"Lights" (Advent Midweek 2)

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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:

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. … The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world” (John 1:5, 9).

 

We prepare for Christmas with decorations, such as candles and electric lights. Tonight, we are continuing our series on how common decorations used for Advent and Christmas also prepare us for the coming of Christ. Tonight, during this second midweek in Advent, we will focus on how lights help us prepare for the coming of Christ.

 

As you make your way around this Advent season, you likely see sparkling lights everywhere. Some strings of lights cover the spectrum of colors; others are clear white. Many of us decorate our homes with lights not just on the inside, but on the outside. Some neighborhoods hold competitions for the best exterior light display. Communities string lights on their streets and poles. Businesses decorate buildings with dazzling displays of lights. 

 

Here in the chancel, we see lights displayed for the season. During Advent, we display the Advent wreath, which holds five candles that we progressively light as we approach Christmas. The Christmas tree has been wrapped with strings of electric lights that shine.

 

Why do we decorate with lights for Advent and Christmas? What value is in the lights? Could there be a deeper significance to these lights? To answer these questions, let’s consider when lights were first used for Advent and Christmas and what their original meaning and purpose were.

 

Last Wednesday, we learned that the use of the Christmas tree began in Germany in the Middle Ages. And the practice of attaching candles to Christmas trees began in the 1500s. You also learned that the first Christmas tree placed in a church in America caused quite a stir. Leave it for a Lutheran to do such a thing! In fact, it is believed that it was Martin Luther himself who first placed an evergreen tree in a church.

 

Over time, the practice of including an evergreen tree caught on and it became more common. In time, candles were attached to the tree branches by pins, then holders, then by lanterns. These lights reminded Christians of the lights that accompanied Christ’s birth, including the Bethlehem star and the angels who lit up the night sky with the glory of God. Candles reminded people that Christ is the Light of the World.

 

And this tradition came by the way of German Lutheran immigrants in the 18^th and 19^th centuries. And again, over time, this practice of decorating evergreen trees with lights was culturally adopted by Americans.

 

Thanks be to God that He inspired Thomas Edison to invent the light bulb in 1880. For since the invention of the light bulb, the risk of fires has significantly decreased. At first lamps were extremely expensive, but by the 1930s, strings of lights have become more affordable, and by the 1950s, they became standard decorations at American homes.

 

Christmas lights are certainly beautiful. But for Christians, they hold a much deeper meaning. In the Bible, darkness is the symbol for sin and light is the symbol for righteousness. So, lights at Advent and Christmas point us to the purpose of Christ’s advent: to remove sin and restore us to righteousness.

 

The Fall into sin brought spiritual darkness to man. People lived in the darkness of evil and deception. But God promised a light to break the darkness of sin. That Light would appear with the advent of the Messiah. The prophet Isaiah foretold the coming Christ this way: “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone” (Isaiah 9:2). Isaiah went on to announce this Light breaking in through the birth of a child, the Son of God: “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given” (Isaiah 9:6).

 

Isaiah’s prophecy was fulfilled in the advent of Christ into the world. Jesus’ birth was signaled by the light of a special star that guided the Magi (Matthew 2:1-2, 9-10); this brilliant astronomical beacon led them to the Christ Child. His birth was also heralded by the luminous glory of the Lord that shone around the shepherds (Luke 2:9).

 

John’s Gospel does not narrate the events of Jesus’ birth, but it does describe the impact of His birth. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, John wrote: “The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world” (John 1:9). You see, Jesus came to enlighten everyone with His own righteousness and glory. 

Later, Jesus announced: “I am the Light of the world. Whoever follows Me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).

 

By grace through faith in Christ alone, we, who were once caught in the darkness of sin and death, now receive Christ’s light of righteousness and glory.

 

Those candles of the Advent wreath and the lights on the Christmas tree celebrate the first coming of Christ “who abolished death and brought life and immortality to light through the gospel” (2 Timothy 1:10).

