"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 +

"A Warning to All: The Rich Man and Lazarus" (Luke 16:19-31)

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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 poor man died and was carried by the angels to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried, and in Hades, being in torment, he lifted up his eyes and saw Abraham far off and Lazarus at his side” (Luke 16:22-23).

 

Most people think very little about their own death. After all, most people will live life to an old age. But then, there are some who try to deny they will ever die, which means they likely live with no accounting of how they live. Afterall, why not live by the motto: you only live once. So, just do it. Take the risk. Enjoy life. Whatever that may be. Enjoy life on the couch. Enjoy life on the links.

 

Today’s Gospel text pictures our mortality. We cannot deny death. God’s Word says, “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 90:10). The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23a). You and I are going to die. That is, unless Christ returns first. Life is short as our days and months and years fly by. 

 

So, to keep us prepared for the future, Jesus teaches us the story about a rich man and Lazarus. Jesus teaches us about the real places of heaven and hell.

 

Until the day of your death, or the day of Christ’s return, everyone receives their daily bread from God – Christians and heathens alike. The Lord gives us everything that has to do with the support and needs of the body for all people, as well as everything that has to do with the support and needs of our soul for us Christians. The Lord certainly blesses us daily!

 

In today’s text, Jesus tells of two men whom the Lord has blessed.

 

Now, Jesus tells us this story because of the Pharisees, who as St. Luke tells “we're lovers of money” (Luke 16:14). These Pharisees ridiculed Jesus after He told them the parables of the lost sheep, the lost coin, the prodigal son, and the dishonest manager. Jesus concluded those parables saying, “No servant can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money” (Luke 16:13).

Like the rich man in today’s story, these Pharisees loved themselves. But Jesus teaches us that the love of money and selfishness can lead a person to hell, whereas proper love and trust in God will lead to eternal life.

 

Now, is today’s story told by Jesus a parable, a simple story, or was it a real event? I raise this question because there are no other parables where Jesus actually names a person. And what’s also different is that the rich man is a person without a name. While the poor man has a name: Lazarus, which means “God has helped.”

 

Now, there is something that we do know about this story Jesus told. He told this story to warn the Pharisees and also you and me. He told this story to warn everyone: believer and unbeliever alike. He warns us against greed and loveless ease.

 

Jesus calls us to help and support our neighbor for any physical need. Jesus warns us to beware of the love of money – when money becomes your idol, which might turn us away from our neighbor and even from our God. And above all, Jesus’ story today teaches us to look to our God in the midst of life’s trouble, to listen to His Scriptures and their promises, and to set our hearts on the joy and comfort of His coming kingdom. So, what can we say about the two men in today’s story? 

 

Well, there was a rich man. Jesus tells us that he “was clothed in purple and fine linen and who feasted sumptuously every day” (Luke 16:19). This man lived in luxury. He spent his money on what made him feel good and look good. He thought only of himself.

 

Then, there was another man named Lazarus. Jesus tells us that he “was covered with sores” and he “desired to be fed with what fell from the rich man’s table” (Luke 16:20, 21). Lazarus was a beggar. Lazarus was sick and crippled, and he was a pitiful sight. The rich man had more money than he could ever spend. He lived sumptuously. The poor man Lazarus only yearned for table scraps. He lived in misery.

 

Jesus also tells us that there was no act of kindness that came from this rich man toward this poor beggar. This rich man may have been monetarily rich, but he was certainly “not rich toward God”(Luke 12:21). He does not make himself clean by giving to the poor (Luke 11:41). He won’t even give the needly his leftovers that just spoil and rot. And oddly enough, it appears that this rich man did not even use his worldly wealth to gain friends, so that when he died, he would be welcomed into the eternal dwellings (Luke 16:9). This rich man appears to have only been focused upon himself. He was hoarding up earthly treasure and clothing and food.

Now the wages of sin, which is death, will come for the worldly rich and the worldly poor alike. Death comes for all people, because all people are caught in the web of sin.

 

But when death comes for Lazarus and this rich man, they experience a great reversal of fortune. Jesus pronounced blessed “who hunger now, for you shall be satisfied” (Luke 6:21) and on the other hand, He said, “Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry” (Luke 6:25). This beatitude and curse that Jesus speaks about are vividly illustrated by the situation in which Lazarus and this rich man find themselves in the afterlife.

 

Lazarus, the poor man, finds himself at the banquet table of salvation, reclining next to Father Abraham. While the rich man is desiring what Lazarus now has. He calls out, “Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus to dip the end of his finger in water and cool my tongue, for I am in anguish in this flame” (Luke 16:24).

