Sermon for 12/31/23: The Name and Circumcision of Jesus (observed)

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First Blood
Luke 2:21

 

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

 

 

On the eighth day after His birth, the Son of God was circumcised according to the covenant given by God to Abraham. God told Abraham that all male children were to be circumcised eight days after their birth as a sign of the promise God had made with Abraham and his descendants. What could have run through Abraham’s mind when God commanded this? What God proposed was not pleasing to the world then, nor to our sensibilities now. The word circumcision is not one that is used in polite conversation, nor are we comfortable talking about anything that word conjures up. And yet this festival day in the Church Year honors the circumcision of the Christ Child. It is important that Christians honor this holy day, for this is the day on which Jesus first submitted to the Law on our behalf. And because He did, it is now no longer a matter of salvation whether or not one is circumcised. Jesus kept that Old Testament Law perfectly and fulfilled it in our place.

The message of salvation for the uncircumcised was a tough sell in the early days of the Church. St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians is a testimony to the difficulty the Jews had in believing and confessing that the good news of Jesus was for both Jew and Gentile, for both circumcised and uncircumcised. This message of salvation is still a tough sell two thousand years later. Paul’s letter to the Galatians is as relevant today as it was in the Church’s infancy. The root problem was then, and still is now, a confusion of the distinction between Law and Gospel. Jewish Christians were mistaken when they taught Gentiles that there was a condition attached to the Gospel. They preached a message of salvation by grace through faith, but only if you were first circumcised. Those Jewish Christians dared to say that the Gospel really means nothing unless you are circumcised, and you abstain from unclean foods, and you live just as the Jews did before Christ came.

When you read St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians, you can almost see the smoke coming out of the apostle’s ears and feel the fire roaring off his pen. God’s message to us in Galatians is the same message proclaimed by all true Christian preachers today: “The just shall live by faith.” Faith in what? Faith in Whom? The just shall live by faith in Jesus Christ and His saving work.

If Jesus keeps the Law perfectly on our behalf, and yet we must keep the Law in thanksgiving, then why did He even do what He did? That is the bottom line of Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians. We cannot make the Law into the Gospel, and we cannot make the Gospel into the Law. And yet, many Christians try their hardest every day to do just that: they confuse Law and Gospel with alarming frequency. Have you ever heard someone say that you can be a Christian only after you have made the decision to be a Christian, only after you have “chosen” Jesus Christ to be your Savior and Lord? To be sure, there is moral right and wrong in our Lord’s preaching and teaching. But making the right moral choice is not the chief substance of what Jesus does for us or what He wants from us. Much more important are the choices Jesus made for us. Eight days ago we saw one choice: He was born for us. And today we saw another: He shed His blood for us. And that is what His name is all about. The name Jesus means “God saves.” That is exactly what He does. The blood He shed covers all our sins.

When God puts His name on us in Holy Baptism, He puts us right there with Jesus when He is circumcised. There Jesus submits to the Law for us. By faith we believe His circumcision was ours. And Paul explains it all in this way: “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.” When the Lord puts His name on us, everything attached to that name belongs to us. The priestly blessing we will hear tonight bestows the Lord’s blessing on us. He indeed blesses and keeps us from all sin, from death, and from the power of the devil. The Lord’s face shines on us and brings light into the darkness of our lives. The Lord’s countenance is lifted upon us, giving us gladness and joy and peace. Where the Lord’s name is, there is His blessing. Our Lord’s name is ours through Holy Baptism. His circumcision is ours through faith. All of this is ours because of what happened eight days after His birth. His blood shed, even as an infant, is our righteousness that frees us from the shackles of the Law and gives us freedom in Christ now and forever. Believe this for Jesus’ sake and for yours. 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 12/31/23: The Sunday After Christmas

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No video this week. My apologies.

A Sword to Pierce the Heart
Luke 2:22-40

 

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

 

The Virgin Mary is a picture of the Church. Now, before you accuse me of becoming a Roman Catholic, let me explain. Think of Mary when Gabriel appears to her. Gabriel says she will give birth to the Son of God. Mary, a virgin, believes God’s messenger. She doesn’t question whether God can do what the angel promises God will do. God says it, and that settles it for her. She believes. In that way, Mary is a picture of the Church’s faith.

Now think of Mary’s obedience. She calls herself “the maidservant of the Lord.” Her service is to be the mother of the Savior. God chooses her. She doesn’t hesitate. As soon as God’s angel says she will give birth to the Son of God, she expresses her willingness to do whatever God wants her to do. Mary showed her faith in obedience. Mary is a picture of the Church’s obedience.

Now, finally, think of Mary as she stood under the cross. Mary watched her Son die. The sword Simeon said would pierce her soul has, indeed, pierced her soul. She was standing at the foot of the cross. She saw Him lifted up on the cross. She saw His anguish. She was there to witness it as He suffered and died for the sin of the world. Blood, sweat, agony, and unbearable sorrow combine to overwhelm Jesus to where He cried out the words to fulfill the Psalm: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Mary was there. Simeon’s prophecy came true. The sword pierced her soul.

So yes, Mary is a picture of the Church. She saw and felt the contempt of the world as she watched her son suffer and die; we receive that same contempt. Christ as a teacher of morality is praised as He is refashioned to promote moral philosophy or political ideology; Christ as the sacrifice for sin is rejected. We see this all too clearly today. Sin is no longer sin. When something sinful is even acknowledged as a problem—and that is seldom the case anymore—but when it is, it is viewed as some sort of dysfunction that requires proper therapy, not the crucifixion of the Son of God. When the Church speaks as Jesus and His apostles did of sins and mental disorders such as homosexuality, living together outside of marriage, abortion, euthanasia, gender dysphoria, and others, it is accused of hatred, bigotry, racism, discrimination, and, ironically, even inciting murder.

The pain Jesus suffered for our sins could not be felt by Mary or the Church. Only Jesus suffered divine retribution against the human race. Only Jesus is the Sacrifice to take away the sin of the world. Only Jesus turns aside God’s wrath against sin. Neither Mary nor the Church can participate in Christ’s suffering for our sins. Jesus suffered alone. No one shared His burden.

Nevertheless, we do have a share in His suffering. This is the sword that pierces our souls. More than that, this is grace. The sword that pierced Mary’s soul also pierces the soul of the Church. The Word of God is the sword of the Spirit. Simeon said to Mary that her Child would be “…a sign which will be spoken against, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” The Word of God is the sword that pierces the soul. We read in Hebrews 4, “The Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.” The same Word that brings joy to some brings anger to others. The same Gospel is folly for some and wisdom for others. Some stumble over it and are spiritually ruined; others embrace it in faith, find refuge in it, and rest secure in the forgiveness of sins.

We are coming to the end and the beginning of another year. As we leave the old and enter into the new, we can reminisce about the past and anticipate the future. Some things will not change. Souls will be scandalized and souls will be saved by the cross of the Lord Jesus Christ. Even as Mary felt the shame heaped upon her Son when He was redeeming the world from all their sins, in the same way the Church will continue to feel the shameful disregard of Christ’s suffering and death by people who would rather rely on their own virtue than on God’s grace in Christ. What is most precious to Mary and to us is her dear Son. In the moment of His greatest triumph on the cross, where grace defeated sin and forgiveness for all sinners was won, the world turns away and wants nothing of it.

Like Mary, the Church lives under that cross. The Church doesn’t find her glory in her popularity with the world. She doesn’t seek the approval of those who trip, stumble, and fall over Christ, the Rock of our salvation. He is a Sign that will be spoken against. She knows this. Her glory is Christ’s crucifixion where she was forgiven of all her sins. This is her peace with God. Her glory invites the scorn of the world. She bears that scorn as an honor. Knowing that she suffers with Him who suffered for her brings her consolation, peace, and joy. So let this sword pierce your soul. It will not harm you; it will bring you life in Christ. 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 12/25/23: The Nativity of Our Lord

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No sermon video. Sorry for the inconvenience.

The Child Is Born
Isaiah 9:6-7

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

Jerusalem was in trouble, and the whole nation with her. The wrath of God, a terrible punishment, was hanging over them. But in the midst of the guilt and distress of the people of God, a voice was heard, gentle and mysterious, but full of confidence. That voice announces deliverance through the birth of a divine Child. The promise will not be fulfilled until seven hundred years later. But so deeply is the prophet immersed in the thoughts of God that he speaks of the future as he already sees it: “For to us a child is born...” What one day will be is already there in the sight of God, sure and certain. And it is not just something that will happen one day, but is already real for the prophet and his generation, and indeed, for all generations: “For to us a child is born...” No mere man can speak like that on his own.

But how can we, who do not even know what will happen tomorrow, understand that someone could see hundreds of years into the future? Those times were no more certain than they are today. Only the Spirit of God could enable such a thing. But the voice of this prophet was joined by other prophetic voices; it is heard still today in the joyful celebration of congregations like ours: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given.”

This is beyond all human understanding: the birth of a child brings to all mankind salvation and deliverance. What kings, philosophers and artists, religious leaders and moral teachers have labored for in vain is brought about by the birth of a Child. A Child puts to shame the wisdom and efforts of the strong. A Child, born to a human mother and yet the Son of God, is the secret of the salvation of the world. All that is past and all that is yet to come is encompassed here. The unending comfort of the almighty God comes to us humbly, in the form of a Child. That this Child is born for us, that He is given to us; that this Child is God’s Son; that this Child is Emmanuel, God with us in flesh; that we know Him and have Him and love Him; that we are His and He is ours—this means that now our lives depend on Him alone.

