows what you want. He knows what you need. He is good and He knows what is good. He will not fail you. You will have pleasures amidst your temptations and frustrations and heartache. You will have wine, and your heart will be glad. In the meantime, while you wait for His goodness, remember Mary’s charge: “Do whatever He tells you.” And what He tells you is this: “Take and eat. Drink of it, all of you. Do this in remembrance of Me.” Eat the holy body of Jesus and drink His precious blood for the forgiveness of your sins and the strengthening of your faith. Return to your Baptism as you feel sorrow over your sins. Hear the Word of Absolution and have the balm of His resurrection applied generously to your heart. Your Father loves you. He has made you His own child in Holy Baptism. He even sent His Son to be the sacrifice that makes you His.

The servants knew who it was who turned the water to wine. The disciples saw it and believed. They knew who was and is responsible for joy and gladness, and indeed for all the gifts enjoyed by men. It is Mary’s unassuming Son, Jesus, lover of your soul, the One who is truly good, the One who fulfilled the Scripture in their hearing. The servants knew. The disciples believed. God grant that we would be numbered among them and receive His gifts with joy and thanksgiving. In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always.  Amen. 

Sermon for 1/5/25:The Epiphany of Our Lord (observed)

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Gifts
Matthew 2:1-12

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

 

The Magi went to the logical place, don’t you think? Where else would they go but Jerusalem, the royal city? But they arrived at the party all dressed up and on time, only to find that there was no party. No one seemed to know about this newborn King. So the Magi were confused. “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews?” And to the astonished faces around them, they added: “For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

When word reached Herod that important visitors had come from Eastern lands, asking about the birth of a new King of the Jews, he was understandably troubled. And he was not alone, we are told. All Jerusalem was troubled with him. And some things never change, for the coming of Jesus in human flesh and blood is a troubling thing for those who want to be their own kings, who want to have the say over what they do and how they live. Jesus comes as King. "You can't tell me what to do. You're not my mom!" Or this one: "My body, my choice." The patriarch Jacob had prophesied of Him long before: “To Him shall be the obedience of the people.” None may call Him Lord and then do as they like without consequence.

Herod was troubled, and Jerusalem with him. But Herod knew where to turn. He called in the chief priests and scribes to ask them where the Christ was to be born. Scripture gave the answer: in Bethlehem of Judea, that insignificant little village whose only claim to fame was that it was the birth place of King David, as the prophet Micah had foretold hundreds of years earlier.

It is significant that the star alone did not lead the Magi to Christ. In the end, they needed the Word of God to tell them where to look. And the same is true for us, too: we do not find Christ in beautiful sunsets or mountain peaks shimmering with snow. Yes, those are all His, to be sure, and they declare His glory. But He will only be found in the Word that He has given: in the Holy Scriptures His Spirit has inspired, and in the Gospel Sacraments where His gifts of life and salvation are delivered.

And how magnificent the grace of God is! After giving them the Word that pointed directly to where the Child was, He added the star again. This time it came and stood right over the place where the Child would be found. And considering what they found, they needed this confirmation. When they got there, they found the poorest of circumstances: a teenage mother with a little baby wrapped not in the silk and velvet of royalty, but in the simplest and most common of materials. Here was the long-promised King of the Jews. Were they disappointed that this King they had sought from so far should be an utterly wretched and ordinary peasant baby?

No. They closed their eyes to what they saw, so that the eyes of their hearts might be fastened on what God’s Word said. They believed, contrary to what they saw. They believed that what God had said was true, that the star had not led them astray, that here was the Babe whose goings forth were from ancient days, even from eternity. They believed that this was the promised King who had come to be the Savior of all people. They believed and placed their hope and confidence in Him. And so they fell down on their knees before the holy Child and worshiped Him! They brought out their gifts and offered them to Him. Gold confessed His kingship, His divine magnificence and glory. Incense confessed that He Is true God, the One who hears the prayers of His people as they rise to Him like incense. And myrrh confessed that He would die as the sacrifice for the sins of all. His whole life was set out before Him in these gifts!

Here is the One who was given for us, to be the bearer of our sin, the sacrifice of atonement for us, so that we might stand before the Father without stain or blemish, a people eternally loved by Him. He came to give us all. And so we desire to give to Him. The wise men brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh. What can we give Him? An old Christmas hymn says, “Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child, make Thee a bed, soft, undefiled, within my heart, that it may be a quiet chamber kept for Thee.” Such is the prayer of those who renounce their own rights over their lives and entrust everything to Him. And with Him, that is the way it must be. There can be no half-hearted or compromised discipleship. We are all either “wise men” who fall down in worship before the Christ; or we are Herod, out to do away with the King, so that we might retain control over our lives.

