Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church
9 E Homestead Ave. Palisades Park, NJ 07650 201-944-2107 Sundays 11:00 a.m. We preach Christ crucified (1. Corinthians 1,23)

Saturday, December 31, 2011

Luke 2,15-20. The Feast of Christmas I

In the Name of Jesus

Luke 2,[1-14]15-20                                                                                    0612
Christfest I  07 weiß
Nativity of Jesus
25. December 2011

            1. O Well-beloved Emmanuel, LORD Jesus Christ, Son of the Highest, and Son of the Virgin, we give thanks unto You that, You have come to us from the Father’s throne into this misery below, taking upon Yourself our flesh and blood, so that we might be made partakers of Your own Divine nature. Now, indeed, has the Heavenly Father shared His loving heart with us; and in You is His wrath appeased. By Your holy birth, we are born again unto heaven, and You have become the veritable gateway of heaven for us; and by You we have access unto the Father, and abundant entrance into Your reign. O then help, dear Lord, gracious Emmanuel, so that we may rightly realize the mystery of Your revelation in our flesh (Löhe 448-50).  Amen.
            2. 15When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another: „Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.“ 16And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Baby lying in a manger. 17And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this Child. 18And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them.  This is our text.
            3. It was standard administrative procedure for the Roman Empire on a regular basis to call for a registration in all their provinces in the form of a census. The reason for this was quite simple: the emperor wanted to know how many citizens and subjects lived in his provinces so that they could all be taxed. The latest historical research indicates that the census referred to in Luke 2 was authorized in the spring or summer of 3 B.C. (Steinmann 241-42).  
            4. „The census is more important that it might appear. Luke … includes information about the census to give historical reasons for Joseph going from Galilee to Bethlehem. By describing this movement, … Luke shows both that Old Testament prophecy is fulfilled and that it is the Davidic lineage of Joseph that is the reason for the trip“ (Just 106). Luke furthermore indicates that the Holy Family has been in Bethlehem for some time. It would be far easier to make the 90-mile journey from Nazareth to Bethlehem while Mary was in the early months of her pregnancy. Mary arrived in the region of Bethlehem shortly after she miraculously conceived Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit. Luke, you remember, tells us that when Mary heard from the Archangel Gabriel that her older cousin, Elizabeth, was also expecting her first child, that Mary straightaway went to visit Elizabeth, who lived near Bethlehem in one of the many small villages dotting the Judean hillside, and in fact remained with her for three months, at which time Elizabeth gave birth to John sometime in June, who would be known as „the Baptizer“. When John was born, Mary would be about three months pregnant, and it would be reasonable for her to just remain near Bethlehem until her own son was born.  It is also probable that Mary, along with other relatives, would have served as midwives and wet-nurses for Elizabeth, who in turn would do the same for Mary when her time arrived to give birth. Joseph may have joined Mary at a later date in Bethlehem before the birth of Jesus, or it is very plausible that Joseph and Mary travelled together, with Joseph securing lodging at the home of one of his relatives in Bethlehem. Joseph and Mary might have stayed with Zechariah and Elizabeth, since they were relatives. Joseph could have offered his carpentry services to local merchants in the region of Bethlehem while Mary helped Elizabeth for three months. Or perhaps when Mary was ready to return to Nazareth the Imperial decree for the census was issued and she remained in Bethlehem with relatives while Joseph made the trip south to be with her. Either way, the romanticized version of Mary and Joseph making a last minute dash down to Bethlehem while she is nine months pregnant and the frantic search for a place to stay is certainly not the way events unfolded in the Bible.
            5. Gone, too, must be the image of a miserly, Scrooge-like innkeeper, turning away the family because he has no vacancy, because the common English translation of the text with „inn“ is a bad translation, for it was not an inn but in reality an upper room in a simple, peasant Bethlehem home. The manger was not located in a separate barn or stable. In the average Palestinian village, the house was, and still is, a two-room structure. One room was exclusively for guests and was an additional room built onto the main room or it could be situated on the flat roof of the home; this guest room was often called the upper room. The main room was the family room which served as kitchen, dining room, living room and bedroom. The front part of this main room, the area nearest the front door, was designated what we would consider a stall. At night, the animals were brought into this portion of the main room to stay warm and also secured them from thieves. At dawn, the animals were taken out to the yard and the stall area swept and cleaned. This stall area was blocked off with heavy timbers and the demarcation line from where the animals stayed and the family stayed were one or more mangers, either moveable wooden crib-like structures or stone troughs carved directly out of the stone floor. These mangers served as feeding troughs with hay or grass and they were also used as cribs for any infants in the household. The added benefit of having the animals in this stall area was that they kept the room much warmer, which was ideal for infants and young children. It was not uncommon to find the children snuggled next to one of the family’s goats, lambs, or donkeys at night.
