Sermon for Pentecost 2: "Our Sabbath Rest" (Deuteronomy 5:12-15)

LISTEN

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: 

“Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you” (Deuteronomy 5:12).

 

Have you ever found yourself sitting in a broken-down car and stranded? Well, I have. One Mother’s Day I was driving myself back to college, but as I turned onto the interstate, everything on my dashboard began to flicker and the radio began a whoosh-whoosh sound. For anyone who has been there, you know what was wrong. It was the alternator. I coasted to a stop on the shoulder of Interstate 69.

 

A week earlier, I began noticing issues. And I took the car to get maintenance. I paid for a new car battery. As it turned out, there wasn’t a problem with the battery. But not every car stranded on the road is there because of a worn-out alternator. 

 

For many new drivers, owning a car can be a challenge. Let’s say you are a new driver and one day, your car broke down. You are stranded. Thankfully, you are still near your workplace, so you call some fellow coworkers for help. One of them comes to assist you. When your coworker arrives, he asks you, “What happened?” Then you say, “I was just driving and then the car just quit running.” “Could you be out of gas?” “No, I just filled it up.” “Did it make a noise?” “Oh, yeah! As I was driving down the hill, it went brump, brump, brump, pow!” “When was the last time you changed the oil?” Like cars, our Christian faith needs to be under constant maintenance.

 

Now, how often do you hear statements such the following? “I don’t need to attend a church to be a Christian,” which means, “I don’t want Jesus teaching me how to live.” Or: “I’m spiritual, but not religious,” which is a copout for saying: “I don’t want to go to church.” Or: “Church is so boring. I’ve heard it all. I don’t want to hear the same thing over and over again.” Each of these statements are merely saying the same thing. They are all excuses. If we made excuses for not maintaining our cars, or made excuses for not eating and drinking, what would happen? Your car would be out of commission. You would die.

“Observe the Sabbath day, to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you” (Deuteronomy 5:12). This likely sounds familiar. This is the Third Commandment of God’s Law. Now, what is different is that today’s text is not from Exodus 20, but from Deuteronomy, which means “second law,” since this is the second time that the Law of God is recorded in the Bible. Isn’t one time enough? Well, how is it with us? We often need to be taught something multiple times for it to eventually sink in. 

 

Today, we begin the “green season” of the Church Year. For the next several months, the paraments will be green, which symbolizes our growth. Here at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church, we are a disciple making community, where we “Know, Grow, and Go.” But in order to “Go,” we must first “Know” and “Grow.” You see, as Christ says in the Parable of the Sower, if you have no root, your faith will wither away. Or, if you continually live with the thorns of this fallen world, your faith may be choked (Matthew 13:3-9). So, in order to “Know, Grow, and Go,” we need to know God’s Word, spiritually grow in faith, so that we can share God’s grace with others! This is only accomplished through the Holy Spirit working in you!

 

As we begin this “green season,” it is certainly good, right, and salutary that we begin with the Third Commandment: “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy,” because it is on the Sabbath when our faith is fertilized, watered, and pruned by Law and Gospel in the Divine Service. 

 

So, with our focus this morning on the Sabbath, what exactly is meant by Sabbath? Well, Sabbath comes from the Hebrew word “shabbat,” which means rest. For some, “Sabbath” sounds a lot like “seven,” and the Hebrews did observe the Sabbath day on the seventh day of the week – Friday evening through Saturday evening. But “Sabbath” means “rest,” not “seventh.”

 

From Exodus 20, God spoke to Moses saying: “For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy” (Exodus 20:11). So, God “rested” from creating on the seventh day.

 

We all need rest. We all need a day to relax. For the Old Testament Jews, and most Jews today, they believe that the Sabbath day is only fulfilled by doing no manual work whatsoever. While God says we need to rest and relax, they were misinterpreting the Third Commandment. They were forgetting that they also need spiritual rest. They were more concerned with their manmade laws, such as how many steps a Jew could take on the Sabbath day. But God always desires man to rest in Him.

So, is there any importance on the particular day we celebrate the Sabbath? Are we wrong in worshipping God on Sunday mornings and Monday evenings? Are we in violation of the Third Commandment? Well, let’s look at what God’s Word says!

 

First from Romans 14. St. Paul, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, writes this: “One person esteems one day as better than another, while another esteems all days alike. Each one should be fully convinced in his own mind” (Romans 14:5). So, what does this mean? It means that it is not necessary for Christians to observe the former Jewish Sabbath.

 

Next from Colossians 2. St. Paul writes, “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross” … “Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ” (Colossians 2:13-14, 16-17).

 

Here, Paul is saying that the Old Testament religious regulations were intended by God to prepare His people for the arrival of the Savior. Those ceremonial laws, rituals, and practices served as “a shadow of the things to come” (Colossians 2:17). The substance is the important thing. Now that the Messiah has appeared, that old shadow can be disregarded.

 

Since the Messiah has come, we are not obligated to observe the Old Testament rituals, including how the Jews observed the Sabbath day. In fact, from the very beginning, the disciples of Jesus began worship on Sundays, rather than the Jewish Sabbath day. But why the change? It was done because the most important event in all of Christianity – in all the world – was revealed on Sunday morning – the Resurrection of Jesus. The world changed with the Resurrection of Jesus. Sunday is our justification day. For us, the Sabbath day changed, but the idea and the point of the Sabbath day has remained.

 

Sabbath – “shabbat” – means: “rest.” And Jesus is our Sabbath rest. For He says, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27-28). And elsewhere, He said, “Come to Me, all who labor and are heaven laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matthew 11:28-29a).

Jesus is our Sabbath rest. So, how do we rest in Jesus?

 

First, we rest in Jesus, for in Him we receive forgiveness of sins. Jesus works forgiveness of all sins, because He gave His life on the cross to pay for what we have done wrong and for what we haven’t done what we should have done. This we confess at each Divine Service.

 

This suffering and death of Jesus is enough to satisfy the justice and judgment of God the Father. Jesus did the hard work. And because of His suffering and death, we get to rest. We no longer work to try to appease God or to please God enough to overlook our sins. Jesus has accomplished salvation for us. His death and resurrection makes Him our Savior and Lord. You see, forgiveness is only by God’s grace and mercy through Jesus Christ, our Lord. We are not in God’s good graces and favor because of yours or my work. Jesus has made us God the Father’s beloved sons and daughters by what He alone has done for us.

 

Second, we rest in Jesus, because He has fulfilled the ceremonial law for us. So, we no longer have to make burnt offerings, grain offerings, peace offerings, sin offerings, or have to eat a certain diet, or wear certain clothes. Jesus acted as our substitute, because He did what we are unable to do ourselves. Jesus kept God’s Law perfectly, so that we can rest in Him.

 

Because of Christ, we can now rest any day of the week, but for good order, most Christians rest on Sundays, since it is the Lord’s Day, the day of the Resurrection of our Lord. We rest in the hearing of God’s Word, the reading of God’s Word, the receiving of His Sacraments. So, whenever God’s Word is taught, preached, heard, read, or meditated upon, that is your Sabbath rest.

Jesus says, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27). You see, the Sabbath was provided by God to satisfy important needs for all of us, a day of physical rest and spiritual restoration in Word and Sacraments. We keep the Sabbath by assembling ourselves together in mutual encouragement as we fellowship around Word and Sacraments as we “see the Day drawing near” (Hebrews 10:25). We keep the Sabbath as we hear those all too important words: “Almighty God in His mercy has given His Son to die for you and for His sake forgives you all your sins.” So, fill up your faith as we rest in Jesus, who alone is our Sabbath rest. 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 Lent 4: "The Cross Is A Must" (John 3:14-21)

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:

[Jesus said:] “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:14-15).

 

Where do you look when you have a problem? Where do you go to find a solution? Do you fixate on your troubles, your mistakes, the mistakes of others, or do you look elsewhere for help? 

 

Satan wants us to live in darkness and disease, buried in remorse, anger, guilt, grudge, or condemnation. But today’s Gospel lesson announces a reason to look up. In Christ Jesus alone, there is everlasting light and life that overpowers all darkness and all disease. Jesus says, “The Cross is a must!” He says, “As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:14-15).

 

Jesus was cursed so that we might live. God states in Deuteronomy 21: “If a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God” (Deuteronomy 21:22-23a).

 

We like to blame others for our problems. It sure beats the work of self-assessment. Grumbling at God for our predicament comes more naturally than asking Him for help. How quickly we become discouraged and impatient toward our gracious God, as did the Israelites in the desert.

 

God is patient. He is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, but He will not forever put up with those who spurn His love. So, He sent fiery serpents to punish the grumbling Israelites. When bitten by these serpents, the people died. But some of those who haven’t been bitten, repented of their sin, and appealed to Moses saying, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you. Pray to the Lord, that He take away the serpents from us” (Numbers 21:7).

 

So, Moses interceded for them to God. By God’s command, Moses made a bronze serpent and set it on a pole. It looked like the source of death, but by God’s power, whoever was bitten by a fiery serpent, should he look on the lifted-up snake, would live. 

 

The Son of Man was also lifted up. He hung on a criminal’s cross, from all outward appearances, He looked like a sinful person, but He was truly righteous. He took upon yours and my sins to take upon Himself the curse of sin.

 

Again, do you have troubles? Do you fixate on your mistakes? Sin has a way on taking over our lives – as St. James writes, “Desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death” (James 1:15). Sin brings forth more sin, and sin leads to death. Sin shrivels faith. Sin reduces us to anger and unhappiness. So, what can we do? 

 

“As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in him may have eternal life” (John 3:14-15).

 

We look up to Jesus and His cross! We look up to Jesus, the sinless One who became sin for you in order to remove the curse and give you new life.

 

Again, Jesus says that His going to the cross is a must. It is a must that the Son of Man be lifted up because as the lifting up of the serpent was a must for the healing of a sinful people, so too, the lifting up of the Son of Man is a must for the salvation for the world.

 

God’s promise of healing and life was given to all who looked upon the bronze serpent lifted upon the pole, so also the promise of eternal life to all who cling to Him in the lifting up of the Son of Man.

 

Eternal life is only found in the crucified Son of Man. Apart from the bronze serpent on the pole, the fatally snake bitten Israelite had no possibility of healing. Likewise, apart from the Crucified, there is no salvation or eternal life. 

 

But Satan does not quit. He still hisses accusations at us. Satan says, “You still feel wretched. And you deserve to feel wretched.”

 

So, just as that bronze serpent made a sport of the fiery serpents, so too, Christ was lifted high upon the cross to silence our accuser.

Thus, we boast in Christ the Crucified. The Son of Man was lifted up on the cross to mock the old serpent, Satan. He made a public spectacle of the defeated devil. “[Jesus] disarmed the demonic rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in Him” (Colossians 2:15). Upon that cross, it was as if Satan was nailed to the cross, since through Christ’s death, He defeated Satan’s power to accuse us.

 

Not only does Jesus remove the curse of sin and silence the evil foe, He also heals our hurts and pain. By God’s command and promise, those who looked up at the bronze serpent were healed. Just imagine how those Israelites felt.

 

That bronze serpent’s power was not in itself, but to the reality that it pointed toward: Christ the Crucified. The lifted-up Son of Man heals all who cling to Him from the deadly bite of our evil foes: sin, eternal death and the devil.

 

Between the events of the wilderness and the crucifixion, we have an act of seeing – the bronze serpent – and an act of believing – the Son of Man lifted up; we have physical life and eternal life; and we have the way to the land of promise and Jesus, who is the Way.

 

In Word and Sacrament, look to Jesus in faith. As we read and hear His Scripture, know that those words are His Words. It is Jesus who is speaking. It is Jesus who is speaking Law and speaking Gospel. In Baptism, the Holy Spirit points us to Christ the Crucified. In the Lord’s Supper, we receive the victorious Crucified and Risen Christ’s body and blood under bread and wine, which forgives our sins and heals our faith.

 

In faith, look up to the crucified Christ, now raised and forever glorified! In Him is life everlasting, which overpowers all darkness and disease. For it is “by grace you have been saved through faith” (Ephesians 2:8a). We are saved by the act of believing, believing in the Son of Man, who was lifted up, so that we, by His grace, would have forgiveness of our sins and life everlasting.

 

In this fallen world, we will still face our evil foes. We will still face many bites, but their venom will not poison those who look up to Christ the Crucified.

 

So, come and let us fix our eyes on Jesus, who endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. “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). For Jesus, the cross was a must for us and for our salvation. Amen. 

 

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

 

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

Graveside Sermon: "Unending Joy" (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

 

Charles, Carol and Joyce, family and friends of Jeanne:

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

[Intro]

All throughout her life, the Lord provided for every need of Jeanne’s body and soul. She was certainly blessed throughout her vocations of her earthly life. She was a daughter, a sister, a loving wife, a mother, a homemaker, and an employee. She enjoyed all the moments shared with her family and friends.

One of the hobbies Jeanne enjoyed was quilting, so for her, there was “a time to tear, and a time to sew” (Ecclesiastes 3:7). The Triune God, too, enjoys quilting as He stitched this world into existence. He also stitched together our families and friends. The Triune God brings us all together. But even as through quilting we are brought together, today, we know that “there is also a time to tear.”

For us here this afternoon, we are experiencing a loss. With any separation, we come to a time of mourning. We mourn because death is not natural. You see, humanity was not created to die. But due to our first parents – Adam and Eve – we all die, because “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23a). And so we mourn. But mourning is a good and godly work. You see, Jesus wept at the death of His friend Lazarus. Jesus wept because He loved His friend, so weeping and mourning the death of any loved one is a good work.

You see, Christians mourn because of the reality of death. We mourn because we were never intended to die and should live forever. But we do not mourn as those who have no hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13). We mourn, but our mourning is mixed with hope. Our tears are mixed with faith. Our sadness is mixed with joy, since despite the wages of sin being death, “the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23b).

[The Message of Ecclesiastes 3]

The opening verses of Ecclesiastes 3 are among the most famous in Scripture. In fact, its words are often quoted and sung. This divine poem leaves the reader awe-struck and silent in the face of majesty. But once the awe starts to fade into analysis, the reader is bound to find himself or herself scratching their head. What is the point? What exactly does it mean?

For centuries, there have been various interpretations of this divine poem. Instead of going into each interpretation out there, for which there are dozens. The main point of this divine poem is that it impacts the reader with everything it says. This divine poem exerts a force and leaves an impression. This poem cannot be dissected into its individual propositions.

This, in fact, is true of all Scripture. Its purpose is not merely to reveal ancient history or provide engaging literature. Rather, God works through His Word to move people to repentance and faith in Christ in teaching us that God is always in control. The ultimate message of this divine poem is this assurance of Jesus: “In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

In the midst of all the times and seasons of mourning and rejoicing, war and love that God has appointed for His creatures, there was one appointed time that God reserved for Himself. It was the time, the hour, reserved for His Son, Jesus Christ (Mark 14:35, 41). It was the span of six hours that only God incarnate, who had been conceived and born in the fullness of time (Ecclesiastes 3:2; Galatians 4:4), could endure and fulfill. The sinless Son of God suffered and died on the cross to redeem Jeanne and His creatures from all their sin and suffering. Paradoxically, this time of death and killing (Ecclesiastes 3:2-3) was the hour when the Son was glorified by the Father by His obedience unto death, and the Father glorified His Son (John 17:1; Philippians 2:6-11).

Easter morning was the time for God to heal and build up (Ecclesiastes 3:3). The resurrection of the crucified Christ is the foundation upon which the Church is built, the basis for rebirth in Holy Baptism with the promise that, as we have died with Christ in Baptism, so also shall we be raised with Him (Romans 6:1-4; Colossians 2:11-13). In the eternal state, there shall be no more times of death or morning or weeping, only joy and peace forevermore (Isaiah 65:18; Revelation 21:4).

Christ’s suffering and death and resurrection are mirrored in this divine poem, because He became incarnate and as fully human as each of us, yet without sun, to deliver us from all evil and give us unending joy.

By grace through faith in Jesus, Jeanne has received unending joy. By grace through faith in Jesus, we too, are delivered from the power of sin and are given unending joy. Amen.

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

 

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

Jeanne Dodd Obituary: https://hantge.com/obituaries/jeanne-corrine-dodd/

Sermon for the Eve of the Circumcision and Name of Jesus: "Marked" (Luke 2:21)

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]

“And at the end of eight days, when He was circumcised, He was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb” (Luke 2:21).

Tucked between the events of the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem and just before He is presented at the temple at 40 days old, an often-overlooked verse reveals one of the most significant moments in salvation history.

This single verse tells us of what happened on that first eighth day of Christmas. This evening on New Years’ Eve – the Eve of the Circumcision and Name of Jesus, the very Son of God fulfills one of the most important moments in salvation history as He is marked in His flesh and He is marked by His name for us! Through these marks, He opens the new way to salvation for God’s people.

[The Mark of Circumcision]

For the Old Testament people of God, circumcision was important. In fact, even some first generation Christians believed that a person must be circumcised in order to become a Christian. This was such a critical debate as it led to the First Church Council in Jerusalem since many Christians were proclaiming, “Unless you are circumcised according to the custom of Moses, you cannot be saved” (Acts 15:1). This was all because circumcision was a promise of Abraham. For God said in Genesis 17:10, “This is my covenant, which you shall keep, between Me and you and your offspring after you: Every male among you shall be circumcised.”

Circumcision was important because it was the Jewish initiation right. Circumcision is what made a Jew a Jew. Circumcision is what marked them as one grafted into Israel. It was a sign on the flesh, like that of a branding or tattoo. It was something that marked them as a child of the promise and as the offspring of Abraham.

So, as good Hebrew parents, Mary and Joseph do exactly what good Hebrew parents do, they take their son to be circumcised on the eighth day.

Here on His eighth day out of Mary’s womb, this Infant — Emmanuel: God with us — begins His mission of fulfillment. Through the working of the Holy Spirit, His parents lead Him to begin His faithful obedience to the Law. On this day, He first sheds His blood as He upholds the covenant of circumcision.

But by this Infant submitting Himself to the covenant of circumcision, He is submitting to His own promise. He is submitting to His own covenant of blood.

Since He was “born of woman, born under the Law, to redeem those who were under the Law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4-5), He needed to be marked as a son of Abraham, because He had to fulfill what Abraham was promised. So, through the covenant of circumcision, this marks Him as one of Abraham’s people. Again, this also initiated Him into the nation of Israel.

But this Infant does not undergo circumcision for Himself. He undergoes circumcision for you and me! He fulfilled the Jewish ceremonial Law to bring and dispense what the Abrahamic covenant promises.

By the shedding of His blood, His foreskin represents sin and rebellion against God, but He does this without any sin of His own. He does this by taking His place as the sin bearer. Here, He is taking our place under the Law, by shedding His blood for the first time on our behalf. He does this as a once-and-for-all sacrifice for us, since through His fulfillment, no one will enter God’s family by a physical circumcision. But, instead through Baptism and Faith in the One who has fulfilled God’s Law.

The Apostle Paul confirms this fact in Colossians 2 as he writes, “In Him also you were circumcised with a circumcision without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised with Him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This He set aside, nailing it to the cross” (Colossians 2:11-14).

So, we have joined our Lord, not by the circumcision of our flesh, but by Baptism — a circumcision without hands. Our circumcision is by water and the Spirit. Our circumcision cannot be seen, but our circumcision is more permanent. It’s a union with Christ. He shed His blood on the eighth day for us. Baptism now replaces the circumcision of the flesh as the way in which we enter into eternity with God.

We enter eternity by Baptism and Faith in Christ! Through Baptism, we are marked as a child and heir of God.

[The Mark of the Name]

After the child of Mary and Joseph was circumcised, He then was marked with His Name. 

In the ancient world, names for children were also extremely important. Names conveyed something about the child. Names often were considered a confession and a blessing. 

For example, consider the names of some of the Old Testament prophets. Elijah means “the Lord is God.” Isaiah means “the Lord gives salvation.” Jeremiah means “the Lord lifts up.”

Mary and Joseph named their son as a confession of faith. Recall, Gabriel’s words to Mary: “You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus” (Luke 1:31). And in a dream, the angel of the Lord said to Joseph: “You shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21).

This confession of faith is their trust in God, who is doing the naming. So, here, the Second Person of the Trinity is naming Himself. For Mary and Joseph, they likely knew the meaning of Jesus’ name as they each heard from the angel: “for he will save His people from their sins.”

The eight-day-old Infant, now being named Jesus is marked in His flesh and is now marked by His name as the Savior, the One who has shed His blood as the sin bearer, the One who will through His life, death, and resurrection show us that He is the One who has come to save us from our sins!

But even with His Name — Jesus — He will blend in as a child. He is not distinguished in any way. On all outward appearances, He is just like any other child, but without sin.

From the very beginning, Jesus was set to go to the cross for us. There, He would be marked by nails and a spear that would pierce Him through, the cross that was borne for me and you. There is where the Savior from sin would live out and die the meaning of His name: “The Lord saves!”

Then, three days later – on the eighth day of the week – He rose from the dead to prove at He is the Savior from sin and that our faith in Him is not in vain!

[Marked by Baptism and Faith]

Now, Jesus is not the only Person who has been marked by His flesh and by His Name. You see, we too, have been marked. Through the circumcision and Name of Jesus, God says to us: “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses” (Colossians 2:13). Through Christ alone, we have been adopted as children and heirs through God! (Galatians 4:5, 7). 

This is such great news! Consider all of our failures, all our mistakes, all our shortcomings. Consider all the thoughts, words, and actions of the past year or years that you would like to take back.

Right there as He is physically marked by circumcision and marked in His name, Jesus is our Savior from sin! 

Back at that First Council in Jerusalem, there was much debate on circumcision as the way to become an heir to the promise, but in the end, the Holy Spirit led the council to proclaim that Christians are not saved by a circumcision made with hands, but we are “saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus” (Acts 15:11).

As we soon begin a New Year, our New Year’s Resolution should always be to remember who we are — that we are His — that we are Christ’s and that His Name is upon us!

Since our Lord and Savior was named Jesus, we too, bear His Name on our bodies, as we were marked with His Name as He marked us with the sign of the cross at our Baptism. This is who we are! Our identity is in Christ and we confess His name as He is the only Savior from our sins.

As children marked with the promise of salvation, Jesus continues to serve His people through what is known as the Marks of the Church: Word and Sacraments. As the world changes around us, we can always hold on to God’s Word, since His Word never changes. When we need hope, He is the One sure and certain hope as He gives us His Body and Blood, which gives us hope through the forgiveness of our sins and the strengthening of our faith in Him!

In the New Year, we may not know what events are on the horizon, but we know by repentance and faith in His Name and by His grace, that our sins are forgiven, and by Baptism and faith in Him, He has marked us heirs of His eternal Kingdom! In Jesus’ Name. Amen.

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

T SOLI DEO GLORIA T

Sermon for Advent 1: "Stay Awake for the Coming of the Lord"

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]

Jesus said: “Therefore stay awake – for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning – lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake” (Mark 13:35-37).

Some years ago, a tourist was traveling along the shores of Lake Como in Northern Italy. He wanted to visit especially one castle called Villa Arconti. Now, when the tourist reached the castle, a friendly old gardener opened the gate and showed him the grounds, which this old man kept in perfect order.

“How long have you been here?” the tourist asked. “Twenty-four years,” replied the gardener.

“And how often has the owner of the castle been here during that time?” “Four times.”

“When was he here the last time?” “Twelve-years ago.”

“Never since then?” “Never.”

“Does he write to you?” “No.”

“From whom then do you get your instructions?” “From his agent in Milan.”

“Does this agent come out here quite often?” “Never.”

“Who, then, comes here?” “I am almost always alone – only once in a great while a tourist comes here.”

“But you keep this garden in such fine condition and take such excellent care of all the plants, just as though you expected your master to come tomorrow.”

“Today, sir, today,” the old gardener promptly replied.

[Be Prepared]

Today we begin a new church year and a new season, Advent. Now, Advent literally means “coming,” so during this season, we celebrate the Lord’s first coming, which began at His conception in the virgin Mary’s womb through the Holy Spirit and ended with His bodily ascension into heaven, where He is to this day, sitting at the right hand of God the Father. We also anticipate Christ’s second coming, when He will come to judge the living and the dead, which could be at any moment – and not just during the season of Advent.

So, how is your faith this day? Are you prepared to meet our Master Jesus, like the gardener is prepared to meet his master, the owner of the castle? How prepared are you?

In our Gospel text from Mark this morning, Jesus teaches and reassures us – His flock – on how to be ready for His second Advent, His second coming. Christ teaches us: “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come…. Therefore stay awake – for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning – lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake” (Mark 13:32-33, 35-37).

Here, Christ is warning His flock to stay awake until His coming. Now, Jesus is not telling us to never rest our eyes and sleep, for we all need a good night’s rest in order to stay awake and function in our daily lives. Rather, Jesus is warning us to remain alert to proclaim the Gospel and practice the one true Christian faith in our daily life – our daily vocations: father, mother, son, daughter, teacher, student, boss, employee, and on and on. 

What Christ is saying is this: “Be on guard! Be alert!” He is teaching that we should not immerse ourselves in the things of this world and thus lose our own soul. He is teaching us to not be an easy-going Christian whose conversation and conduct are hardly distinguishable from unbelievers. He is teaching that we must always keep our eyes fixed and focused on Him alone.

As God’s children, we wait with patient watchfulness. And why are we patient? We are patient because our Savior has planted a bright and certain hope in our hearts.

Upon hearing the Boy Scout motto: “Be Prepared,” someone asked Scouting founder Robert Baden-Powell in 1907[1] the inevitable question: “Prepared for what?” “Why for any old thing,” he replied. He then went on to say, “Being prepared means you are always in a state of readiness in mind and body to do your duty.”

This is exactly what Jesus is teaching us today since the Christian is never off duty. We are not just a Christian on a Sunday morning, we are a Christian day and night, night and day, 24-7. We are always to remain vigilant and prepared for the Lord’s coming.

[How Prepared is Christ?]

But, what about Jesus? Is He prepared for His own bodily return? For He says, “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father” (Mark 13:32).

Is it true that Jesus does not even know when He will come to judge the living and dead? Well, pay attention to when He said this. He spoke this prior to His atoning death and resurrection. So, when He spoke these words, He was in the state of humiliation. Remember, since before time existed, Jesus has always been God. But, when He came into the world in human form, He willingly gave up much of His divine attributes – His divine powers – during His earthly ministry, although when necessary, He used His divine powers to bring people to faith in Him, such as turning water into wine and healing the sick.

The Apostle Paul explains Christ’s humiliation this way: “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, 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. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by being obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross” (Philippians 2:5-8).

So, as Christ said, “But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father,” here He is speaking this from His state of humiliation. But what about today? Does Christ, in fact, know when He will return? That answer is “Yes!”

Now that Christ has risen from the dead and has bodily ascended into heaven, He is now in the state of exultation. So, after His saving work was complete, He resumed the full and constant use of the divine powers that he had voluntarily limited Himself while He was in His state of humiliation.

This is a lot to comprehend. Here’s how the Apostle Paul explains Christ’s state of exultation: “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11).