 

The thoughts of this rich man then turn to his five brothers who still live on earth. He wants to warn them to repent of their life, so they would not face his fate in hell “where their worm does not die and the fire is not quenched” (Mark 9:48). To this, Abraham says, “They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them” (Luke 16:29). But this rich man still does not believe. He wants more than God’s inerrant Word, the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments. He wants his brothers scared into repentance and faith. He calls on Abraham to send Lazarus back to life, but Abraham says, “If they do not hear Moses and the Prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead” (Luke 16:31).

 

In other words, Abraham is saying, even if Lazarus did return, they will not change their ways. No miracle will change them. If the Word of God cannot convince them, neither will a resurrection from the dead.

 

Jesus tells this story as a warning to the Pharisees. And this story is also a warning to us. For we, too, are tempted to love the good things of this life, like wealth and honor. Of course, it is not certainly wrong to ask God for daily bread, but we are to ask with gratitude. Afterall, Jesus calls us to receive the blessings that God provides to us in this life. For all these good things, God be thanked and God be praised.

 

But God has nowhere promised anyone bounty or uninterrupted ease in this life. He has not promised anyone honor and recognition in this life. So, sometimes, His people are covered with sores and sickness. Sometimes His people face heartache. Sometimes His people face disappointment. 

Sometimes, His people face tragedies that bring life to a screeching halt. Sometimes, God’s people must endure bad things. Sometimes, God’s people must live as beggars.

 

Now, God has promised us something. He has promised us lasting bounty and lasting joy that is given to us through Jesus Christ. This is the testimony of Moses and the Prophets to whom Abraham points the rich man. For us, today, we not only have Moses and the Prophets, but we also have the Gospels and Epistles. The entirety of God’s Word from Genesis to Revelation convey the promises of God and God does not lie (Titus 1:2).

 

So, whoever turns aside from these divine promises in Christ to set his heart instead on earthly pleasures and riches is certainly a fool.

 

But whether, we are rich or we are poor, each of us will die and each of us will stand in the judgement as a beggar before God. The good news is that in Jesus Christ, we see that God makes beggars rich. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, St. Paul writes, “For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, so that you by His poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). Jesus set aside all of His unimaginable wealth as the Son of God lowered Himself to take on our human flesh. He was born in our flesh and then took on the form of a beggar. He said, “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay His head” (Luke 9:58).

 

Jesus hung naked on the cross. Men cast lots for His clothing. He was covered in wounds, but not even the dogs licked His sores. He was mocked by scoffers. They laughed at His misery. He was rejected by all. But He did this all for us. He did this to be the perfect sacrifice for our sins. He suffered, died, rose and ascended for you.

 

Certainly, none of us are worthy to ask for or even inherit anything before God, not even the rich man, not even Lazarus, not you, and not me. But there is one who is worthy. “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain!” (Revelation 5:12) 

 

Jesus alone is worthy, and He shares this inheritance with all poor sinful beggars who look up to Him in faith. So, when you lack and worry, when you fear and weep, look up, turn your eyes to heaven. All that is Christ’s is yours. He has purchased for you the everlasting kingdom with His holy and precious blood. So, keep praying and keep waiting. For in Christ, you are as rich as Lazarus. Amen.

 

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding,

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

+ SOLI DEO GLORIA +

Funeral Sermon: "At Peace with Christ" (Ecclesiastes 3:1-8)

 

Robert, Randy, Brian, and Jon, family and friends of Judy:

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

[Intro: Times and Seasons]

“For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

Each day we have is beyond our own human control. Everything comes and goes at the time that God has appointed. As God spoke in Psalm 90: “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; but their span is but toil and trouble; they are soon gone, and we fly away” … “So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom” (Psalm 90:9-10, 12).

Today, we certainly see the wages of sin, which is death. Due to sin, no human being can overcome death. But, although we all die due to sin, by grace through faith in Jesus, “the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23b).

Today, Judy has received the victory! She has joined the happy throng singing the triumph song: Glory, laud, and honor unto Christ, the King! (Onward Christian Soldiers, LSB 662, Stanza 4). She is wearing the robe of Christ’s righteousness that covers all of her sins with her fellow saints in the Church Triumphant! She has received the free gift of God, that is eternal life – and all by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone!

[Faith and Determination]

Judy loved to dance. In fact, she met her husband Robert at the Play-Mor ballroom. Although, that night, the two did not dance – as she declined Robert’s invitation, their dating life and marriage would not be void of dancing.

But back in 2012 and 2013, it was the thought that Judy would not ever dance again, due to cancer and other infections. For a time, she was unable to walk. But due to her faith and determination, she was able to walk again – and dance again.

Besides dancing, Judy enjoyed her flowers, especially her large Hosta garden. She also enjoyed the company of her cats.

She loved her family, especially her husband Robert and her sons Randy, Brian, and Jon.

Most importantly, her faith in Jesus Christ as her Lord and Savior is what kept her going all of her life. Through thick and thin, Jesus was always there for her. He never left her, nor forsake her. He is with her to this day! Today she is in the presence of her Lord and Savior. She is completely satisfied as she hungers no more, neither thirsts anymore. She is no longer suffering the effects of sin. She is at bliss with her fellow saints in the Church Triumphant!

For us today, we are experiencing loss. With any loss, we grieve. So, do not be ashamed to grieve at the loss of Judy this day, or in future days. But also know this: As Christians, we grieve not as the unbelieving world grieves. We grieve in the sure and certain hope that we will be with our loved ones again who have died in the faith! “For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with Him all those who have fallen asleep. … Therefore encourage one another with these words” (1 Thessalonians 4:14, 18).

So, don’t be ashamed to grieve. Grieving is natural. And we all grieve in different ways. But always remember, Christians have the sure and certain hope that because Christ lives, everyone in Christ also lives!

[At the Appointed Time]

We should also remember that “for everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven” (Ecclesiastes 3:1).

All things have their time. All things have their definite hour. Everything comes and goes at the time that God Himself has appointed: “A time to be born, and time to die” (Ecclesiastes 3:2a).

Birth has its own time, and death has its own time. As we do not have our own birth planned out, we also do not have our own death planned out either. A baby is in the hand of God and is not born until its hour of birth comes. Women labor and concern about the birth of their baby, and they predict the time, but there is nothing certain about it. Nor do we die, except at our appointed hour.

For Judy, she may have thought when she was diagnosed with cancer in 2012 that death was near, or when her kidneys failed, but only God knew her appointed date and time.

Essentially, God is saying: “Why fear death?” Afterall, we cannot live any longer than the Lord has prescribed, nor die any sooner. So, we each have “a time to be born, and a time to die” (Ecclesiastes 3:2a).

But our sinful nature may say: “What about those people who die of their own initiative? What about those who died too young? Could they not have saved their lives?” No. God has set this hour and even the means and kind of death. God sets the moments of our life and of our death. They are fixed.

Now, our sinful nature may not like this. Our sinful nature likes the idea that we have some form of control. But this is a great comfort. God has indeed numbered our days. Our birth and our death are in His control.

Now, the time between our birth and our death, we perform the works of man.

“A time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted” (Ecclesiastes 3:2b).

These are the works of human life. In the spring there is planting, in the autumn there is plucking up. As Judy enjoyed taking care of her flowers and plants, she would be familiar with this. The flowers and plants would only last so long, then they would be plucked up for the next season. This is our life. This is our life now.

So, for everything there is a season. A season to weep, a season to laugh, a season to mourn, a season to dance, and on and on.

For each of these works, there is a defined time. There is a time to weep, there is a time to laugh. But it often happens that when we want to be very joyous, a sudden disturbance arises. Therefore joy – like all seasons – has its appointed time.

What God teaches us in Ecclesiastes 3 is this: Enjoy the present things. Enjoy all the blessings that God has bestowed upon us and all creatures – His Daily Bread – because they will come to an end.

Even as the grass withers and the flower fades through the seasons of our life, the Word of our God will stand forever (Isaiah 40:8). The Word of the Lord never withers nor fades but endures forever!

All material things are temporal – they will fade away, but our faith in Christ is eternal! Our faith is eternal, because the eternal God – the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – strengthens our faith through His Means of Grace: Word and Sacrament!

Since, the Word of the Lord endures forever, Judy is at peace. She is at peace because she has entered by the Door of the Sheep – Jesus Christ, who is our Good Shepherd.

She – and all who trust in Christ – received this peace at their Baptism. For “there is one body and one Spirit – just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call – one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all” (Ephesians 4:4-6).

You see, at your baptism, you were joined to Christ Himself. You were joined to His suffering, His death, and His bodily resurrection. In doing so, by faith in Christ alone, we share in the fruits of His cross: forgiveness of sins, which begets eternal life and salvation!

So, we acknowledge one Lord: Jesus Christ; one Faith: that is true doctrine as confessed in the Creeds; one Baptism: where we are joined to Christ.

Jesus came to “lay down [His] life for the sheep” (John 10:15b), so that He “may take it up again” (John 10:17) for which He did on that Good Friday and Easter morning, so that all who would trust in Him would live with Him forever.

Today, Judy and her fellow saints are at peace. They are dwelling in the house of the Lord and receiving the feast that is prepared for all the faithful (Psalm 23). May we on our appointed day join her and all the faithful in heaven!

For us this day, we have the sure and certain hope that because Christ lives, we shall also live, as we – with the Church Triumphant in Heaven – await Christ’s coming on the Last Day! 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

Judy Sellnow's Obituary: https://hantge.com/obituaries/judith-judy-sellnow/

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

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

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ:

[Intro]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[God is Eternal]

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

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

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

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

[Man is Temporary]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

[Number Our Days]

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

T SOLI DEO GLORIA T