            6. Luke’s description, then, of Jesus’ accommodations reveals that Joseph would have secured room and board for his family well in advance of their arrival to Bethlehem for the census. Since he had relatives in the city, Joseph and Mary would stay at one of their houses in the upper guest room. This is the very room that could not accommodate Mary and Joseph because other relatives were already staying in the guest room. So when Mary gave birth, they proceeded to the stall area where the women would act as midwives. Jesus would be placed in one of the available mangers with fresh hay for a mattress, wrapped in swaddling clothes as was common among peasants in the villages and the animals would be led to lay around the manger to give the infant Jesus additional warmth and comfort. All in all, warm hospitality extended and received in love.
            7. All this, however, is merely the setting for the great and wonderful event of Jesus’ birth. Such Palestinian familial hospitality is how Yahweh intended to dwell with us. Yahweh has an immanent and incarnational relationship with mankind. He is never far away, and He often makes His presence known. God’s incarnate Son had been promised to men and women since Adam and Eve fell into sin, were subsequently expelled from Yahweh’s presence and denied access to the tree of life. Mankind’s history since the Fall has been a history of depravity, plague and warfare. Man’s inhumanity to man is well-documented both in the pages of Holy Scripture and the annals of historians. We only need to reminisce the past one hundred years to realize mankind has not created a utopia, but has continued building a hellish, rebellious regime in direct challenge to God’s rule and reign. We are all sinners whose sinfulness blights God’s wonderful creation with the rotting stench of our sins.
            8. Into this war-torn hellhole of human existence, God the Father fittingly sends His majestic angelic choir to a group of shepherds. These men and boys were not well-educated or wealthy, but they were hard-working, blue-collar folk who tirelessly took care of sheep, goats or cattle. They had an earthy smell and dirt under their fingernails. In Jesus’ day, shepherds were despised by the wealthy and educated in Jerusalem as simple peasants whose vocation was not very respected. To people such as these, our Heavenly Father sent forth the first jubilant announcement that the Christ had been born. How fitting that God sends Bethlehem shepherds to see the Son of God who is King David’s heir, David who had spent his youth shepherding his father’s animals. 
            9. Into our war-mongering, God-denying world the promised Christ Child is born. He is the single light of hope and salvation in the midst of a dark, storm-tossed world. That single light of Christ, however, is so penetrating and piercing, that the very heavens erupt in joy as the spiritual veil is torn asunder and the heavenly choir of angels announce in wondrous song the birth of the Savior, who is Christ the Lord. The Prophet Micah described Jesus this way: »You, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you will come forth for Me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose origin is from of old, from ancient days. And He will stand and shepherd His flock in the strength of Yahweh, in the majesty of the Name of the Yahweh His God. And they will dwell secure, for now He will be great to the ends of the earth. And He will be their peace« (5,2.4-5).
            10. Luke simply records the fulfillment of the Prophet Micah with these words: »And while Mary and Joseph were in Bethlehem, the time came for Mary to give birth. And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped Jesus in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the upper room.« This single event changed the course of human history. Luke tells us how Jesus’ birth not only effected the destinies of simple peasants, like the shepherds, but also reverberated all the way back to Rome and made powerful rulers tremble in either fear or worship. Yes, this Child would grow into manhood and He would tear down the very strongholds of hell, route the devil, and undo death itself. Truly the angelic choir’s song has reverberated through the annals of history: »Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth and goodwill toward people!«
            11. This glory of God is the little Lord Jesus who was born in Bethlehem. He is both the very Son of God and the Son of Man. Jesus is the Lamb of God, who is surrounded by lambs and shepherds, who arrived in the world in the manger at Bethlehem, who later exchanged the wood of His manger for the wood of the cross where at Calvary laid down His life for your sins and sinfulness. He has risen, He lives, and is returning again on the last day, appearing to open for us the pearly gates of heaven. „Jesus alone is the Savior and no one else, He calls you and me to Him. Blessed is everyone, who hears His Name and along with the shepherds adore Him all their life“ (Wenz 3).
            12. A venerable 17th century Gerhardt hymn describes this holy day this way:


O Jesus Christ,
Your manger is
My paradise, where my soul feeds upon.
the place is there,
the Word is here
with our flesh personally put on[1] (ELKG 412 §1).
            13. The very Son of God was incarnate in the virgin Mary, taken into His Godhood human flesh and was born in the city of David. Christ birth brings peace from God to you for He is born to be your Redeemer from sin and the devil. In Christ, you have peace, joyous peace. Rejoice and be merry, for unto you this day we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.
            14. Let us pray. O Christ Jesus, Born this day our Savior, on this day appears to us which God has sanctified. Help us to see this glorious gospel in Word and Carol which proclaims that today the Great Light descends upon the earth, so that we can rejoice in all things and give thanks to You who is the greatest gift given to us by our Heavenly Father.  Amen.

One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you!
                All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4th Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27th Edition © 1993 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart. 

ELKB. Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern. www.bayern-evangelisch.de/www/index.php. Copyright © Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern.
                Bailey, Kenneth. Jesus through Middle Eastern Eyes. IVP Academic © 2008.
                Gerhardt, Paul. O Jesu Christ, Dein Krippe ist“ (O Jesus Christ, Your Manger Is). Evangelisch-Lutherisches Kirchengesangbuch. Copyright © 2005 Lutherischen Buchhandlung. Translation © 2009 The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind.  
                Löhe, Wilhelm. Seed-Grains of Prayer: A Manual for Evangelical Christians. Wartburg Publishing House, Chicago circa 1912. Concordia Publishing House; Concordia on Demand.
                Steinmann, Andrew E. From Abraham to Paul: A Biblical Chronology. Copyright © 2011 Andrew E. Steinmann.
                Wenz, Armin. A sermon preached on 24. December 2008 (Christmas Eve Night) in Oberursel, Germany on Luke 2,1-14. Copyright © 2008 The Rev. Dr. Armin Wenz. The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind, Tr. © 2009.



[1] O Jesu Christ, / dein Krippe ist / Mein Paradies, da meine Seele weidet. / Hier ist der Ort, / hier liegt das Wort / mit unserm Fleisch persönlich angekleidet.

Friday, December 23, 2011

Isaiah 52,7-10. 4th Sunday in Advent

In the Name of Jesus
Isaiah 52,7-10   0412
The 4. Sunday in Advent
Rorate Caeli
Wunibald, Abbot at Heidenheim, 760
18. December 2011