Epiphany is the day of gifts! And this Epiphany, to you is given again the gift of forgiveness for all those times you have played the part of Herod and have killed in your heart the voice of Him who calls you away from sin to live under His kingship. He says to you: “Come, My child, and be my own and live under Me in My kingdom in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness. Receive the gifts I have won for you at the cross.” And what will you say to that kind invitation of your King? May your answer be to make the lifelong journey, departing from your own selfish and sinful desires, living and walking in the gift of the righteousness you received in the waters of Holy Baptism, until finally you come to rest in the arms of your Savior. Then you, too, will truly be filled with exceedingly great joy. In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always. Amen.

Sermon for 12/24/24: Eve of the Nativity of Our Lord

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“Fear Not!”
Luke 2:1-20

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

          The command, “Fear not!” appears 170 times in the King James Version of the Bible. It seems as if man needs constant reassurance from the Lord. But that makes sense. After all, man was not created to be fearful. Adam and Eve were the crown of God’s creation. Into their hands God gave mastery over every plant and animal—indeed, He gave them mastery over all of creation—so Adam and Eve had nothing to fear from creatures or plants that would send us fleeing in terror. They knew nothing of serial killers or terrorists. They had no need to worry about the forces of nature. And they knew nothing of sin or death. It wasn’t until they disobeyed the Word of God—until they were goaded by the satanic serpent to doubt the Law of God and partake of the forbidden fruit—that they knew what fear was. They hid themselves in the Garden, sewing garments to cover the shame they had never felt before. They finally knew fear—and it was neither the beasts nor the plants that caused this fear. It was in their sin that they came to fear God. Adam said, “I heard Your voice in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; and I hid myself.”

In disobeying the Word of God, in partaking of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, humanity learned how to be afraid…and we’ve been afraid ever since. We’re afraid of snakes and mice and spiders and lions and tigers and bears. We’re afraid of ice storms, hurricanes, blizzards, tornadoes, too much rain and not enough rain. We’re afraid of the pains in our bodies and the ailments that afflict our minds. And, most of all, like Adam and Eve, we are terrified of the righteous wrath and justice of a holy, righteous, omnipotent God.

          It is to His fearful children that God sends His messengers. Angels appear to Mary and Joseph, to Zechariah, to shepherds, and to countless others in the Bible. But these are holy messengers of God who manifest His power and holiness, who reflect divine righteousness; and sinners cringe and fall on their faces before the holiness of God. So before they can share God’s Gospel message with them, the angels must tell their hearers, “Fear not!” Do not be afraid. I’m here with good news for you from God! To Zechariah the angel gives the joyful message that his son John, who would be born to him and his wife when they were beyond childbearing age, would prepare the way for the Savior promised to Adam and Eve. He would proclaim the salvation and peace God would bring to His people through the forgiveness of their sins. He would point to Jesus and proclaim, “Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” To Mary and Joseph, the angels gave the message that they would be the earthly parents of the promised Savior. And then, finally, the angels told the shepherds of the birth of their promised Savior, the one who would bring peace on earth and God’s good will to the fear-filled hearts of sinners by bearing the price of the sins of all mankind on the terrible, terrifying cross.

          Sending angels is no longer God’s preferred method of delivering the good news of Jesus and salvation to His people. But He hasn’t stopped sending messengers. Instead of sending angels who instill fear just by their appearance, He now sends humble, sinful men. Even so, their message is the same: “Do not be afraid!” You no longer have any reason to fear the righteous wrath of God, for your Savior, Jesus—who is Immanuel, God in the flesh—has come, and He has suffered and died for you, bearing that wrath in your place. He rose up in triumph, leaving your fear behind in the tomb, so you would be free to “serve Him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before Him all the days of [your] life.”

          Today, the angel’s song with the Christmas Gospel has made it into your ears, too. Repent of your sin. Come out of your gloom. Leave behind your despair. Give up your loneliness. Wipe away your tears. Part ways with your fears and doubts. The heavens once again declare to mankind the glory and majesty of the eternal Son of God! Emmanuel, God in flesh, rests in His manger throne. He has come to make His dwelling place among us. And He has come for everyone. He did not come merely for mighty Caesar. He did not come merely for the powerful King or Governor. He did not come merely for the rich and fanous. He has come for Mary and Joseph; He has come for Zechariah and Elizabeth; He has come for humble shepherds; He has come to you, poor and miserable sinner that you are, to save you from your sins. God and sinners are reconciled by the blood of this Christ Child. The song is for you: “Peace on earth, goodwill toward men!”