 

These lights also point us to the final advent of Christ on the Last Day. You see, Jesus’ return will inaugurate a new creation in which the darkness of sin ends and the light of righteousness endures forever. We who are made righteous through faith in Christ will abide in that eternal righteous realm.

 

The Word of God uses the symbolism of light to reveal the brilliant future Christ will inaugurate for us at His final advent saying, “And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk” (Revelation 21:23-24).

 

Tonight, we still see the darkness of sin in our fallen world and in our own sinful nature. But through the work of the Holy Spirit, we disavow that sin and repent of the darkness in us. Because of the righteousness of Christ given to us by faith in Him, we no longer fear a dark future. Instead, we anticipate His final advent in which Jesus will disperse the darkness forever and bring us to dwell in His glorious light forever.

 

Light decorations are visible everywhere we go this season and for us, they do convey a powerful message: the light of Christ’s righteousness has come to disperse the darkness of sin. That is what Advent is all about – the eternal glory that Jesus won for us at His first advent and that we will fully experience when He comes again. 

 

So, every time you look at Advent and Christmas decorations emanating light, remember their message: Jesus has come, and He will come again to bring you the light of His righteousness and His glory! 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 +

"A Shoot from the Stump of Jesse" (Isaiah 11:1-10)

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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:

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

 

Today’s Old Testament lesson from Isaiah 11 pictures life rising from death and destruction. 

 

Through the Prophet Isaiah, God promised that He would deliver His people from all their enemies. Yet, as Isaiah proclaims this great news, the Assyrians are about to inflict God’s judgment upon God’s people for their wickedness. And over the centuries, God’s people would be cut down and reduced to virtually nothing. And over time, the Assyrian Empire would be cut down and reduced to nothing. Every enemy of God’s people, as well as God’s people themselves, would become stumps of their former greatness.

 

But in today’s reading, Isaiah tells of a difference, a great difference. You see, all the other stumps would remain dead and lifeless, but not this stump of Jesse. He says a shoot would come from the stump of Jesse. 

 

Yes, the house of David would be reduced to its humble beginnings in Bethlehem – the birthplace of Jesse and of his son David, but from these humble beginnings would come a new King, who is not only of the lineage of David, but a new and greater David.

 

It was unexpected that a boy who tended his father’s sheep would become a great king. It was also from an unexpected source that the new and greater King would come.

 

Just as Immanuel would come from a virgin, so He also would come from the dead stump of Jesse. Here, we see a humble entrance of the Christ into the world – as a child, a shoot. He would come by the miracle of a virgin birth and would come from the dead stump of the royal line of David. The small green branch would shoot out and grow because God had given His promise. It would be so. The appearance of this shoot is a miracle of God’s grace and power.

How beautiful Isaiah pictures the coming Messiah. When the shoot becomes a branch at the appointed time, He was born in Bethlehem, the hometown of both Jesse and David. And although Mary and Joseph were both descendants of David, Jesus would not have His first bed in a palace but in a manger. 

 

At the time of Christ’s birth, Romans occupied Palestine. There was no descendant of David ruling Judah. Mary was just a humble woman. Joseph a carpenter. Nazareth, where Mary and Joseph lived was a forgotten town in Judea. What good could come from Nazareth, let alone Bethlehem? The royal line of David was a dead stump without power, influence or wealth.

 

Yet, from this seemingly insignificant beginning, great and wonderful blessings would come. This new and greater King would succeed where all other kings and leaders have failed. Really, all earthly rulers would ultimately fail. But where all other earthly rulers have failed, this Branch will succeed. You see, where all other earthly rulers have fallen, this Branch will not fail because He will be what God desires, and He will fully do what God desires.

 

Of this Branch, the Spirit of the Lord rests. Isaiah writes: “And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord” (Isaiah 11:2).

 

Jesus, the shoot from the stump of Jesse, and the son of David, went forth “full of the Spirit” (Luke 4:1) and manifested Himself before all Israel. At His Baptism, the Spirit of God descended on Him like a dove and came to rest on Him.

 

Upon Jesus rests God’s own Spirit and this Spirit gives Him everything He needs to rule.

 

And what does this Spirit give Jesus? Isaiah here identifies three pairs of gifts. The first pair is wisdom and understanding. You see, during His earthly ministry, Jesus demonstrated a wisdom which had been hidden from the beginning of the world and He spoke and gave insight into heavenly things which only He knows. With His wisdom, Jesus has the ability to look into the very essence of things. He has the understanding to distinguish and perceive differences. With wisdom and understanding, He gives insight into all things that His people will need to know and understand, including the depths of God’s nature and His grace.

 

Upon Jesus also rests the Spirit of counsel and might. These two gifts also echo the names given to the promised Messiah back in Isaiah chapter 9, where he wrote that the Christ Child’s name shall be called “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God” (Isaiah 9:6). This means that He knows what His people need and gives them what they need. He gives His people His Word and in His Word, He shares with His people the plan for our redemption. By His suffering and death, the shoot from the stump of Jesse, loosed the bonds which held people captive and overcame our enemies: sin, death, and the devil.

 

Upon Jesus also rests the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. During His earthly ministry, Jesus was obedient to His Father’s will, even unto death, to lead us – His lost children – back to God. Now, through the Holy Spirit, the Lord plants the knowledge of God, true love and true fear of God, back into the hearts of men.

 

Now with His work finished, Jesus, the shoot from the stump of Jesse, the new and greater David, now sits on the throne of His Father. “And His delight shall be in fear of the Lord. He shall not judge by what His eyes see, or decide disputes by what His ears hear, but with righteousness He shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of His waist, and faithfulness the belt of His loins” (Isaiah 11:3-5).

 

With the Spirit of the Lord resting upon Him, when Jesus makes decisions, He penetrates beyond what He can see and hear. And as careful as any human judge or ruler may be, appearances and rhetoric can still distort the truth and frustrate justice. But not for the shoot from the stump of Jesse, the new and greater David. For Jesus, He exercises absolute justice based on absolute knowledge.

 

Jesus bears the scepter of peace. Again, He doesn’t judge by what His eyes see or decide disputes by what His ears hear, but He judges with righteousness, deciding with equity the interests of the meek. To troubled sinners, Jesus gives justice. He makes us poor, miserable sinners right with God by covering our sin with His robe of righteousness and preserving us blameless to God the Father.

 

But at the very same time, those who reject the shoot from the stump of Jesse, those who reject His peace and His grace, those people are put to shame. Isaiah says: “He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall kill the wicked” (Isaiah 11:4).

 

Jesus has come as the Prince of Peace, but many reject His peace. Not everyone will believe. Not everyone will come to faith in Christ Jesus. As Simeon said to Mary, “This Child has been appointed for the fall … of many” (Luke 2:34). But, through the working of the Holy Spirit, many more will come and kneel before the crucified and risen Christ.

 

And for everyone who clings to Christ as their King, they will see the image of creation restored. Animals that were once prey – the lamb, young goat and fattened calf – will dwell safely together with their former predators – the wolf, leopard and lion – without fear. In fact, as believers in Christ, we already enjoy the benefits of His wise rule, having received His Spirit with wisdom and understanding, counsel and might, and knowledge and fear of the Lord. 

 

You see, for those who are in the kingdom of God, there is no malice. For everyone who acknowledge Jesus as Lord also renounce the works of the devil. And although we are still sinners, in Christ, there remains an ever-flowing fountain of mercy. Day in and day out, we receive from Jesus His grace, as well as peace and strength in loving God and serving our neighbor.

 

Isaiah pictures paradise as the wolf dwells with the lamb, but this paradise isn’t just the future; this is the present reality. This is what the Church of Christ looks like now. This is the peace that the one true Christian Church has at this very moment.

 

As fellow redeemed in Christ, we are united with the One who alone is holy by nature but who shares His holiness with us. God has granted us new hearts that, while sin still clings to us, we truly want to please God and serve our neighbor. This is completely unnatural from the perspective of our old sinful and prideful selves. We have been transformed by Christ’s peace through His suffering, death, resurrection and ascension! We have been transformed by the Holy Spirit’s intervening in your life to be the kind of person you would never be without Him.

 

Yes, we are still not perfect, the Church does have her spots and wrinkles, but we are made clean through the blood of the Lamb, which makes us new. With the help of the Holy Spirit, may we grow in wisdom and understanding, counsel and might, knowledge and fear of the Lord, for we are all one in Christ Jesus, who is Peace and brings peace. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

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

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

"He Shall Be Called: Prince of Peace" (Isaiah 9:6)

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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:

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).

 

We live in a world where war is far too common. And not just conflicts between nations, but conflicts between individual people. There is hatred of others because of their skin pigmentation, or differing religious views, or differing political views, or something was said to offend one another. There is hatred toward others simply because they covet what their neighbor has. 

 

If this isn’t enough, there is even hatred among people who ought to love each other. Many husbands and wives are at war with each other, and the result is that marriage vows are often broken. Many parents and children are at war with each other, and the result is dysfunctional homes filled with tension, strife, and violence. Even fellow brothers and sisters in Christ who ought to love one another are often filled with hatred for one another – and the result is that we have congregations filled with disharmony and conflict.

 

I could talk all night about the various ways that people of this fallen world are at war with one another.

 

Sadly, on this Christmas Eve, we do not have peace on earth. This is discouraging to us, because we all desire peace, especially on this night as we sing of peace. 

 

During this Christmas season, many people hope for some sort of peace in their lives. But we can’t seem to avoid war and conflict. Why? Well, what we need to understand is that things have always been this way since Adam and Eve declared war against God.

 

And we are the sinful descendants of Adam and Eve. God’s inerrant Word teaches that we are all conceived with their sinful nature. So, it is our natural state to be at war with God. In fact, the reason there is so much war among people is that we are at war with God. So, until we have peace with God, there will be no peace on earth.

If we were in control of peace, we would be doomed to an eternity without peace. Scripture teaches us that we are by nature enemies of God. That problem is not that God doesn’t love us. The problem is that we don’t love God, nor do we truly trust Him. The proof that we don’t love God is that we constantly sin against Him by our desires, thoughts, words, and deeds – by the evil we do and the good we fail to do.

 

Scripture teaches that we all deserve God’s eternal wrath because of our sin, and there is nothing we can do to change that. Not only can we do nothing to get rid of our guilt and avoid the punishment we deserve, but the real problem is that we cannot change our own hearts. We can’t give ourselves the peace we desperately need. 

 

Since we are not at peace with God, then we can never be at peace with our neighbor. So, left to ourselves, there would never be peace on earth, but only war and strife at every level of human relationship.

 

This is why we must pay close attention to the true message of Christmas! On this Christmas Eve, I have the good news that us war-torn sinners long for. On this Christmas Eve, the Prince of Peace has come!

 

Jesus, the Son of God, came into this fallen world to give you peace! But the peace He gives you must start with Him bringing you into a loving relationship with God. We need to be at peace with God if we are going to be at peace with our neighbor.

 

In Isaiah 9, we are told that the Child who is to be born for us and the Son who is given for us would be called “Prince of Peace.” He is called “Prince” because He rules over us, and the “Peace” describes the nature of His rule. And “of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end” (Isaiah 9:7).

 

This Child is Jesus, who is God in human flesh. That Baby who lived in Mary’s womb is God, the Creator of all things seen and unseen. That Baby Jesus had more power in His little finger than all the armies that have ever existed. Yet, Jesus chose to live a life of humility and service. He came so that He would be beaten and nailed to cross.

 

But why did it have to be this way? Isaiah gives us that answer: “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 53:5). So, just as Isaiah speaks of the birth of Jesus, He also speaks of Jesus’ suffering and death on the cross.

 

But Jesus didn’t have to do this. He didn’t have to endure this shame and suffering. As God, He could have just made war with us and wiped us out and just started over. But He didn’t. He instead allowed us to wipe Him out with our sins that we might be saved from our war against God and be rescued from the punishment that we all deserve.

