"Grieving in Hope and Faith" (Matthew 2:13-18) - The Holy Innocents, Martyrs

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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: 

“And [Joseph] rose and took the Child and His mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, ‘Out of Egypt I called My Son’” (Matthew 2:14-15).

 

The days on our Church calendar following Christmas Day can leave us wondering: where has the joy of Christmas gone?

 

What happened to “Joy to the World”? What happened to “Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled”?

 

These days following Christmas are very strange. Just one day after Christmas was the Festival of St. Stephen, Martyr. Two days after Christmas was the Festival of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist. And that leads us to today: the Festival of the Holy Innocents, Martyrs. It has been said St. Stephen was a martyr for Christ in both will and deed. St. John was Christ’s martyr in will, but not in deed. And the Holy Innocents, to which we observe today, were Christ’s martyrs not in will, but in deed.

 

This is so very strange. Again, just a few short days ago, we were gathered in unbridled joy. But now? Today, we heard of the death of children. Now we are gathered in deep sorrow. Instead of singing “Joy to the World,” we are crying out to God about rescuing us from “the hand of the wicked” (Psalm 71:1, today’s Gradual), and from the strangers who “have risen against me; [the] ruthless men [who] seek my life” (Psalm 54:3)

 

Then in today’s Gospel lesson, we heard of crying and deep sorrow. For the mothers in Bethlehem, they are like Rachel before them as they refuse to be comforted because their children are no more.

 

The pendulum of our life together in the Church has swung drastically since Christmas Day. But this is what life is like out there as we live in a fallen and sinful world. One minute you are living your life in joy, and then the next minute is filled with sorrow.

 

Just look at Bethlehem. At the announcement of the birth of the Christ Child, there were angels singing in the fields: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased” (Luke 2:14). Upon hearing this, the shepherds run to see the promised Savior of the world. 

 

Sometime later, wise men came from afar to Bethlehem to see the one “who has been born king of the Jews” (Matthew 2:2). 

 

Then Joseph, as solid and reliable as a husband and father could be, is warned by an angel in a dream that his family is in immediate danger, and he doesn’t waste a minute. He, Mary, and the Christ Child depart before morning to Egypt.

 

To be sure, there was so much joy happening in Bethlehem! But then, in the blink of an eye, there is sudden and unexpected death.

 

“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw His star when it rose and have come to worship Him.’ When Herod heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him …” (Matthew 2:1-3).

 

Herod the Great was well known for his social concern and at the same time being cruel and merciless. Herod during a time of severe economic hardship gave back tax money collected from the people. And during a great famine, Herod melted down various gold objects in the palace to buy food for the poor. He built theaters, racetracks, and other structures to provide entertainment for the people. And he began the reconstruction project of the Temple in Jerusalem.

 

But as I said, Herod was also cruel and merciless. Herod was known for being incredibly jealous, suspicious, and afraid for his own position and power. For Herod, any potential threat would be dealt with. He had his wife’s brother drowned. He had his wife Mariamne killed. He had her mother killed. He had three of his own sons killed. And shortly before he would die, Herod had the most distinguished citizens of Jerusalem arrested and imprisoned to be executed the very moment he would die and just to guarantee that there would be mourning in Jerusalem. If not for him, it would be for those men. But there would still be mourning.

 

So, it is not far-fetched that when Herod was troubled, then all of Jerusalem would be troubled right along with him.

As the magi wandered around Jerusalem attempting to locate “he who has been born king of the Jews,” the people began to be concerned.

 

Knowing the past, anyone even suspected of doing Herod harm or threatening his position or power was in considerable danger. In Herod’s sweeping carnage many innocent people were often destroyed. Although Herod’s anger was not vented this time against Jerusalem, it would soon be vented against the nearby town of Bethlehem.

 

I wish I could say that sorrow is only unique to Bethlehem, but I can’t. The slaughter of children two years old and younger by Herod is unique. But not the deep sorrow. That’s what makes this time of year so hard for many.

 

Yes, just days ago, we sang “Joy to the World,” but what happened when that service ended? You either went home or spent time with loved ones, your family and friends. But some of us had people missing from this year’s gatherings – and not because they couldn’t make it because of other gatherings or travel distance – it was because they died.