                 We face an uncertain future in our earthly walk with Christ. The Noble family is beginning a new adventure in the new year. With Pastor Noble’s departure, there will be a time of transition and change here at St. Paul’s—though I hope it won’t be too crazy. There will be illnesses and injuries; there will be changes at home and at work and school; loved ones will come and go and maybe even depart this life. In the midst of all this, the message of the angels remains the same: “Do not be afraid!” God in flesh is with you. He loves you. He will not leave you. He will not forsake you. Every trial, every temptation, every struggle: He is here to bear it with you. He is here to sustain you, to comfort you, to forgive you. He is here to give you peace.

My brothers and sisters in Christ, beloved children of God, it is my privilege and pleasure as a humble messenger of God to bring you good tidings of great joy, which are for you, for your neighbor, for all people. Born to you is your King, your Temple, your Refuge and Strength. Born to you is your Savior. He is Christ the Lord. Fear not! Do not be afraid! In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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

Sermon for 12/18/24: Midweek of Advent 3 (Hymns of Advent series)

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O Come, O Come, Emmanuel

Matthew 1:18-25

 

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

 

The third and final hymn we will look at and consider this Advent season is O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. The hymn itself, from the 12^th Century, is based on what are known as the seven “O Antiphons,” which may date back to the 5^th Century. These prayers came to be special and well-loved of the Church, building up the hearts of the faithful as they moved toward the celebration of Christmas, teaching what the celebration of Christmas was all about. Each antiphon contains a title of Christ, a description of that title, and then a request, a prayer.

So what do we learn about Jesus from these antiphons? Consider the antiphon from which the hymn gets its title:

O Emmanuel, our king and our Lord,
           the anointed for the nations and their Savior:
           Come and save us, O Lord our God.

Emmanuel is a Hebrew word which means “God with us.” During the holidays we treasure having family and friends with us. But our Lord does even better: He make His dwelling place among us. God is with us—but not to condemn or destroy us as we deserve in our sinfulness. God is with us in flesh; He has come in flesh to save us. In mercy He has come to bring us back from our exile in sin, to bring us back into His family, to restore us to His kingdom by the forgiveness of our sins.

          Matthew the Evangelist doesn’t tell the beautiful story of our Lord’s birth the way Luke does; Matthew bypasses the story of the birth in the stable. He doesn’t tell it in beautiful picture language the way John does. Matthew just states it plainly, telling his readers that our Lord Jesus was born. But this birth was anything but ordinary! A virgin conceives and bears a Son, just as God prophesied through the prophet Isaiah. And this Son is Emmanuel, God with us, the Word made flesh to dwell among His people. He has come to be one of us, to release us from our bondage to sin and death. You know the truth about yourself and our human race: that “we are by  nature sinful and unclean,” that we are slaves of sin. There was nothing we could do to free ourselves. We needed to be saved, which means we needed someone to be our Savior. And this Child in the manger is that One. God comes in mercy and gentleness to save us in our great need. He is Emmanuel, the true God who makes His dwelling with us. Our Creator is our Savior; our King is our Brother.

          We also pray to Christ as the Wisdom of God, who teaches us to live prudently, according to God’s will and law. You may remember from Psalm 119: “Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” This is the wise way in which our Lord would have us walk. He shows us the narrow way that leads to the gate of heaven itself. And this ties into the next verse, where we pray to Christ as Adonai, the Lord of might, who gives us that Word. He gave His righteous Law on Mount Sinai, and He continues to reveal Himself to us today in His Word.

          We pray to Christ as the Root of Jesse, before whom all peoples will bend the knee in worship, from the mightiest of rulers even to the lowest of the slaves who are not counted by the world as citizens of any kingdom. We pray to Christ as the Key of David, the one who gives the Church the authority to forgive sins, opening the gate of heaven to all believers. He releases us from the chains that bound us to our sin, and He binds Satan so that that wily serpent no longer has any power over us.

          We pray to Christ as the Dayspring, the Light of the world. As we walk through the valley of the shadow of death, He shines forth in holy light, guiding our way, dispelling our gloom. A shadow fades away when the light shines brightly; so it is as we cling to Christ, “the light of men.” As St. John tells us, “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” Because Christ shines His light upon us, and His light overcomes the darkness, darkness has no more power to destroy us!

          And finally, we pray to Christ as the King of the nations, the true heir of King David. Jesus is the King even David longed to see. Our hymn calls Jesus “our King of peace.” And how truly we confess Him as such, because He is the One by whom God and sinners are reconciled.

And that causes us rejoice. How can we not? And we also sing for Him to come again! We pray for Him to come and take us home, to where the rejoicing will never cease. For the day is coming when He will come, when He will wipe away every tear from our eyes. Our joy will be joined to the joy of the angels and archangels and all the company of heaven. That’s what Advent’s all about. And that’s what our Savior is all about. And so we pray:

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
          And ransom captive Israel,
          That mourns in lonely exile here
          Until the Son of God appear.

And we, His Church, look forward to His coming with great joy. We sing in acclamation: “Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel!” In the name of the Father and of the Son (†) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always. Amen.

Sermon for 12/11/24: Midweek of Advent 2 (Hymns of Advent series)

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Comfort, Comfort Ye My People

Isaiah 40:1-8

 

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

 

The Advent hymn before us this evening presents us with the spiritual discomfort involved in receiving the Advent message of comfort. The hymn “Comfort, Comfort Ye My People” is the work of Johann Olearius, a German court preacher and chaplain to a duke. He originally wrote this hymn for the Festival of St. John the Baptist. In the third stanza of the hymn, the writer describes the season of Advent as “calling sinners to repentance.” In the same stanza the writer lifts his finger in admonition: “Oh, that warning cry obey!”

These phrases of the hymn present us with an unpleasant task. Despairing of our own power and our cleverly conceived plans about saving ourselves, we humbly wait for the true word of comfort our Lord speaks to us: “I forgive you all your sins. I have paid the price for you.” We have to admit that we are weak, even powerless. We need a healing within that we ourselves can never provide. It’s tough to admit, “I can’t do it myself.” Few things make prideful human beings feel more uncomfortable than such an admission. Advent sweeps away all our pride.

We need to hear a Word of comfort. And so God speaks to the prophet and sends him out with a message:

"Comfort, comfort ye My people,
Speak ye peace," thus saith our God;
"Comfort those who sit in darkness,
Mourning 'neath their sorrows' load.
Speak ye to Jerusalem
Of the peace that waits for them;
Tell her that her sins I cover
And her warfare now is over."

John the Baptist is sent to preach this message. The fulfillment of this promise is later delivered by the angels to the shepherds upon the birth of the Child with another word of comfort: “I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. …On earth peace, goodwill toward men.”

In Holy Baptism, we die to sin with Christ, and then rise with Him to new life. Our Lord has remade us: body, mind, and spirit. St. Paul the says that God in Christ has made each of us “a new creation.” The warfare waged by sinful man against his Creator is ended, the peace treaty written in the blood of the Lamb, Jesus Christ Himself.

Yea, her sins our God will pardon,
Blotting out each dark misdeed;
All that well deserved His anger
He no more will see or heed.
She hath suffered many a day,
Now her griefs have passed away;
God will change her pining sadness
Into ever-springing gladness.

This message of salvation during the season of Advent—and of Christmas, Lent, Easter, and the rest of the year—delivers sweet comfort to hearts that were bound by sin. Living in this comfort, we are moved to speak this comfort to our neighbors. Love generates love; faith yields fruit. Advent prophets like Isaiah and John the Baptist call us to be engaged constantly in the activity of comforting through human care.

In other places, Isaiah sings about the eyes of the blind being opened and the ears of the deaf being unstopped. He talks about the poor and thirsty and needy being satisfied. Our Savior does such things. For sinners who do not have the power to heal, our Lord leads us to use the gifts He gives us. He urges us to bring comfort to our neighbor. Sharing such a message can be hard work. It’s hard to speak this message to people who don’t want to hear it. It’s hard to speak this message even to people who are willing to hear it. Even pastors and missionaries, people who earn their livelihood by sharing the Gospel, often find the work of sharing the Gospel to be difficult. Speaking the Gospel to people who are comfortable in their sins; speaking the Gospel to people who think the pastor himself is a waste of time or money; going into the homes of the sick, the lonely, the depressed, the dying, and the mourning; traveling thousands of miles to bring the Word to people who have a history of murdering Christian missionaries—it can be uncomfortable, exhausting—even a dangerous task.

Speaking the comfort of the Gospel to hurting, broken people is rarely comfortable. Seldom is it convenient. Certainly it is not something done quickly or easily. But it is the work our Lord has called us to do: to deliver the comforting news of salvation in the cross of Jesus Christ—the same good news our Lord has delivered to you. The Holy Spirit strengthens you with the Word and with Christ’s body and blood to do the uncomfortable work of comforting, for our Father has made you a partner with Christ Himself as He carries out His ministry of love in the world. So…

Make ye straight what long was crooked;
Make the rougher places plain.
Let your hearts be true and humble,
As befits His holy reign.
For the glory of the Lord
Now o'er earth is shed abroad,
And all flesh shall see the token
That His Word is never broken.

God grant you a “true and humble” heart that is prepared to welcome your Lord as He comes to you, both now in His body and blood, and at the Last Day. In the name of the Father and of the Son (†) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always. Amen.

 

Sermon for 12/4/24: Midweek of Advent 1 (Hymns of Advent series)

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Savior of the Nations, Come

Luke 1:26-38

 

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

 

 

We are right to consider and speak of the miracle of birth. The fact that a child can live in its mother’s womb for nine months and then emerge and breathe and live on its own is an astounding miracle. We are amazed at how tiny an infant’s fingers and toes can be. Infant eyes are so lovely and bright. Pudgy little arms and legs that make the child look like the Michelin Man can stretch and flex. Who can resist these tiny features? Every birth is miraculous in its own way. Just about every adult has had the pleasure of holding a newborn, and that wonder and joy is multiplied when the child is our own flesh and blood.

Birth and life are exquisite. Perhaps that’s why we feel so tremendously shaken by the untimely death of infants and children. The hardest thing I’ve ever had to do as a pastor is preside at the burial of an infant; the hardest thing I’ve ever had to do as a man is bury my own son. It seems we hear all too often about children who die as collateral damage in drive-by shootings. Abuse is epidemic. Attacks on schools seem to be a weekly occurrence. And, of course, we would be sinfully negligent to forget abortion. When we hear about such atrocities, we in the community of faith must do more than shake our heads and murmur our disappointment. We must affirm God’s sacred gift of life in the womb, life fresh from the womb, and life even to the moment of a natural death. Life matters. Life is a gift from God. The Light must shine in the darkness of our world and reveal this great truth to us, even when people don’t want to hear it. We must hear again the Word which tells us that God breathed the breath of life into Adam and Eve. Life is a sacred gift, and we must remember and honor that gift, teaching our children the value of all life from the womb to the grave.

Such thoughts remind us of the words of our hymn: “Marvel now, O heaven and earth, that the Lord chose such a birth.” The life God created matters so much to Him that our Lord chose to born as one of us. God became flesh to dwell among us. He was born, as St. John tells us in His Gospel, to be the Light who shines in our darkness. We just sang about that Light shining for us and within us:

 

From the manger newborn light

Shines in glory through the night.

Darkness there no more resides;

In this light faith now abides.

 

Despite the humble scene of our Lord’s birth, two important factors make our Lord’s birth a singular, unique event: Jesus was born of a virgin mother, and He was conceived of the Holy Spirit. The angel tells Mary, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you; therefore, also, that Holy One who is to be born will be called the Son of God.” And so “the Word became flesh;” this child is both God and man, born to be Emmanuel: God with us in flesh to dwell among His people.

 

Not by human flesh or blood,

By the Spirit of our God,

Was the Word of God made flesh—

Woman’s offspring, pure and fresh.

 

This exquisite birth of our Lord serves as a marvelous sign for all time that God acts in a unique way in the coming of Jesus. In His unique conception and humble birth, and in all His life upon earth that follows, God works to bring His redeeming and saving power to His creation. God became one of us, but without sin, in order to redeem each of us. His birth pushes us onward to behold His ministry—His preaching, teaching, and wondrous miracles—and then to behold His death and resurrection. This Jesus comes as the Savior of mankind, and in His coming, God acts purposefully to save us from our sins.

This Advent season, let us marvel at this profound sign which God has displayed for us. The virgin birth proclaims that Christ has come as the Father’s greatest Word of love. In the virgin birth, in our Lord’s cross and His resurrection, God expresses His love completely. As we just sang:

 

For you are the Father’s Son

Who in flesh the vict’ry won.

By Your mighty pow’r make whole

All our ills of flesh and soul.

 

That is what He came for; that is what He does. He comes to us in flesh, and forgiveness is won; salvation is fulfilled; eternal life is given. Knowing that we are powerless to live as He commands, knowing we are powerless to earn His favor, God requires nothing more than what His Son came to earn and win for us.

That is good news—news that we need to share until all people know of it and believe it. We must move beyond simply observing God’s sign; we must tell our neighbors about it. Christ, the “Savior of the nations,” is coming to give us the gift of life, and we must sing for joy to all the world. Just as the shepherds do when they hear the angel’s song, let us make known abroad what God has revealed to us: Jesus is coming! And so we cry out:

 

Savior of the nations, come,
Virgin's Son, make here Your home!

 

In the name of the Father and of the Son (†) and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

 

The peace of God which passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus always.  Amen.