 

Listen to this good news:

“For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person – though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die – but God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by His blood, much more shall we be saved by Him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of His Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by His life”(Romans 5:6-10).

 

Jesus came down from heaven, was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary in order to die for us! He came to give us peace with God through His death! “Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1).

 

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, because of Jesus’ death and bodily resurrection, you are at peace with God!  You see, the war God could have justly waged against us, He instead waged against His Son, whom He punished in our place, so that through faith in Him we would be “justified,” that is “declared righteous” before God. The Prince of Peace has reconciled you to God. In Christ alone, your sins are forgiven. In Christ alone, you are no longer God’s enemy. In Christ alone, you live at peace with God.

 

On that first Christmas, the angels said to the shepherds, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased” (Luke 2:14). Do you want God’s peace? Then let His favor rest on you. Repent of your sin and trust in the Prince of Peace who died for your sin and reconciled you to God.

 

Maybe you know someone who is running from God by trying to find peace in his or her life of sin. Maybe that is you. Well, God doesn’t want you to be at war with Him and your neighbor. God wants His favor to rest on you so that you can receive peace from the Prince of Peace.

On this Christmas Eve, we are here to worship our Savior, the Prince of Peace, who came to give us peace with God. On this Christmas Eve, God’s favor rests on you as He calls you to repent of your sin and receive peace through faith in your Savior. I invite you to our Christmas Day service or to any Divine Service where our Prince of Peace gives us His own body and blood in the Lord’s Supper. In that Supper, He gives us Himself so we can know that we are at peace with God. So, come and join us tomorrow and each Sunday or Monday!

 

I have even more good news! You see that same Prince of Peace who has reconciled you to God has the power to heal those broken relationships you have with your neighbor. As the love and mercy of Christ fills your heart, your heart will be changed to show love and mercy to others – even forgiving those who have hurt you.

 

Because of Jesus – the Prince of Peace, we can begin to have peace on earth. Because of the Jesus, husbands and wives can begin to forgive, love, and serve each other. Because of the Jesus, parents and children can begin to forgive, love, and serve one another. Because of the Jesus, all who trust in Him can begin to forgive, love, and serve one another. There can be peace on earth only when we are at peace with God.

 

But as wonderful as that news is – and it is wonderful news, we must also remember that we will never have complete peace on earth until Jesus returns again in His glory. 

 

Despite this, we, who are in Christ, can still live in peace and have certain hope for the future! We can live in peace now knowing that our sins are forgiven and that we are reconciled to God through the Prince of Peace. We can also live with certain hope for the future because we know that the Prince of Peace will return. And on that Day, we, who are in Christ, will rest in God’s favor and be ushered into the new creation where we will live forever in perfect peace!

 

On this Christmas Eve, let God’s favor rest upon you and your homes, and keep the Prince of Peace the center of your marriages and families – and then you will experience the peace of God that passes all human understanding! 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 Makes the Impossible, Possible" (Luke 1:39-56)

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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 those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth” (Luke 1:39-40).

 

From the impossible, God makes the possible. Mary and her relative Elizabeth never expected to bear children. Mary was a virgin. Elizabeth was barren. So, from a virgin and a barren womb, God brings forth living, leaping children. So, from out of nothing, God works everything. 

 

Before their meeting, the angel Gabriel came to Mary to announce the conception of Jesus. Mary asked how this conception could take place, since she was a virgin, but through it all, she displays true faith in Gabriel’s promise. Excited by this unexpected news, she went with haste to visit her relative Elizabeth.

 

Now, the initial conversation between Mary and Elizabeth is unknown to us. Did Mary blurt out the news of her pregnancy? We don’t know. But there is something we do know. For it appears that it was the baby in the former barren womb of Elizabeth who leaps knowing the Savior is near. But wait, there’s more! Just as John leapt, Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and said, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?” (Luke 1:41-43).

 

Elizabeth not only knew that Mary was pregnant, but the Holy Spirit revealed to her that that baby in Mary’s womb is the promised Messiah. And not only that, Elizabeth declares that Mary is also blessed!

 

Mary is truly blessed, but she is not blessed by who she is. She is blessed because of her humility as God’s servant. She is blessed as the Mother of God who will bear her Savior and Elizabeth’s Savior and our Savior. For like us, she is also a sinful human being who was in need of a Savior.

 

Like Mary, we, too, are blessed. We are blessed not because of who we are. For if we were treated the way we deserve, we justly deserve God’s present and eternal punishment. So, our blessedness is not measured in the things we have. Our blessedness consists only in Emmanuel, God in the flesh. Jesus is the ultimate source of every true blessing. Jesus entered Mary’s womb via the Holy Spirit so that He could die on the cross. And through His death, He took away the sin that had separated us from God, and reconciled us back into God’s presence.

 

The world we live in is barren. We long for peace and brotherhood in this fallen world. We long for togetherness. We long for those good memories of times’ past. But when we open our eyes, we often only see barrenness. Love has grown cold. We see violence, selfish ambition, arrogance, sinful perversion, conflict and ignorance. And we see this every day looking right at us in our own bathroom mirror.

 

But there is joy leaping from a barren womb.

 

What a visit Mary and Elizabeth must have had! Today, we also have the joy of standing and praising God together with a loud voice. Today, we will hear loud voices from our Sunday School kids. Today, we will join their loud voices through song. And today, we get to visit with Jesus just as truly as He came in Zechariah’s living room and just as hidden.

 

Later, we will commune with Christ. What a joy that is! This joy of forgiveness, life, and salvation is something we ought to share with our neighbors, family and friends!

 

For God has taken flesh in the womb of a virgin. In Christ alone, every barrenness must give way to fruitfulness and joy! Every time you hear Christ’s Word and partake of the Sacrament, Christ is present just as surely as He was with Elizabeth and John.

 

Through the Holy Spirit, we respond in faith to the continued proclamation that our Lord Jesus, who took on human flesh and dwelt among is, is our promised redemption and salvation. “For to us a child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). Amen.

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

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

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

"Everlasting Father" (Isaiah 9:6)

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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:

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder and his name shall be called … Everlasting Father …” (Isaiah 9:6).

Through these Advent midweeks, we have been going over the four titles of Jesus from Isaiah 9:6. 

 

We have learned that Jesus is the “Wonderful Counselor,” as He gave God’s counsel about our sin and His death on the cross for our salvation, which is foolishness to those who refuse to believe Him and His counsel. But for us who have been saved, the Holy Spirit has given us faith to rejoice in Jesus’ counsel as the power of God for our salvation.

 

We also learned that Jesus is “Mighty God.” Jesus is no mere human being. If He was just a mere human, then He could not have been our Savior and then we are still under the curse of our sins. Thanks be to God that Jesus is “Mighty God” who took upon Himself our human flesh to suffer and die on the cross in our place of punishment and then three days later conquered the power of death for us by His bodily resurrection.

 

Tonight, we will focus on the third title given to Jesus in Isaiah 9:6: “Everlasting Father.” You may have no issue with understanding “Wonderful Counselor” and “Mighty God”, but this third title can be a challenge. Afterall, Jesus is the Son of God, not God the Father. So, let’s focus on the word “Father.”

 

Scripture teaches us that there is only one God who exists in three distinct persons – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This is the divine mystery known as the Holy Trinity.

 

Even though Jesus is One with the Father, He is not the Father Himself. Jesus and the Father are two distinct Persons who are unified as One God with the Holy Spirit.

 

So, what does Isaiah mean when he says that Jesus will be called “Everlasting Father”?

 

Well, by that word “Father” Isaiah means that Jesus has made us His people and rules over us like a loving father.

 

Think of it this way. Sometimes people refer to George Washington as the “father” of our nation. They don’t mean that Washington is the literal father, but that he helped found the United States and he ruled over us as our first president. In a similar way, the word “father” describes the fact that Jesus rules over us and all creation with authority and power, above every name that is named. The government – both spiritual and temporal – is upon His shoulder.

 

In Colossians 1, God’s Word says, “[Jesus] is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities – all things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:15-16).

 

So, the One conceived in the womb of the virgin Mary is the Creator of all things and He rules over all things!

 

Now, this is very good news for us who believe in Jesus as our Savior from sin, death, and eternal damnation! You see, the title “Father” reminds us that Jesus made us to be new creations by saving us from our sins and reconciling us back to God. Also, this title “Father” teaches us that Jesus rules over all things – even when it appears that evil people have all the power in this fallen world.

 

It may appear that Jesus has no power or control at all when we pay attention to the news on tv, radio, internet or podcasts. It appears more like evil people keep getting away with evil: injustice, chaos, misery, and death.

 

But during such times, we must always remember that Jesus is in control even when circumstances seem to call that into question. You see, Jesus has always been in control – even when He was an infant in the womb of the virgin Mary.

 

So, just like children don’t always understand what their father does, we don’t always understand why Jesus rules in the way He does.

 

Nevertheless, Jesus promises to work in all things – even in trials and suffering – to bring about good for His people and glory for His Kingdom. 

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, nothing happens apart from Jesus’ will, and He will save all who repent of their sin and cling to Him. Jesus is your Savior-King, and He rules you as a loving father.

 

But what about that first word of tonight’s title – “Everlasting”? What does “Everlasting” mean? Well, “Everlasting” reminds us that Jesus is not just one more earthly ruler whose reign begins at some point in history and then ends at some point in history.

 

In Micah 5, God’s Word says: “But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for Me the One who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days” (Micah 5:2).

 

So, what does this mean? The Prophet Micah is saying that the future Savior who will be born in Bethlehem already exists! This Promised Savior exists before He is born! How can this be? Micah answers that too! Jesus is the eternal Son of God from ancient days!

 

Jesus is not like the rulers of earthly governments whose reigns have a beginning and then come to an end. Jesus is the eternal Creator! He is the Everlasting Father! His rule never ends!

 

Isaiah writes: “Of the increase of His government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over His kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forever more” (Isaiah 9:7).

 

What Isaiah is saying is that there was never a time when Jesus was not in control. So, even when Jesus was lying in a manger; even when Jesus was hanging on the cross, He was still the “Everlasting Father.”

 

Jesus – eternal God – became man and was born to save us from our sins. Through faith in Him, we are cleansed from our guilt, and we are at peace with God. 

 

Even though sin and evil abound all around us, Jesus is still the Everlasting Father! Jesus still rules His Kingdom! And one day, He will return in visible power and glory! Everyone will see that Jesus is the “Everlasting Father” – even those heathens who thought they were in control. On that day, we, who are in Christ, will rejoice that we get to live forever as citizens of Jesus’ Kingdom where there will be no more sin, and what it begets: pain and death.

 

Until that day of Christ’s coming, we live by faith – faith in God’s Word. Today, Jesus’ present reign as “Everlasting Father” is hidden from those who refuse to trust God’s Word. But for you and me who trust God’s Word, we can be sure that Jesus is the “Everlasting Father”!

 

On the Epiphany of Our Lord, the Magi traveled from the East to worship the “Everlasting Father” who was being held by the virgin Mary. How could this toddler be the “Everlasting Father” – the eternal Creator and Ruler of all things? For as the angel said to Mary, “Nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37). Like the Magi, we believe what we cannot see or understand.

 

You see, each time you receive the Lord’s Supper at the Divine Service, the Everlasting Father gives you His own body and blood to assure you that your sins are forgiven, and you are given strength for your weak faith. We don’t understand how, but He does it!

 

Tonight, God’s Word has assured you that Jesus is the “Everlasting Father” and that you are a citizen in His eternal Kingdom of mercy, love, and life. You can leave this place – Prince of Peace Lutheran Church – and now serve the Lord with your lives knowing that Jesus is the “Everlasting Father” and that you are secure in His hands. Amen!

 

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