So, since Christ is at the state of exaltation, He is all-knowing. He knows what God the Father knows. He knows what the Holy Spirit knows. For they are three-in-one and one-in-three as one God, now and forever. As Paul says in Colossians 2:3, “In [Him] are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

So, Christ is prepared. He knows the day and the hour. But, since we are not all-knowing, like Him, we are to always be prepared. We are to always be awake!

Now Jesus does give us some hints, but we may not always take notice of these hints. He says: “But in those days, after the tribulation, the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will be falling down from heaven, and the powers in the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory” (Mark 13:24-26).

Will you be prepared for that day? For if you prepare then, it will be too late as Christ teaches us in the Parable of the Ten Virgins (Matthew 25:1-13). Remember, some of the virgins were foolish, the others were wise. The wise were prepared, but the foolish were not. For that, the foolish were left out of the marriage feast. The foolish ones knocked on the door to the wedding feast and pleaded, “Lord, lord, open to us.” But He answered, “Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.”

So, will you be known by the Lord at His coming?

[My Words Will Not Pass Away]

One way to be known by the Lord at His coming is trusting in His words as He says, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Mark 13:31).

You see, the world and sun, moon and stars may go into complete chaos, but the Word of the Lord endures forever. These words of Jesus are written before us in the Old and New Testaments from Genesis to Revelation. These are Christ’s very words. These are the words that will never pass away. These are the words that give us a certain hope in uncertain times.

As we begin the season of Advent and a new church year, this is a time of repentance and renewal.

Each December, we begin seeing commercials for fitness gyms with great offers to get us back into physical shape for the new year. Many of us may make New Years’ resolutions to be better at this or that.

But, what about the Christian new year? Are you satisfied with the shape of your Christian faith?

How often do we really take to heart the words of Christ that will never pass away? Are you lackadaisical in your faith in Christ? If Christ returns today or tomorrow, would you be scared and shocked, or would you be at calm?

Do you fear God’s wrath by avoiding every sin? Is your love for and trust in God evident in your daily living? Do you neglect the Word of God? Do you gossip, listen to rumors, or take pleasure in talking about the faults or mistakes of anyone?

Throughout His Written Word, Christ constantly teaches His flock to “Stay awake.” He says: “Whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teachers others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:19) and “It is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one dot of the Law to become void” (Luke 16:17).

We can all do better in displaying the love of Christ, since none of us is perfect. We can all strive to become better Christians by becoming more like Christ by doing our best in following His commandments.

Now, we seemingly always mess up, but do not let that become an excuse. The point is to be ready and not to think of excuses. Instead, we are to repent of that sin, receive God’s forgiveness, and strive to do our best in being a follower of Christ.

Thanks be to the Triune God – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – that He gives us time to be ready as we hear His Word and receive His Sacrament. The best news of all is that when all else passes away, Christ’s sure words remain, in which we hope and trust.

The words that we will hear at Christ’s Second Coming – His Second Advent – will fulfill the Gospel as Jesus acknowledges those who, through faith worked by the Holy Spirit, acknowledged Him as their Lord.

We will hear words proclaiming Jesus as the One who came “to give His life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). We will hear words that uphold God’s holy and perfect law, but also announce that through the perfect life of Jesus on our behalf, He has fulfilled all of God’s demands. We will hear words of forgiveness assured for us by the cross and empty tomb. These words will cover us in the righteousness of Jesus for all eternity, for we have been declared righteous for His sake.

For us now, we stay awake for the coming of the Lord as He readies us through His Word and Sacrament.

Now, the purpose of Christ’s second coming is not merely to judge but, primarily, to give us the salvation He won for us during His first Advent on earth. This He accomplished through His sinless life, His atoning suffering and death and His bodily resurrection from the dead. In fact, Christ gives of His forgiveness this day in His Word and Sacrament!

So, always look to Jesus and His cross where He won for all of mankind forgiveness, life, and salvation! This is why He came! This is why He will come again! In the meantime, we trust in Him and His promises by keeping our eyes fixed and focused on Jesus alone as we love God and support our neighbor by staying awake for the coming of the Lord! 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

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[1] https://blog.scoutingmagazine.org/2017/05/08/be-prepared-scout-motto-origin/