 

Last Christmas, or some Christmas before, you were spending time with those whom you love: opening presents, talking and eating, singing, and going to church with them. But then, something sudden happened. Something unexpected happened. Something happened to take them away from you: a car accident, a fall, a heart attack, a stroke, cancer. You name it. It happens. Suddenly and unexpectedly, death happens. And now, this Christmas season, you join yourself with those grieving parents in Bethlehem.

 

Now, deep sorrow is bad enough, but when you are shaken to the core, it’s the questions that drive us nuts. It’s those questions that hurt the most. They range from the simple “why?” to the more complex “Why did this happen? Why did God allow this to happen? Why doesn’t God hear my prayer? Why does God allow suffering? Has God abandoned me?”

 

Sometimes, there are clear answers to the “why” questions. Like in our Old Testament lesson. There, God told them directly to love and worship Him only. What did Israel do? They refused. They turned their hearts away from God. They worshipped other gods. And for their idolatry, for their sin of unbelief, they received and suffered a consequence: 70 years of slavery, suffering, pain, and death at the hands of the Babylonians. 

Also, in our Gospel lesson. There, the “why” is answered because Herod feared losing his power. He was also furious that the magi did not return.

 

However, other times, there is no clear answer to our “whys.” Sometimes, there is not a clear cause and effect that we can easily point to. All we can point to is that we are poor, miserable sinners who live in a fallen world, which gives suffering, pain, evil and death. This is the world we live in thanks to Adam and Eve’s disobedience. “Sin came into the world through one man (Adam), and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned” (Romans 5:12).

 

And for those “whys” that lack an answer, Jesus teaches us this: “In the world, you will have tribulation” (John 16:33). So, trouble is to be expected. Trouble is now considered normal.

 

Sadly, as we live in this fallen world of sin, suffering, pain, and death happen all the time. And in just a blink of an eye. One moment you are driving down the road and the next moment a truck turns right out in front of you.

 

Sometimes, we just don’t have the answer to the why question. We still wonder. We wonder where God is in all of this?

 

On this day of the Festival of the Holy Innocents, God gives us real hope for real people in the midst of sorrow.

 

Remember: “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). This is why “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). He came down into this fallen world to bear our sin and be our Savior. He came to save those Holy Innocents and He came to save you!

 

And nothing can stop Jesus from accomplishing that goal! Herod certainly tried. He tried to kill Jesus, but Joseph followed the command of the angel. And some years later, a son of Herod – one who lived – would attempt to prevent Jesus from going to the cross. But nothing can stop Jesus from accomplishing His goal! Jesus would finish His course. Jesus would cry out: “It is finished” (John 19:30). 

 

Then, in the blink of an eye, Jesus would bodily resurrect from the dead! And because Christ lives, we – by faith in Him – will live also! For everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him has eternal life, and God will raise him up on the Last Day! In Christ alone there is truly joy to the world!

 

Until that day of Christ’s final coming, you and I will grieve, but our grieving is mixed with hope as our tears are mixed with faith and our sadness is mixed with joy knowing that in the twinkle of an eye, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall all be changed as our bodies become immortal (1 Corinthians 15)! In Christ alone, there is true joy! 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 +

"The Word Became Flesh - for You!" (John 1:1-14)

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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:

“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. … The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:1, 14).

 

Merry Christmas!

 

Christmas Day is certainly different from Christmas Eve. Last night, we heard about the nativity scene, the creche. We heard about Mary and Joseph. We heard about angels and shepherds. We heard about the Christ Child wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger. This morning, we hear what that all means. This morning, we hear about the theology hiding behind the nativity scene – the creche: “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14a).

 

Theologically, verse 14 of our Gospel text presents to us the most concise Biblical statement of the Incarnation. Those first four words “the Word became flesh” expresses the reality that in the Incarnation God took upon Himself our humanity. It expresses that the infinite became finite. It expresses eternity entering time. It expresses the invisible became visible. It expresses the Creator entering His creation.

 

Before there was a world, a universe, there was God. And this very Person – the Second Person of the Trinity – was active to create all this. The very Creator of all things now puts on our flesh – our human flesh. God became one of us. At the same time, God does not change. God can’t change. This is so much to ponder. This is beyond our own thoughts and imagination. Just ponder this fact: God became a human being and yet, He never ceases to be God.

 

1    Of the Father’s love begotten
    Ere the worlds began to be,
He is Alpha and Omega,
    He the source, the ending He,
Of the things that are, that have been,
    And that future years shall see
        Evermore and evermore. (Of the Father’s Love Begotten, LSB 384, stanza 1)

The Divinity took upon our humanity. The Second Person of the Trinity, who is God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten not made, being of one substance with the Father, by whom all things were made; who for us and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary and was made man. Wow! God dwelt among us!

 

2    Christ, by highest heav’n adored,
Christ, the everlasting Lord,
    Late in time behold Him come,
    Offspring of a virgin’s womb.
Veiled in flesh the Godhead see,
Hail the_incarnate Deity!
Pleased as Man with man to dwell,
Jesus, our Immanuel! (Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, LSB 380, stanza 2)

 

God with us!

 

Of course, God had been with His people throughout their history, but this was different. Very different. 

 

Before, God “tabernacled” among His people in the tabernacle, the tent of meeting, and then its more permanent replacement, the temple in Jerusalem. That was too, a remarkable thing. It was remarkable how God dwelt among unclean people to cleanse them and dwell among them. Yet, there at the temple, God assured His people of His glory. God assured His people of His holy presence. There, He atoned for their sins. There, He shared His holiness with them that they might be the holy people He called them to be.

 

But all that time, King Solomon, who was responsible in building the temple, believed that God could not be contained in the temple (1 Kings 8:27). Solomon believed that the temple, nor heaven, nor earth, could contain God.

 

Solomon was right. His temple could not contain God. So, God pitched His tent among us. Here in flesh and blood, the Word, the very Second Person of the Trinity, the very Son of God, dwells among us. A new temple, not made of stone or wood, but of His flesh. Now the fullness of the Deity dwells bodily in the flesh of Christ Jesus.

 

This is a Divine Mystery! The Word did not simply inhabit the flesh of Jesus, like a tent or a vehicle you step into and then step out of. The Word has become flesh in this mysterious union of true God and true man we call the Incarnation. This is a mystery we may not fully understand, but it’s a mystery to be confessed.

 

But have you ever thought: Why would God exchange a permanent, lasting home for a fragile human body? 

 

We do certainly live in a fallen world where things do not last. Just look all around. Everything dies or decays. Or it lasts long enough to be bulldozed for a “better” structure. Just look at sports stadiums and Las Vegas hotels. They are here one day and gone the next. Ironically, even Solomon’s and Herod’s temples – that were one day seemingly indestructible – were leveled.

 

You and I will die. The Psalmist writes: “You [God] sweep them away as with a flood; they are like a dream, like grass that is renewed in the morning; in the morning it flourishes and is renewed; in the evening it fades and withers. … 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 90:5-6, 9-10).

 

The sentence of death lies heavy on our fallen human race as generations come and generations go, for we are by nature estranged from God by our sin, as we are corrupted to the core of our being ever since the Fall of Adam.

 

But then something changes. The sinless Son of God becomes Man. The Word became flesh – a weak, mortal flesh and blood, who three decades later would be hung lifeless on a cross. The Word became flesh so that He might bear our griefs, carry our sorrows, and be crushed under the weight of yours and my guilt. The sinless would die for the sinful. The Holy One would die for the unclean. The very Son of God would bear the full, divine wrath against your sin and mine, so that we – by faith in Jesus as your Lord and Savior – would never face God’s wrath ourselves!

 

For three days, the Word become flesh would be dead. But on that third day, that same Word become flesh rose to life – indestructible and immortal.

 

Certainly, heaven and earth would pass away, but not the Word made flesh for you!

 

All earthly temples, including Solomon’s temple and Herod’s after it would pass away. But not this Temple! The resurrected, glorified, Word made flesh Christ Jesus will not pass away. Jesus is more lasting than the strongest stone. There, in the Word become flesh Jesus Christ, our Lord, we see the only true and enduring sanctuary of God. Jesus is the place where God’s glory dwells!

 

But here we are, some two thousand years later. Yes, the apostles and disciples then saw Jesus and His glory. What about us? Where is God’s glory on this Christmas in 2025?

 

God is still with us. God still dwells with us. God is still tabernacling with us. But where is He?

 

Today, the Word become flesh’s glory is veiled. He is hidden. But His glory, which is full of grace and truth comes to you and me still as the Word become flesh tabernacles among us – eternal and indestructible. For it was He who incorporated you into His body, the Church. By grace through faith in Christ alone, He has given you His own resurrection life!

