Sermon for 2/28/24: Lent Midweek 2 (Psalm 22 series)

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The Worm of God
Psalm 22:6-11

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

We have all sorts of names and descriptions for the Second Person of the Holy Trinity: Jesus, the Christ, Immanuel, the Son of God, Son of David, Son of Man, Redeemer, Savior, Lord, and many others. We also have any number of pictures of Christ: the brown-haired, fair-skinned young man with the well-trimmed beard who looks like someone we’d want our daughters to bring home to meet us; the ferocious Lion of Judah; the butterfly; the adorably meek Lamb of God. But our text speaks of Christ in a different way.

          Last week, we were reminded that, to understand a Biblical text, we must first ask the question: “What does it say about Christ?” So…what does this passage say about Christ? Maybe the more appropriate question here is: What does Christ say about Himself in this passage? It’s not our pretty picture of Him—not even close. You’re not going to see beautiful paintings or drawings depicting our Lord this way, for the Son of God calls Himself a worm.

          Why would Jesus call Himself a worm? Well, maybe to answer that, we should look at what a worm is. Worms are generally slimy little creatures that look a little like snakes. They usually live under rocks or in the soil. And they are weak: weak and helpless. Children cut them in half to see if they really do become two worms. People step on them without even noticing. Prospective fishermen dig them up by the can-full to use them as bait, shoving hooks through them. Easy to see how the Lord could think of Himself as a worm, right?

          The sad thing is that it’s all too easy for us to see the Lord as a worm. We treat Him that way. We grudgingly give Him “one bitter hour” each week, as if the words of the hymn are a timer to limit the length of the Divine Service. We disregard our worship of Him and our obedience to His commands when it suits us. We use His name in vain as a curse against our neighbors and the rest of His creation. We give Him what we have left as an offering instead of designating the first fruits of our labors. You might remember the old spiritual where the singer asks, “Were you there when they crucified my Lord?” Well, when they nailed Jesus to the cross, laughed at Him and spat on Him, we were there, laughing and spitting on Him, making jokes about His pain, driving in the nails all the deeper. To us, He is a worm. And just like we treat any other worm, we killed Him. And we don’t even care. It’s just a worm. It’s just our Savior.

          What a contrast between the mighty “I AM” who delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt on the one hand and “I am a worm” on the other. But this is a true confession of the Second Article of the Creed. Being so far above men, Jesus became a Man, and He was treated as the lowest of men. Our Lord Jesus Christ, who as God was deserving of all praise and glory, received as a Man all the scorn and hatred mankind could produce. With those tormenting the Psalmist, we shout at our Savior: “He trusts in the Lord; let Him deliver Him; let Him rescue Him, for He delights in Him!” The truth is, the Father indeed does delight in His Son. He delighted in Him, and yet the Father let Him be crucified. And for what? The very people who condemned Christ were the ones who benefited from His agony.

          Jesus called Himself a worm. He became a worm, but He was a worm for our sake. The condition that made Him worthy of scorn was our sins heaped upon Him. This Worm’s filth and slime was the filth and slime He took upon Himself so that we would not be buried under it. He let Himself be mocked, beaten, and killed so that Satan would not have us to mock and torture in eternal death. He suffered all of the Father’s wrath against sin so that we would enjoy eternal life in the presence of our God.

          Think again of the purpose of a worm in the hands of a fisherman. Lancelot Andrewes, an Anglican theologian and preacher, described it this way:

A fisherman, when he casts his angle into the river, does not throw the hook in bare, naked, and uncovered, for then he knows the fish will never bite; and therefore he hides the hook within a worm, or some other bai; and so the fish, biting at the worm, is caught by the hook. This Christ, speaking of Himself, says, “I am a worm, and no man.” He, coming to perform the great work of our redemption, did cover and hide His Godhead within the worm of the human nature. The grand water-serpent, Leviathan, the devil, thinking to swallow the worm of [Christ’s] humanity, was caught upon the hook of His divinity. This hook stuck in his jaws and tore him very sore. By thinking to destroy Christ, he destroyed his own kingdom and lost his power for ever.

Our Lord Jesus Christ, the almighty Son of God by whom all things were made, became a worm. And as a worm brings the fish into the boat, our Lord gathers all the faithful into the boat, this holy Ark which is His Church. Thanks be to God, for the Son’s humiliation lifts us up, bringing us into eternal life. In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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

 

Sermon for 2/21/24: Midweek Lent 1 (Psalm 22 series)

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God in Hiding

Psalm 22:1-5

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

The words of the Benediction which we hear Sunday after Sunday are a great comfort to us. “The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine on you and be gracious to you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.” While it may be triggering to those who live in unbelief, the fact that God rests His face upon us is pure joy to the Christian, for we know that the face of God is our Lord Jesus Christ. When we see Jesus, we have seen the face of our heavenly Father in all His grace and love; He is directing all His favor and good will toward us. So what must the opposite of this be? What does it mean when God turns His face away? Or, in the terms of our text, what must it mean to be forsaken by God? Our Lord Jesus knew, for He had reason to ask, “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?”

The Psalms speak of Jesus. To rightly understand any text in Scripture, we must first ask, “What does this say about Jesus?” Of the entire Psalter, Psalm 22 is perhaps the most descriptive because it prophesies the Messiah’s suffering and death, the means by which He won the victory over sin, death, and the power of the devil. During these midweek gatherings, we will look at this Psalm in its entirety to see how this is so. In the section set aside for this evening, we consider in particular the words our Lord Jesus spoke from the cross: “My God, my God, why have You forsaken me?”

We have likely all felt what it is to be forsaken…or if you haven’t, it is more than likely that you will have the experience at some point in your life. Death will separate you from a loved one. Your father or mother will be gone, unable to help you. A friend or coworker will betray you. All of us have had experiences similar to what Jesus experienced. But no one has experienced forsakenness like Jesus did, for He suffered being forsaken in a way far greater than any mere mortal has experienced: The Son of God, who exists in perfect union with the Father, was forsaken by the Father.

And like Jesus Himself, we must ask that all-important question: WHY? Just a few weeks ago at the Transfiguration, we heard the Father proclaim, “This is my beloved Son.” What has changed? Why was Jesus forsaken by the heavenly Father? How could God the Father forsake His Son? To understand how this can be, we must first understand that, from the time of His conception in Mary by the power of the Holy Spirit, Jesus is at the same time True God and True Man. Jesus, true Man, performed miracles and even rose from the dead. Jesus, true God, suffered and died. What this means is that Jesus Christ, who is from eternity, the One by whom all things were made, the One who is sinless and perfect and holy, was at the same time the single greatest sinner the world has ever known. This is true, not because He ever committed any sin of His own, but because He so completely identified with the human race that He took upon Himself the sin that saturates humanity. As St. Paul wrote in his Second Letter to the Corinthians, “For our sake, [God] made Him to be sin who knew no sin…” Because Jesus took on every sin ever committed by any person who ever lived, His cry was not merely a symbol; it was a cry of deepest anguish, for the sinless Son of God bore in His flesh the full punishment which every sinner of all times and all places deserved: He was completely forsaken by His Father. He who is God Himself was bearing the torment of hell—for what else is hell than to be completely separated from the Father?

When His Son cried out from the cross, the Father went into hiding. He would not show Himself even to His own Son, for the righteous God cannot abide the presence of sin. It is here above all else that Jesus stands in our place. He was forsaken so that we would never have to know the forsakenness of God. The torment of hell assaulted Him so that we would never need to know that experience for ourselves. The hidden God is to us the God of greatest blessing, for He hid Himself so that He might save us!

In fact, this is something He still does. God continues to hide Himself from us. Though forgiven of sin, we are yet sinners, and sinners cannot bear the glorious presence of God. So God continues to hide Himself from us. But this is no longer a sign of His wrath or displeasure, as it was at the cross. Instead it is a sure sign of His desire to bless us because of the cross. He hides Himself in simple water, so that, when it is combined with the Word of God, that water eternally cleanses our souls, making us spotless so that we may stand in righteousness before Him. He conceals the very body and blood of Jesus, given and shed for the forgiveness of sins, in and under mere bread and wine. He even hides behind the voice of His called servant who speaks the holy word of forgiveness to us, as we confess in the Small Catechism, speaking with us through the voice of our pastors “as if Christ our dear Lord dealt with us Himself.”

So it is that the words that close out this portion of Psalm 22 become our joyful confession: “In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame.” God hid Himself from us to save us. That He does so is our joy and delight, our great eternal reward. In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

 

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

Sermon for 2/14/24: Ash Wednesday

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The Joy of Lent
Psalm 51:1-13

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

We have come to Ash Wednesday, the doorway into the season of Lent. We set aside our song of praise for the next forty days and begin a time of prayerful and penitential reflection as we walk with our Lord Jesus Christ to His cross and Passion. Lent seems like a roller coaster for the Christian Church. We’ve just come down from the literal mountaintop of the Transfiguration, and today we are given pointed reminder of our sinfulness. Palm Sunday will come along, and we will see our Lord acclaimed as the Son of David and the King who comes in the Name of the Lord. And then, days later, we will see Him arrested by the soldiers of the Chief Priest, put on trial by both King Herod and Pontius Pilate, and finally crucified. Throughout this wild ride, I urge you to pray and reflect on the goodness and tender mercies of the Lord.

Psalm 51 is an appropriate place to start our Lenten journey. This Psalm is a prayer of King David, a man who knew full well the goodness and mercy of the Lord. We don’t know exactly what David was experiencing as he wrote most of his Psalms, but the ascription for this Psalm clearly states that he wrote it “when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.” It was a spiritual low point for David. God had blessed him so richly, and yet that wasn’t enough for him. He committed adultery with Bathsheba, and then he contrived to have Bathsheba’s husband killed so he could take her legally as his wife.

God sent His prophet, Nathan, to preach the Law to the king. The Lord declared through Nathan, “I will raise up adversity against you from your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun.” He goes on to say, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die.” And the Lord’s words would be proven true. David would know little peace in his reign, including having to put down a rebellion led by his own son, Absolom. And as the Lord declared, the infant child born to David and Bathsheba died. In his grief for his dead son and in sorrow for his own sin, David cried the words of this Psalm to the Lord.

When we sin against our fellow man, sometimes we get away with it, at least in that we do not get caught by our neighbors. But our God sees and knows all that we do, and, as we learn in the Commandments, all sin is sin against God. When He calls us to task, all we can do, as David did, is confess our sins, cry out to the Lord, throw ourselves on His mercy, and then rely on that mercy. Listen again to David’s words:

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.

Repentance and confession: This is the wisdom that David seeks in verse 6, the wisdom to repent, to beg for mercy and forgiveness, and to know that God grants that forgiveness. “Have mercy on me, O God.” In writing about this Psalm, Father Luther said, “It is as though he were saying, ‘I know that I am evil and that I am a sinner, and that You are righteous. I know that You are the God of our fathers, who has promised that You will redeem sinners.’” He has made that promise to us. And more than that, God has made good on that promise. No sin is too wicked for God to forgive. And for the sake of Jesus Christ, every sin is forgiven.

This Lenten season is not just about some historic event. The promise that God made to David and to David’s fathers was fulfilled in Jesus Christ, the One who took our sins upon the cross with Him. We remember His death, and we remember and rejoice in the life He won for us upon the cross. David’s prayer was heard and answered in the person of Jesus Christ. And as the Lord showed mercy to David, in the same way He shows mercy to you. You are washed in your Baptism; you are clothed in the gleaming robes of our Lord’s righteousness, made whiter than snow in those bloody waters. There He has created a new heart for you; He has renewed that right spirit within you. He took your spirit that was sinful upon Himself, and He gave His sinless spirit to you. He did not cast you away from His presence; in fact, He promised to be with you always. According to His steadfast love, God has had mercy upon you. The Holy Supper that you are given and receive heals the bones of which David speaks, the bones that are broken in sin. The bones are healed; your sins are forgiven. You are assured of that when your Pastor, standing in the stead of Christ and speaking by His command, says to you, “I forgive you all sins.” With these words, our Lord has restored to you the joy of salvation. And there is no greater joy for sinners than to hear the truth that our loving Lord forgives you. In the name of the Father and of the Son (+) and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

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

Sermon for 1/21/24: The Transfiguration of Our Lord

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“Listen to Him”

Matthew 17:1-9

 

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

 

 

We are gathered together this morning with Peter, James, and John, for a what is, quite literally, a mountaintop experience. On the Mount we see Jesus surrounded by the Law and Prophets in the persons of Moses and Elijah. There we see Jesus, His appearance transformed, His face and clothing outshining the sun, and we realize that we are in the presence of God. This experience comes to us at God’s invitation. With the three disciples, we have become a part of Jesus’ inner circle. We stand on holy ground and hear the voice of the Father: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.”

“Listen to Him,” the Father tells us, because what He has to say to you is as important to you as anything you have ever heard. His words are the words of eternal life, spoken by the One who is the Life and Light of men. His words create and destroy; they kill and make alive; they condemn and absolve; they cast down and raise up. Jesus sustains all of creation by His Word. By His Word He daily provides for all our needs of body and life. By His Word He cares for our souls.

“Listen to Him,” for Jesus is the only One to whom it is really worth listening. “Listen to Him,” because the gruesome death He would suffer was as a sacrifice. He died in your place. You cannot die an innocent death, can you? You are a sinner, and whatever punishment you might have received for your sins was less than deserve. Jesus died to redeem you, a lost and condemned sinner, to pay the blood price you could never pay, to drain the full cup of God’s righteous wrath, so that you might drink only from the cup of salvation.

Jesus has invited you this day to behold “His glory,” as St. John put it, “the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.” As Peter said, “It is good for us to be here.” It really is. But too often we end up like Peter, confusing the rush of the mountaintop experience with the ultimate experience. We prefer the high emotion of the mountaintop. But the problem with the emotion of the mountaintop is that such an experience is all about the emotion; it has very little, if anything at all, to do with Jesus. Such an experience is more likely to draw your eyes away from Jesus and His cross and place your attention on how you feel. Our sinful nature wants a “feel-good” religion because we don’t really like hearing about our sins. We don’t like being told that there is nothing that we can do for ourselves. We want to stay on the mountain because our Lord’s cross and suffering are offensive. Surely there has to be some other way.

We need to stop looking for peace and joy in all the wrong places. When we seek Jesus only on the mountain, we end up rebuked with Peter: “Get behind me Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” Unless you recognize your sin, you will never see the need for Jesus and His love and sacrifice.

Jesus did not remain on that mountaintop because there was another mountain remaining for Him to climb: the mountain of the cross. He hung on the cross to spare you from having to make that climb. Jesus came down from the light of His glory to hang dead in the darkness of your sin. Jesus came down from the Mount of Transfiguration because His true glory was not in that moment when He shone with heavenly light; His true glory was in being nailed to the throne of His cross, lifted up so that He might draw all mankind to himself. There was no bright light to shine on the cross, no voice from heaven, no disciples but one, because all the rest had run away. There was nothing but the brutalized body of the Son of God, scandalously hanging in darkness on the cross, bearing the weight of the sin of the world—and all of it so that this world might have life. This was His glory, for on the cross, Jesus defeated sin, Satan, and the grave; He brought you out of death to eternal life.

Do you want to see the glorified Jesus? Then behold the Jesus of the Gospels. Listen to Him. God the Father is made known in the preaching of His Son, and Jesus Himself is revealed in the preaching of the cross! Listen to Him, for in His preaching you are called to faith, called to the glory that will most certainly be yours. Listen to Him, and behold Him in the Sacraments, for He is there in His living flesh, crucified, dead, buried, raised, and glorified for you. Listen to Him in the name that He puts on you in Holy Baptism. Listen to Him when He says to you, “Do this in remembrance of me.” Listen to Him, for “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” Listen to Jesus, because what He has to say to you is more important than anything else you have ever heard. His words are truth, and they are words of eternal life. What words are these? You have already heard Jesus speak them to you this day: “I forgive you 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 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.