But how shall we deal with such a Child? Have our hands, soiled with daily toil, become too hard or too proud to fold in prayer in the sight of this child? Have our heads become too full of serious thoughts and problems that we cannot bow our heads in humility before the wonder of this Child? Can we not forget, at least for now, all our stress and struggles, our inflated sense of importance, and for once humbly worship this Child as did the shepherds and the Magi? Can we not be like the aged Simeon, who took the Child in his arms and saw the fulfillment of all his waiting, and in this moment recognize the fulfillment of our lives?

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder...” How strange that such a responsibility should lie upon the weak shoulders of a new-born Child! However, this one thing we know: these shoulders will one day bear the weight of the whole world. With the cross, all the sin and sorrow of this world will be laid upon those shoulders. But His authority will remain. He will not break under the burden; He will see it through triumphantly! And the government that lies upon the shoulders of this Child is the patient bearing of our burden of sin and guilt. The bearing of that burden was already there in the manger, where the eternal Word of God took to Himself human flesh and bore it. It is precisely in the lowliness and weakness of the Child that this takes place. And that is also the nature of His governance: He receives the humble and the lowly, sinners all, bearing their burden; but He rejects and brings to nothing the proud, the high and mighty, the self-righteous.

But where do we find the throne and kingdom of the Child? It is present with Him in His Word and Sacraments, graciously ruling and governing His Church, among His faithful worshipers. In His kingdom, Jesus rules with “justice and righteousness.” His justice does not leave believers untouched. On them He executes His strongest judgment, and those who are truly His people do not seek to avoid that judgment. Instead they bow before it, because Jesus can grant righteousness only when He has judged sin. His kingdom is a kingdom of righteousness, but the strength of His kingdom is that it rests on justice and righteousness that is divine. And this righteous kingdom will continue because it was established in the birth of this Child, the Son of God.

We are called to this kingdom which we find in the Church, with those who believe the Holy Word and cling to the Sacraments of Christ. Here in this Child we see our Savior and Deliverer, the One who gives us a new life of love. “The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this,” the prophet tells us. God is His own guarantee that this kingdom shall remain forever. In the end, it will defeat all resistance, even sin and death itself. God Himself lays His plans and then fulfils them. And He wants us to be with Him, not by compulsion, but by faith. “Immanuel, God with us:” this is the mystery of this holy day. “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given!” Thanks be to God for this precious gift of life! 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 12/24/23: Fourth Sunday in Advent

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Confessing Christ

John 1:19-28

 

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

 

John the Baptist teaches us how to confess the Christian faith. Christians confess Christ. If you won’t confess Christ, Christ won’t confess you. Jesus says, “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.”

Confessing Christ is a public act. Those who refuse to baptize babies argue that baptism is a public confession of the faith. They are wrong not to baptize babies, but they are right when they say that baptism is a public confession of the faith. We baptize babies with the solemn vow to teach them everything Christ commanded that they be taught so that they will be able to confess him publicly before the world. Confessing Christ is always a public act.

We confess personally and individually. But we also confess as a body. The word “confess” in the New Testament means to speak together the same thing. It is never a purely individual thing. It is always corporate, always a family affair. We don’t make up our own faith and confess it. We confess the faith of the One Holy Christian and Apostolic Church. We confess with the whole Church in heaven and on earth. We gather together to confess our faith. Confession is public, personal, and corporate.

John the Baptist teaches us how to confess Christ. The priests and the Levites who came to John to ask him who he was represented the religious leaders of the Jews. “Who are you?” they ask. They don’t ask John if he is the Christ. John is the one who brings Christ into the conversation. He said he himself was not the Christ. He was not denying Christ; he was saying he was not Christ. You cannot confess Christ faithfully unless you distinguish between you and Christ and between your thoughts and His Word. This is what John did.

God appointed John to be the forerunner of Christ, so John spoke God’s Word, not his own. John was not the focus of his preaching; Christ was. John always extolled Christ. He said, “He must increase, but I must decrease.” He said he was not worthy to loose Christ’s sandal strap. Isaiah foretold the ministry of John hundreds of years earlier. He referred to John as the voice. That’s what John called himself. Who John is personally is beside the point. It’s what he confesses that matters.

John preached the Law in all its severity and the Gospel in all its sweetness. He preached the Law. He blasted religious hypocrites who came to him to be baptized, calling them a brood of vipers. Faith that bears no fruit is no faith at all. John made it crystal clear. In teaching God’s Law, he didn’t advocate separation from the world but living a holy life within this sinful world. Tax collectors should not collect more money than the law allows. Soldiers should not intimidate civilians, but be content with their wages. John didn’t tell tax collectors or soldiers to leave their jobs, but to do their jobs without ripping off their neighbors.

John preached the Gospel in all its sweetness. It was John who spoke the words we sing every Sunday before eating and drinking the body and the blood of Jesus, given and shed for the forgiveness of our sins. He pointed to Christ and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” A more beautiful statement of the Gospel of Christ has never been spoken. Faith isn’t a decision; faith is looking. It is seeing Jesus, the Lamb of God. He’s the Lamb of God because He is God made flesh to suffer and die. He’s the Lamb of God because he was appointed by the Father to suffer and die. He’s the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. That’s what He did. This is the Gospel! It doesn’t give you instructions on how to get God to take away your sins. It points you to Jesus who has done the work to take away your sins. We sing the Gloria in Excelsis: “Glory be to God on high, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men.” This is what Christmas means. God is glorified as He brings His peace and goodwill to us sinners. We know and confess Him as He forgives undeserving sinners like you and me.

If we have God’s Word; if we have it poured over our heads in Baptism and into our mouths in the Holy Supper; if we receive forgiveness and life from Him, then we should confess Him clearly, dogmatically, and without compromise. We learn this from John, who fearlessly confessed Christ, even though it meant He would languish in prison and eventually meant His death. We confess Christ because He is our greatest treasure. We confess Christ because He is our only Savior, our only hope. He comes to us here in this place, Sunday after Sunday, forgiving our sins, feeding us in body and soul with His body and blood. But while Jesus is present in this place as He has promised—this place where two or three are gathered in His name—He is not confined to this place; He is everywhere, as true God and true man. And since He is everywhere, we will confess Him everywhere. 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 12/17/23: Third Sunday in Advent

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Comfort for the Flock

Matthew 11:2-10 (11)

 

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

 

 

History is a fascinating subject, a subject it’s important for us to consider. After all, as the old saying goes, “Those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it.” Still, the more history one reads, the more one comes to realize that all of these historical figures have something in common: they are all dead. According to the Scriptures, conservatively speaking, there are about 7000 years of history preceding our time, and the people who have filled those years are gone! I don’t mean to be morose; I only say this to point out that what the voice in the Old Testament reading was told to say is absolutely true: “All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades...”

Those of us who have some years on us understand these words pretty well. We are the grass that withers, the flowers that fade. It takes a while for young people to get this. Life is fresh for them; the grass is fully green, and the flower is at the height of its beauty. But if there is one thing history teaches us, it is that, unless we are among the living when the Lord returns, every one of us will one day go the way of all flesh. Like the grass of the field, we will one day wither away and be replaced by another crop of grass that will flourish for a while and then wither and be replaced.

And why does this happen? Isaiah tells us: “...the breath of the Lord blows on (us)...” The curse was breathed out when Adam and Eve fell into sin…and it is still breathed out on all flesh to this day. God’s judgment continues to do its work on our bodies. This makes us aware of our frailty and of our certain end, but it also turns us to a better and more certain hope. I do not encourage the morbid fascination with death that is so popular, but rather a sober and prayerful contemplation of life. As the Psalmist wrote: “Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.”

But now, in opposition to the fading flesh of man, Isaiah shows the Word of God. “The grass withers, the flower fades...” but, the prophet adds, “...the word of our God will stand forever.” And here is your comfort: while your flesh is but withering grass and a fading flower, God’s Word is enduring. And this is a comfort to you because the Word of the Lord is your salvation from the judgment that is spoken to your flesh. This Word is not simply the writings found in the Scriptures, but also the eternal Word, Jesus Christ Himself, who was made flesh for us. This is why Isaiah tells the Church, “Behold your God! Behold the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. And he will tend his flock like a shepherd...” And this was what John the Baptist preached more than 700 years later. He preached against withering flesh, crying out for the people to repent. And when they repented, he turned their attention to Christ, pointing Him out, and proclaiming: “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”

When we see John languishing in prison, his own flesh suffering and withering, he sends his disciples to Jesus. But he does not send them because of doubt; instead he wants his followers to see and hear the Messiah for themselves. In answer to John’s question, “Are you the one who is to come?” Jesus reveals that He is that One by showing forth His works—yes, works that fulfill the prophecies of His coming, but works that also offer us a glimpse of our flesh restored in the New Creation He will bring into being when He comes again. When He gives the blind their sight and makes the lame able to walk again; when He cleanses the lepers, opens up the ears of the deaf, and raises the dead, Jesus gives to failing and withering flesh the wholeness and vitality He will give to all flesh in the resurrection to His heavenly kingdom. Heaven itself bursts in on a dying world and restores it in the person of Jesus Christ, who is the unchanging, eternal, enduring Word of the Lord. “Are You the coming One?” To eyes that see and ears that hear, the answer is clear!

And now God’s breath blows on us again, but in a different way. Where God’s Law worked death in our mortal bodies, the Gospel breathes new life into our souls. This Gospel of Christ is not just another story from history of a great man who died for a great cause; it is the proclamation of the changeless Word of God. And Jesus, the Word made flesh, is active to comfort and forgive, to renew and restore. Life in Christ comes to us through hearing His Word and receiving the gifts to which He attaches His Word. In simple water, bread, and wine, God breathes upon us to make us firm and permanent. For if we are found in His enduring Word, then we are also made enduring by Him. And yes, even the flesh of the faithfully departed will one day rise to share in that enduring condition. Indeed, “...the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” This is true comfort for the flock of God. 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 12/10/23: Second Sunday in Advent

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Christ Is Coming!

Luke 21:25-36

 

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

 

It probably seems illogical that the Gospel readings for Advent say very little about preparing for the birth of Jesus. The Church has always held that there should be a three-fold focus to the Advent season: the coming of Jesus in His birth at Bethlehem, His coming to us now in the Gospel, and His coming at the Last Day. When you look at the appointed Gospels for the Sundays in Advent, you find quite a lot is said about our Lord’s ministry, His Passion, and, especially in today’s reading, His coming again to judge the world. On top of the last few Sundays of the Church Year that just ended, you have several weeks in a row devoted to the End Times and the glorious return of Christ to judge the living and the dead.

So why all this fuss over the end times? Why don’t we spend more time preparing for Christmas? Yes, it’s important to prepare ourselves again for the birth of Christ; it is one of the most wondrous events this world has ever seen. However, it has already happened. We can remember and celebrate it, which are good and godly things to do. But the event itself has already taken place.

So we prepare for Christ’s final Advent among us now—and not just in the manner of remembrance or hope, but in reality. Christ comes to us now through the Gospel; He continues to do so; and He will continue doing so in the future. This present and daily Advent of our Lord is part and parcel of the life of faith.

But the Advent of Christ when the time of this world has run its course is something that obviously hasn’t happened yet. It is still a part of the future, a day and hour unknown to us. And yet, we must be prepared for that day. And this preparation is no less important than the daily preparation we make to receive our Lord now. Jesus Christ is coming again, and we must be found worthy to escape the wrath that will accompany His judgment.

But for the one who is prepared, the day of the Lord’s return will be a day of joy and salvation. While it comes as terror to unbelievers, to Christians it is a day of promise. Jesus says: “When these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” Your redemption draws near! This is not something to be afraid of, but to anticipate with joy! And so we prayed in today’s Introit: “Restore us, O God; let your face shine, and we shall be saved!” All who are found with faith in Christ on that great day will be gathered to Him and will never again be parted from Him. But those who are found without faith in Christ on that day, who have either never believed in Christ, or who once looked to Him in faith but have since fallen away into unbelief, will be forever confirmed in their unbelief. There will no longer be an opportunity for repentance, no more opportunities to hear the Gospel and come to faith. His coming will have shown them the truth at last, but it will be the truth that condemns them.

So both the faithful and the unbelieving are urged by this Gospel reading to repent of their sins and put their trust in the grace of Jesus Christ. After all, the forces arrayed against us are powerful and unrelenting. The devil seeks our demise; the world wants to lure us away from Christ; our sinful nature even desires those things that lead to our destruction. So often these enemies attack by stealth; they use the ordinary circumstances of life that lull our souls to sleep so that the urgency of faith is dulled. Really, how often do you really consider the end of things and the return of Jesus? So Jesus warns us, “Watch yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly, like a trap.”

Listen to the call of the Scriptures to prepare yourselves faithfully, and take that call seriously. St. Paul reminds us in today’s Epistle: “Whatever was written in former days was written for our instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” And those Scriptures point to Christ. They point us to His first Advent among us, when He took on our flesh that we might be rescued from all that our sins have deserved. They point us to His Advent among us now as He comes to us in the Gospel to give us His grace and to fill and strengthen our hearts with faith. And by receiving that Advent now, and by trusting that Advent long ago, we are doing the best thing we can do to prepare for that Advent yet to come.

But that is the beauty of faith: it always looks to Jesus. Truly, that is the only way to be prepared for that day described in today’s Gospel: by the grace of Jesus Christ. And so the call has come again this Advent to prepare for the coming of Christ. Recall with joy that your received Him as He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary to win our salvation; receive Him now as He comes to you in His Word and in His body and blood; and prepare to receive Him as He comes again on 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 11/26/23: Last Sunday of the Church Year

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Watch and Wait

Matthew 25:1-13

 

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

 

 

Ten virgins pure watch in the dark, surrounded by temptations and dangers in the night. Outwardly they were all clean and undefiled. Nonetheless, these handmaidens of the Lord were overcome. Their flesh was weak. They were seduced by sleep. Their eyes grew heavy, and they gave in. And then came the midnight cry! It caught them unaware. For five of them the oil was all gone, wasted in foolish and vain pursuits. So then came the pleading: “Give us some of your oil!” But there was none to spare, for no one can believe for another. So out went the five foolish virgins into the night, seeking to purchase what can only be given and received. And they returned too late. The door was shut. Therefore, watch! Beware! Repent!

It is hard to stay awake these sleepy days. Peter, James, and John knew how that was when they watched with Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. The Bible tells us that we are in the end times. We have been since our Lord’s death and resurrection. And with each day that passes, the shadows grow longer. Temptation grows stronger deeper in the night. It seems so futile to keep watch. We’ve waited already all our lives, and still He has not come. There are pleasures beckoning to us all around. And no one seems to care if we slip in a few winks, if we go off for a while into the ways of the world. Who can blame us? We are only human, after all. Must we really be so vigilant? Must we suffer all through this long night of days and months and years? Can’t we just have our fun and repent at the end? No, we can’t; that way leads to death. Now is the acceptable time; today is the hour of salvation. Even if our Lord should continue to delay His return, none of us knows when our last hour will come. Repent before it is too late!

For the sake of hope and confidence, notice that all ten of the virgins fell asleep. All of them! All ten were outwardly pure, and yet all ten failed in their vigil. What made five of them wise and the others foolish? The wise still had oil. By the grace of God, and nothing else—despite their weakness and carelessness, despite their arrogance and self-indulgence—they never completely gave up hope. They never stopped believing that He would come. They trimmed their lamps, and whatever oil was left was enough. Their oil had been given by God, and it was sufficient. If our Lord desires when He returns to be greeted by His faithful ones, then He must create them. By the grace God supplied, the five wise virgins were spared the coming wrath and saved.

And so, there is hope, even for you. You have not been so gravely defiled that you cannot be cleansed. Your God has not forgotten you. He brought you here this day for His purpose: to forgive you anew, to restore your purity, to recreate you strong in faith, undefiled, righteous and holy, wise in His ways. The world, of course, scoffs at this true wisdom, calling it foolishness. But it comes from God. And our Lord Jesus Christ is coming back to redeem what He has made and remade. He does all of this for you through His Word. By His Word He creates and restores. He called you by name in Holy Baptism, and you were reborn and made alive in those waters. He speaks this saving Word in the Holy Scriptures, in Holy Absolution, in faithful preaching Word—all in His Church. And He feeds these words made flesh to you in the Holy Supper. All of this He does so that He will be met on the last day with faith and praise and rejoicing, so that His dying and saving work would not be in vain. For, He has not fallen asleep. He does not forget His promise. He still and always loves you.

Concerning, then, the times and seasons, as St. Paul said, you have no need to have these things laid out completely before you. Paul didn’t know them anyway! No man knows the day nor the hour of the Lord’s return. All you need to know is that the day is surely coming. It will come suddenly, unexpectedly, like a thief in the night. God in His great love will steal you away from the darkness, death, and chaos of this fallen world. He will awake you from your traitorous sleep and trim your lamp. You will again be pure and undefiled. For you are not of the night of this world, no matter how sleepy you may feel. You are of the day because you belong to Jesus Christ!

God did not appoint you for wrath, St. Paul said. He appointed His Son for that task in your place, who hung on the cross for you, forsaken of His Father, defiled by death. The dark night of sin and death forever ended when the Dayspring from on high rose and gave eternal light to men. And in His death and resurrection, He gathers you to Himself. He died for you that you would live with Him. And He is returning soon, so that our endless life, face to face with Him, will begin. Therefore, watch and wait! Do not be afraid! Surely He is coming soon! “Even so, Lord Jesus, come quickly!” 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 11/23/23: Day of National Thanksgiving

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Remember with Thanksgiving
Deuteronomy 8:1-10

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

 

If you had lived in Old Testament times as a child of devout Hebrew parents, you would have learned very early on to recite the Ten Commandments from memory. As you grew and your thinking matured, perhaps you would have asked the question, “Why?” And your father, recalling other words of Moses, would have recounted for you the story of God’s gracious dealings with your people despite Israel’s failure to be faithful. And then he likely would have closed that conversation with the words of our text: “And you shall remember...the Lord your God.” No words can better describe the significance of Thanksgiving Day.

Remember what the Lord your God has done. Who created this universe? Who made man? Who brought judgment upon Adam and Eve, but, with that, also the promise of a Savior? Who destroyed the corrupt world of Noah’s day but redeemed and kept alive a remnant to replenish the earth? The answer to all of these questions is the same: it is God! And so goes the whole Biblical confession: God judging, God redeeming, God promising—God at work in the world of His creation.

Sign upon sign, wonder upon wonder, grace upon grace, Holy Scripture reveals what God has done. And the faithful people of God, whether Old or New Testament, never tire of recounting these things; it is oyr song of faith! What God has done for His saints of old, He does for us as well. We are, as the Psalmist says, “...the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand.” Surely such a witness should bring to our minds God’s work in our world today, and in our lives individually. He judges us, He redeems us, He speaks His promises to us. “Only the fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” Only the fool claims that God is not at work for good in this world. The truth is, there is no end to the blessings of grace and goodness our God showers upon us.