 

And while God’s glory is hidden, Jesus is very present with us. You see, it was His voice you heard forgiving your sins. You heard His proclaimed Word in the Scriptures and in this sermon. And in moments, He will again reveal Himself to you through His very Body and Blood under bread and wine. Through these Means of Grace – His Word and His Sacraments – the very Word become flesh Christ Jesus forgives and restores you, His beloved child.

 

On this Nativity of Our Lord, let us confess this Divine Mystery of the Word become flesh, God becoming man, so that we – by faith in Him – would have the gift of forgiveness, life and salvation. 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 +

"The Gift of God's Son" (Luke 2:1-20) - Christmas Eve

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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, 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 Christmas season is marked with many decorations: evergreen trees laden with shiny ornaments and twinkling lights, evergreen wreaths and garland, tinsel and toys, poinsettias and peppermint, ribbons and bows, candy canes and candles, hung stockings and gingerbread houses.

 

But sometimes, the Christmas holiday becomes cluttered with such wrappings and trappings, making it difficult to sort out what Christmas is truly about. It’s hard to get down to the core message.

 

If you asked a random person what the most important thing about Christmas is, odds are that they would say the presents. For many people, the highlight of Christmas is unwrapping, or better yet, ripping open those presents. This is especially true for children. For most children, opening presents is the climax of the Christmas season. For most children, opening Christmas gifts is the foremost in their minds.

 

Certainly, Christmas is about a gift. Now, that gift is not found under the Christmas tree. And this most-important truth about Christmas is sometimes lost in our attention to the glitter and glitz of the Christmas holiday. It may get hidden behind the Santas and reindeer and snowmen. But the most important gift is found elsewhere. This is the truth of Christmas. This gift is located in a manger. This gift is a newborn Baby who has come to save His people from their sins.

 

During the Advent season, we prepare for the coming of the Christ. Now that we have come to Christmas, we now celebrate Christ’s arrival. The first Christmas gift was God’s only begotten Son, who took upon Himself human flesh and was born as a baby to save us, sinners. Jesus is the real gift of Christmas!

 

God had promised the gift of the Savior for centuries through His prophets. And God is always faithful to His promise. That gift arrived more than two thousand years ago in the package of a little baby, an infant who was fully God in human flesh.

 

The promised Emmanuel – “God with us” – had arrived. He came to deliver us from our captivity to sin and death. He came to be our Savior!

 

This was the gift the angel announced to the shepherds on that first Christmas night. Now, shepherds were regarded by the Jewish religious leaders as ceremonially unclean since they worked on the Sabbath. Moreover, shepherds were considered untrustworthy by the population at large. Shepherds were social outcasts. But it was to these outcasts that the angel first announced the coming Messiah 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. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:10-12).

 

On that first Christmas, the angel announced the content of the newly delivered package – “a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.”

 

In this announcement, the newborn Child is identified as the Savior and the Lord. The angel then equates the Baby with God. And the ascription of Savior indicates the mission of this Child: to save humanity from its fallen sinful condition and fatal destination in hell. In this birth announcement, the angel ascribes three important titles to the newborn Child: Savior, Christ, and Lord.

 

The angel then provides an additional sign in locating the Baby: “You will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger” (Luke 2:12).

 

Now, swaddling cloths is not a great distinctive sign, as swaddling cloths were a common practice with newborns. Infants were normally wrapped in cloths, which provided warmth and security in their new environment.

 

What was distinctive was the location of the Baby: “lying in a manger.” That is unexpected. This newborn Christ resides in the domicile of livestock animals. This is truly a strange circumstance that ought to jolt human expectations: the long-awaited Messiah enters human history in the humblest of contexts. He isn’t found lying in a royal crib in a king’s palace, but in a smelly, dirty stable lying in a feeding trough.

 

Jesus is the gift we needed. We needed someone to save us from our sins. We needed someone to save us all from Satan’s power when we had gone astray.

 

We had gone astray from God and His commandments in our selfish desires and sinful rebellion. Every one of us. We are all guilty. We were all destined for eternal death and eternal destruction. We could do nothing to save ourselves. We needed someone to save us from sin and its deadly consequences.

 

Thanks be to God that He delivered the gift of the Savior in the babe of Bethlehem. This is why the Child was named Jesus, which means “Yahweh saves,” for as we heard last Sunday by the angel that “He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).

 

God entered our fallen, sinful world. He took upon Himself our flesh to rescue humanity. He gave us the Great Exchange. He lived the righteous life and died a sacrificial death for you. And in return, He gave you His perfect righteousness and holiness – and all by His grace through faith in Him. We did nothing to earn salvation. Yours and my salvation had nothing to do with our good works or behavior. Your salvation has everything to do with Jesus, who as your Savior gave you the gift of salvation purely out of His unmerited mercy and grace from His unconditional loving kindness.

 

As true God, Jesus saved humanity. He conquered Satan and destroyed eternal death for you. Jesus Christ, your Savior, is the real gift!

 

Tonight, as we gaze at the manger, we see a message wadded up – wrapped in swaddling cloths – which explains God’s real gift to us. He says, “I love you. I love you so much that I desire that you do not perish but have eternal life. I didn’t come to condemn you, but that you might be saved through Me.” (John 3:16-17)

 

In the gift of Jesus Christ, the triune God has given us His greatest gift because He has given us Himself. It was because of love that the infinite Creator of the universe took on human flesh, and a helpless infant one at that! It was for love that He grew up to offer His life as a ransom for sinners. As St. Paul proclaims, “The goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy” (Titus 3:4-5). Because of His life, death, bodily resurrection and ascension, you are forgiven and delivered from eternal death.

 

On this Nativity of Our Lord – Christmas Eve, we joyfully receive the supreme gift announced by the angel: “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord”(Luke 2:11). 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 +

"God's Plan Fulfilled" (Matthew 1:18-25)

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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:

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place this way. When His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:18).

 

For many Christians, even myself, I don’t like just rushing into Christmas. Afterall, it’s still the Advent season. But in today’s Gospel reading, those who crafted the lectionary with the Holy Spirit’s help gets us as close as we can to Christmas Day without actually being there. 

 

But of course, today’s Gospel text does have an Advent feeling about it, as the bulk of today’s reading is about Joseph and Mary and the key pieces of God’s salvation plan dropping in place ahead of the Messiah’s arrival. 

 

But today’s text is more about Joseph than anything else. And although Joseph does not even say a recorded word, he is certainly at the center as he confronts a problem, a big problem: his betrothed is pregnant with child.

 

After St. Matthew devotes 17 verses to Jesus’ human genealogy from Abraham to Joseph, he now records Jesus’ divine genealogy in a single verse: Mary “was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:18).

 

This states a fact even without attempting to explain how it took place. This verse reports a birth that was unique in all of human history. This tells us that the eternal Son of God, who “was in the beginning with God” (John 1:2) and “all things were made through Him” (John 1:3), assumed human flesh and blood in the womb of the Virgin Mary. He is true God from eternity, and He is also true man since He was conceived and born of a human mother some two thousand years ago.

 

But there was a problem. A big problem. Mary, who was with child, was only “betrothed to Joseph”(Matthew 1:18) at the time. That betrothal was more than what we commonly call an engagement. It wasn’t something that was easy to get yourself out of. To be betrothed meant that the couple had already spoken vows of marriage in the presence of witnesses, and they were regarded as husband and wife. 

However, according to the custom of the time, the marriage celebration would not be until some months later, and only then would the bride and groom consummate their marriage together as one flesh.

 

Being pregnant before the marriage celebration was scandalous!

 

Just imagine the shock and hurt Joseph felt when he was made aware of Mary’s pregnancy! A woman can only hide her pregnant belly for so long. Eventually people will notice! And in time, Joseph noticed! 

 

And Joseph concluded that Mary had been unfaithful to him. And if that is true, which he was certain, then he could not take her home to be his wife. So, he begins planning.

 

If this pregnancy becomes public, Joseph knew the Law. If she was found guilty of adultery, she would be stoned to death – along with the other guilty party (Deuteronomy 22:23-24). 

 

Sometimes we are surprised by a crisis. It could be an unplanned pregnancy. It could be a sudden loss of a job. It could be a financial crisis.

 

More often, we are forced to simply grind through life and face the routine challenges and difficulties as we live in this broken world. So often, we do the same techniques as Joseph. We begin planning our next move in order to remove the crisis.

 

But Joseph did not seek revenge as he was a just man unwilling to put Mary to shame, so he resolved to find another way to dissolve this relationship. He decided to dissolve their marriage contract as quietly as possible.

 

But then comes another twist! God intervenes. He sent an angel, likely Gabriel, to Joseph in a dream. Now Joseph did not just dream about an angel bringing him a message; a real angel came to him and spoke to him. He told Joseph, “That which is conceived in [Mary] is from the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:20).