     1. O Lord Jesus Christ, all Your holy Christendom rejoices this day to celebrate Your holy advent. We, poor, erring lambs, leap for joy that You, O Shepherd and Bishop of our lives, cause Your gracious presence to be realized among us in the blessed virgin Mary. O Lord do not depart from us with Your grace, but let us gratefully realize this gracious day of Your visitation, so that Your advent may always be salutary and full of grace unto us. With all Your pure Word, Your holy Sacraments, Your wisdom, support, favor, blessing and grace, visit us in our churches and our homes. We rejoice that You do not arrive as a Just Judge before whom we tremble, but rather You arrive as the Kind Redeemer with whom we will be co-heirs of the reign of heaven (Löhe 444-46). Amen.
     2. 7How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings the gospel, who preaches peace, who preaches the good gospel, who preaches salvation, who says to Zion: „Your God reigns.“ 8The voice of your watchmen, they lift up their voice; together they sing for joy; for eye to eye they see the return of the Lord to Zion. 9Break forth together into singing, you waste places of Jerusalem, for the Lord has comforted His people; He has redeemed Jerusalem. 10The Lord has bared His holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God. This is our text.
     3. We are on the cusp of Christ’s Nativity. The theme, therefore, this final Sunday in Advent is rorate caeli, pour down from heaven, O God, your gospel. The gospel is found from Genesis to Malachi. Yahweh had promised to redeem and save His people, and He did so in specific ways that were definite acts of salvation in human history, but which were also foretastes of His great gospel act of sending His very own Son upon this earth to rescue us.
     4. In the process of fulfilling His Heilsgeschichte (salvation history), Yahweh brings the gospel to two women: Elizabeth and Mary. Elizabeth is pregnant with John who will become the Baptizer. Mary has miraculously conceived Jesus who will become the Christ. The Baptizer prepared the way for the Christ, and the Christ saved the world from sin, death and the devil. The Lord is near!
     5. The world, however, is not attuned to this wonderful message. Many in the world are focused on Santa Claus, the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, and a host of other distractions. Now Santa, presents, Christmas movies, and holiday parties are well and good, but they are not the focus of Advent and Christmas. The devil is fine with a little attention focused on Jesus, say in a borough Nativity set, because the devil has effectively marginalized Jesus to the sidelines at Advent and Christmas in the public awareness.
     6. Even in the Church the devil has had success in marginalizing Jesus at this time of the year. In some churches, the focus is all on the virgin Mary so that she seems to take the center stage away from Jesus. Now Mary is a very important person, but she is not the focus of Advent and Christmas. Our devotion should be on Jesus. Elizabeth gives the proper response: »Blessed are you, Mary, among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!« (Luke 1,42). Notice what Elizabeth does: she rightly acknowledges Mary as the θεοτοκος (the bearer of God) and Jesus as the Son of God. When even the Infant Jesus comes into the midst of people, He elicits praise and devotion, even from the infant John in his mother’s womb.
     7. The Prophet Isaiah proclaims: »Your God reigns«, and Mary echoes his proclamation: »The Lord who is mighty has done great things for me«. Jesus does not resolve Himself to remain relegated to the sidelines. He is the Lord Almighty and the Son of God. He is a king maker and a king breaker. He lifts up the humble and pulls down the haughty. Advent is His season, and Christmas bears His Divine title. »The Lord has bared His holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God«. At this point in Luke 1, Jesus is a few days old or a few weeks old in Mary’s womb and nevertheless He is drawing faithful people unto Himself.
     8. The blessed virgin Mary is with child, and this Child will comfort and redeem His people. Jesus makes you righteous in His Father’s sight, and you have that righteousness by faith in Christ alone. The first Christians reported in the Holy Gospels are Mary, Elizabeth and the infant John. The gospel is a message of peace and salvation. The gospel has the power to create faith in Jesus the Christ. The gospel has the power to save you. The Author and Source of the gospel is before us this morning in Mary’s womb.
     9. The world sees this holiday season as a time of busy-ness, stress and generic holiday cheer. It is no surprise that many, perhaps even you, find themselves overwhelmed and depressed from Thanksgiving to the New Year. The Prophet Isaiah refocuses our attention on Christ Jesus and His gospel of peace and salvation. His gospel is very good, and on this 4. Sunday in Advent may your hearts also leap for joy at the sound of God’s Word, for „you can put on God’s gracious and beautiful joy“ (ELKB) that is given to you as a free gift in the Incarnate Jesus in Mary’s womb.
     10. Thus we sing with Mary and Elizabeth:

Let the world now thank the Lord,
Who constantly keeps His Word
And the sinners’ Advocate
Has now to us been sent (ELKG 11 § 1). Amen.

     11. O Holy Spirit, who creates a pleasing theme to overflow within or hearts, give us the joy in Christ so that we may be comforted in our salvation and respond with verses of praise sung to His Holy Name. Amen.

One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you!
     All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4th Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27th Edition © 1993 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart.
     ELKB. Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern. www.bayern-evangelisch.de/www/index.php. Copyright © Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern.
     Held, Heinrich. „Gott sei Dank durch alle Welt“. (Let the Earth Now Praise the Lord). Evangelishc-Lutherisches Kirchengesangbuch. Copyright © 2005 Lutherischen Buchhandlung. The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind, Tr. © 2011.
     Löhe, Wilhelm. Seed-Grains of Prayer: A Manual for Evangelical Christians. Wartburg Publishing House, Chicago circa 1912. Concordia Publishing House; Concordia on Demand.

Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Isaiah 40,1-11. 3rd Sunday in Advent

In the Name of Jesus

Isaiah 40,1-8[9-11]                                                                      0312
3. Sonntag im Advent  03
Gaudete
Damasus, Bishop of Rome 384
11. December 2011

     1.  O Heavenly Father, grant unto Your beloved Church so that, remembering her own unrighteousness and corruption, she may take no offense at the lowly presence and the despised word of her only King, the Just, the Helper, Jesus Christ; but always rejoice in His wonderful advent, and receive and accept Him in pure and ready hearts, gladly rejoicing in Him, and rendering all praise and glory to You forevermore.  Amen. (Löhe 414).  
     2. 1Comfort, comfort My people, says your God. 2Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from Yahweh’s hand double for all her sins. 3A voice cries: „In the wilderness prepare the way of Yahweh; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4Every valley will be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground will become level, and the rough places a plain. 5And the glory of Yahweh will be revealed, and all flesh will see it together, for the mouth of Yahweh has spoken.“ 6A voice says: „Cry!“ And I said: „What shall I cry?“ All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. 7The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of Yahweh blows on it; surely the people are grass. 8The grass withers, the flower fades, but the Word of our God will stand forever. 9Get up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of the gospel; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of the gospel; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah: „Behold your God!“ 10Behold, the Lord who is Yahweh arrives with might, and His arm rules for Him; behold, His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him. 11He will tend His flock like a shepherd; He will gather the lambs in His arms; He will carry them in His bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.  This is our text.
     3. The 3. Sunday in Advent is historically known as Gaudete, that is, Rejoice! There is, then, tension between today’s First Reading and the Gospel Reading. The 40. Chapter of the Prophet Isaiah is overflowing with the theme of rejoicing, but the 11. Chapter of the Gospel according to Matthew begins with the agonizing struggle [Anfechtung] that has gripped John the Baptizer. The Prophet Isaiah speaks of the refreshing gospel that will be poured out upon all the world when the Messiah arrives, but the Prophet John, who prepared the way for this Messiah, Jesus the Christ, is languishing in prison on account of his call to repent. Soon after the events of Matthew 11, Tetrarch Herod Antipas’ wife, Herodias, and his daughter plotted John’s death and Herod regrettably and shamefully executed the greatest prophet in the Holy Scriptures.
     4. Where is the cause for rejoicing? John the Baptizer is executed because of spite and human weakness. Jesus did not intervene. Jesus did not intercede with Herod Antipas on John’s behalf. Jesus passively allowed His cousin and forerunner to be beheaded. Like John, don’t we at times feel as if Jesus has brushed away our cries and concerns? How many prayers of His dear Christians does Jesus fail to answer with a decisive affirmative: Yes, I will do as you petition. We pray for loved ones, yet they still suffer and die. We pray for the hardships in our lives to be resolved, yet they remain and sometimes they even become worse. Relationships become strained and crumble, yet Jesus does not restore them. It seems as if the devil and the world have their way in our lives, while Jesus remains oddly silent. This is not fair! This is not justice! Where is Jesus? we cry in anguish.
     5. The Prophet Isaiah is often called the Fifth Evangelist, for his prophetic book is dripping with the sweet gospel. Isaiah cries out: »God’s people are comforted. Your warfare is ended; your iniquity is pardoned; you have received far more grace to amply cover every one of your sins«. King David described God’s grace in his life this way: »O Yahweh, You, prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies: You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. Surely goodness and mercy will follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of Yahweh forever« (Psalm 23,5-6).
     6. Sometimes, however, we wonder if Jesus is really serious about this gospel when events in our lives seem contrary to the preached gospel. Such is the lot of God’s people throughout history, and the Gospel according to Matthew tells us that even John the Baptizer, the great forerunner and prophet of the imminent Christ, had his moments of agonizing struggle [Anfechtung]. While he languished in prison, John wonders if Jesus truly is the promised Messiah. John had prepared the way for Jesus in fulfillment of Isaiah 40,3.5: »A voice cries: „In the wilderness prepare the way of Yahweh; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. And the glory of Yahweh will be revealed, and all flesh will see it together, for the mouth of Yahweh has spoken.“« John wants to know: Is Jesus arriving with might and bringing His reward and restitution with Him, (Isaiah 40,10)?
     7. Jesus’ answer is not to straight-away march to Herod’s palace and demand the release of John. Rather Jesus bears witness to John’s disciples that the gospel is indeed being proclaimed. Q: What did this proclaimed gospel look like? A: »The blind regain their sight and the crippled walk, lepers are made clean and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them« (Matthew 11,4-5). John received this testimony with joy and satisfaction. He was convinced that Jesus was unfolding the reign of heaven as foretold by the Old Testament Prophets. John remained a prisoner. Soon he would be executed. Nevertheless, John endured his mistreatment and execution in the sure and certain confidence that Christ Jesus was continuing the ministry he had begun. The Christ had arrived and was preaching the gospel; this was enough for John; he was satisfied; his agonizing struggle [Anfechtung] had been quenched with the refreshing water of the gospel. What was true for John the Baptizer two thousand years ago is still true for you in the 21. century. Christ and His gospel are enough and they sustain you during your life on this sinful and fallen earth with all its horrible evil and wickedness. God’s Christian people still suffer in this world, but such tribulation is temporary; the gospel is victorious and eternal. The Prophet Isaiah comforts us with this truth: »The grass withers and the flower fades, but the Word of our God will stand forever« (Isaiah 40,8).
     8. Yahweh had chosen Israel to be the herald of the gospel and to cry out: »Behold your God!« John the Baptizer began this proclamation to prepare the way for Jesus. Jesus took up this mantle and proclaimed the gospel in His words and deeds. The Church and her pastors continue this gospel proclamation. You may from time to time have agonizing struggles [Anfechtungen] about Jesus and question why He is doing or not doing certain things in your life. Do not dwell upon such struggles, but turn unto the very Word of God for your consolation and comfort. The gospel of the Holy Scriptures declares: The devil is defeated; death is mortally wounded; your sins are washed clean; hell’s gates are closed to you; God the Father has pronounced you „innocent“. Q: How do you know this? A: You know this through what Christ has done. Behold your God: Christ Jesus who suffered on the cross, died and rose from the dead in victory over sin, death and the devil. Behold your God: who washed away your sins in the waters of Holy Baptism in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Behold your God: whose absolution was pronounced upon you with these pastoral words „Almighty God, our Heavenly Father, has had mercy upon us and has given His only Son to die for us and for His sake forgive us all our sins …“. Behold your God: who blesses you with His very Benediction which proclaims: „The Lord bless you and keep you. The Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious unto you. The Lord lift up His countenance upon you and X give you peace“.
     9. On account of this rich and abundant gospel that Christ has given you, »Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say: Rejoice. Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus« (Philippians 4,4-7).
     10. Be comforted by this 17. century Advent hymn, which sings:

                       O Jesus, kick in two the serpent’s head, 
                           so that set free from all dread, 
                           we may cling to You faithfully 
                           and stay devoted blissfully[1] (ELKG 11 § 6).  Amen.

     11. Let us pray. O Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the world in righteousness and the peoples in His faithfulness, draw our attention to Your glorious advent with Your might and reward so that we are comforted and consoled in the justification You won for us at Your first advent.  Amen.

One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you!

     All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4th Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27th Edition © 1993 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart. 
     ELKB. Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern. www.bayern-evangelisch.de/www/index.php. Copyright © Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern.
     Held, Heinrich. „Gott sei Dank durch alle Welt“. (Let the Earth Now Praise the Lord). Evangelishc-Lutherisches Kirchengesangbuch. Copyright © 2005 Lutherischen Buchhandlung. The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind, Tr. © 2011.
      Löhe, Wilhelm. Seed-Grains of Prayer: A Manual for Evangelical Christians. Wartburg Publishing House, Chicago circa 1912. Concordia Publishing House; Concordia on Demand.



[1] Tritt der Schlange Kopf entzwei, / daß ich, aller Ängste frei, / dir im Glauben um und an / selig bleibe zugetan.

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

Isaiah 63,15-6.64,1-3. The 2nd Sunday in Advent

In the Name of Jesus
                                                                                                                                                                                     
Isaiah 63,15-16[17-19a]; 64,1-3
2. Sonntag im Advent  02                                                            0212
Ad te Levavi
Barbara, Virgin Martyr 235.
John of Damascus, Theologian and Hymnwriter. 749
4. December 2011
     1. O Ever-faithful and Merciful God, we render praise and thanksgiving unto You, that, by Your beloved Prophets You have promised to the Patriarchs of old the gift of Your Beloved Son, whom You did send into the world in the fullness of time, so that, by Him, Your holy will and counsel might be fully revealed unto us. He crushed the serpent’s head and has redeemed us from sin and death. All generations wait upon Him, and in Him are all the nations of the earth blessed. Prepare us, Good Lord, so that we may serve Him with undefiled hearts; and, when He arrives, to receive Him with joy; and, for this, we will thank You eternally in heaven (Löhe 443-44).  Amen.
2. 15Look down from heaven and see, from Your holy and beautiful habitation. Where are Your zeal and Your might? The stirring of Your inner parts and Your compassion are held back from me. 16For You are our Father, though Abraham does not know us, and Israel does not acknowledge us; You, O Yahweh, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old is Your Name. 17O Yahweh, why do You make us wander from Your ways and harden our heart, so that we do not fear You? Return for the sake of Your servants, the tribes of Your heritage. 18Your holy people held possession for a little while; our adversaries have trampled down Your sanctuary. 19We have become like those over whom You have never ruled, like those who are not called by Your Name. 1O that You would rend the heavens and come down, so that the mountains might quake at Your presence – 2as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil – to make Your Name known to Your adversaries, and so that the nations might tremble at Your presence! 3When You did awesome things that we did not look for, You came down, the mountains quaked at Your presence.  This is our text.
3. The Prophet Isaiah asks for Yahweh to come down from heaven with great power and might. This is not lightly desired, for when Yahweh arrives from His throne on high then creation reacts to His glorious Divine presence. For Isaiah’s hearers, the people of Israel, the mighty arrival of Yahweh would be remembered as His arrival on Mount Sinai where the old testament was given to the people. Originally, Yahweh had wanted the people to come near the mountain and behold His presence, but His Divine presence caused the mountain to quake, lightning to flash and thunder to roar. These signs frightened the people, for they understood themselves to be sinners in the presence of the Holy God, and they became afraid and approached the mountain with trembling. In the end, Joshua went part way up the mountain and only Moses traversed all the way where He experienced the full glory of Yahweh on the mountain.
4. Today’s Gospel Reading from Luke 21 also describes the fierce power of God. Before Jesus returns at His second advent, He portrays how creation will respond to His very presence: »And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming upon the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken« (Luke 21,25-26). Likewise, wicked and sinful people will respond with fear at such a glorious visitation. Even forgiven sinners, like John the Apostle, fall upon their face like dead men when they behold Jesus in His full Divine glory (Revelation 1,17).
5. Such human reactions to God’s holy presence explains, in part, the structure of the liturgy in the Divine Service. In preparation for entering into God’s presence, we begin by confessing our sins and acknowledging ourselves as poor, miserable sinners. The absolution then follows that proclaims God’s grace and forgiveness upon us. At this point we read the Introit (introitus), which means „entrance“, for now we, properly speaking, are entering into God’s presence with the beginning of the Divine Service. We are now in the Second Week of Advent as we prepare for the arrival of Jesus in His Incarnation. Advent is a prepatory season for Christmas, and part of the preparation is the confession and absolution of our sins.