So let us recount our many blessings and remember the Lord our God with thanksgiving. He has given His promise of grace and blessing to us, even as He has given it to His people of every time and place. It is for our good when He shows His displeasure with our sin. It is for our healing that He forgives our sins when we turn to Him in repentance. And in His Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ, God holds out to us that promise of new life, both here and hereafter, as we trust Him with thanksgiving. Each experience of life—each joy and sorrow, each rebuke and reward—is God with us to bless us, and all of this is for our everlasting good.

There is a very old story about a man who complained to his pastor that God had cursed him with an unbearable amount of anguish and sorrow and misfortune. He had come to his pastor for advice that he might be better able to bear those burdens. But his pastor told him, “I cannot help you. Go and see Jacob the water carrier. He has suffered every misfortune and sorrow that can come to a man. Let him help you.” So the man sought out Jacob and explained why the pastor had sent him. After listening to him, Jacob looked at him with amazement and said, “ I can’t understand why the pastor has sent you to me. I have never really suffered any misfortune in all my life.” You see, Jacob’s faith was such that everything in life was a witness to him of God’s wisdom and goodness. That was real thankfulness, a way of thanksgiving we would do well to cultivate.

Each day, let us remember the Lord our God with a thankful life, for it is in a thankful life that faith in God and obedience to His commandments come together. As St. Paul wrote: “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship.” It is our lives the Lord wants—our lives of faith responding to His work in the world and among us. To remember the Lord with thanksgiving without also remembering our neighbor in love is as incompatible as expecting forgiveness from God without forgiving those who sin against us. Only God by His grace can make us this way; only God can enable us to be truly thankful.

And so, on this Thanksgiving Day, if in some simple way we can remember what the Lord our God has done for us, and if we can remember Him with some semblance of thanksgiving, and if we can remember Him and our neighbor with some part of our life, then we are truly blessed. God has been at work in us by His powerful Word of grace, because each and every thankful word or deed finds its source in Jesus Christ and His saving work for us. It is for this—and above all, for our Lord faithfully taking upon Himself all of our sins so that we might be cleansed by the blood of His suffering—that we are thankful. And He will continue to work a faithful thanksgiving in all our hearts and lives, not only today, but also tomorrow, and for all the days of our lives. 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 11/19/23: Twenty-Fourth Sunday After Trinity

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“The Arm of the Lord”

Isaiah 51:9-16

 

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

 

 

The arm of the Lord is a pretty amazing thing. The Father stretches forth His arm as He speaks and creates the heavens and the earth. The Lord reaches down to make a way for Israel to pass through the Red Sea. Jesus reaches out His hand to a dead child and raises her to life again! You can see that, when God moves His almighty arm, amazing things happen. This has not changed over the years. He keeps on stretching forth His arm, even reaching out to bless you this day.

But we need to take a moment to figure out what this strong arm of our God is. The arm of God is not just some metaphor that will cause people to realize that there is a powerful God out there somewhere who really does care about His creatures. Nor is He a stern God, looking down on you with His arms folded and with a scowl on His face, waiting to pounce in judgment on your every action. He is not an uncaring God, watching from a distance, indifferent toward you and your daily needs and ongoing problems. No, your Lord actually reaches out His strong arm, His gracious hand, to bless you in many and various ways.

We also do well to remember that God has two arms for blessing us. With His left hand, He provides for us our daily bread—all that we need for the support of our bodies and our lives here on this earth. He gives you clothing and food. He gives you a home and the means to provide for a family. He provides the weather and governing authorities to protect you. He gives you health and friends and a host of other blessings with His left hand. He blesses you richly each day, often with more than you actually need, so that you may be a blessing to others.

That’s a whole lot that God does with only one hand! And He does all of this with the “lesser” of His two hands, so to speak, for you have a God who is, above all, “right-handed.” His almighty right hand has the power to save you! His right hand bestows those heavenly blessings that last forever! The all-powerful right hand of God is what He uses to forgive your sins, to rescue you from death and Satan, and to grant you everlasting life in paradise with Him!

The right hand of God assures all who hold to His Word that He will, indeed, carry out the promises He has made. God’s people have no need to fear mere men. Your deliverance rests in the hand of the Lord who is your Maker and your Redeemer. It is the right hand of God that offers comfort to those who believe in Him and have His Word in their hearts and on their lips. He has chosen you to be His. He has declared you to be His own. He has given you that message of redemption and righteousness and the promise of a new heaven and a new earth to come. And you, and all who believe this, rest securely in the powerful hand of the Lord. No one will be permitted to steal you from His powerful right hand.

But so often we forget this powerful comfort of God. Perhaps we are intimidated when others ridicule us or when we are threatened with harm. Yet the pages of Holy Scripture and sacred history are filled with the stories of those who have been upheld by the right hand of the Lord, those who were prepared to offer up their lives rather than deny the Lord who had bought them at such a precious price: the price of His own life and blood.

You know about this powerful right hand of God. You confess it in the Creed. It is Jesus, your Savior, who is at the right hand of God! He came down to earth to accomplish what no man before or after ever could. He kept God’s Law perfectly in Your place, earning life in heaven for you and for all who trust in Him. Then He willingly gave up His own glory, instead suffering the death you deserved at His cross, so that by His death you would have eternal life given to you as a free gift!

And the right hand of God continues to act to bless You today! The right hand of God came down to you in the font to cleanse you of your sins in baptism. The right hand of God marks you as one redeemed by Christ the crucified in Holy Absolution. The right hand of God serves you the body and blood of Christ, given into death for the forgiveness of your sins.

And God’s right hand continues to deliver you from death and the devil’s temptations still today. It still marks you with the cross of Jesus Christ, your Savior. It keeps on cleansing you from sin as your baptism brings you daily to repentance. The right hand of God covers you in its shadow to protect and keep you. It is stirred up again and again to help you by His great love for you in Jesus Christ. His strong arm reaches out to lift you up to life again. And that strong arm takes you finally to heaven, will you will hear Him say, “You are my beloved, now and forevermore.” 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 11/12/23: Twenty-Third Sunday After Trinity

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Christians and Authority

Proverbs 8:11-22

 

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

Christians have always been of different minds when it comes to how they should relate to civil governance. If we took a poll, no doubt we would hear a number of different views. Jesus sanctions government in today’s Gospel, but almost as if it is something we just have to put up with. Lutherans have lived and confessed their faith under both democracy and tyranny. The Bible does not mandate any particular governance. But as our elected officials try to violate religious freedom, perhaps we ought to be paying more attention to what our government is doing.

Lutherans actually have a doctrinal and confessional position on the role of civil government. In the Augsburg Confession which, together with the Small Catechism, serves as the foundation of our Lutheran understanding of Holy Scripture, we confess, “Our churches teach that lawful civil regulations are good works of God. They teach that it is right for Christians to hold political office, to serve as judges, to judge matters by imperial laws or other existing laws, to impose just punishments, to engage in just wars, to serve as soldiers, to make legal contracts, to hold property, to take oaths when required by the magistrates, for a man to marry a wife, or a woman to be given in marriage... Therefore, it is necessary for Christians to be obedient to their rulers and laws. The only exception is when they are commanded to sin. Then they ought to obey God rather than men.”

Through Solomon the Lord says, “By Me kings reign...” And Solomon surely knew if anyone did, being a king himself. This is first and fundamental in any proper Christian understanding of the role of civil governance. Those who govern have their office from God and are responsible to Him. What does this mean? According to Solomon, fear of the Lord is fundamental to all of this. And what is fear of the Lord? Solomon says that it is hatred of evil. It is the hatred of pride, arrogance, and evil and perverse speech. It is the desire for justice and truth. How does our national government measure up to these divine standards? Do we get the truth from them? Do we have honest public servants? Are they really working for the good of the nation? These are certainly questions for which all citizens should be concerned.

But perhaps of even greater importance, what is the condition of our culture? Can we really expect a government that is any better than the people? As a nation, how do we treat the defenseless—the unborn and the elderly? As a people, how do we feel about such societal foundation stones as marriage and family, and their corruption by sexual promiscuity and perversion? What do we think about our communities and our neighbors? Is American life characterized by decency and kindness, or have we been overcome by coarseness and cruelty? How these questions are answered matters. Can we really expect more from those who govern us than we are prepared to be ourselves?

Christians cannot stand aside and watch as if what the government does and does not do is no concern to them. Luther said that Christians don’t depend on civil government, but our neighbor does depend on it. Our neighbor needs the protection government provides from the evil designs of those who would hurt them. So we take an interest in these things out of love for our neighbor. It is because we are concerned about our neighbor that Christians seek government that is honest and humble before God, that seeks to serve the citizenry and not themselves. Christians should stay informed, let their voices be heard, and exercise the privilege they have been given to elect our leaders.

But we Christians can do more. St. Paul tells us, “I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way.” This is something we Christians know that others don’t. We have God’s ear. We have access to the throne of eternal grace. We are to pray for all who are in positions of authority—even and especially those we may feel are hostile to the Christian faith. And a justified concern is that government will interfere with the preaching of the Gospel by making the Church’s life more difficult and dangerous. It is a real threat. We may be drawing perilously close to that time when, in spite of the potential consequences, we must obey God rather than men.

Jesus says, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” As Christians we have no desire to interfere with the government, so long as they are doing what God has given them to do. But that means they will leave the Church free to do what she has been given to do, and that is to appeal to the lives and souls of men with that great good news of life and salvation which is only in Jesus Christ.

Government and its leaders are responsible to God. We, too, are responsible to God to pray for, respect, and obey governing authorities insofar as we can do so in faithfulness to the Word of God. Pray for our president, that he will responsibly carry out his office. Pray for those elected to work with him. Pray that ours will be a moral nation, characterized by integrity and honor. And, above all, pray for the opportunity to continue freely giving witness to the Gospel of the forgiveness of sins and salvation in Jesus Christ. 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.