Sermon for New Year's Eve: "Numbering Our Days"

Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen!

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

[Intro]

In a matter of hours, the year 2020 will be over. We will bid farewell to another year.

2020 is a year that we will not soon forget. This is the year that brought forth distancing. Before this year, you likely never heard of social distancing or distance learning. This was the year of the Bubble and the Thunderdome. Sports fans were replaced by audience cardboard cutouts and virtual fans. Orchestras performed in front of empty theaters to a live-streamed audience. Many of us learned how to work from home.

This past year brought about many changes and challenges to our lives. When we began 2020, we thought we could plan out the year, but we had to learn how to live one day at a time, as we had to learn to live with constant change.

For many of us, fear and worry struck our minds. The unknown of a novel virus, along with riots and further unrest led us to fear and worry about our life and the world around us. This fear and worry has captivated many of us throughout this year as we found ourselves glued to our television sets.

Whatever you thought about 2020, this year sure reminded us to number our days.

This evening, we heard what is likely the oldest Psalm. You would have thought Psalm 1 might be the oldest, but it is likely that the oldest is Psalm 90. What makes Psalm 90 unique is that it was written by Moses. It is likely that the Holy Spirit inspired Moses to write this Psalm toward the end of his life.

The most familiar verse in Psalm 90 is verse 12: “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.”

But what exactly does it mean for us to number our days? Moses leads us to that answer through his Psalm.

[God is Eternal]

First, Moses tells of God’s eternal existence saying, “Lord, you have been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God” (Psalm 90:1-2).

Here, Moses traces God’s existence to even before time existed. As the eternal God, He has always been. He never came into being, since He always exists. He has no beginning. God just always is.

God is the dwelling place, or refuge, for all generations. He is where we are to turn to for security. But, due to our sinful nature as inherited from our first parents Adam and Eve, we do not always remember God as our refuge. In our sin, we often turn to false idols for our refuge. We think we can save ourselves and become our own refuge.

No matter what we try to do, man always returns to what man was: dust.

[Man is Temporary]

God is eternal, but man is temporary. At the end of your life, one of two things will happen: either Christ will come descending from the clouds or you will die. Until Christ comes again, due to our sin, every human being will die. Man was formed from the dust of the ground and man will return to the dust of the ground.

Yet, our sin leads us to live our life as though there were no death. We think we will live forever. We like to think that we will always have time. We don’t want to talk about death. In fact, we like to hide death.

This appears to be one of the reasons behind cremation. For many people, cremation is not about the funeral costs, it’s actually about avoiding the sight of death. Instead of facing death in the casket, death is hidden.

When someone dies unexpected, we can no longer be with our departed one. We may stress ourselves with these questions: “Why didn’t I call?” and “Why didn’t I visit more often?”

We have all seen loved ones die, but until my generation is next – we often think, death is far away, but is it? As we grow older, years begin to feel like months, and months begin to feel like days. Before you know it, death is before you.

We may believe we live a healthy and active life, but being healthy and active does not prevent death. We always think we have time. But we indeed face death at any moment.

For some of us, the prospect of death became more of a reality this year amid the pandemic. But even before COVID-19, we still faced death without even realizing it. Due to sin in the world, heart disease, cancer, distracted driving, influenza, and countless other causes led to death. So, just because we don’t notice death all around us, it doesn’t make the prospect of death go away.

Moses reminds us that God can sweep us away as with a flood, that we are like a dream, and that we are like grass that fades and withers (Psalm 90:5-6).

Human mortality is like a dream quickly forgotten. All of us face the reality that life is short.

As much as humanity searches for a cure for death, no vaccine or pill will ever end death. Our temporal bodies will eventually wear out. Death is certain. Death is unavoidable. Death is a constantly threatening tyrant. We must go about our tasks with full awareness that we will die.

Each of us must die because the wages of sin is death. Moses reminds us of that when he says: “For we are brought to an end by your anger; by your wrath we are dismayed. You have set our iniquities before you, our secret sins in the light of your presence. For all our days pass away under your wrath; we bring our years to an end like a sigh. The years of our life are seventy, or even by reason of strength eighty; yet their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away” (Psalm 90:7-10).

Due to our sin, we each deserve God’s anger and wrath. God’s wrath brings light to every violation of His holy will, even those sins that are hidden from our thinking.

You see, sin wreaks havoc in the whole creation. Our lives can be characterized as toil and trouble, but in the end, life comes to a close with just a sigh.

[Number Our Days]

For this, Moses prays with us that we would be taught to number our days, so that we may get a heart of wisdom (Psalm 90:12).

You see, the eternal God – who came into our flesh to dwell with us – came so that our fear in God’s impending wrath would turn to the hope of eternal life. Jesus Christ came to save us from our sins, so that whoever would believe in Him would have eternal life.

For the unbeliever, they are unable to have any assurance after death. They live their lives hoping that death will never come. They live their lives in fear of the unknown after death. Since we live in the world, the unbeliever’s fear can become our fear.

In the midst of this, the only way our fears subside is by trusting in Jesus. So, shed your fears by confessing them to Jesus. He is the only place where true comfort is found! A Government mandate may be designed to give us temporal peace and safety, but no government mandate can give anyone eternal peace. True peace is only found in Jesus!

For everyone in Christ, we know that life can vanish like a shadow. We know this life is exceedingly brief. We know this life is full of pain and sorrow. We know that death is coming.

Even with this fact, we pray with Moses that the Holy Spirit might teach us to number our days. Each day we have is a gift from God. Each day we have is a blessing. We do not pray that God would tell us the exact number of days in our life, but that we consider how short our life is, which could end at any moment.

We number our days in humility knowing that we could be living our last day and so we seek God’s grace and mercy.

Unlike the unbelieving world around us, we do not live in despair, because we trust in the promise of God as we live in hope and in faith. You see, the only answer for death – the only cure for death – is faith in Jesus Christ!

In Christ alone, we have the sure and certain hope in the resurrection of all flesh. Through His atoning suffering and death, and His glorious resurrection from the dead, we know for certain that when we take our final breath, our life is not over.

We are not left in God’s anger and wrath, instead we are in God’s grace and favor.

Like Simeon, who received comfort when he saw the young Jesus in the Temple, we too, are able to depart this life in peace as God’s saving Word has been fulfilled through His only Son, so that through hearing His Word and receiving His Sacrament, God freely gives us His grace and mercy, so we are prepared when death comes.

Through God’s grace and mercy, we live in God’s comfort and assurance! By faith in Christ alone, we are conquerors of death through His love for you and me. His love was displayed for all the world as His blood was shed for the sins of the entire world upon the cross. We, who share in Christ’s victory, are “sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:38-39).

While the unbelieving world lives in fear and despair about the reality of death, we, through Christ, live in hope and comfort knowing that nothing separates us from the love of God. Through Christ’s love, we do not fear death, but trust in the promise of eternal life.

One of two things is for certain, either Christ returns at an hour you do not expect, like a thief in the night (Luke 12:39; 1 Thessalonians 5:2) or we die. Until that day, Lord, help us all to number our days and always turn to You in our time of doubt and fear, for You are our dwelling place, You are our refuge, and in You we find strength to meet the days ahead!

O God, our help in ages past, / Our hope for years to come, / Be Thou our guard while troubles last / And our eternal home! (LSB 733, stanza 6)

As we begin 2021, remember that our God is eternal, and thanks to Jesus’ cross and empty tomb, we shall spend eternity with Him. In light of this, we should number our days knowing that our life is short, but eternity in Christ is endless. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

T SOLI DEO GLORIA T

Sermon for St. John, Apostle and Evangelist: "Walking in the Light"

Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen!

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

[Intro]

A small child was taken to a cathedral. She sat watching the sunshine through the windows. She then asked her mother, “What are these people on the windows?” Her mother replied, “They are saints.” “Now I know what saints are. They are the people who let the light shine through.”

This morning, the Third Day of Christmas, the Church celebrates one of those saints who let the light shine through – St. John, the Apostle and Evangelist.

John – a fisherman by trade – was among the first whom Jesus called to be an apostle. In his Gospel, John often refers to himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved,” which tells of a close friendship between himself and Jesus. John was also the only one of the Twelve not to abandon Jesus during the hours of His suffering and death. When all looked doubtful, he remained faithful. Together with Mary, the Mother of Jesus, he stood at the foot of the cross. It was there that Jesus gave His mother into John’s keeping and gave John to Mary as her own son.

According to Early Church tradition, Mary lived with John in Ephesus until the day of her death. Also, according to tradition, John was the only one of the Twelve who did not die a martyr’s death. Although, he suffered a time of exile upon the island of Patmos during which the great revelation was granted to him.

John died as an old man, but his Holy Spirit-inspired writings – First, Second, and Third Epistles of John; Revelation; and the Gospel of John – continue to be a bright shining light in the Church and serve as the Holy Spirit’s encouraging words to us always.

[False Teachings]

Now, some years ago, an article called “Pick-and-Choose-Christianity” appeared in a major national magazine. This article summarized the results of a three-year-study of all denominations in a midwestern state. This study pointed out that most church members “pick and choose” which teachings of Christianity they will accept and which they will leave behind. One of the most popular teachings that was disregarded was sin. A third of respondents said they were prone to mistakes, but they did not think of themselves as sinful.

In our reading from 1 John this morning, the Apostle John is putting his hearers to the test. As the last living apostle, he has become increasingly aware of errors finding their way into Christ’s Church. These errors are not minor issues. These errors are a matter of life and death.

Now, John’s focus in our reading today is the need for a savior. You see, these false teachers were proclaiming that there is no sin. They were teaching the heresy known as antinomianism, which dismisses the Law of God in the life of the Christian. To put it short and simple, antinomianism means it does not matter how you live. So, when it does not matter how a person lives – when everything is fine – why is there any need for a savior?

So, John’s principal concern is to reinforce faith and life in Christ’s flock against the threat of this deceiving influence that is coming in from outside the Church. Here, John is being a loving and caring pastor in testing them that they are indeed walking on the right path.

You see, sin is very real. Sin isn’t a thing made up by the Church to deny people any sort of enjoyment. As human beings, we often like to just dismiss sin, or just avoid the term altogether by calling sin a mere mistake or a poor choice, or use the acronym “YOLO” – you only live once – as an excuse for bad or risky behavior. Today’s popular excuse is: “What I do in my life should not concern you.” But like any virus, sin spreads. Discussing sin is uncomfortable. Discussing sin is unpleasant. This is likely why these false teachers then and now just dismiss sin.

But for God, sin is a big deal. Sin is an extremely big deal, since it is us separating ourselves from the love of God. Now, ever since Adam fell into sin, humankind has been stuck in the pit of sin and unable to save ourselves. Instead of loving God by following His commandments, all we do is dig ourselves deeper and deeper into sin.

Like all of us, John also was not perfect. He too was sinful. Like us, John needed salvation.

Thanks be to God the Father that He did not leave us to die in our sins, which we all deserve, instead He sent us the Savior. He sent us the Savior Jesus Christ – the Word made flesh – to be born of the virgin Mary. He sent His only-begotten Son to take upon Himself all our sins to the cross – every sin of thought, word, and deed against God’s command – so that anyone who would believe in Him would be saved from the power of sin, which is eternal death. He came as the only Savior from sin. No good works and no other religion have the power to save. He came so by grace through faith in Him, we would not walk in the darkness of our sins, but instead walk in the righteousness of His Light.

This is why John is proclaiming the need for salvation. Since, he had salvation through the blood of Jesus, he shared this good news. All throughout John’s life, he repented of his sins. He received forgiveness. He grew in the one true faith.

[Walking in the Light]

In our text, John is confronting his flock with this question: Are you walking in the darkness or are you walking in the light? Now, to walk in darkness is to live in sin and death. But what exactly does it mean to walk in the light? John tells us: We repent and confess our sins.

For most of us, this middle part of our epistle is a part of our muscle memory. We know this by heart. Sometimes the meaning of Confession and Absolution may just pass us by, but through our confession, we receive forgiveness. Our sin is wiped clean through the merit of Jesus. So, when you are absolved of your sins, it is Jesus doing this work – for you. This passage from 1 John is one of the ways in our liturgy that we confess our sins in the Divine Service to God our Father. But have you ever thought about the meaning behind it?

You see, these false teachers were proclaiming that they had fellowship with God. These false teachers were proclaiming that they had no sin. By denying sin, they were denying the saving power of Jesus Christ. These false teachers were in fact leading their hearers to eternal death apart from God, since the only way we come to fellowship with God is through the atoning work of Jesus Christ.

For these lies, John proclaims: “If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us” (1 John 1:6-10).

You see, none of us is perfect, except for Jesus Christ. As imperfect human beings, Christ alone has the power to make us perfect. He came to earth, so that through His cleansing blood in His atoning death, everyone who would believe in Him would have life. He came to earth as the atoning sacrifice for our sins.

[Children of the Light]

Like John, we are also people who let the light of Christ shine through. We are witnesses of what Christ has done! Through God’s Word (the Bible), we hear the voice of Christ – the same voice that John heard. Through Confession and Absolution, we hear this same voice of Christ as He forgives our sins. And at the Lord’s Supper, we see, touch, and taste the same body and blood of Jesus that John witnessed being shed upon the cross and alive in the flesh again with His resurrected body.

As witnesses of Christ, we too have changed. Through Christ’s death and resurrection, the Holy Spirit has worked the new creation in us beginning at our Baptism. By grace through faith in Jesus Christ, we have become Children of the Light, we have nothing to fear, not even temporal death, since we have the sure and certain hope of eternal life through Jesus Christ.

Through Christ’s Light that we shine in our daily lives – our daily vocations – we live out our lives proclaiming Christ.

As Children of the Light, our Christian life is not hidden. As Jesus says in Luke 12:35: We “stay dressed for action and keep our lamps burning.” By keeping our lamps burning, we do not live our Christian faith in private. In fact, our Christian faith is for all the world to see! Now, we don’t scream our faith through a megaphone, but we live our faith in what we think, say, and do. Christ shines through us as we live out our faith by proclaiming Christ in our daily actions and our daily vocations. This can be as simple as inviting friends to church, so others can hear the good news of Christ’s forgiveness.

As forgiven sinners, we try to follow God’s Law. We try the best we can. We try, try, and keep trying.

And when we fail and fall into any kind of sin, remember “we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous” (1 John 2:1). So, we repent and confess that sin to God our Father and that sin is forgiven. Through your confession, you are forgiven by God the Father through the blood of Jesus.

Now our life is a struggle, the devil constantly entices us with the world and our flesh to sin. But, by God’s grace, we have the remedy for sin and this remedy is Jesus Christ. This is why He came. He came to save us from our sins. He came so that we would have life everlasting.

To sustain our weak faith, Jesus instituted the New Testament in His blood, given and shed for the forgiveness of sin and to strengthen our weak faith. In the Sacrament of the Altar, He grants us to drink His blood, which redeems, purchases, and wins from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil, strengthening and preserving both body and soul to life everlasting. All this He accomplishes, all this He procures, not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death.

This Christ alone has done for you and me, so that we would walk safely in His light. Through Christ alone, we are His chosen and redeemed children. This is most certainly true. “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen” (Revelation 1:5b).

Through Christ’s cleansing blood, we no longer live in darkness, but live in His light as we receive the benefits of His cross: forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. We walk in His Light as we confess our sins, receive His forgiveness, and share the love of Christ with our neighbor. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

T SOLI DEO GLORIA T

Sermon for Christmas Day: "The Word Became Flesh and Still Dwells with Us"

Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen!

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

[Intro]

It is all a matter of perspective. On Christmas Eve,

§  We recalled how God influenced a Roman census to lead Mary and Joseph to the city of David, called Bethlehem.

§  We recalled how Joseph was of the house and lineage of David.

§  We recalled how while they were in Bethlehem, Mary gave birth to a Son and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and placed Him in a manger, since there was no place for them in the inn.

§  We also recalled how in the same region, there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. We recalled how an angel of the Lord appeared to them and told them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:11-12).

§  We recalled how these shepherds went with haste and found Mary, Joseph, and the Baby lying in a manger.

This morning, we hear another perspective on the birth of Christ. But John’s Gospel leaves out the historical background of Matthew 1 and Luke 2. Instead, John focuses upon what we cannot see with human eyes.

You see, John’s Gospel is different. The Holy Spirit leads John not to concern himself about relaying the facts. That has already been done in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Rather, the Holy Spirit leads John about giving those facts meaning. He informs us what our eyes fail to notice at the manger. He focuses on the theological application of Christmas, when “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). This is John’s truth about Christmas.

[The Tabernacle]

Back in the Old Testament times, Jesus was there. He was dwelling, or better yet, tabernacling, with His people.

It was in the tabernacle where God revealed His glory. Now, this tabernacle was a tent designed by God Himself so that He would have a place to dwell among His people. Now, this tabernacle was a place of awe. This tabernacle was seen from miles around as everyone could witness God’s glory in the cloud that rested in the innermost part of the tabernacle, known as the Most Holy Place. This was an awe-inspiring sight knowing that the one true God was seen in that cloud.

Here, in the tabernacle, the Lord made His presence known to His people. There, He met them and interacted with them. The Lord tabernacled among them, to guard and guide them, to give them His Word, to forgive them their sins through His appointed sacrifices, and to lead them to the Promised Land. Ultimately, the Lord tabernacled with His people to save them.

Now, this tabernacle would serve the Israelites for nearly 500 years until it was replaced by the Temple. Now, the glory of God never left the Israelites. He remained. His glory would continue to dwell with His people. This new temple would have the same design as the previous tabernacle, but the temple would be a permanent structure, rather than a tent.

[In the Beginning…]

But, in fact, Jesus was there before the construction of the tabernacle. Jesus was there even before time. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).

Here, John is purposefully taking our thoughts back to Genesis 1:1: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” John is taking us as far back as we can go. He is taking us to eternity – before creation.

So, why is John drawing our attention to the Book of Genesis? Why would John focus on this in his Christmas account?

John is doing this to emphasize the Child born from Mary is connected with Creation and Life. John is emphasizing that Jesus, the Word of God, was present at the beginning. Jesus, the Word of God, was with God. Jesus, the Word of God, was God then; and Jesus, the Word of God is God now. Through the Word of God, the entire world came into existence through Him. Jesus not only contains life. Jesus is in fact, Life itself.

The Word that would become incarnate, that is, “in the flesh,” the God who would become fully man, is there. The Word has always been, and the Word will always be.

The Word did not begin at the incarnation. The Word is not trapped in heaven. The Word is the Alpha and Omega. The Word is the beginning and the end. But something did change. For the first time, through the incarnation, the eternal Word of God took on our human flesh and became man.

[The Mystery]

This is a profound mystery. We pondered this divine mystery as we sang “Of the Father’s Love Begotten.” It is hard to wrap our minds around how God could become like you and me, and have a human body, yet be without sin. How is that possible? How God could take the form of a baby inside a virgin’s womb is a mystery. Even Mary asked the angel: “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” (Luke 1:34).

But God reveals to us that this divine mystery became flesh through the power of the Holy Spirit, and we confess this divine mystery each Divine Service in the Creed.

This is a divine mystery that the Apostle Paul confesses to Timothy: “Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: He was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory” (1 Timothy 3:16).

For us human creatures, we like to look at reason. If we do not see things that happened in the Bible happening today, many of us just dismiss it. We may overlook that the one true God is eternal and all powerful. We may overlook that the one true God can and does do amazing things.

In fact, God’s Word accomplishes His purposes. The Word gave life to creation. This is the same life-giving Word of God that became flesh in the person of Jesus Christ – true God in the flesh.

[Why Christ Came in the Flesh]

But why did God have to dwell among us in human flesh? Why did Jesus have to come as a baby? Why couldn’t Jesus had come as an adult?

Jesus came in the midst of fallen humanity to save us. As sinful human beings, we often search out false gods – like temporal safety and fortune – to give us happiness. We often focus on our wants and desires instead of being content. We often do not love our neighbor as we ought by being merciful, kind, and forgiving. So, the only way God’s wrath for our sins could be settled would be for God to come in our flesh and dwell with us, and so He did with “grace and truth.”

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us to redeem mankind from their sins. This is why He came as a baby.

You see, all of humanity, every one of us, had fallen into sin, ever since our first parents Adam and Eve disobeyed God by being deceived by Satan to eat of the forbidden fruit. Since the Fall of mankind in the Garden, no human being has been able to save themselves from sin. We are all trapped in sin and the wages of sin is eternal death apart from God. Our only hope would be a savior. And only God has the power to save. But at the same time, God’s justice demands that those who sin must die. Since man had sinned, man must die. Sins cannot be swept under the rug, so to speak. Sin must be dealt with.

This is why the Word became flesh and dwelt among us. Jesus came, as a humble child, to do what God demands of His Law. Jesus kept the commandments to love God and to love one’s neighbor perfectly. He is the only human being who has ever kept every single letter of God’s Law.

Jesus is the only righteous man. He is totally innocent. Even so, He suffered and died in our place. Being true God His suffering and death have infinite worth. Through His suffering and death, Jesus died as our substitute and paid the price for our sins. In exchange for His innocent suffering and death, by grace through faith in Him, we receive perfect righteousness.

Then through His bodily resurrection, we know that He has indeed conquered the powers of sin and death upon all who believe in Him. So, when we repent and confess our sin to God our Father, we know that through the suffering and death of Jesus, that sin is forgiven by grace through faith Him!

[Dwelling Among Us]

Despite Jesus returning to heaven at His ascension, He has not left us. In fact, He has continued to dwell with us as He tabernacles with His people!

Through the incarnation, Jesus, true God and true man, has put on the tent of human flesh. Everything that God promised about the tabernacle now stands fulfilled in Jesus. Today, there is no more need for a physical tabernacle or Temple. He is the place where God dwells among us. He is the place of awe. He is the place of forgiveness of sins, which brings life and salvation to all who believe in Him.

However, He appears like any other child. There is nothing glorious about His appearance. Yet, He is glorious. In this man, the eternal God dwells. This young Child lying in His mother’s arms is the One who created the entire universe and even the motherly arms that hold Him. This is awe-inspiring. This glorious God humbled Himself to be born of Mary and yet remain the source of all things.

This glorious God has shown His glory. First, through the incarnation. But He came not just to live in our flesh. He came ultimately to die in our flesh, so that we would be saved from our sins through His death, and from His death, we receive life! The Word that became flesh came for this reason: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him” (John 3:16-17).

You see, the Word of God became flesh in order to save you and me! He came as a humble baby boy knowing full well then what He came to do. In order to save us from our sins, He would have to die. The only cure for sin would be His death.

Even though He has died, rose, and has ascended to heaven, the Word of God that became flesh for us is still dwelling with us. His presence, His glory, and His grace is no less available for us today than it was when He was lying in Mary’s arms. His glory was manifest to you in your Baptism, a glory that remains with you. His glory is ever present with us in Scripture and in hearing the Word of Christ, a glory that remains with you. His glory is truly present under bread and wine.

In the Lord’s Supper, He comes to you with the very same body and blood that Mary held in her arms, the very same body and blood that was crucified for your salvation, the very same body and blood that rose from the dead, the very same body and blood that will come again for you on the Last Day, the very same body and blood in which you behold His glory, the glory of the one and only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.

Even in times of social distancing, Christ has never become distant with us! The very Word of God made flesh still dwells with us in Word and Sacrament!

So, on this Christmas morning, we confess the incarnation! The Word has become flesh and He still dwells with us! From Him we receive unending blessings: forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and salvation!

By faith in Christ, God in human flesh, He brings all of God’s blessings to you! His chief blessing is His grace! Merry Christmas! Amen!

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

T SOLI DEO GLORIA T

Sermon for Advent Midweek 2: "From a Stump to a Life-giving Tree"

Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen!

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

[Intro]

This evening, we continue our look back to Christ’s first Advent that began as a humble beginning as God became flesh for us in the Person of Jesus Christ and we look forward to His second Advent, when He will come again in all glory!

Throughout this season of Advent, we prepare for Christ’s coming. The good news is that Christ does not require any works of ours for us to be prepared. All He requires is that we have faith in Him – even the littlest of faith.

We prepare by trusting in His Word and promise knowing that through His saving work, we, by grace through faith in Him, partake in His victory over the powers of sin, death, and Satan. This He accomplished for us through His atoning death on the cross and His resurrection from the dead.

Now, Advent is also a penitential season, so during this season, we focus on how we can be better followers of Christ, since we do not always fear, love, and trust in God above all things. Instead, we often lack trust in God and worry about tomorrow. So, for every season and in particular this season, we repent of those sins of thought, word, and deed against God our Father and receive the forgiveness that He alone can give. He alone gives us comfort.

Advent is also a time for holy hope and joy. This is a hopeful season and a joyous season!

But as much we prepare, this Advent season is not about us. Advent is actually about God’s activity for us. As humans, we seek signs and wisdom, but God does the absurd. He reconciles us in a way that we would never expect. As we wait, Christ comes to us this day as we are comforted by Him in His Word that endures forever!

[The Kingdoms Would Fall Due to Disobedience to God]

In our Old Testament reading, Isaiah tells us of the Messiah’s comings, His First and Second Advents. But he tells this through a prophetic warning. He tells Judah that due to their unfaithfulness to God, they would be reduced to nothing. He tells Judah that all that would remain of this glorious kingdom would be a stump.

The line of kings descended from David has lasted for about 400 years. But it would be cut off. Due to their unfaithfulness and disobedience to God, God would allow Assyria to defeat the northern kingdom of Israel and Babylon to defeat the southern kingdom of Judah. Now, the physical line of descendants would continue, but they were no longer be reigning as kings. This once royal line became reduced to a bunch of seemingly nobodies. This all came to pass some 100 years after Isaiah’s prophecy. Then other powers ruled over the Jews, such as Persia and Rome. The royal line of kings was over. All that would remain would be a dead stump.

But from this seemingly dead stump would come hope. Despite the unrighteousness of God’s people, God would remain faithful. God would cause new growth out of this stump.

[When All Is Hopeless, We Have Certain Hope]

“There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit” (Isaiah 11:1).

So, out of what looks like a dead stump will come a new and living shoot. This will be small at first, barely noticeable and seemingly insignificant, but this shoot would rise up and become a fruitful tree!

Now, this shoot comes from the stump of Jesse. So, who was Jesse? Jesse isn’t mentioned much in the Bible. He is an obscure figure. Now, there may be little known about Jesse, but he is significant. He is in fact the father of King David and the Davidic line of kings.

But this line of kings will be reduced to nothing but a stump. They will have no more power and no more influence. The Jewish people will be ruled by their enemies.

When all seems hopeless, Isaiah tells of the sure and certain hope. From this barely noticeable shoot would come fruit. From this barely noticeable shoot would come the Messiah, the King of Kings.

From what looked like a dead stump, through this shoot, God the Father would bring the restoration and revival of the royal line of David through His only begotten Son Jesus Christ.

This shoot would come from the dead stump of Jesse and be born of a virgin. These references emphasize the power of God to perform a miracle – a humble entrance of Christ into the world.

From our human reason, this seems absurd, but God does not work in a way that we would expect. The Messiah would be a child, a shoot. He would come by the miracle of a virgin birth and would come from the dead stump of the royal line of David. The Messiah would not be born in a palace, but in a manger. He would not be born in the big city of Jerusalem, but born in the small town of Bethlehem – the hometown of Jesse and David.

Yet from this insignificant beginning, great and mighty wonders would come. This shoot would succeed where other kings and leaders have failed. This shoot that would turn into a branch would succeed. He is the perfect ruler and judge because God’s own Spirit rests upon Him. The Spirit of the Lord rests on Him and gives Him everything He needs to rule.

This shoot would judge the way God ordains, and not the way the sinful world ordains. He judges with righteousness and equity. “Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness shall be the belt of his loins” (Isaiah 11:5). This shoot is held together by righteousness, faithfulness, and truthfulness.

As our reading from Isaiah concludes, we hear that this shoot from Jesse is also the root of Jesse. What does this mean? It means that Jesus is in fact the origin of the whole Davidic line. He is the origin of Jesse, himself. This is the mystery of the Person of Christ as He is both true God and true man. Jesus is a descendant of Jesse, but He is also Jesse’s Lord.

Jesus came to bring us peace with God the Father. This He accomplished by obeying the Father’s will for us through His perfect life, His atoning suffering and death, and His resurrection from the dead.

Jesus came to restore us back to peace for which we receive all by grace through faith in Him.

[Where is Peace?]

But we look around today, and we think, where is this peace? If peace is restored, why is there conflict? We see injustice. There is war and famine. We have families in conflict. Whenever we watch the news, we see that there is no peace.

But in fact, we do have peace! We have the peace that this world cannot comprehend. This is the peace between God and man. Through Jesus Christ, we have forgiveness of sins, which means we are at perfect peace with God the Father.

As Christians, we are to spread this peace to others who are lacking peace. Where we are at conflict with others, remember the peace we have in Christ, and spread that peace to others, as we forgive our neighbors. And where you see conflict among others, share with them the peace that you have in Christ.

[Peace on Earth at Christ’s Coming]

Our reading from Isaiah also tells us of what seems to be absurd: predators and prey at peace. He tells of the wolf dwelling with the lamb, the leopard and the young goat, the calf and the lion, the cow and the bear, the lion and the ox, and the nursing child playing over the hole of the cobra.

In verses six through eight, we hear of animals that would normally eat each other, but they are now relaxing and eating together. A leopard stretches and takes a nap next to a goat, rather than crouching to attack. A wolf no longer snarls and prowls around a lamb, instead they are best friends as they play together. A child will find a snake to play with, laughing at the sound of the rattle it makes. The snake enjoys the laughter and company of the child. No harm, no danger, no threat.

Peace on earth. This picture is beautiful. The weakest and most vulnerable will be safe and secure. No one will get hurt. No one will be in harm’s way. No more injustice. No more enemies. No more war. No more fear from viruses and diseases. No more political conflicts. Everyone is living together in harmony and peace.

This is the peace that Christ will bring with His Second Advent. This is perfect peace.

As Christ restored us to peace with God the Father during His First Advent, He will restore all of creation at His Second Advent. He will come descending from the clouds to judge the living and the dead.

You see, sin is not just a human issue, it is a cosmic issue. Sin effects everything. When Adam and Eve were deceived by Satan and ate of the forbidden fruit, they corrupted not just humanity, but they corrupted all of creation. So, when Christ comes, He will reconcile all creation and make all things right. For us, in Christ, we have nothing to fear, since Christ’s peaceable kingdom will include forgiven sinners like you and me! There will be no more sin to lead us astray, and no more disease or death. We will only have life and peace and the knowledge of God.

“In that day the root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for all the peoples – of him shall the nations inquire, and his resting place shall be glorious” (Isaiah 11:10).

Isaiah points us to Jesus as the fulfillment of his prophecy. Jesus is the shoot from the stump of Jesse, the shoot springing up from what looked like the dead stump of the Davidic line. This shoot would bear His fruits for all peoples as He was nailed upon the cross and suffered and died for us. There He stood as the signal for all peoples that by faith in Him we have salvation! Jesus is the one who brings life from death! From the cross and tomb, our Lord and Savior arises to bring us life!

Jesus has come as the Messiah for all peoples! He has turned the stump of Jesse into the life-giving tree, so that whoever believes in Him and trusts in His promises shall receive the fruits of His cross: forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation!

Through an insignificant living shoot from the stump of Jesse to the life-giving tree of the cross, God has accomplished salvation for us! It is all by grace through faith in Christ alone, that we now have restoration and peace as we joyfully await His coming! Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

T SOLI DEO GLORIA T

Sermon for Advent Midweek 1: "Waiting with Prayer"

Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! Amen!

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

[Intro]

“Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence – as when the fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil – to make your name known to your adversaries, and that the nations might tremble at your presence! When you did awesome things that we did not look for, you came down, the mountains quaked at your presence” (Isaiah 64:1-3).

Three days ago, we gathered here in God’s presence – in person, on Facebook, or on cable – on the First Sunday in Advent. Again, with the season of Advent, we begin a new Church Year. At the same time, we prepare for the celebration of the holy incarnation – the coming of Christ on that first Christmas Day.

In today’s Gospel lesson, we heard the account of our Lord’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem. This is a traditional reading for the beginning of the Church Year, as well as on Palm Sunday. For us, we stand between our Lord’s first coming and wait for His second coming on the Last Day. We wait and live by faith, not by sight. Our faith is nourished and made certain as we remember our Lord Jesus, who entered Jerusalem on Palm Sunday in order to remove our unrighteousness through His atoning death and resurrection.

The faithful who came before us in the days of the prophet Isaiah also lived by faith as they waited for the Messiah. Their faithfulness is praised in the Book of Hebrews: “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1). “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son” (Hebrews 1:1-2a). The words of God spoken to the Lord’s Church through the prophets are also spoken to us. They speak to us about the Son of God; indeed, the words they speak are the words of Christ, Himself.

[We Pray as We Await Our Lord and Live by Faith]

In our Old Testament lesson, the prophet Isaiah gives us an inspired prayer. It is a prayer of great comfort expressing the longings of God’s people during the disastrous years when the Babylonian armies conquered Israel. They destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple, and those who were not slaughtered in the siege were taken away in chains to Babylon. But this prayer is not limited to those dark days. It is also the prayer of the Church for all times whenever the Church is surrounded by God’s enemies and when all appears hopeless. It is also our prayer. So, with Isaiah, we pray as we await our Lord and live by faith.

The God who created the world by the power of His spoken Word has not left us on our own. In difficult times, it may seem God has forgotten us. For many of us, we are living in difficult times as the COVID-19 virus has affected many of us and our loved ones. For others, we may be facing cancer, loneliness, depression, financial pressures, and added stress brought on by this pandemic.

Again, God has not forgotten us. Instead, He uses all hardships to bring us closer to Him. Sometimes these hardships seem like they are so difficult as we may fail to see the positives that God has brought forth in our lives, but continue to trust in Jesus for He will get us through every calamity. So, in faith we pray and wait and continue to pray.

We pray Isaiah’s Advent prayer, “Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down” (Isaiah 64:1a) and rescue us from our enemies. This is a prayer of longing for God’s presence among us.

Our prayer is that God would save us from our enemies, but also that all people, including us, would repent and call upon the name of the Lord for forgiveness.

Isaiah’s prayer then shifts its focus from Israel’s enemies to the enemy within all of us – our sinful nature – in verses five and six. He prays: “You meet him who joyfully works righteousness, those who remember you in your ways. Behold, you were angry, and we sinned; in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved? We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. We fade like a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, take us away.”

You see, due of our sinful nature, we are naturally inclined to turn away from God and not follow His will. So, without the ability to fear and love God, we are spiritually blind and dead. With an endless desire to sin, we are enemies of God and deserve eternal damnation, since we cannot free ourselves. We are all like “a polluted garment” in need of salvation.

Israel’s prayer is our prayer. “Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down” (Isaiah 64:1). Now, this unexpected has happened. At the birth of Jesus, the heavens were literally opened. The glory of the Lord ripped open the heavens in the presence of the shepherds. The shepherds did not melt away like molten rock, but were told by the angel, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10-11).

The manner that God came down was wonderfully unexpected in that He came down clothed in the flesh of a humble baby boy. Through the miracle of the incarnation, this Child, true God and true man, came to bring salvation and peace to all people. He came to save us from our sins, so that whoever would believe in Him would be given forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and salvation! Of this the Lord’s heavenly host sang, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased” (Luke 2:14).

When the Church gathers in the Lord’s presence at the Divine Service, we sing the Gloria in Excelsis, a hymn of praise that first came forth when the skies over Bethlehem were torn open.

However, during this season of Advent, the Church does not sing the Gloria. We wait until Christmas Day. So, we wait, with the Old Testament Church. It is true that we live after the birth of Christ, but now we wait for Christ’s return.

Israel’s prayer is our prayer. “Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence” (Isaiah 64:1). Now, did God answer Isaiah’s prayer? Yes. But the full answer of this prayer took place many years later when Jesus, the very Son of God, gave up His spirit as He hung nailed upon the cross. At that moment, the heavens again opened, and the mountains quaked. Through His death, by faith in Christ, our sins are forgiven. And, through His bodily resurrection, we know our faith is not in vain.

[God Sustains Us as We Wait in Prayer]

This evening, God continues to sustain us through His Word and Sacrament. As we wait in prayer, He sustains our weak faith as He strengthens it through hearing the very words of our Lord that endure forever. We hear of God the Father’s love through the sending of His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to live a perfect life on our behalf, suffer and die for on behalf, and rise to life on our behalf. We hear how all our prayers to God are heard and that His will is always done.

While we wait in prayer, Christ also draws us to Himself in the Lord’s Supper as He strengthens our weak faith and forgives our sins. Through Christ’s very body and very blood, we receive the benefits of Christ’s sure promise of where there is forgiveness of sins, there is also life and salvation.

So, this day, and every day, we, like the Israelites then await His coming, as we await Christ’s second coming and pray: “Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.

T SOLI DEO GLORIA T

Christ's Power Is Made Perfect in Our Weakness

“But He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10).

These last few weeks have certainly not been expected. It appears to me that no person is immune to the COVID-19 virus. Even when taking extra precautions, no person is immune.

When any weakness, such as the COVID-19 virus, strikes a person, this person will experience what Jesus Christ taught the Apostle Paul, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”

So, when we cannot accomplish what we normally find easy to accomplish, such as our activities of our daily living, remember that even in our weakness, Christ’s grace is still sufficient for us.

This can be hard to comprehend for many of us as we are taught from an early age to have a good work ethic. But, what happens when one day we can easily accomplish our tasks, but the next day, we cannot?

One of the side-effects of this virus upon me has been keeping concentration. This has been improving, but for several days, I have had a difficult time stringing two sentences together. I have had a tough time recalling some thoughts that are second nature to me. It is as if my mind was in a fog. But, by God’s will, I am thankful that my concentration is improving.

For me, I am so thankful that God the Father does not require my concentration — my mind — in order to be saved. I am thankful that He sent His only begotten Son to die and rise for me and all creation, so that through trusting in Jesus, I, and all people, would be saved.

This truth is the only thing that can get us through any weakness. During these weeks in quarantine, I have found a new appreciation for one of my favorite Scripture passages from Paul’s epistle to the Ephesians: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

As I found it difficult to accomplish any work, I had to trust in others. This is an example of faith. We, fallen sinners, cannot accomplish everything on our own. We certainly cannot accomplish salvation on our own. All we can do is repent of our sins and trust in Jesus that these sins are forgiven. All we can do is receive — by faith in Christ — what has already been accomplished for us. For every person on earth, we are at the mercy of God. Whether, we are incapacitated, in quarantine, in worry or doubt about tomorrow, or seemingly healthy, we are all at the mercy of God.

All we can do is to be content with our weaknesses, for it is Christ alone who makes us strong. As for living in this current pandemic, all we can do is to trust in Jesus. He allowed this pandemic for a reason. For us, we can only guess what reason: Repentance? Turning from our idols? On this side of heaven, we will never truly know.

My only advice is to continue to see people as people. Don’t see your masked neighbors as possible enemies, but instead see them as human beings who need Christ’s grace as we all do. Continue to live your life, but don’t be reckless. At this moment in time, it appears that we will all be affected by the virus. It is always easy to play the blame game on how we may become infected, but remember, this virus is novel. This means that “the experts” do not know the exact details on how this virus truly spreads and how to truly prevent it.

Instead of worrying, follow the example of Job. When Satan struck him repeatedly, he never gave in to his temptations. Despite Job’s lack of understanding and inability to explain his suffering, he held on to his belief that God is still his redeemer.

So when any weakness strikes you, remember that the grace of Christ is sufficient for you and that Christ’s power is made perfect in our weakness. We are made perfect by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. We are to always be thankful that God the Father chose to redeem us while we were weak — dead in our sins. We are saved through the death and resurrection of Christ, which all began through His incarnation — God coming in our human flesh.

In Christ,
Pastor Adelsen