Eve of the Circumcision and Name of Jesus - December 31, 2008

The Church Season of Christmas,
Eve of the Circumcision and Name of Jesus
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (December 31, 2008)
One Year Series

“What’s in a Name?”

Readings:
Numbers 6:22-27
Galatians 3:23-29 (NIV)
Luke 2:21


Sermon Form: Deductive

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Grace, mercy and peace be to you from the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen

The text for today is as recorded in the Gospel Lesson from the 2nd chapter of St. Luke.

Luke 2:21 (NIV)
21 On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise Him, He was named Jesus, the name the angel had given Him before He had been conceived.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

Tonight there will be a great celebration of another year ended and another year begun. It is a time when we are told to set aside the old and to ring in the new. A time of celebration set in tradition. Every country, every nationality, every family has their own tradition, I’m sure your family has some special tradition too. From my earliest memories, I recall our families way of celebrating New Year’s Eve, and how we would wake up the next day to Rose Bowl parades and watching endless football games on New Year’s Day. The tradition of our house was to stay up until midnight and watch the Time Square ball drop. We would listen to Guy Lombardo play “Auld Lang Syne,” and then we would step outside to shoot the shotgun three times. After all that excitement we quickly ducked back inside to eat some pork, sauerkraut, and mashed potatoes for good luck before going to bed. Most of the people today won’t remember who Guy Lombardo was, nor will they know the song or the lyrics to, “Auld Lang Syne” I know I’ve heard that song more than a few times. But I’ll have to admit that only recently did I bother to try to find out what those strange words meant. And when I did look it up I found that a modern English translation would be something like "long, long ago", "in olden days", or even "once upon a time." To our modern ears it would sound more like, "For old time's sake" or "back in the day."

In these “Good old days,” most around the world will be using the new calendar as an excuse to party, “to eat, drink, and be merry.” Some will look back to a better time, and some will look forward to better times that they hope are yet to come. In the midst of all the calendar changing celebration, and with all the revelry in the great centers of this world, another celebration will be taking place. This other overlooked but not forgotten celebration happened in days of long ago, once upon a time. But this celebration is not a fairy tale nor is it based in human tradition and it will not soon be forgotten, for this account is history which was written with the ink of human blood.

For long, long ago, On the eighth day after His birth the child of Bethlehem is given the Name Jesus. And if you think about it, it was Jesus who named Himself. For it was God who placed the Name Jesus in the ear of an Angel and that Angel who put the Name Jesus into the ear of Joseph, saying, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the Name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” (v. 20-21) Eight days after His birth Jesus was named, eight days after December the 25th would be tomorrow. Why eight days? Jesus was named on the eighth day, because that was the day of His circumcision and that is the day when a Jewish boy receives His name. And because God created the world in six days, and on the seventh day He rested, and the eighth day is God’s new beginning of His new creation.

Ah, but you may ask, "What’s in a name?" Shakespeare said, “A rose by any other name.” But what is the Name of the rose I have in mind tonight? It was Isaiah who foretold it and it was his words which were placed into a hymn proclaiming, “This Flower, whose fragrance tender, with sweetness fills the air, Dispels with glorious splendor, the darkness everywhere; True man, yet very God, From Sin and death he saves us, And lightens every load.” (LSB#359) Jesus is indeed the flower of which Isaiah foretold. The One who would be called Emmanuel, “God with us.”(Is. 7:14) For Isaiah guided by the Holy Spirit was looking forward to better days for his people and he knew they were yet to come. And Isaiah spoke of those better times to come when it would be said, “to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” (Is. 9:6) Quite a list of names for the one who was to come.

But Isaiah also knew of list of names for God, for Isaiah could look back to the beginning of all time and hear of the comfort God's Name had brought to His people. And in the olden times God was called, El meaning “strong” (Gen. 7:1), or El Shaddai – “Lord God Almighty” (Gen. 17:1), or YHWH Yireh – “The Lord will provide” (Gen 22:14), or YHWH Rophe – “The Lord who heals” (Ex 15:22-26) or even Yeshua meaning "Savior" "He will save"(Isa. 43:3). It is not a coincidence that the name Yeshua is Hebrew for Joshua. And Joshua in Hebrew is the same as Jesus in Greek.

Joshua, is the name of the Old Testament conqueror who led the children of Israel into the promised Land. But Joshua was a foreshadowing of the new and greater Joshua to come, who would be Yeshua, or Jesus. For He would be the One to come who would conquer sin, death, and the devil, and would lead the new children of Israel into the Promised Land of Heaven. (paraphrase Rev. Josh Schneider) For in giving His Son the Name Jesus, “God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the Name that is above every name, that at the Name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”(Php. 2:9-11)

Yet the world which we ponder this very night bows only to its own desires, for its own merriment, for waxing eloquent of lives past and for the hopes of future years. For it seems that the most important name in the 21st century is the name of the person which is reflecting in the mirror. And knees only seem to rarely bow to anything which is heavenward. Rather it is more likely that every tongue would wag in confession of greedy desires for self-fulfillment, stooping only to gain from worldly gratification.

This is the world in which we live. It is a world of sin into which we have been born into in which we participate. Yet it also the world into which Jesus the child was born. And on this night when few will notice, or celebrate His Name, we celebrate that Jesus came in the flesh to live up to every Name He that He has ever been called. For He is the One who was given the Name Jesus, who was strong for you as He went to the cross. The He is the One who was given the Name Jesus, who was Almighty for you as He died for you in His flesh. The He is the One who was given the Name Jesus, who is the Lord, who healed you by forgiving all your sins. And He is the One who was given the Name Jesus, the Name above all Names, He saves you still. For it is He who saved you and placed His Name upon you in the life giving waters of your Baptism. That is why baptismal fonts are given eight sides, because it is the Name of Jesus which saved you from the world you were born into. And because Jesus saved you from your sins He makes you His new creation. And Jesus saves you still in the forgiveness of sins which He offers in His true body and blood in Holy Communion.

While the meaning and the name of that song of yesteryear, “Auld Land Syne,” may fade away, the meaning and the Name of Jesus will never fade. For Jesus’ Name means, “He will save.” So if you should ask, “What’s in that Name?” The answer is everything. For in Jesus’ Name you are given the promise that your eternal future will never fade. AMEN

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First Sunday after Christmas - 12-28-08

The Church Season of Christmas,
1st Sunday after Christmas,
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (December 28, 2008)
One Year Series

“See Your Salvation”

Readings:
Is 11:1-5
Gal. 4:1-7
Luke 2:22-40


Sermon Form: Deductive

+INI+

Grace, mercy and peace be to you from the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen

The text for today is as recorded in the Gospel Lesson from the 2nd chapter of St. Luke, especially the following verse.

Luke 2:22-40 (NIV)

26 It had been revealed to Simeon by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, 28 Simeon took Jesus in his arms and praised God, saying: 29 “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you now dismiss your servant in peace. 30 For my eyes have seen your salvation, 31 which you have prepared in the sight of all people, 32 a light for revelation to the Gentiles and for glory to your people Israel.”

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

The day we have long waited for has arrived, the baby of Bethlehem was born on Christmas Day, for us. Christ the child who can not be contained or constrained waited for 9 months His mother’s womb, but now the world can see His face. The shepherds, and onlookers had all come and now they had all gone. And the sacred face of this Christ child is revealed so that lowly mankind can see God and live, just as Isaiah had prophesied, “And the glory of the Lord will be revealed, and all mankind together will see it. For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”(Is 40:5)

So the glory of the Lord was revealed in Bethlehem in this Christ child, even from the eighth day after His birth, the eighth day after Christmas, this Christ child shed His blood for us when He was circumcised according to the Law. And at the close of a total of forty days His mother, His earthly father and their child would enter into the temple and offer a sacrifice of purification (Lev. 12:1–8; Luke 2:22), to see that the Lord’s Law was fulfilled.

Today’s Gospel lesson tells us that the forty days after Jesus' birth in Bethlehem had been completed. Christ’s earthly parents took Him to the Temple in Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord. And the Lord was in the Temple waiting to see His Son. For under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, a man named Simeon was waiting for the arrival of the Lord’s Christ. So when Simeon saw Jesus he took the baby in his arms, praised God and spoke the words which we still sing in our liturgy to this day, words which we call “The Nunc Dimitis.” Simeon said, “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word: 30 For mine eyes have seen thy salvation, 31 Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people; 32 A light to lighten the Gentiles, and the glory of thy people Israel.”(Luke 2:28-32) In keeping with God's promise, Simeon saw God's salvation with his own eyes.

To see his salvation with his own eyes was enough for Simeon. Simeon recognized the Lord, the Messiah, this Christ child, was not only in the temple, but being cradled in his very hands. Simeon said to Mary, “This child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel”(v. 33) It is also very ironic at the very moment that Simeon was speaking to this Christ-child, a prophetess named Anna walked up, saw the child and, “she gave thanks to God and spoke about the child to all who were looking forward for the redemption of Jerusalem.”(v. 38)

Anna saw the same thing that Simeon did they both saw the Lord’s Christ. Just like Simeon, Anna had waited for the Lord’s Christ to come to God’s temple. And while she waited we are told Anna, “worshiped night and day, fasting and praying.”(v.37) So Anna waited in faith for a very long, long time to see the Lord come to her.

In this reunion of strangers four people gathered around Christ to look upon Him. Joseph and Mary, Simeon and Anna, these were people who were from various stages in life, a mother, a father, a widow, a married couple, a woman, a man, and a baby was there too. This Christ child would be a revelation for the gentiles and glory for His people of Israel. Yet Christ had come for one and for all, for the Jews, and the Gentiles but more than that, His birth revealed that all mankind would be subject to His mercy.

Yet we do not hear Simeon and Anna grumbling or complaining that they had to wait for the Messiah for many years. No, they had waited patiently, praying and fasting, worshipping at the temple and listening to God’s word being read. And when Jesus was presented, Anna and Simeon saw the baby, and proclaimed this was the Lord’s Christ who would bring salvation to all who believe in Him.

We would like to think that we are just like Anna, just like Simeon...faithful our entire lives, doing no wrong, patiently waiting for the Lord. Yet unlike them, we get tangled in the business of our lives. And in all this complex busyness of our world, we loose sight of the fact that God sent His Son in the very simple form of a child to offer salvation for everyone. We are blinded by sin and fail to see that Christ came to save the rich and the poor, the well dressed and the poorly dressed, those of high stature and those of no stature. This Christ child who came into the world even for those people seem to prosper without any faith, without believing in God, without praying, or without going to church. Yes, God’s salvation is offered even to those people, who we think have earned nothing before God. And indeed they have done nothing to earn their way before God, but neither have we. To be truthful we should repent and admit it, that we have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. Yet the Christ child the babe of Bethlehem came for us, and He still comes to you too.

Jesus came to the temple forty days old and Simeon held Jesus in his hands. This Christ child in the arms of Simeon sees injustice in the world and comes to bring peace on earth, goodwill toward men. For if we ever feel poor in spirit, He brings us salvation which is wealth beyond measure. This Christ child Jesus brings us faith in the hearing of His Holy Word. This Christ child Jesus brings us salvation in the waters of our baptism. This Christ child Jesus brings us forgiveness of sins, renews, and refreshes our faith by giving His true body and blood to us in Holy Communion. Simeon and Anna looked upon this Christ child and saw that their salvation had come to them. Look upon the manger not just today, or this season, but every day throughout the year and you will see that your salvation has come to you too.

This Christ child who came to see to it that He would fulfill His Father’s Law. And even before the human eyes of this child of Bethlehem could focus, Christ the Son of God had his eyes firming focused on you and your salvation. For He had prepared all the things of this world and He Himself came to see it through for you, His people. This is the Christ child who was brought to the Temple by Mary and Joseph who became the Christ man who brought Himself to the cross to pay for our sins. Jesus Christ, was both God and man, whose eyes looked down from heaven and saw the world He created. Jesus Christ was both God and man who looked down from the cross and saw to it that He completed your salvation. And because of all that He has done, all of us who are His servants may depart this world in everlasting peace, according to His Word. And according to Christ’s Word you will see Him for He has done all that needs to be done so that you may eternally see your salvation.

AMEN
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Christmas Day - 12-25-08

The Church Season of Christmas,
Christmas Day,
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (December 25, 2008)
One Year Series

“JUST AS THEY HAD BEEN TOLD”

Readings:

Micah 5:2-5
Titus 3:4-7
Luke 2:1-20

Sermon Form: Deductive

+INI+

Grace, mercy and peace be to you from the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen

The text for today is as recorded in the Gospel Lesson from the 2nd chapter of Luke, especially verses 10 and 11.

Luke 2:1-20 (NIV)

15 When the angels had left them and gone into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let’s go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has told us about.” 16 So they hurried off and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in the manger. 17 When they had seen him, they spread the word concerning what had been told them about this child, 18 and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things and pondered them in her heart. 20 The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit

We have been told of a journey by Joseph and Mary to the insignificant place Bethlehem the city of David. In the time of Jesus’ birth, this journey from Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to Bethlehem was more than a day of travel. And on that journey a child from the infinite heavens, was being carried in the finite earthly womb of his mother. Yet He was from the timeless and infinite with no beginning, and this journey to Bethlehem was not His end. This journey was from Heaven to earth, from the infinite to the incarnate, from the comfort of His mother arms, to the pain of the cross, from His death into hell, and from His resurrection into heaven. This babe of Bethlehem was born knowing of all these events, knowing of the past and of all that was to come. But even knowing all things, and in spite of all that was, He came just the same. The prophet Micah foretold of His journey saying, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.”(Micah 5:2) Indeed this child who would rule over Israel was from of old, even from ancient times, just as Micah and all the prophets had told.

And we are told that upon His birth an angel of the Lord appeared to the shepherds in the shadows of the darkness. These shepherds were “living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night”(v. 8) minding their own business. But the silence of that peaceful night was broken by the appearance of angels. Certainly being visited by angels in the night was startling, and not a common occurrence. And is the case in of all appearances of angels the first reaction of these Shepherds is that they were terrified. ”But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom His favor rests.”(Lk 10-14) And from the song of angels from the heavenly hosts, the shepherds were calmed from all their fear. And with angelic guidance these lowly shepherds journeyed from their fields to see with their own eyes what they had been told. And what they found was “Mary and Joseph, and the baby, who was lying in a manger”(Lk. 2:16) Here in total human helplessness was the very Son of God, just as they had been told.

Throughout our lives we too have been told of the account of Jesus birth. We have been told countless times about the wondrous proclamation of angels who appeared to Joseph and Mary. And from the “Angels we have heard on high, sweetly singing o’er the plain” who bid the Shepherds to “Come adore on bended knee Christ the Lord the newborn King.”(LSB#368) It is much more than a story of Jesus birth, much more than just history. For in Jesus’ birth, you are told of His Gospel, His Good News. Martin Luther wrote that, “the Gospel does not only teach the history concerning Christ; but it enables all who believe it to receive it as their own, which is the way the Gospel operates...Of what benefit would it be to me of Christ had been born a thousand times, and it would be daily sung into my ears in a most lovely manner, if I were never to hear that He was born [FOR ME]and was to be my very own”(Luther’s Church Postil, Vol. I, p. 149)

We are told that the tiny baby of Bethlehem is the sacred face of God, of whom “seers of old time chanted of with one accord.”(LSB384:3) He is the one from the beginning of whom Adam and Eve were told would come to crush sins evil head. We are told this child resting in the wood of animals feed box appeared to men in such a lowly state was, in fact, born of royal lineage. We are told of all the many generations from Abraham to David to Babylon to Christ, yet the Christ child was not called Joseph’s son. You have been told that the little baby of Bethlehem, “grew in wisdom and stature,”(Luke 2:52) in the house of Joseph the carpenter. You have been told that the little baby who once lay in the wooden feed box, would one day lay down His body for your sins. You have been told that He would be called Immanuel, “God with us,” and He is the one who came to be with us as that baby. He is with us as He became the man who ultimately lay down His life, so that He could, “save His people from their sins.”(v.21)

Yet we live in a world which tells us that the celebration of this day is not about that baby in Bethlehem. We are told by this world that the story of the Christ child is just that, a story and nothing more. We live in a world which does its very best to distract us with sparkling lights, politically correct prayers, newscasts spewing economic woes, and of the wrestling of the world’s rulers for political power. Even more than that, we tell ourselves that what we want and what we need is the most important story, and from this kind of thinking God has told us to repent.

Rather than being confused by our own sin and the distractions of this world, instead hear again what the Shepherds were told, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord”(Lk. 1:10-11) Do not be afraid by what you hear or what you have been told by the pundits of this world. Do not be afraid of what you are told from your doubt within. Rather, you are told, that “today in the town of David [Your] Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord.” And this Savior is with you this very day in Holy Communion. For He has told you, “This IS my body, this IS my blood, shed for you for the forgiveness of your sins.” You may treasure up and ponder all these things in your heart, but your salvation does not lie there. Rather your salvation is with the child lying in a manger. It is He who has told you that your sins are forgiven. It is He who has told you that you have been made His in your Holy Baptism.

Upon Christ’s birth, “The shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things they had heard and seen, which were just as they had been told.” Because of the birth of the Christ, one day you will return to Him and you will see the eternal babe of Bethlehem. And on that day you will join in eternally glorifying and praising God for all the things that you have heard and for all that you will see, just as you have been told.

AMEN
In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen
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Christmas Eve - 12-24-08

The Church Season of Christmas,
Christmas Eve,
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (December 24, 2008)
One Year Series

“THE BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST”

Readings: Matthew 1:18-21

Sermon Form: Deductive

+INI+

Grace, mercy and peace be to you from the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen

The text for today is as recorded in the Gospel Lesson from the 1st chapter of St. Matthew, especially the following verses.

Matthew 1:18-21 (NIV)

18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel”—which means, “God with us.” 24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

“This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.”(v.18) On this evening of blessed expectation these words recorded by St. Matthew give answer to countless questions which mankind has asked for centuries. “How could [One who is]infinite reside in a womb? How could He that contains all, be carried as yet unborn, by a woman?"(Chrysostom) It is unfathomable to our minds, that the Virgin Mary held in her womb what the whole world, the whole universe, could not contain. Yet so many years ago on this very night the unimaginable became reality, the Father sent His Son, the infinite had became incarnate, and now the timeless was born in human time. And in human time Joseph became aware that his betrothed was with child, through “the Holy Spirit.” (v. 18) Of course Mary the mother of God knew this for “God sent the angel Gabriel to Nazareth, a town in Galilee, to a virgin pledged to be married to a man named Joseph, a descendant of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. The angel went to her and said, “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.” (Lk. 1:26-28) Upon learning that she would become pregnant and bear the Son of God, Mary asked, “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.”(Lk. 1:34-35)

Joseph the one betrothed to Mary found her to be with child, and so he being a righteous man sought to the right thing by divorcing her. Ironically Joseph in trying to do the righteous thing by divorcing Mary quietly, would have done the wrong thing. For here in the womb of his betrothed was the Son of God, conceived by the voice of the Holy Spirit. Probably not exactly the way Joseph had envisioned his children to be conceived, but quite frankly that birth was inconceivable. But Jesus, “was appropriately born contrary to the law of human nature because He was beyond nature.”(p. 13 Ancient Christian Commentary Vol. I-a, Mt. 1:18) Christ was with the Father and the Holy Spirit from infinity and so He was with the Father when all of King David’s Fathers were begotten. Now Joseph the Son of David hears news of the son who had begotten him.

For the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were in the Garden when God breathed onto dirt and Adam became man. And God saw that there was no helper fit for Adam so He created Eve. And though they were created by the voice of God, they did not listen to it, so their sin and doubt caused them to be cast from that Garden of peace. But even as Adam and Eve were ushered out of paradise because of their sin, they were given the promise that Eve’s offspring would crush the ancient serpents head. And so the sons of Adam were Noah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, David and his son Solomon, and the house of David whose linage of sons lead down to Joseph. A long family lineage that included murders, adulterers, Gentiles, and sinners. But Christ came not to be the son of these Father’s. Rather Christ the son, the child of Bethlehem chose to adopt the people of His family, Christ was the one for whom they had looked to save them from their sin. In the birth of Christ, infinite compassion, mercy, and forgiveness was born just as foretold by prophets and angels who had said, “He will save his people from their sins.”(v. 21) He was the one born to be named Jesus, and He was the one of whom Isaiah spoke who would be called Immanuel, “God with us.”(v.23) The Christ child was born to save His fathers and their people.

Joseph was “a righteous man and did not want to expose [Mary] her to public disgrace.”(v.19) We here tonight perceive ourselves as a righteous family of God, yet the sin in our lives is a public disgrace. Truth be told, truth be confessed we are of the same sinful lineage as the Father’s whom the Christ child came to save. So fear not, the child of Mary, who is the infinite God became man and He came to save you too. And now, as St. Paul proclaimed, “You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.”(Gal. 3:26-27) In that baby born of Mary, “the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, [so] that we might receive the full rights of sons.”(Gal. 4:4-5) That baby who came to us knew the course of history, and of the future. That baby would one day learn to walk, and that baby one day walked to the cross to give you forgiveness for all your sins. This Christ child was born to save His sons and their people.

On this the holiest of holy nights, you may cast your eyes upon the manger, you may look with favor upon that child named Jesus, you may hear His voice spoken to you from the cross. Know that this child came for you. Know that the child is here for you tonight in His true body and true blood. Know that the child of Bethlehem conquers your sin and He gives you innocence which you could never gain by your own actions. For this child born of Mary came to save, “His people from their sin.” This Christ child was born to save all the people of this world.

We are His people. By His death and resurrection we have been made children of the Christ child. This Christ child, Immanuel, “God with us” gives us a new birth in His promise, that for all eternity it will most certainly be....us with God. AMEN.

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Advent 4 - Rorate Coeli - 12-21-08

Advent 4
One Year Series
Rorate Coeli

Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (December 21, 2008)

“The Witness”

Readings:
Psalm 111
Dt. 18:15-19
Philippians 4:4-7
John 1:19-28

Sermon Form: Deductive

+INI+

Grace, mercy and peace be to you
from God the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen

The text for today is as recorded in the Gospel Lesson from the 1st chapter of St. John, especially the following verses.

John 1:19-28 (ESV)

19 And this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.” 24 (Now they had been sent from the Pharisees.) 25 They asked him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, 27 even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 28 These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

The trial had begun, the testimony of John the Baptist was now being taken by the priests and Levites. As a good witness John knows that he has sworn to confess the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. And in this case, John, “came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe.”(Jn. 1:7) So they asked John, “Who are you?”(v.19) John told the truth, “He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, ‘I am not the Christ.’”(v. 20) That was not good enough, so more questions followed. John told them he was not Elijah, and that he was not a prophet. So they cut to the chase and they asked him, “Who are you?”(v. 22) And John said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”(v. 23) So they continued by asking him, “Then why are you baptizing, if you are neither the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” [and] John answered them, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know”(v. 25-26)

“The Jews had a certain attachment to John. They deemed it unfitting that he be held as [lowly] less as Christ, because of the many proofs of John’s excellence, chief of which was his illustrious origin, for [John the Baptist] he was a son of a Prince of the priests….[and] In Christ was seen the opposite: His lowly birth, with which they reproached Him, saying, “Is this not the son of the carpenter?”(Chrysostom)

Yet John remained a good witness. He refused to point to himself, instead he pointed to the one to come. For John the Baptist did cry in the wilderness, but the water in his tears was just plain water. John admits it for he knows that he does not have the authority of the one to come. But Christ had “all authority in heaven and on earth.”(Mt. 28:18) and so the water which flowed from His side on the cross was water combined with God’s Word.

The interrogating priests and the Levites see John baptizing and they expect the Christ. But, this witness John says he is not the Christ and he says so. Instead John points them to another, one who is far greater than he. So what is the greatness of the one to come?

For over fifteen centuries the church has the witness of “The Great “O” Antiphons” which are prayers which are traditionally spoken in the seven days prior to Christmas. Each of these prayers witness to the one who far greater than us, to what God has done for us. Like the witness of John the Baptist these prayers point us to the preparation for the one to come, and they lead us from this time of expectations to the time of the incarnation. Many of you may be familiar with them as they are reflected in the verses of the hymn, “O Come, O Come, Emmanuel.”(LSB #357) but I will share them with you now as well...

O Wisdom, proceeding from the mouth of the Most High, pervading and permeating all creation, mightily ordering all things: Come and teach us the way of prudence.

We witness the Wisdom of God in all that He has created, ordered, and prepared. God sent His Son and His way of prudence is the cross, for there in His death and resurrection He prepares for His path to eternal life.

O Adonai and ruler of the house of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the burning bush and gave him the Law on Sinai; Come with outstretched arm and redeem us.

We witness God speaking His Law to man and man but we would not hear it. God’s Son prepares the way as stretches out His arms and He redeems us.

O Root of Jesse, standing as an ensign before the people, before whom all kings are mute, to whom the nations will do homage: Come quickly to deliver us.

We witness the King of kings, the Lord of lords, in our baptism He has prepared us for His return.

O Key of David and scepter of the house of Israel, You open and no one can close, You close and no one can open: Come and rescue the prisoners who are in darkness and the shadow of death.

We witness the Son who holds the key to heaven, He prepares us so that we no longer fear the shadow of death.

O Dayspring, splendor of light everlasting: Come and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.

We witness Christ who is the way and the truth and the life. His sacrifice prepares us to leave the shadows of this world and to come into His everlasting light.

O King of the nations, the ruler they long for, the cornerstone uniting all people: Come and save us all, who You formed out of clay.

We witness the Christ who unites His people, He prepares us by saving us all from our sins.

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

We witness the anointed One who comes as Savior of the Nations. He prepares as He is our Lord who is seated at the right hand of God the Father.

Isaiah prophesied and witnessed to the coming glory of God’s Messiah, and that the same Messiah would come again in glory to save His people. But Isaiah was not the Messiah. John the Baptist cried in the wilderness, and prepared the way of the Lord. But, did not claim to be the Messiah. Christ came into the world and was made man. Christ was, Christ is, Christ will ever be the Messiah, Emmanuel, God with us. For many came before Him to give witness to all that He would do. And Christ has ascended into heaven and He will come again for you.

This final day of Advent we stand in preparation for Christ to return. And as we wait we sing together the refrain, “O come, O come, Emmanuel, And ransom captive Israel, That mourns in lonely exile here, Until the Son of God appear.”(LSB 357) These next few days in the season of Christmas ahead we will witness the celebration of the birth of Christ, Emmanuel, God with us. That Christ child has come, and that savior will return for us, so you may eternally, "Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel shall come to thee, O Israel! " Amen.

The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

AMEN
+SDG+

Advent 3 - Midweek - 12-17-2008

Advent 3, Midweek
One Year Lectionary,
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (December 17, 2007)

“The Mountain of reunion”

Isaiah 66:18-23
John 12:25-36

+INI+

Grace, mercy and peace be to you from the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen

The text for today is as recorded in the Old Testament Reading of Isaiah the 66th chapter, especially the following verses.

Isaiah 66:18-23 (ESV)

18 “For I know their works and their thoughts, and the time is coming to gather all nations and tongues. And they shall come and shall see my glory, 19 and I will set a sign among them. And from them I will send survivors to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands far away, that have not heard my fame or seen my glory. And they shall declare my glory among the nations. 20 And they shall bring all your brothers from all the nations as an offering to the Lord, on horses and in chariots and in litters and on mules and on dromedaries, to my holy mountain Jerusalem, says the Lord, just as the Israelites bring their grain offering in a clean vessel to the house of the Lord. 21 And some of them also I will take for priests and for Levites, says the Lord. 22 “For as the new heavens and the new earth that I make shall remain before me, says the Lord, so shall your offspring and your name remain. 23 From new moon to new moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before me, declares the Lord.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

In our final Advent Midweek service we hear the prophecy of Isaiah speak of a great reunion on the holy mountain in Jerusalem. As we have said in previous weeks, Isaiah offers a vision into the future which is staggeringly accurate. For Isaiah’s prophecies span beyond his own life to nearly 700 years later to the first coming of Christ and then far into the future to the second coming of Jesus Christ. Here in our reading from Isaiah tonight we hear of people coming from many countries, far off islands, a reuniting of all the peoples from all over the world.

Can you imagine a reunion of all the people from the entire world and gathering them in one place. What would that reunion look like? Would that reunion appear like some sort of whimsical old coca-cola commercial from the 70’s where everyone gathered together there on a bright and sunny perfect mountain, singing in perfect harmony? Or would it be more like trying to gather hundreds of people around that famous negotiating table from the Vietnam War? If you don’t remember that table, it was a table over which warring leaders could not agree. But it was not about war terms they couldn’t agree about the physical shape of table. Some at those peace talks wanted a square table, others wanted a rectangle, still others wanted a round table. Many months passed by, many people died on the battlefield, while V.I.P. leaders struggled to come to an agreement on a table. Ultimately a reunion for peace was stalled because they couldn’t agree regarding which shape of table should be used.

If we were called to attend a great reunion of all the peoples in our world today, upon receiving our invitation our first reaction would probably be sort of negativity with a twisted tinge of sarcasm. For there is no way we could ever consider that it would be physically or humanly possible for all the world’s different countries, all the different peoples, to come together in one place. How in the world would the people of Israel come together on one mountain with the people of Iran? How in the world would the people of China sit down next to people of Taiwan? How could all the people from everywhere in the world come together when there is so much division in the world? And if international division is not enough, what about the division in our own countries. Or what about the divisions in our own families? We all have that special brother, sister, cousin, or crazy uncle that we all try to avoid at our own family reunions. And what of those people in our own church who we try to avoid too. How could a reunion of such magnitude ever happen when it seems that there is always some sort of division?

Yet the prophecy was written, Isaiah proclaimed of that great future reunion of, “all your brothers, from all the nations, to [God’s]holy mountain in Jerusalem.”(v. 20) for He said, “they shall come and shall see my glory. I will set a sign among them.”(v. 18-19) So this reunion does not happen because of the motivation of man, this great reunion will occur because of God’s actions.

Yes you will come to see God’s glory, for the time is now coming to gather at His holy mountain. Just as Isaiah prophesied, God’s did set His sign before His people when, “an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a Son, and you are to give Him the Name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet [Isaiah]: “The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call Him Immanuel”—which means, “God with us.” (Mt. 1:20-23) Yet even when the glory of God was united in flesh when Christ came into this world, the world still did know Him. The whole world did not rush to gather for a great reunion with their long prophesied savior. Man could not agree on who He was and even in the face of His great miracles they would not see His glory. So instead of a glorious reunion, sinful man reacted to God’s sign by building a cross, and then around that cross mankind gathered to return signs of insults. Those signs were real too, they were signs of human sin and doubt were united with Christ on that cross.

Though man was blinded by sin, that God-man Jesus Christ, hung upon that cross so that the union of humanity with God would be restored and that indeed was a mountain of reunion. For left to the designs of man we see that we still do not agree with other nations, or peoples, or even our own families. But God does not leave salvation to the design of man, rather God in the death and resurrection of Christ restores humanity.

God’s restoration of humanity would not gather the world together in the physical city of the worldly Jerusalem. Rather God lovingly brings His people to Him in a great reunion where there will be a new heavens and the new earth in His city of the New Jerusalem.

And as we await this heavenly reunion, God gives to you now, this very night, a foretaste of that reunion to come. For this day you are united with Him when you are given Christ’s true body and true blood in Holy Communion. And what of that great reunion to come? All who believe and have been baptized will come together on that reunion on His holy mountain. For in your baptism you were given a sign too, the sign of the cross, which marks you as one redeemed by Christ the crucified.

God said through the prophet Isaiah, “For as the new heavens and the new earth that I make shall remain before me, [says the Lord], so shall your offspring and your name remain. 23 From new moon to new moon, and from Sabbath to Sabbath, all flesh shall come to worship before me, declares the Lord.”(Is. 66:22-23) Oh, what a glorius reunion it shall be as we are reunited in eternal worship on that day of Christ’s return when He gathers us to His everlasting Mountain of reunion.

The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

AMEN
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Advent 3 - Guadete - 12-14-08

The Church Season of Advent
Advent 3 – Gaudete
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI December 14, 2008

“A reed shaken by the wind”

Readings:
Is. 40:1–11
Psalm 85
1 Cor. 4:1-5
Matthew 11:2-11

+INI+

Grace, mercy and peace be to you from the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen

The text for today’s message is as recorded in the Gospel lesson from the 11th chapter of St. Matthew, especially the following verses

Matthew 11:2-11 (NASB95)

2 Now when John, while imprisoned, heard of the works of Christ, he sent word by his disciples 3 and said to Him, “Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?” 4 Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: 5 the blind receive sight and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. 6 “And blessed is he who does not take offense at Me.” 7 As these men were going away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? 8 “But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ palaces! 9 “But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and one who is more than a prophet. 10 “This is the one about whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You, Who will prepare Your way before You.’ 11 “Truly I say to you, among those born of women there has not arisen anyone greater than John the Baptist! Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

So Far the Text

Jesus asks in our Gospel lesson if the people went out into the wilderness to see if John were like a reed shaken by the wind. Yet John, didn't bend to the prevailing breezes of his day in order to become more popular and to be well liked. John just preached the truth which God had given him to preach. But telling the truth does not always win friends, and when proclaiming the Lord it does include making enemies. John is calling it like he sees it and he does not live in luxury, but in obscurity. John wore the rough clothing of a camel skins, ate locusts and wild honey while calling out, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" That's how he prepared the way of the Lord Jesus, that is how he would make paths straight. He told people the truth about their sin and called them to turn from it. He did not mix words, nor was he mild mannered about his approach. John spoke in no uncertain terms to the people who came out to see him. He called them you, "Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father." And we are the vipers of today who still smile at each other when face to face, yet we strike with sharp fangs when we think no one is paying attention or listening. John the Baptist would not have been the pastor we would want or call to encourage new membership in our church, but John knew that people had to be confronted about the reality of their bondage to sin and their fallen condition. And if these people were looking to their good deeds of the past, present, and future, then they would not be ready for the One who was to come. John knew the Law is preached to sinners who are secure with themselves, the ones that know that they are better than everyone else. These people are the ones who are not yet ready for the Gospel, we deny we have met those people yet they are us.

We constantly hear the message of John, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." In hearing his words he still calls out to us today to turn away from our sin, to stop justifying it and to stop making excuses for it. We are helpless before God, despite our best efforts, yet we refuse to acknowledge it. We do so when we say, “don’t look at me I’m no sinner”, if those words are spoken or even thought then we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. Our only hope is in this truth: Though the things of this world grow and die, “the grass withers and the flowers fades,” the only constant is, "the Word of our God endures forever."(Is. 40:8) and that Word is Jesus Christ.

This season of Advent we look forward to the Word, the Son of God, who has come into this world for us and who will return for us. Though Jesus was without sin, He took the curse of our sin into His own body and then He broke the curse, putting it to death on the cross. Even though the power of sin would drag us down to hell, the sin that condemns us, was completely destroyed and abolished on the cross at Calvary. Now, through faith in Jesus, we are released, we are free, we have been made holy. St. Peter writes, "You have been born again, not of corruptible seed but incorruptible, through the word of God which lives and abides forever." All who have been baptized into Jesus, the Word made flesh, will live and abide forever in Him. Just as a lily dies in the winter but comes forth to life again from the bulb in the spring, so also you will rise again to an everlasting spring when Jesus returns.

Some may still wonder if John the Baptist was swaying in the wind when he asked if this man Jesus was Christ were the expected One to come, or should we look for someone else. Isn’t this the same John who leapt for joy while in his mother’s womb when Jesus’ mother drew near? How ironic it was that when John could not physically see he believed, but as he aged did something weaken? How could this John not now recognize his own cousin, why would he even have to ask whether Jesus was the promised one? Some may say it was not John who was doubting but it was those who were around him. Whether it was John or his disciples who doubted if Christ was the one, the question was still asked by those weakened in faith by their own sin.

We may wonder why John would do such a thing, why would he or others bend to the pressure of the winds of hot air from the people around him? Yet we, at this very moment ask this same question as we sit here impatiently on earth. Are you really the Christ who is going to save me or should I look for another. Our post-modern world offers us many suggestions which follow the winds which would blow us in many directions yet offer no lasting comfort. It may be in ten easy steps to more riches, or how to win friends and influence people, or it may be the fool hearty theory that there are many religions and many ways to a god. When we succumb to those thoughts we are not only shaken in the wind we gladly travel the twisted winding breezes which flow through this world. A world which seeks not the truth, but rather only defines truth by whatever you say it might be and that is not truth. But if you say to someone that their god is untruth, you will offend them.

But, Jesus says, "Blessed is he who is not offended because of Me." And Jesus says to you, blessed are you who are not scandalized by My suffering on the cross. If we are offended when asked to repent then our indignity has convicted us, we are guilty as charged. The worldly winds have not only blown a sinful breeze to bend the reeds, those same winds bend and break our faith. We have the audacity to deny our sin, and then compound it by daring someone to say what we have done wrong, and whether we say it or think it, it is then that we have deceived ourselves and the truth is not in us.

But blessed are you who are not offended by your need to repent and to trust in Jesus alone to save you. Blessed are you who are just like John the Baptist or his disciples who have been swayed yet would still ultimately cling to and place your hope in Jesus Christ.

We wait here in this place wondering if Christ will ever get here. We are here together in the great Advent of our Lord, anticipating the second coming of Christ. We are here together awaiting the time to celebrate the birth of the Christ child in Bethlehem. While the season of Christ’s birth is near, even more importantly, season of Christ’s return is near. His kingdom draws near to you, because the Christ, the King Himself is at hand. He is here for you today for Jesus Christ gives you His body and blood for you for the forgiveness of sins. Christ has done and will do all these things, He is our only comfort in our times of sorrow, loneliness, or need. And though the things of this world will blow us about and we will be shaken by the winds of our sin, Christ is not shaken, His path has been prepared and it comes straight for you, and one day you will no longer be shaken by the things of this world, for one day He will come again and your path will return straight to Him. AMEN

The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

+SDG+

Advent 2 Midweek - 12-10-08

Advent 2, Midweek
One Year Lectionary,
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (December 10, 2007)

“The Mountain of Good News”

Readings:

Isaiah 52:7-10
John 12:26-36

Sermon Form: Deductive

+INI+

Grace, mercy and peace be to you from the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen

The text for today is as recorded in the Old Testament Reading of Isaiah the 52nd chapter, especially the following verses.

Isaiah 52:7-10 (NIV)

7 How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” 8 Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices; together they shout for joy. When the Lord returns to Zion, they will see it with their own eyes. 9 Burst into songs of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem, for the Lord has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem. 10 The Lord will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

In our Advent Midweek services we continue with our theme of coming to the Holy Mountain of Israel through the prophecy of Isaiah. Last week we heard Isaiah speak of the Mountain of Peace. Tonight we hear the prophet Isaiah proclaim of, “The Mountain of Good News” which God proclaims through his lips saying, “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace.”(v.7)

A few hundred years after Isaiah, yet still five hundred years before Christ, there is a legend which speaks of a man who ran 150 miles in two days and then right after that it is said he ran another 26 miles. And all that running was supposedly just for the purpose of announcing that the Greek army had obtained victory over the Persians in the battle of Marathon. Upon finishing this long running race, the messenger spoke only one word, "Νενικήκαμεν" meaning, “we have won.” This message inferred that the Greek army had won though the help of their mythical god Pan who instilled an extreme sort of fear, an irrational, blind fear that paralyzed the mind and suspended any sense of judgment. Pan, it sounds a lot like panic doesn’t it? But the bad news is that after this legendary Olympic run to deliver a simple word of good news, the runner immediately dropped stone cold dead right there in his tracks. Not even enough time to climb a podium and receive a gold medal.

The prophecy of Isaiah speaks of another and much different messenger than the one bandied about in the legends of the Greeks. For Isaiah knew that seeing the feet of one lone messenger return from battle would indeed be perceived as a Mountain of Good News. For Israel throughout it’s history had seen more than it’s share of good news and bad news. The Israelites knew what bad news was, they had lived through it for generations. They had experienced hundreds of years of Egyptian slavery and that was bad news. They lived through wars, pestilence, and famine and that was bad news. Serving kings and rulers and an endless string of invading armies who were less than merciful and peaceful to them and all of those thing compounded upon each other was their mountain of bad news.

But God gave the prophet Isaiah the vision to see well beyond his time to a future time when a messenger would stand on the Mountain of Zion He would proclaim the good news that, “Your God reigns!”(v. 7) If one looks out and sees a multitude of beaten and war weary stragglers returning from a battle it can only mean that the army is retreating because it has suffered defeat. But the advent of this lone returning messenger would mean that the war is over and oh how beautiful that sight would be. To see the feet of only one messenger and to hear of his return speaking the good news of peace, good tidings, and salvation. For the proclamation of the word of peace means that the time of threats and the time of war has ended. The lone messenger means that with Him comes good tidings and that in turn will cause all to have great joy. And salvation, well that means that the old evil foe, the oppressor, has been destroyed, broken, and conquered.

But our eyes and ears in the here and now only see mountains of failures in a fallen world which seems to be getting worse every single day. Our hearts and minds are like those of Israelites who witnessed the Roman army as it destroyed the Jerusalem temple and the stones of the city walls lay strewn in ruins. We are daily instilled with the fear of what is to come of our economy, of our jobs, of our savings, and our livelihood, and ultimately we fear what will come of us when we die. Our nightly news and discussion with the people around us instill us with an extreme sort of fear. It is a faithless fear that is irrational, and it is a blind fear that has paralyzed our minds. Our own sin has suspended our sense of judgment. And when we succumb to this fear, we stand with all humanity who throughout the ages who lacked faith and therefore were overcome by sin to induce us to worship the false god of panic.

Repent, for in Isaiah’s vision he “saw the Lord [who would] lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations.”(v.10) That Lord is your Lord Jesus Christ who not only lay bare His holy arms, He lay down His entire body upon the cross to free you from your mountain of sin. And Christ proclaims from the cross that His Word is a mountain of good news to, “all the ends of the earth.”(v.10) In His death and resurrection he gives the good news to all who would believe in Him that they, “will see the salvation of our God.”(v. 8) You who believe and are baptized will “see it with [your] own eyes.”(v.8) You who join in the Holy Supper of our Lord will be freed from your sin, forgiven, renewed, and refreshed by the blood which flows from Christ’s bare arms. And from the ruins of this earthly Jerusalem, the Lord will comfort His people, for He has redeemed you. Do not panic as we await the advent of Christ to “return to [this] Zion”(v. 8) For He will come again in glory to judge both the living and the dead. And when He returns, through Gospel of Jesus Christ you will, “Burst into songs of joy together.”(v.9) How beautiful it will be on that day when we see the feet of the one who brings us His good news, who proclaims our peace, and who brings us His good tidings. For Jesus Christ is "Your God who who reigns"(v.7), and you will see Him with your own eyes. Jesus Christ will bring you to the restored city of Jerusalem, to the heavenly Mount Zion and He will give you eternal salvation, and that indeed, is a Mountain of good news. Amen.

The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

AMEN
+SDG+

In case you were wondering

About the Latin words for the Sundays in Advent....

Advent I
Ad Te Levavi
Psalm 24
Ad te levavi animam meam
Unto thee have I lifted up my soul

Advent II
Populus Sion
Psalm 30
Populus Sion, ecce Dominus veneit et ad salvandas gentes
People of Zion behold, the Lord is coming to save all nations

Advent III
Gaudete
Philemon 4
Gaudete in Domino semper
Rejoice in the Lord always

Advent IV
Rorate
Isaiah 45
Rorate caeli desuper, et nubes pluant iustrum
Drop down ye heavens from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness

Advent 2 - Populus Sion - 12-07-08

The Church Season of Advent
Advent 2 – Populus Sion
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI December 07, 2008

“That Great and Dreadful Day”

Readings:
Malachi 4:1-6
Psalm 50:1-15
Romans 15:4-13
Luke 21:25-36

+INI+

Grace, mercy and peace be to you from the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen

The text for today’s message is as recorded in the Old Testament lesson from the 4th chapter of Malachi, especially the following verses,

Malachi 4:1-6 (NIV)

1 “Surely the day is coming; it will burn like a furnace. All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and that day that is coming will set them on fire,” says the Lord Almighty. “Not a root or a branch will be left to them. 2 But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall. 3 Then you will trample down the wicked; they will be ashes under the soles of your feet on the day when I do these things,” says the Lord Almighty. 4 “Remember the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel. 5 “See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. 6 He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.”

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Years ago, our family was on a camping trip, and our youngest child, who was still a toddler, was strapped into and riding in a stroller. It was one of those theme campground’s which had a cartoon character as their chief icon. While walking around the park, the mascot dressed in a ten foot tall costume came across our paths. Our two older girls thought nothing of it, but when that large mascot leaned way over and stuck his face right down next to the stroller it was a time I will never forget. For I have never in my life seen a child, or any other person for that matter, in so much terror. His body was physically shaking, he was struggling to get away, he was gasping for air, and was literally so terrified he couldn’t even cry. Naturally, we impressed upon this mascot to remove themselves from our son’s presence, and I’ll admit that we probably did that in a less than glowing way. Soon after that mascot left, everything quickly returned normal, no ill effects, no lasting memory of the event, at least for him. But, I don’t think we will ever forget that dreadful day.

Yesterday was a great day celebrating the commemoration of St. Nicholas, the pastor, which is a great day to remember. Not many of us remember that St. Nicholas was a real person and that he was a Christian pastor. Nor do many know that he was involved in a very early church controversy. For it was St. Nicholas who was a delegate to the Council of Nicea in the year 325. And it was St. Nicholas who was one of the authors of the Nicene Creed. That would be the same Nicene Creed we speak together to this very day, the creed which affirms that Jesus Christ is both true God and true man. But there was another man at that council, a man named Arius who denied that Christ was God. And so at that early church council jolly ole St. Nick defended the Christian faith. And they way he did it? Well, he walked right over to Arius and he slapped him in the face. So it was St. Nicholas himself who was the one who became so bitterly angry when someone denied Christ. Ironically the man who it seems we most remember at Christmas is the one who was angry that Christ was being redefined Not really the jolly man we’d like to think he was, although he did give money to the poor. But, he was a pastor who at Nicea defended the faith with all he knew and that is indeed a great time to be remembered.

I am sure that each of you have experienced some great or dreadful days, days that you will never forget. You may think of a day that was so dreadful to you, that it is indelibly etched in your minds. A day that a loved one died, an auto accident, or some other dreadful occurrence which you will never forget. Today is the anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, a day that has indeed lived on in our memories in infamy. September 11th will be a day that all too many are quickly forgetting. The day that John Kennedy was assassinated is a memory that still lives on for some of us. Yet we have all but forgotten the Alamo, we have forgotten the Maine, and most of us have forgotten the not so long ago, “shot heard round the world.”

But in all these days to be remembered can you think of one that is both a great and dreadful day? Adam and Eve awoke in the Garden on a great day and then they partook of the fruit “from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.”(Gen 2:17) And all the great days they had and the great day which they were in became a very dreadful day. For that was the day that they were cast out of the Garden of Eden. And on that day God promised that the seed of Adam and Eve would one day crush the evil serpents head.

And from that day onward the Israelites would experience many dreadful days and many great days looking for that promised one to come. And so He did, Christ came to the river Jordon, to be baptized by the prophet crying in the wilderness, John the Baptist. For John was sent to, “make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”(Lk. 1:17) It was just as the prophet Malachi had said, “5 “See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes”(v. 5)

And what of that day? Well the Almighty Lord has said that on that day, “All the arrogant and every evildoer will be stubble, and that day that is coming will set them on fire”(v.1) And when we begin to look around to see who around us will be that burning stubble, we trip over our own arrogance. For our own arrogance makes us holier than thou when we know that we all are evildoers don’t admit it. For in our sin we have forgotten many, many days. We have forgotten that day when Adam and Eve were cast out of the Garden and that we have inherited their sin. We deny that we have their sin, yet the proof of that sin is our own death. We deny that we have any sin of our own, that we daily sin, yet at the same time our arrogance convinces us that everyone around us is a sinner. We all too quickly forget the days that we say we will never forget. Our sin against our fellow man and against God is just like so many of those historical days that I mentioned. We remember our great days or great moments, but those dreadful moments in our lives we hide away in the shadows hoping that they will fade.

Repent for a great and dreadful day will come. And it will be to unbelievers more than a slap in the face from St. Nicholas. It will more than a day of tremendous terror, a body physically shaking, or struggling to get away, or gasping for air, and on that day there will be cries from the wicked that will not be heard.

But for those who believe and “revere (God’s) Name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings.”(v.2) For Christ is that rising sun from heaven. And it is Christ who has turned the heart of the Father to you His children, and it is Christ who has turned your heart to His father. It is Christ the Son who is righteous, it is He who took our human sins including arrogance to the cross with Him. It is Christ who died and was raised on the third day, and when He rose, His healing grace was yours for free. It is Christ who made you righteous and His forgiveness is always given when you partake of Holy Communion. And those who are baptized have received and revere God’s Name for it was written on their hearts, with the water combined God’s Holy Word. And whether you remember your baptism or not, Christ will always remember, for in it He gave you the promise of many days that you will never forget. For on the day to come when we part from this sometimes dreadful world, Jesus Christ will welcome you to eternal life and that indeed will be a very great day. Amen.

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

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Advent 1 - Midweek - Ad Te Levavi - 12-3-08

Advent 1, Midweek
One Year Lectionary,
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI (December 3, 2007)

“The Mountain of Peace”

Readings:
Isaiah 2:1-5
John 1:1-14

Sermon Form: Deductive
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Grace, mercy and peace be to you from the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen

The text for today is as recorded in the Old Testament Reading of Isaiah the 2nd chapter, especially the following verses.

Isaiah 2:1-5 (NIV)

1 This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem: 2 In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. 3 Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. 4 He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. 5 Come, O house of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit

It is the Church season of Advent, right before Christmas and we are urged by our surroundings and our society to forget the waiting and move on to Christmas. And that is okay, Christmas is a joyful time of the year to celebrate the birth of the Christ child, the babe in Bethlehem who would become the prince of peace. But Advent is also a good time to look forward and to anticipate the coming of that Christ-child, AND a time to anticipate the Christ-man and all that He would do when He came into this world and all that He would do upon His return. And so Advent teaches us that as we wait, we prepare to receive that special Christmas gift of the One who would be the hope and peace for all who are in this world. So Advent is really worth the preparation and the journey. And this is born out in the Advent hymns which we sing, like “Come, thou long expected Jesus, Born to set Thy people free; From our fears and sins release us; Let us find our rest in Thee”(LSB 338:1) or “Prepare the royal highway; The King of kings is near! Let ev’ry hill and valley A level road appear! Then greet the King of Glory Foretold in sacred story; Hosanna to the Lord, For He fulfills God’s Word!”(LSB 343:1)

And our journey during this Advent season will reflect on the Words of God which Christ did fulfill. And the words will be the ones God gave to His prophet Isaiah who spoke of the mountains of God and the path to those sacred mountains paved in prophecy. And so we begin on the mountain of Peace and the description of this mountain which Isaiah calls the “mountain of the lord’s temple.”(v. 2) or “the mountain of the lord”(v.3) While that may seem like two different places, in fact it is one place. For the these two names both refer to the same mountain which is Mt. Zion, and the temple mount in Jerusalem. And from Isaiah’s description this is a mighty place, a place to which many people are drawn and they will come from far and wide to arrive. But what does all this talk of Isaiah have to do Advent or Christmas or even you and me?

Actually, Isaiah’s vision and prophecy was a lot more far-sighted than we could ever imagine for he not only sees past himself, he sees beyond his own time. For he sees the mountain of peace that Jerusalem will one day be and then he looks even farther ahead to what would be at the end of all time. So to that we could say, sarcastically, “Thank you very much Isaiah, you just proved the case against the season of Advent. For, if Isaiah can jump forward more than 600 years to see what would happen in Jerusalem and if he can jump who knows how many more years after that to the end of all time, what’s the harm in jumping over a few weeks of Advent to get to Christmas?”

Well, hold on there for just a second, let’s see what Isaiah is really saying about this Mountain of the Lord and who would be going to that mountain. And that question is quickly answered, for Isaiah says that, “Many peoples will come and say, ‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.’”(v.3) That does sound like words of great optimism and it sounds like Isaiah is placing a lot of hope in that time to come. Really we might even say it sounds like a new era. For Isaiah says that “Many peoples will come” and that would be very unusual for a Jewish prophet to use those kind of words. Because the word he uses here for “peoples” means more than just Jews would be coming to the mountain, it also means from many nations and tribes and that would be very forward looking for a man like Isaiah. And it would also sound quite a bit like the words of Christ as recorded in Matthew, remember He said, “make disciples of all nations”(Mt. 28:19)

And on this mountain of peace, “The law will go out from Zion, the word of the lord from Jerusalem.”(v. 3) Again that would be prophecy which would be fulfilled in Christ for it was He who took all the law upon Himself by His death on the cross and it would be His words proclaimed from the cross that would go out from Jerusalem to make that mountain a place of everlasting peace. For in His death and resurrection Christ set aside the law he being God’s incarnate Word would forever offer a, “peace which surpasses all understanding.” (Philippians 4:7)

Yet we still do not see peace. In fact, we join in proclaiming the lack of peace with one of our very own American heroes who proclaimed, “Peace, Peace, but there is no peace. The war is actually begun.” and he finished that speech with the familiar words, “Give me liberty or give me death.” (Patrick Henry) Unfortunately for Patrick Henry, he did not live long enough to see the national liberty for which he longed.

However, Isaiah looked forward to all that would be achieved on that Mountain of Peace and the last days. We look back in prophecy fulfilled on that Mountain where Christ’s Death and resurrection sealed that peace and we join Isaiah in looking to Christ’s return in those last days.

And the road to that Mountain of Peace? Well it is not paved by bricks or stone which we put in place, nor by our toil, nor by our sweat, or the heat of the day which we may endure. It is not paved by the works of our hands, rather it is composed of our sins which have been laid down upon the foundation of that road which is blood of Christ. For now “in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. 14 For he himself is our peace,”(Eph 2:13-14)

And so on that Mountain of Christ’s peace “swords will be beat into plowshares, and spears into pruning hooks, and nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.”(Is. 2:4) For in Christ’s death, He created an everlasting Mountain of Peace, and so He proclaims; Peace, Peace there will be eternal peace. And that peace He has established for you now in your baptism. And one day you “will walk in the light of the Lord,”(Is. 2:5) when you are “raised above the hills”(v. Is. 2:2) to see Him in the heavenly city of the new Jerusalem and that is truly a Mountain of Peace. Amen.

The Grace of the Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.

AMEN
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Advent 1 - Ad Te Levavi - 11-30-08

The Church Season of Advent
Advent 1 – Ad Te Levavi
Our Savior Lutheran Church, Midland, MI November 30, 2008

“THE DAYS ARE COMING”

Readings:
Jeremiah 23:5-8
Psalm 24
Romans 13:8-14
Matthew 21:1-9

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Grace, mercy and peace be to you from the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen

The text for today’s message is as recorded in the Old Testament lesson from the 23rd chapter of Jeremiah, especially the following verses,

Jeremiah 23:5-8 (NIV)

5 “The days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will raise up to David a righteous Branch, a King who will reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land. 6 In his days Judah will be saved and Israel will live in safety. This is the name by which he will be called: The Lord Our Righteousness. 7 “So then, the days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when people will no longer say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,’ 8 but they will say, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the descendants of Israel up out of the land of the north and out of all the countries where he had banished them.’ Then they will live in their own land.”

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

The Israelites thought that they had it made. They had crossed over into the promised land. That would be that big hunk of perfect ground just on the other side of the hill on which they had stood so many years before. Now much time had passed by, they had time to settle in and make the promised land their land sweet land. It was time to forget all their errors of the past, yet at the same time getting closer to the time when they all would be humbled again. For the land which the Israelites had come into was now being invaded by outside forces, forces way beyond their control. In fact, when the prophet Jeremiah spoke of “David’s righteous Branch”(v. 5) the walls of Jerusalem had already been attacked. Another mighty prophet Daniel and his three friends had already been hauled off to Babylon just in time for their appointments with furnaces and lions. And the current King who ruled over Jerusalem? Well his name was King Jehoiachin, and when the troops of the King of Babylon named Nebuchadnezzar found Jehoiachin he soon disappeared without a trace, never to be heard of again.

Now Jerusalem had a new king and his name was Zedekiah, who was put in place as the puppet King of Judah, which meant that he too was under Nebuchadnezzar’s thumb. But that didn’t stop him from asking for advice from the lowly prophet Jeremiah. And that brings us to our Old Testament reading, wherein Jeremiah would speak a prophecy in terms of a King to come who would “reign wisely and do what is just and right in the land.”(v.5) Jeremiah’s good news was that a perfect king who would reign wisely would be a great thing for the Israelites. For they were a people whose promised land had been ruled very unwisely and was now better described as the compromised land. But the bad news of this prophecy was for the ears of Zedekiah because he was not going to be that perfect king.

But all that is too much history, too much talk of Kings with strange names in a city called Jerusalem that was under siege nearly twenty eight hundred years ago. But the prophecy of Jeremiah was much more than a scorecard, a foretelling that King Zedekiah would soon be out. This was more than a prophecy of the here and now it was at the same time of what be in the days to come.

The here and now of the promised land was that it had been split into the two kingdoms of Israel and Judah. The here and now for of the Israelites was that they were living with earthly kings, meaning good kings and very bad kings for many years. And if it weren’t bad enough that they had to endure their own kings, they now were faced with a conquering king, another captivity, and another exile. So how long would they have to wait for this perfect king?

Well that would be answered in the days to come. And in the days to come Israel and Judah would be reunited and in those days the land would be given a king beyond their imagination. For in the days of this coming king, “Judah would be saved and Israel would live in safety.”(v. 6) But like all good things to come, they can never get here soon enough. There would be oppression and anxiety, for no one wants to wait for things to come. As it always seems to be, as expectations of the things to come increase, the patience for the things of here and now decrease. Funny how things have not changed all that much in twenty eight hundred years. In our daily lives we too are being invaded by outside forces way beyond our control and we too ask what has happened to our promised land.

We too know that we deserve something new in the days to come. In the days to come, we want the world around us to no longer be entwined in turmoil. We see the financial gurus of our world with resumes that would rival the evil kings of Israel, but will they be replaced in the days to come? We look forward to the days to come when we will have better health, but when will it arrive? We look forward to the days to come when peace and prosperity will be a given for our families, our friends, our loved ones, and our nation, but how long must we wait? We look forward to days when there will be no more times when friends, fellow workers, or family members lets us down. We look forward the days when there will be no sickness, or evil, hatred, or death. How long will we have to live in anguish? How long will our own sin cause us to live in exile from God’s promised land? How long will we have to wait?

Rejoice, for you need not wait any longer, for the prophecy of the days to come have been fulfilled. The sacred tree of life which one stood in the garden has now given way to the righteous branch of David. The days foretold of by Jeremiah have already come, and they are delivered by the Name which is above all Names, for He is called by many Names, “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over His kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.”(IS. 9:6) Yes, Jesus Christ is, “The Lord Our Righteousness.”(v.6) The king of wisdom has arrived in those days when John the Baptist came saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.”(Mt. 3:2) The days of Christ the wise king, “called the Son of the Most High.” have already arrived. And, He was given “the throne of his father David, 33 and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever; His kingdom will never end.”(Luke 1:32-33)

The days of the King are now, and as Isaiah proclaimed, “He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. “(Is. 11:3-4a) The days to come are actually here now for the Christ the wise king comes to judge you who are the needy.

And for all who believe and are baptized, He will not see your sin with his eyes, nor will he decide your fate by the sin He hears from your mouths. For He, “He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness”(Is 9:7) You and all who have been driven out of the good land of Eden, in these days He has brought you back in to His promised land. For it is by His righteousness you shall be judged. And in these days plain water combined with God’s Word in your baptism gives you Christ’s righteousness. In these days the true body and blood of Christ will renew and refresh your faith and bring you forgiveness of sins and that free gift is Christ’s righteousness. And what of the evil kings of this world? Well they may rule for a day, but their worldly work is far surpassed by God who sent us His Son Jesus Christ to conquer all things both on heaven and earth. And this wise King of kings, Jesus Christ overcame the world and all it’s sin by hanging from a cross and declaring that death, “it is finished.”(Jn. 19:30) So rejoice in knowing that in the days to come you will serve that wise King of whom Jeremiah spoke. And rejoice that not only is the day of our Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled, but because of His love for you, you will be with Him for an eternal number.... of those days to come.

AMEN

In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

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