6. The Second Week of Advent has the particular theme of Jesus’ second advent. For the unprepared, unforgiven sinners who want to know nothing of Christ, Jesus’ second advent will be a day of great fear and trembling. They will panic and curse as they seek shelter from His fierce Divine glory. Their sinfulness will be revealed and they will beg the earth to swallow them up and the mountains to fall upon them so as to hide them from God the Father who sits on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb of God (Revelation 6,16).
7. You, however, who believe on the Lord Jesus Christ do not need to fear the wrath and punishment of Jesus on the last day of His second advent. You spend each Advent season preparing yourselves for our Lord’s arrival. You have acknowledged and confessed your sins; you have been absolved. When Christ returns it will be a day of great joy and celebration for you, »because your redemption is drawing near« (Luke 21,28).
8. Christ’s words are one of great, soothing comfort, for we live in times of uncertainty. Our nation continues to sluggishly move along with no robust economic energy. In a year presidential elections will be upon us, and American citizens will have to grapple with important political items as they contemplate which candidate to vote for. We turn on the news and see unrest in the Middle East and even in our own cities. In the past several months, we have experienced a hurricane, an early snowstorm, flooding and loss of electricity. Clearly our thoughts have been drawn to the heavenly and natural signs that have captured our attention. It seems as if the Isaiah’s longing desire is happening in our midst: »O that You, O Yahweh, would rend the heavens and come down, so that the mountains might quake at Your presence to make Your Name known to Your adversaries, and so that the nations might tremble at Your presence!« (64,1-2).
9. To be sure, Isaiah’s wish for Yahweh to make His presence known in great power and glory did indeed occur. The Incarnation of Jesus fulfilled Isaiah’s prophecy from this morning’s First Reading. God the Father did indeed look down from heaven and behold the sinful, suffering state of mankind. Since the Fall into sin, Yahweh has been mankind’s Redeemer and has ensured that grace and forgiveness have been meted out to guilty sinners. Jesus Christ was born of the virgin Mary to be the world’s Redeemer from sin, death and the devil. As your Redeemer, Jesus took up His cross, suffered and died as the vicarious sacrifice for all your sins. The Gospel according to Luke describes Jesus’ crucifixion this way: »It was now about 12 noon, and darkness came over the entire land until 3 p.m., while the sun’s light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said: „Father, into Your hands I commend My spirit.“ Having said this, Jesus breathed His last« (23,44-45). Truly the heavens were rent and the mountains quaked when Christ our Lord gave up His life on the cross.
10. Cosmic events soon thereafter heralded the preaching of Christ crucified to all the nations that culminated in the destruction of Jewish temple in A.D. 70. The gathering in of the Gentiles into the Church, the elect and chosen people, began in earnest. With the temple gone, Jesus has now shifted the focus of the reign of heaven from a people and a nation tied to a specific geographic location on the map known as Israel and begins spreading the reign of heaven on a world-wide and global scale where individuals from all nations are brought into the Church, which is Yahweh’s chosen people. This gospel is so powerful and glorious that it makes devils shake and earthly rulers quake with fear and foreboding. It should not surprise us that such a worldwide proclamation of the gospel causes the very natural order of the world to seize and react to the almighty word of God. 
11. Christ’s first advent ended with signs that made His presence known to both His enemies and His disciples. His enemies trembled with fear, but His disciples triumphed with joy. Christ’s second advent will also shake the heavens and quake the earth. „The Second Advent speaks of a cosmic, cataclysmic liberating event. The Second Coming of Jesus will not remain unnoticed. It will not frighten us, so do not to be afraid“ (ELKB).
12. The Prophet Isaiah knew that the arrival of Yahweh is accompanied by His justice and righteousness. Unrepentant, wicked people get their just punishment, while repentant believers receive, by the merit of Christ, lavish mercy. As you await the delayed return of Christ, wait with patience and persistence for Christ will not disappoint. (ELKB).
13. The faithful 17. century Advent hymn describes it this way:
 
                  O Prince of Life when You will come again
                  As the Glorious King to reign,
                  We go with joy to see Your face,
                  Freely justified by Your grace.[1]  Amen.
 
      14. Let us pray. O Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the world in Your righteousness and the peoples in Your faithfulness, You counsel us with the promise that Your words are more certain than the very heavens and earth so that we may endure the trials and tribulations of this fallen creation knowing that You will return and You will usher us into everlasting glory.  Amen.
One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you!

                All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4th Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27th Edition © 1993 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart. 
ELKB. Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern. www.bayern-evangelisch.de/www/index.php. Copyright © Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern.
Held, Heinrich. „Gott sei Dank durch alle Welt“. (Let the Earth Now Praise the Lord). Evangelisch-Lutherisches Kirchengesangbuch. Copyright © 2005 Lutherischen Buchhandlung. The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind, Tr. © 2011.  



[1] daß, wenn du, o Lebensfürst, / prächtig wiederkommen wirst, / ich dir mög entgegengehn / und vor dir gerecht bestehn. ELKG 11 §7.