 

Now, how could Joseph be sure it was God’s Word that he heard? He had faith. This angel connected the dots. He struck the lottery! He was betrothed to the one-in-a-millions kind of woman. For inside Mary’s womb was the fulfillment of Isaiah 7:14: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel.”

 

Now, God’s plan would be challenging. It meant dealing with the complications of a pregnant fiancé. God’s plan is often challenging, and His plan frequently goes against what we would like to do, or what makes sense, or even what may seem right to us. But it is God’s plan, so we do it. God’s plan is always right.

 

In the dream, Joseph was told to name the child “Jesus.” Now, Jesus was a common name among the Jews. You may have heard of the names “Joshua” or “Yeshua,” which are other names for “Jesus.” The name means “Yahweh saves.” When that name was given to an ordinary child, it served as a reminder of God’s promise of a Savior. But in this Child’s case, it identified the One and only Savior of the world. Jesus’ name tells who He is – God – and what He does and will do – save His people from their sins. 

 

Now, we don’t have to be told in a dream to know what God wants us to do. He has revealed that to us through His written Word, the Bible. God has the plan. Instead of relying on ourselves, let us rely on God and His plan as He sent us the Savior who came to be the atonement between God and man as He would save His people from their sins through Him being nailed to His throne, the cross, and giving all who trust in Him: forgiveness, life and salvation. Amen.

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

 keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.  

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

"Crèche" (Advent Midweek 3)

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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:

“Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place this way. When His mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit” (Matthew 1:18).

 

People throughout the world decorate this Advent season – and even last month – with Christmas trees, evergreens, and electric lights. Even non-Christians decorate. But there is a decoration that is distinctively Christian. There is a decoration that captures the true story and true message of Christmas. Tonight, we will look at how the creche, a model of the nativity scene, helps us prepare for the coming of Christ.

 

The creche is an explicitly Christian symbol because it presents the people involved in the birth of Christ, such as Mary, Joseph, the shepherds, the Magi, and even the angels and some farm animals. Prince of Peace is blessed to have so many nativity scenes. In fact, we use the creche as a witness to define the real reason for the season. 

 

The word “creche” derives from Latin and means “nursery.” In fact, even today, it is the French word for nursery or childhood center. And in many other European countries, “creche” refers to a nursery school where infants and other young children are cared for during the day while their parents are at work.

 

This word “creche” has been transferred from this context of baby care to the scene which the greatest Baby in history was attended by His mother and guardian as well as the shepherds and in most cases, the Magi. But, here in America, the creche is most associated with the Biblical nativity scene in which figures are arranged to depict the event of Jesus’ birth.

 

The creche has been a decoration for Advent and Christmas for centuries. It has been depicted in frescos, paintings and reliefs. It has been reenacted with living people and animals since at least the 1300s. 

 

But it is most common to see plaster statues or wooden figures of the Holy Family and their guests.

 

By the 1800s, many Christian churches, including Lutherans, began embracing the use of creches in their churches. Eventually, Christians began using them at their homes.

 

The creche is a visible representation of the people who attended the birth of Jesus as depicted in the accounts of Matthew 2 and Luke 2. The creche provides us with a visible and tangible representation of the setting and event of Christ’s birth. It enables us to see with our eyes and touch with our hands the scenario in which Christ’s first advent occurred. Since God has created us with multiple senses, the creche engages our abilities to see and touch to support the hearing of His Word, the events of the birth of the Messiah.

 

You see, the advent of our Lord didn’t happen in a spiritual fantasy land but in real time among real people in this very real creation. St. John affirms the reality of the incarnate Christ, writing: “That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we looked upon and have touched with our hands, concerning the word of life … that which we have seen and heard we proclaim also to you, so that you too may have fellowship with us; and indeed our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ” (1 John 1:1, 3).

 

But I will admit that I have an issue with the creche, or nativity scene. Many of you may know what I am going to say. Take a look at our creche under the Christmas tree. Who is missing? The Magi. But I am kind enough to have the Magi on the outskirts of the sanctuary. Why do you think the Magi are over there and not with the rest of the scene?

 

Well, it’s because the Magi did not arrive in Bethlehem at the birth of the Christ Child. They actually arrived some months later. So, that’s why I have them make their arrival on the day of Epiphany. And when they did finally arrive, they didn’t see Jesus wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger (Luke 2:12), but saw Jesus being held in Mary’s arms inside a house (Matthew 2:11). 

 

However, the creche reveals that the very Son of God was born in a very earthly setting, laid in a manger, with livestock surrounding and hay abounding. He was laid in a feeding trough. God entered this world as a small and helpless infant, dependent upon His mother for food and protection. The creche attests to the reality that “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14). This humble setting displays the One “who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men” (Philippians 2:6-7).

 

The creche points us to the ongoing humiliation of Jesus for our salvation that He being fully God became man in order to die for us. “And being found in human form, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross” (Philippians 2:8). 

 

Remember, Jesus did not remain in the manger. He would grow up to be “despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. … But He was pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities; upon Him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with His wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:3, 5).

 

Jesus came in humble circumstances to share our humanity and become the Savior for sinners. The creche reminds us of His humble beginnings on earth.

 

The creche attests to what Christmas is all about. It presents in visible and tangible form the people and events of Jesus’ birth described in Matthew and Luke. This decoration of the nativity scene prepares us to celebrate the advent of the Baby who was born to save His people from their sins.

 

Amen. Come Lord Jesus.

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

 keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.  

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

"Where is the Joy?" (Matthew 11:2-15)

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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: 

“Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to [Jesus], ‘Are You the One who is to come, or shall we look for another?’” (Matthew 11:2-3).

 

On this Third Sunday in Advent, we are moving increasingly closer to Christmas Day. We have passed the halfway point on the Advent wreath. Today, three candles are lit, including that oddly colored pink candle. Pink doesn’t exactly match the other candles. So, what is with this color pink this day?

 

Well, traditionally, the Third Sunday in Advent has been called Gaudete Sunday. Gaudete is Latin for “rejoice.” And that pink candle reminds us that the Third Sunday in Advent is about joy.

 

Now, we certainly hear about joy today. We spoke together about joy beginning in the Introit’s antiphon from Philippians 4:4 saying: “Rejoice in the Lord aways; again I will say rejoice.” Then in the Introit itself from Psalm 71, we spoke of the great joy we have in the righteous acts of the triune God. You know, those things God accomplished to save us.

 

In our Old Testament lesson from Isaiah 35, we heard joy proclaimed in that reading: “The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus; it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing” (Isaiah 35:1-2).

 

But following that reading, there was a shift. Our Epistle from James 5 speaks of patience in suffering. And then it gets worse. Today’s Gospel lesson from Matthew 11 begins by saying, “Now when John heard in prison …” (Matthew 11:2a). And what does a person do in prison? He waits.

 

Who enjoys waiting? Now, there are different kinds of waiting. There’s the kind of waiting that is limited by agonizing that you have to wait at the post office or at the license office. It may be less than an hour, but often, that short waiting feels like an eternity. The end will certainly come, but it feels so far away.

Or what is it like when you are expecting something, but you can’t control when it arrives? What if you are waiting for the cable guy? Or a package? An important phone call, or email?

 

Or what about if you are figuratively “hitting the wall”? Let’s say you are working on a project, and you need an idea, and you are coming up with nothing. You are waiting for an insight, or an epiphany. That can be nerve racking, especially, if you are working with a deadline. There are so many kinds of waiting. Some are easier and some are more difficult than others.

 

Now, waiting is not inherently bad, but waiting can come with some real difficulties – and sometimes waiting can lead to big problems, like wondering what exactly it is that you are waiting for.

 

And waiting can lead to second guessing.

 

“Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to [Jesus], “Are you the One who is to come, or shall we look for another?’” (Matthew 11:2-3).

 

After baptizing Jesus in the Jordan, seeing the Holy Spirit come upon Jesus in the form of a dove, and hearing the voice of God the Father saying, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:7), John the Baptist now waits in Herod’s prison after he preached against Herod’s affair with his brother’s wife.

 

Now, while we are not physically imprisoned, yours and my circumstances could lead us to second-guess Jesus’ place in our lives. Daily, we face many personal challenges regarding our health, our wealth, and our relationships. And daily, we contend with a culture that is increasingly at odds with the Christian confession. Daily, it often doesn’t feel like God’s kingdom has come. Our daily challenges can lead us to wonder if Jesus is the real deal, if Jesus is truly the Savior from sin, death and the devil.

 

Could all the waiting in a prison cell have caused John to doubt?

 

A short answer to that question is “no.” John the Baptist could not doubt what he has witnessed regarding Jesus of Nazareth. He literally saw the Holy Spirit come upon Jesus. He literally heard the voice of God the Father. John had no doubts. John knew. He trusts in Jesus.

But why is John asking this question? Well, John isn’t asking the question for his own sake, but for the sake of his disciples. You see, John’s disciples believed that the Messiah would be none other than their master John. Now, they certainly heard about Jesus, and they thought of Jesus as a possible prophet, but they did not have faith in Jesus as the Messiah.

 

Certainly, John’s disciples had heard their master speak highly of Jesus, but they had not heard the preaching or seen the miraculous signs of Jesus. So, John’s disciples persisted with the idea that John was the promised Messiah.

 

But why couldn’t John have left it at that? Why couldn’t John have left his disciples to their own opinion?

 

Well, what was the calling of John the Baptist? God called John to be the forerunner to the Messiah. John was called to prepare the way for the Lord by leading people to repentance and the forgiveness of sins. John was called to confront sinners with the mirror of God’s Law, so that they may see and discern the state of their lives toward God and their neighbor. John was called to direct all people from themselves to Jesus, the true Messiah and Savior of the world.

 

And for John’s preaching, he received disdain, persecution, imprisonment, cross and death. This is the reward that all true prophets and faithful preachers receive. The fallen world gives no other payment. This is why John was Herod’s prisoner.

 

So, while in prison, John the Baptist calls his disciples to seek Jesus out and calls them to ask this question to Jesus: “Are You the One who is to come, or shall we look for another?” (Matthew 11:3).

 

And as good disciples of John, they fulfill their calling. They go to Jesus and ask Him that question. But clearly, when they came to Jesus, they were offended by what they saw and heard. They knew their master John sent them to Jesus because John proclaimed Jesus to be the Messiah, the very Lamb of God, the One who has come to take away the sin of the world (John 1:29).

 

But they were not convinced. Yes, they thought John could have been the Messiah even with his quirkiness in wearing camel’s hair and eating locusts and wild honey. But if John isn’t the man, they naturally expected a kingly figure – a man wrapped in gold and purple cloth, a man found in a royal palace. 

Instead, they found a Man surrounded by sick and miserable people, a Man in the midst of the blind, the lame, the deaf, the mute. A Man among lepers. They see a Man in such a lowly form that He could be mistaken for a hospital attendant or a physician of the sick rather than regarded as the King of Israel. As John’s disciples witness this, they are reminded that their master John spoke so very highly of Jesus. Jesus speaks to John’s disciples: “Blessed is the one who is not offended by Me”(Matthew 11:6).

 

The world is filled with people who are offended by Jesus. The world sees a lowly Person in a lowly place. The world takes offense and stumbles at this rock of stumbling. Yet, if Jesus only displayed an ounce of His divine power, the world would rush to Him.

 

On this Third Sunday in Advent, where is the joy in our Gospel lesson? Trust me, it’s there. John the Baptist sees the joy even though he is awaiting his very death in a prison cell. And eventually, John’s disciples will see the joy in Jesus.

 

We are often tempted to trust only in things we see – things that fit our expectations of what God should do. That’s only natural. It is sinful. But again, that is natural. It is natural to expect that when we are faithful to God that He’ll bless us in ways that are immediate and tangible and visible. And the most visible, tangible evidence that time was that John was in prison and likely to face death. It is certainly easy to be offended with Jesus when God chooses to work that way. It is easy to give up on any idea of joy in the Lord when our circumstances seem to count up on the deficit side.

 

St. Paul was inspired to write today’s Introit antiphon – “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say rejoice” (Philippians 4:4) – from guess where? Prison! He rejoiced knowing that Jesus is the Christ, the promised Messiah. Jesus proved to be the Messiah by healing, cleansing, forgiving, raising and teaching. 

 

Jesus is the answer to our struggles and doubts. He gave us our identity and destiny in Holy Baptism. He speaks His forgiveness to us in the Absolution. He comes to heal us in the Sacrament of the Altar. He proclaims the Gospel of restoration into our ears.

 

Joy is fulfilled in Jesus Christ alone! Through His perfect work done at the cross and through the empty tomb and now delivered to us in the Means of Grace, His kingdom has come! On this Gaudete Sunday, we have so much joy: Christ took upon Himself our sin, He died for us sinners, and He gave us forgiveness of sins, eternal life and salvation in return. “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say rejoice”! Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

 keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, our Lord. Amen.  

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +