Sermon for Christmas Day: "The Word Still Dwells with Us" (John 1:1-14)

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

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

 

Luke’s gospel gives us the Nativity scene. John’s gospel, however, gives no mention of Mary or Joseph. We don’t hear a thing about angels or shepherds or a manger. We aren’t even told about Bethlehem. But we do hear is this: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. All things were made through Him, and without Him was not any thing that was made” (John 1:1-3). This is Christmas, according to St. John.

 

Today, we are here to celebrate the Nativity of Our Lord. Nativity, literally means “birth” or “birthday.” So, we are here to celebrate the birthday of Jesus. But we are here to celebrate even more! John reveals to us so much more about the nativity of Christ. John reveals that the Son of God did not begin at His birthday, or even at His conception. John reveals the Son of God was there at the beginning of time. Jesus spoke creation into being. Jesus is equal to God the Father.

 

But we are here to celebrate the nativity of Jesus Christ. We are here to celebrate how on that Christmas Day “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14a).

 

Jesus, who was fully God from eternity, became flesh. He became man. He dwelt among us.

 

Today’s gospel lesson is very deep. John uses simple words, but his message is profound. God is born of Child. This is something so deep that it is hard to fully comprehend. And if we say that we fully comprehend how God became Man, then Jesus isn’t God, because God is beyond our ability to comprehend. St. Augustine once wrote, “To reach to God in any measure by the mind is a great blessedness; but to comprehend Him, is altogether impossible.”

 

How God became man is a profound mystery. It’s a mystery how the Creator could take the flesh of a creature. It’s a mystery how Jesus assumed the human nature in the womb of the Virgin Mary. It’s a mystery how the two natures – the Divine and the human – are inseparably joined in the one Person Jesus Christ. It’s a mystery how the two natures are unchanged and yet are personally united. We sung of this mystery in “Of the Father’s Love Begotten.”

 

Jesus, the eternal God, the Creator of the world, became flesh and entered the world. “He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, yet the world did not know Him” (John 1:10).

 

For nearly 30 years, Jesus was unknown. In his boyhood, His conduct resembled that of any other youth. He was subject to His parents and obeyed their commands. Now, there were some moments when Jesus wasn’t like the other youth. At the age of 12, He stood at the temple listening to and asking the teachers questions. “And all who heard [Jesus] were amazed at His understanding and His answers” (Luke 2:47).

 

But all of this was soon forgotten. It was only Mary who “treasured up all these things in her heart” (Luke 2:51).

 

Only two kinds of beings exist: creatures and their Creator. The Word, Christ, was not created; He did the creating.

 

There, being held by Mary, is the Creator. He is in the world. He lives among men. But He is well hidden. The world did not know Him and paid no attention to Him. It was not until He would be 30 years old that He would begin to preach, heal the sick, and raise the dead.

 

The world is quite unaware that this child, lying in His mother’s lap and being washed and bathed by her like any other child, is the Light of the world. The world is unaware that it is through this Child that the world was created.

 

And yet, there were some people in the world who did know Him. To be sure, they did not know Him by their own reason, but by revelation of the Holy Spirit. Among these were Zacharias, Elizabeth, Simeon, Anna, the shepherds, Mary, and Joseph.

 

However, the rulers of the Jewish people and the Good Friday crowd would not acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah, much less accept Him. His miracles, signs, words, and sermons really should have identified Him, but they chose to live in the darkness.

 

But doesn’t light penetrate darkness? Yes, but many would rather be spiritually ignorant and blind. Yes, they can see Jesus right in front of them, but they refuse to believe that He is the promised Messiah, the Savior of man. Those in darkness fail to understand what the Word is bringing and remain in darkness. The dark world of sin and unbelief failed to understand that Jesus is the promised Christ. Even the religious leaders of Israel failed to see the light and opted to stay in the darkness. They went as far as to crucify the Word in an attempt to silence Him forever.

 

Instead of worshiping the Creator, man chose to reject the Creator and worship the creature instead. Man naturally chooses to reject Jesus because our sinful nature on our own cannot believe in Jesus Christ as Lord, or even come to Him. Our sinful human nature always focuses inward. We seek our identity from our own minds.

 

You see, for the vast majority of the people, they were not seeking a Messiah to save them from their sins. No, they wanted a Messiah who would make them rich, great, and mighty. They wanted a Messiah who was earthly, just as we are earthly. So, when they didn’t get what they wanted. God used their evil as a way to fulfill Isaiah’s prophecy:

“Who has believed what he has heard from us? 
    And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?
² For he grew up before him like a young plant,
    and like a root out of dry ground;
he had no form or majesty that we should look at him,
    and no beauty that we should desire him.
³ He was despised and rejected by men,
    a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; 
and as one from whom men hide their faces
    he was despised, and we esteemed him not” (Isaiah 53:1-3).

This is still happening today. As in the earthly ministry of Christ, the Gospel has free course today, and the Lord comes to us and visits us graciously; yet still so many refuse to trust in Him. Even those who honor Jesus. Have you been living your life honoring Jesus within these church walls, but living your life far from Him in your daily life?

 

Despite unbelief, denial, and disobedience, Jesus became flesh, because of His love for mankind. Mankind was trapped in sin and the wages of sin is eternal death apart from God. He came to save man because man was His own. He came into His own. He endured their hatred and murder. He never flinched from what had to be done to save mankind, because they were His from the beginning and He would not give them up.

 

“To all who did receive Him, who believed in His name, He gave the right to become children of God” (John 1:12).

 

We have become the children of God because He became a child of woman, “not of blood, nor the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:13). The Holy Spirit overshadowed the virgin. She conceived the Child without sin, a Priest forever in the order of Melchizedek. He did not abandon His Divinity. Nor was He changed into a Man: He became a Man. He added to what He already was. He took up the life of man as His own in order to live and die as a Man for men that He might make us “children of God.”

 

“We have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth”(John 1:14b). Christ’s glory was revealed to all in what He came here to do: suffer and die in our place. The Christ child came to be “the light of men” (John 1:4). He came in to reveal God’s glory in a way that we could look at it and not be blinded, but believe. At long last, God would let us see His glory by giving us His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, who alone reveals God’s glory through His work of salvation. 

 

The Word became flesh because we are flesh, subject to pain and misery. Jesus assumed human existence, with all its frailties and failings and consequences, as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Love moved God to become man, love for us sinners because we are sinners. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was born in human flesh because God’s will is that we should be saved from the power of sin, death, and Satan.

 

The Word became flesh and dwelt among us becoming our Life and our Salvation. The Word still dwells among us. Through repentance and faith in Him, He speaks us clean, forgiven, and His own. Thus, we have become children of God, baptized into His cross, joined to the mystery of the Eternal Word become Flesh. 

 

Today, Christ comes to us in the Flesh in the Sacrament of the Incarnation where He comes to us with the same Flesh and Blood under the bread and wine that Mary held in her arms. This is the very same Flesh and Blood that was crucified for your salvation. The very same Flesh and Blood that rose from the dead. The very same Flesh and Blood that will come again on the Last Day.

 

The Word became Flesh and remains Flesh for us for our salvation to make us children of God. Merry Christmas! Amen!

 

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

 

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

Sermon for Christmas Eve: "This Is My Son: Jesus" (Luke 2:1-14)

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: 

A father’s relationship with his children is incredibly important to their emotional and social well-being. The negative effects of a child without a father can be seen in countless studies and reports. The statistics show the importance of a father in children’s lives.

 

According to the U.S. Department of Justice, children from fatherless homes account for:

§  63 percent of youth suicides

§  90 percent of all homeless and runaway youths

§  71 percent of high school dropouts

§  70 percent of juveniles in state-operated institutions

§  75 percent of adolescent patients in substance abuse centers.

Children do best when they know and are raised by both a father and a mother.

 

But even when the father is present, it doesn’t mean that everything will go well. Authors and screenwriters have often recognized the complex relationship that often exists between fathers and sons and have used those tensions to create powerful stories.

 

When Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back revealed to Luke Skywalker while they were fighting that he was, in fact, Luke’s father, it was the most shocking father-son moment since, well, probably 2,000 years ago in the Jordan River when Jesus was baptized, and God the Father Himself announced, “This is My Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

 

How many other movies can you think of that revolve around the relationship between fathers and sons? I can think of Finding Nemo, a story about an overprotective father and a wayward son and The Lion King, a story about a son who feels like he can’t live up to his father’s expectations.

 

Based on our own storytelling, we know how important fathers are and how difficult our relationships with them can be.

 

During our midweek Advent series this year, we explored three father-and-son relationships found in the Old Testament, all of which ended in disappointment and often in tragedy.

 

Cain, the son of Adam, was not the promised Savior that Adam and Eve hoped he would be. Rather, he continued in his father’s sin, becoming the first man among many who would strike out and kill his own brother, Abel.

 

Ishmael, the son of Abraham, was not the promised son either. Abraham and Sarah thought they had to take matters into their own hands in order to produce an heir for Abraham. But they soon learned of the folly of not trusting fully in God and trying to produce on their own what only God could do.

 

Absalom, the son of David, despite his father’s great love for him, ended up disappointing his father as well, rebelling against him and losing his life in the process.

 

These events, both biblical and modern, help point us to the most complicated father-son relationship of all time. It’s the story of God the Father, Creator of heaven and earth, and the children He created, the sons of men. This is our story.

 

Though we desperately need the presence of our heavenly Father in our lives for our wellbeing, we have rejected Him time and time again through our sinful and foolish ways.

 

Like Cain, we have not lived up to the expectations given to us in the Ten Commandments and have become murderers through our sinful thoughts, words, and actions. Like Ishmael’s parents, we have tried to take matters into our own hands, thinking that our own good works will earn God’s love and favor. Like Absalom, we have rebelled against our heavenly Father and King, wanting to rule our own lives instead. But this only leads to death and condemnation.

 

Rather than trust in our heavenly Father’s guidance, which is always wise and good, we prefer to place our trust in political figures, or military might, or in ourselves to find salvation in this life. Rather than listen to the truth that our heavenly Father speaks to us in His Word, we prefer to listen and place our confidence in the opinion of others.

 

Our story is of wayward and stubborn children who have a Father who is even more stubbornly pursuing us out of His great love.

 

It is a story perfectly captured by Jesus in His parable of the prodigal son.

 

You likely know this parable well. The younger son of a wealthy and generous father demanded his share of the inheritance. He may as well have said to him, “I wish you were already dead so I can have your stuff!” With his words, he murdered like Cain. With his actions, he rebelled like Absalom. Yet even more shockingly, the father gives him what he wants. He allows him to walk away and out of his life.

 

Yet the father never stops looking for his son and hoping and praying that he would return. Though he had every reason to be, he was not angry with his son. He simply wanted another opportunity to show him how much he loved him. And finally, when the son had wasted all of his father’s money and found himself in desperation, his father got the chance to demonstrate just how great his love was for his son.

 

The prodigal son knew he did not deserve his father’s love or even a spot in the family again. He merely wanted to return as a servant. Perhaps he could work his way back in. With his focus on his own works, he became like Ishmael.

 

But his father would have none of it. Before he can even speak, the son is embraced tightly, clothed in the finest robe and sandals, and given the family ring, a symbol of his status as a son of the father. A celebration is planned, a fattened calf is sacrificed, and the son who once was lost has been found, the son who was once dead is alive again.

 

This parable begs the question: how could the father love his son like this? How could he just receive him back as if he had done nothing wrong? And would God the Father do the same for us? These are the questions that are answered by Christmas.

 

Christmas tells us of the only perfect Father-Son relationship that has ever existed. This relationship has existed before time began (John 1:1-12). This relationship continues to exist throughout eternity. This relationship never ends.

 

God the Father knows how much we need Him, despite our rejection of Him. We need to know our Father. It is the only way to find true joy, peace, hope, and life. And in order to make us children of God, God sent His only-begotten Son into the world – the Son of Man and Son of God – to be the perfect Son that we could never be. 

 

The angels revealed this perfect Son to the Shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night saying: “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).

 

Jesus is true Son of Adam, Abraham, and David. Jesus came in our flesh and took salvation into His hands to give us His righteousness! He remained perfectly obedient to His Father, and yet became a curse for us by hanging from a tree.

 

Psalm 146 reminds us: “Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish” (Psalm 146:3-4). 

 

But Jesus is both the Son of Man and Son of God, the Prince of Peace, and when His breath departed on the cross, God’s plan of salvation was complete – God and sinners reconciled.

 

Because of the gift of His Son, God reveals to us, in a shocking twist, that He is, in fact, our Father, who loves us and forgives us and gives us the right to become children of God. You see, God adopts you and makes you part of His eternal family through your Baptism into Jesus. What God the Father said to Jesus at His Baptism, He now says to you through yours: “This is My son. This is My daughter, with whom I am well pleased.”

 

So, fear not, for God the Father brings you good news of great joy that is for all people. That Child in the manger is the promised Son who through His obedience to His Father – by living a perfect life in our place, suffering in our place, and dying in our place. For by repentance and faith in Him, our sins are forgiven, and we are restored as children of God. Through Jesus, we have a perfect relationship to God the Father. Amen.

 

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

 

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

 

Sermon for Advent 4: "Are You Really with Us?" (Isaiah 7:10-17)

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:

 

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14).

 

Those are some very comforting words that God inspired Isaiah to say to King Ahaz. Those are some very comforting words for us as we just heard in the Sunday School Christmas program as the angel’s words to Joseph about Jesus fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” At first, Joseph could not believe that the prophecy of a virgin bearing a son would be his future wife. But in time, through the angel of the Lord, he trusted the Lord and did as the Lord commanded him.

 

Like Joseph, King Ahaz needed comfort. But unlike Joseph, enemies were set to conquer the Kingdom of Judah. Oddly enough these enemies were the alliance of the Northern Kingdom of Israel and the Kingdom of Syria. Ahaz was seeing the impending doom upon Judah and its capital city of Jerusalem.

 

Now, Ahaz wasn’t exactly the best worshiper of Yahweh. In fact, he brought in so many forms of idolatry into Judah. He did this because he wanted Judah to be like the rest of the region. He wanted Judah to fit in. So, when it comes to kings of Judah, he was one of those wicked kings. In fact, he moved the altar of the LORD at the Jerusalem Temple to the side as a devotional altar (2 Kings 16:14). In its place, he put in a new altar just like his contemporaries “made with metal images for the Baals” (2 Chronicles 28:2).

 

And why would Ahaz do this? Well, as I said, he wasn’t the best worshiper of Yahweh. But there is more, Ahaz believed that Yahweh was absent from his chosen people. 

 

 

Most of us, at some point or another, have wondered whether God is really with us. We face great difficulties, and we wonder if God even cares. We encounter things that we can’t explain or understand, and we wonder if God really exists. We cry out to God on our knees praying to Him, but we hear nothing in response.

 

Well, you are not alone if you wonder. You are not the first to question God’s presence. 

 

Before the Fall into sin, God’s presence was obvious. But after the Fall, God’s people have often doubted His presence among them. Remember the golden calf? God told Moses to meet Him on top of Mount Sinai so that He could give him His Law. So, what did the people do on the bottom of the mountain? They got antsy. They began to question God’s presence. They forgot about the plagues that God brought upon Egypt to deliver them. They forgot the parting of the Red Sea by which God rescued them. They forgot about how God provided food for them in the wilderness so that they would not starve.

 

Instead, they thought: “What have you done for me lately?”

 

King Ahaz doubted that God was still with him. And he had reason to doubt. Foreign armies were mounting against him. He brought idolatry into Judah. He was unrepentant. In fact, he was putting his trust in King Tiglath-Pileser of Assyria to save him against Israel and Syria. He was refusing to trust in Yahweh to save him and Judah.

 

But before Ahaz had taken the step to call in the Assyrian king for help, God sent Isaiah to give a message to Ahaz. His message was simple: God is with you, Ahaz. Despite his unfaithfulness, God would be with him. Despite his wickedness, God would keep His promise. The Son of David will come. God promised and He fulfills His promises. But in case, he has any doubts, Isaiah tells him to simply ask God for a sign, any sign. “Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven” (Isaiah 7:11). Essentially, ask God anything!

 

But Ahaz wouldn’t. He was too pious to ask. At least that was his excuse. He says, “I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test” (Isaiah 7:12). Well, all the while through false idol worship, Ahaz was putting God to the test, but when he really needs God, he refuses to speak to Him. So, if Ahaz won’t call out to God for a sign, “the Lord Himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isaiah 7:14).

 

Isaiah’s response to Ahaz’s lack of faith was to promise a peculiar sign of God’s presence. He promised that a child would be born of a virgin. From the very nature of this case, this virgin would also have to be a good woman. A loose woman giving birth to an illegitimate child could not possibly be a sign, but a miraculous act performed by God would nourish and bolster faith in this child.

 

And this son shall be called Immanuel. The name Immanuel tells who this child is: God with us. And this child is like us for “He shall eat curds and honey” (Isaiah 7:15).

 

Immanuel – the Son of God – is also the son of Mary. He would grow up like any other child. He will eat and drink. He will laugh and cry. But Immanuel is more than that. He is the fulfillment of the promise. He is Jesus. This name, like Immanuel, tells us who He is: He is the Savior from our sins (Matthew 1:21).

 

Jesus came to fulfill the Law for those who could never obey every commandment of God. Jesus came to suffer with us and die for us to the penalty we deserve on the cross for our sins. Jesus came to be our redeemer, so that by faith in Him, those who trust in Him would live forever.

 

Yes, the kingdoms of Israel and Syria seem strong and powerful, but those kingdoms would come to an end. You see, that’s included in this prophecy too: “For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted” (Isaiah 7:16). The kingdom of Immanuel, however, will never end. Jesus is the promised sign. He is the promised Son of David who will reign on the throne forever as fully God, fully Man. He is the guarantee that God is with us. In just one week, we celebrate the fact that God is with us and He is with us to save us.

 

We, like Ahaz, question if God is always with us. In this between time of Christ’s first and second advents, God’s presence in Christ is still often hidden from us.

 

But God gives us another sign. That sign is the Means of Grace. Baptism and the Lord’s Supper are signs of God’s grace toward us. You see, the Sacraments are signs and testimonies of God’s will toward us that awaken and confirm faith in us. So, yes, God is with us! Behold, the Lord Himself gives us a sign where He is found and promises to be: in His Word and Sacraments. Amen.

 

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

 

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

Sermon for Advent Midweek 3: "This Is My Son: Absalom" (2 Samuel 18:24-33)

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:

Parents make many sacrifices for their children. When a baby comes along, the needs and desires of mom and dad take a back seat. 

 

Parents will sacrifice time, money, and sleep in order to provide the very best for their children. Sacrifices come in all sizes. A dad might sacrifice the last bite of his favorite desert and give it to his child who loves it just as much. A mom might give up a career because that is what is best for her children. 

 

And I don’t know of any parent who would not be willing to sacrifice their own life in order to save the life of their child. Nearly every parent would be willing to take the place of their child if they are suffering.

 

But we don’t always get that chance.

 

David, the father of Absalom, wished that he could have died in his son’s place. But this event of this father and son relationship ultimately points us to the love of our heavenly Father and the ultimate sacrifice He made so that we can be saved from the curse of death.

 

The events in 2 Samuel 13-18 reveal the wickedness and depravity of mankind – even those chosen by God to be His special people, a light to the nations. These events tell of God’s people committing acts of incest, rape, injustice, murder, scheming, rebellion, and war! This sounds much like today’s world.

 

Here's a quick recap of what was happening then. King David had 19 sons from several different wives. Amnon was the first-born son of David and was in line to become king. But he lusted after his half-sister, Tamar. He faked being sick so that he could be cared for by her. When they were alone, he forced himself upon her and violated her. Then he placed the blame on her and sent her away to hide in shame.

 

When King David heard of this, he was rightfully angry, but he did nothing to punish Amnon. Absalom, who was the full brother of Tamar, was infuriated with Amnon and angry at David for not pursuing justice for Tamar. For two years, Absalom hated and plotted against Amnon until eventually, Absalom had his own half-brother Amnon murdered. Then Absalom fled and exiled himself. What a mess! This sounds much like a television soap opera, but this was very real.

 

Jump ahead three years. Joab, the captain of King David’s army, convinces David to bring back Absalom because he can tell that David misses him. But when Absalom returns to Jerusalem, he goes back to his plotting ways. 

 

Obviously, Absalom had not yet forgiven his father. Using his natural good looks – as Scripture describes him as very handsome with long hair – and his charisma, Absalom turned favor of the men of Israel by speaking badly of David in the city gates while promoting himself. Absalom did this for four years until one day he left Jerusalem and sent secret messengers, who announced, “Absalom is made king at Hebron!” (2 Samuel 15:10) Thousands of Israelites rallied to him and joined the rebellion because of all the patient, hard work he had done to build up his reputation.

 

Meanwhile, David fled from Jerusalem to spare the citizens there a battle when Absalom moved in to take the throne. David summoned those loyal to himself and amassed a great army. As the battle drew near, David stayed behind but instructed his army to deal gently with Absalom for David’s sake. He still loved his son and wanted to show him mercy.

 

On the day of the battle, David’s army soundly defeated Absalom’s army. As Absalom attempted to flee in the forest, his mule went under the thick branches of a tree, and his hair was caught in the tree so that Absalom was left to hang there. When Joab found him, he ignored the words of David and thrust three javelins into the heart of Absalom while he was still alive in the tree.

 

The reporting of this news and David’s response is what we heard in our reading this evening. When he heard of Absalom’s death, David wept and said, “O Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! Would I have died instead of you, O Absalom, my son, my son!” (2 Samuel 18:33) Here ends this tragic father-son chapter.

 

It is an event not unlike what we share with our heavenly Father. And sadly, that identifies us in the person of Absalom, the rebellious son.

 

But surely you aren’t that bad! You have never murdered anyone or incited rebellion or anything like that!

 

You might think that the only thing you have in common with Absalom is your good looks, but while we look at outward appearances, God looks at the heart. And in your heart, you are just as rotten and sinful and rebellious as Absalom and as every other person of that era. “For,” Jesus says, “out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person” (Matthew 15:19-20).

 

Like Absalom, you rebel against your heavenly Father each and every day when you put yourself on the throne of your heart and attempt to run your own life. Unlike David, God is a perfect Father, and He has told you what is good and right. But in our selfish pride, we have chosen not to listen and have declared war on God’s will. A son of the king with privilege and power, Absalom decided that it wasn’t enough. He wanted to be king! And we desire the same thing. Whenever we break any of the Ten Commandments, we also break the first commandment by placing our desires above God’s will.

 

God identified Absalom as someone who was cursed for his sin by allowing him to hang from that tree. God’s Law declares in Deuteronomy 21:23: “A hanged man is cursed by God.” We deserve the same punishment for our rebellion. Because of our sin, we are cursed, and we should expect the wrath of God.

 

Yet out of His great love, God the Father sent Jesus, the true Son of David, to become a curse for you by hanging from a tree in order to make you an heir of His heavenly Kingdom.

 

Like David, God is a merciful king who does not want us to die, despite our rebellion against Him. For you, God cries out like David, “O My children, My children! Would I have died instead of you, O My children!” But in God’s case, He carried out the substitution that David could only hope for. In order to save you from the curse of death, God the Father willingly gave up His only Son. The Son of God also became the son of a human being – the true Son of David, in whom no sin or rebellion could be found, to carry out God’s promise that David’s kingdom would be established forever.

 

And as the Son of David, Jesus also hung from a tree – the cross – and a spear was thrust into Him. Paul refers to Deuteronomy 21 and connects it to Galatians 3:13 where he is inspired to write, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse. For it is written, ‘Cursed is everyone who hangs from a tree.’” Jesus became cursed for you. He died the death we deserve. Although, He who knew no sin, He took on our sin so that we might receive His righteousness.

 

That’s the sacrifice your heavenly Father was willing to make for you, His rebellious child. No matter how far you stray, no matter how violently you rebel, no matter how often you attempt to remove Him from the throne of your heart, God the Father will always love you and is ready to forgive you for the sake of the One who hung on the tree in your place. Through Jesus, the true Son of David and King of the universe, you are a forgiven and eternally loved child of God, and you have a place in His kingdom forever. Amen.

 

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

 

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

Sermon for Advent 3: "Are You the Coming One?" (Matthew 11:2-15)

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:

 

Today, the Third Sunday in Advent, is known as Gaudete Sunday. We get this name “Gaudete” from the first word of our Introit: “Rejoice!” We spoke together: “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, Rejoice” (Philippians 4:4).

 

To further signify this special day, the third Advent candle lit is set out from the rest. It’s pink. Pink signifies joy!

 

John the Baptist sure stuck out among his generation, much like today’s pink candle on the Advent wreath. He wore strange clothing: camel’s hair and a leather belt. He ate strange foods: locusts and wild honey.

 

John was very unusual. He preached boldly. He condemned all sinners alike, saying: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (Matthew 3:2) and “You brood of vipers!” (Matthew 3:7)

 

John didn’t care if people were offended by God’s truth. The religious leaders in his day as in our day, would say, “This is not the way to start off a successful ministry. How day you offend!” But as I said last week, people came from all the surrounding region to hear John preach, confess their sins, and be baptized.

 

We may not think this is the proper way to gain followers, but this is how God works. He does the unexpected. He calls us to repentance and faith!

 

John’s calling was to prepare the way for the coming Messiah. He was filling every valley and leveling every mountain by encouraging the repentant and condemning the proud. This is how God used John to prepare for the Messiah. This is how God’s people prepare for the Lord’s coming – through repentance, that is turning from their sins and believing in the good news of forgiveness.

 

But not every mountain wants to be leveled. There are so many prideful people who refuse to repent. Remember the Pharisees and Sadducees? They thought their so-called “good works” and just going through the liturgical motions were enough for God. Well, they weren’t alone. King Herod Antipas was one of those mountains who did not want to be leveled. He did not delight in John’s preaching of repentance, especially when John spoke to him: “It is not lawful for you to have her” (Matthew 14:4) regarding the king’s affair with his brother’s wife Herodias.

 

King Herod Antipas was breaking the Sixth Commandment and John wasn’t about to ignore it. So, the king locked up John in prison.

 

Today is Gaudete Sunday. Today is a day of rejoicing! But we see John locked up in prison. This doesn’t appear to be joyful. Where is the joy?

 

Those words “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice” were inspired by the Holy Spirit and penned by St. Paul. Paul wrote those very words while he was in prison for preaching the good news of Jesus. Paul rejoiced even while in prison. But what about John?

 

John certainly heard about the miracles and signs of Jesus. But he also had expectations. John preached of the winnowing fork who would clear the threshing floor of unrepentant sinners. He believed that Jesus was the promised Messiah, but now it appears that he may have doubts. Maybe he thought that the Messiah would rescue him? Yes, he’s hearing of the prophecies fulfilled and the miraculous healings, but he’s stuck in prison.

 

John knows he is the fiery prophet of the Lord, but he’s taken aback, since what he’s heard about Jesus did not match his end-time message that he preached and what he is currently experiencing.

 

So, John sent word by his disciples to Jesus: “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” (Matthew 11:3) Has John lost faith? John was a real man, like you and me. Like us, he could easily be deceived by the devil’s lies, to insecurity, or even to doubt. Is John having second thoughts?

 

John once proclaimed of Jesus, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) He had great expectations, but now he is in prison. And prison is a depressing place. 

 

Now, it is likely that you have struggled with unbelief. This struggle is always the case for every Christian until we are with Christ in heaven. Even though we have faith, there is still that old unbeliever in us – that “Old Adam” – which is our old sinful nature. And often in difficult situations, we may wonder if we are right to trust in Jesus. What John sees is that he is in prison, but what he doesn’t see is what Jesus is doing.

 

So, Jesus tells John’s disciples: “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by Me” (Matthew 11:4-6).

 

What Jesus is saying is this: “Yes, I am the promised Messiah. The very things the prophets said the Messiah would do, I am doing. Blessed is the one who trusts in Me to do things My way. Yes, evil men remain strong, but I will overthrow them in My time.”

 

Just imagine what John must have thought when he heard this. I’m sure he went from sorrow to joy; from doubt to faith! Now, we must not conclude that John lost all faith before Christ’s answer, but he, like us, so often need our faith strengthened by the only One who can do it: Jesus. John is like us. He had his moments of faith to doubt and back to faith again.

 

So, when you are in the prison of your fears, or of uncertainties, we can look to John for guidance. You can do what he did. You can reach out to Jesus and question Him: “Are you the one for me?” “Are you there for me when I need you?” He answers our questions in where He is found: in the Scriptures, in the Sacraments, and even in your sinful pastor, who suffers with you.

 

For John, Jesus spoke to the crowds concerning him. “What did they go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind?” – That is, a weak and fickle ministry? “A man dressed in soft clothing?” – That is, a wealthy person who lives in a king’s palace? No, John is languishing in a king’s prison! “What did they go out to see?” – They came to see the Messenger who prepared the way for Me.

 

Unlike John in prison, we have seen God’s salvation. Christ took upon Himself our sins through John’s baptism all the way to the cross. Upon that cross, He suffered the punishment we each deserve for our sins. He suffered death. And He rose to life so we would not remain in our sins.

 

Jesus defeated the power of sin, death, and the devil for you upon the cross. Through His death, we have life! Today, we see the Lamb of God. He first came to you through the holy washing of Baptism, where you were marked as His own. We hear His all-sufficient Word and we receive heavenly nourishment in Christ’s body and blood, which forgives our sins and strengthens our weak faith.

 

The world will try to break our spirit, but remember, your Messiah has overcome the world! So, our prisons will have their end. Our pain will one day be removed. Our hope of eternal life will not end in disappointment. 

 

Remember, the arrival of Jesus is the basis for our rejoicing! He is the Coming One who is Emmanuel, that is “God with us!” The prophecy about the preparation of the way for God is fulfilled in Jesus. So, never give up hope. Gaudete Sunday is celebrated in the midst of sadness and doubt, but also in watchfulness of His coming. Christ’s comfort to John in prison is also on your behalf. So, don’t waver. Your faith is built upon God’s Word and His Sacraments, where we always find comfort, peace, and joy! Amen.

 

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

 

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +