Mark 4,35-41. 4th Sunday after Epiphany

In the Name of Jesus

Mark 4,35-41 (Matthew 8,23-27; Luke 8,22-25)

4. Sunday after Epiphany (4. Sonntag nach Epiphanias)

Aldegundis, Virgin, Abbess at Maubeuge, France. † 680

30. January 2011

            1. O Almighty and Everlasting God, who does govern all things in heaven and earth: Mercifully hear the supplications of Your holy and redeemed people, and in our time grant us Your peace (Book of Common Prayer 164), for we live in a world that is cursed by You on account of Adam’s sin, and although he was the first human being to sin, we, too, are born with the Old Adam’s original sin in our bodies and souls, so that we also are sinful by nature through and through, and therefore we indeed bear the burden of this world’s thorns and thistles. In the winter, the cursed sky pounds us with heavy snowfalls, freezing temperatures, and howling winds, and if it were not for Your Fatherly Providence, we would soon perish just as the disciples feared would happen to them upon the Sea of Galilee. Be merciful to us, O Heavenly Father, for the sake of Your beloved Son Jesus Christ, whose voice the storms and snowfalls of this earth heed and obey, and grant us relief from our sufferings that we endure through the toils and tribulations of this accursed creation, so that we, and creation itself, may be granted a gracious reprieve and praise You as our Creator and Provider in all things.  Amen.

            2. Our sermon text for this morning, dear brothers and sisters, is from the Gospel according to St. Mark where the holy evangelist writes: ³⁵On that day, when evening had arrived, Jesus said to the disciples, „Let us go across to the other side.“ ³⁶And leaving the crowd, they took Him with them in the boat, just as He was. And other boats were with Him. ³⁷And a great windstorm arose, and the waves were breaking into the boat, so that the boat was already filling. ³⁸But He was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke Him and said to Him, „Teacher, You do care that we are perishing, don’t You?“ ³⁹And He awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, „Calm down, be still.“ And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. ⁴⁰He said to them, „Why are you afraid? Do you not yet have faith?“ ⁴¹And they were filled with great reverence and said to one another, „Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey Him?“  This is our text.

            3. The third miracle and wonder in the liturgical season of Epiphany involves Jesus’ power and authority over the very forces of nature. Throughout the Holy Scriptures, Yahweh is described as the Lord of and over creation. Yahweh created nature and the entire universe (Genesis 1 and 2). Yahweh commanded the Flood waters to arrive and to abate (Genesis 6). Yahweh commanded the waters of the Red Sea to part and return (Exodus 14). Yahweh empowered Joshua to cause the sun to cease moving in the sky (Joshua 10). Yahweh commanded the very creatures of the earth and sea (Jonah 1,17; 2,10).

            4. Since the Fall, nature has afflicted mankind as often as it has assisted us. The sun can scorch the earth with a drought as well as provide photosynthesis for plants. Rain clouds or rivers can flood a region as well as water the earth. Every sailor knows the power of the wind and wave which can batter a boat or ship on the ocean. Residents along the coastline know the destructive force of a hurricane or tsunami. Wind and wave have the potential to destroy the works of men and women in mere moments.

            5. Jesus’ disciples knew how fickle the Sea of Galilee can be, especially the four fishermen who once made their living on those waters. Calm waters could quickly give way to a great, fierce storm. Their cowardice and timidity in the face of such storms could save their lives and their property. The storm that confronted the disciples in Mark 4 was not a simple rain shower, but a thunderous storm that had broken into the boat and was swamping it. In short order, the boat would be flooded and soon sink, and the disciples would have the unpleasant task of either treading water on some flotsam or swim ashore all while the wind howled around them and the waves battered them to and fro. Such a scenario would likely result in some, if not all of them, drowning before they reached the shore’s safety.

            6. In the midst of all this frenzy was Jesus who, Mark tells us, was calmly and peacefully sleeping in the ship’s stern. The wind, the waves, and the disciples frantic voices did not stir Jesus from His blissful sleep. Jesus was the calm eye of the raging storm. When the disciples finally rouse Jesus from His nap, His question seems detached and almost absurd, „Why are you afraid?“ The dumbstruck disciples could have rattled off three reasons why they were scared: they are caught in a vicious storm, the boat is swamped, and they are about to go down with the ship. These are all sound reasons to be afraid.

            7. Jesus’ second question indicates why His disciples should not have been afraid at all, „Do you not yet have faith?“ Faith is used two ways in the Gospels. First, faith refers to believing in Jesus as the Christ and Savior of the world. Second, faith can be used synonymously with trust, namely does one trust in Jesus. By Mark 4 it is obvious that the disciples have a saving faith in Jesus as the Christ. They have heard Him preach and seen Him perform other miracles. Jesus has already commissioned twelve of these disciples to be apostles. Saving faith, however, does not guarantee complete trust in Jesus. Trust in Jesus often ebbs and flows from circumstance to circumstance. Sometimes the disciples exhibit trust in Jesus, but at other times they fail to trust Him. Part of this is the educational and learning process they are undergoing as Jesus’ disciples as He teaches them the Biblical understanding of the Christ.

            8. The stilling of the storm is another miracle in which Jesus teaches His disciples about the ministry of the Christ. Power and authority over the forces of nature is a Divine action. The psalmist proclaims: »They cried to Yahweh in their trouble, and He delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Then they were glad that the waters were quiet, and He brought them to their desired haven« (Psalm 107,28-30). The Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) record this miracle of Jesus to show that Jesus fulfills Holy Scripture, specifically Psalm 107.

            9. This miracle is even more powerful because Jesus’ disciples still haven’t fully grasped what it means that Jesus is the Christ. On this particular evening, the disciples are fearing for their lives on the Sea of Galilee. The salvation history (Heilsgeschichte) ministry of Jesus is all about smothering fear and triumphing over death. Again, the psalmist declares: »Let them thank Yahweh for His steadfast love, for His wondrous works to the children of men!« (Psalm 107,31). By calming the storm, Jesus shows God’s steadfast love for His disciples.

            10. Furthermore, this miracle shows Jesus’ power and authority over creation. The Son of God who was involved in the universe’s creation here exhibits authority of that very universe. The earth is a fallen and cursed planet on account of our sinfulness. The creation is not the „very good“ place that Yahweh originally made it to be, so much so that because of the fall into sin the world itself is now a disordered, unpredictable, and dangerous place (Gibbs 445). When Jesus calmed the violent storm, His miracle promiseed that there will arrive a time when not just the storms on the Sea of Galilee will be stilled, but the entire creation will be restored to God’s design, to its original conformity under the rule and reign Yahweh who made it (Gibbs 445). While Jesus rescued a few disciples from the raging storm, in the future, on the last day, Jesus will return and redeem every corner of His fallen and cursed creation, restore everything back to its originally created purity, and exercise His Divine authority over death and the grave by raising back to life every single person who has ever lived. For all unbelievers, Jesus will resurrect their bodies and condemn them to everlasting torment in hell, but for all believers, Jesus will give us holy physical bodies and welcome us into everlasting life in His very presence.

            11. Jesus’ authority over the storm is a preview of creation’s final restoration at God’s hands. Jesus’ own death and resurrection is the first fruits of the great heavenly harvest when all Christians will be raised up to new life to enjoy the heavenly reign. Until that day, there will be storms on this earth that threaten our lives and livelihood. Not every storm will be miraculously calmed. Even Christians must endure the tribulations in our lives. Such tribulations may be a natural disaster, an illness, or some other horrible calamity. Such disasters will be with us, as the effect of this cursed creation, until Jesus Christ Himself returns on the last day to restore creation in accordance with His Divine will. On that day, neither storms nor death will keep us apart from Christ’s presence, for He is the Lord of heaven and earth. Until that day arrives, we have the assurance of Jesus’ protection. The Church is not a refuge that promises the uncertainties and insecurities of this world will never afflict us (Garland 200). The Church does proclaim Christ Jesus our Savior. Through such preaching, we learn to trust in a Savior who does not deliver us from storms but who delivers us through the storms (Garland 200). Jesus has quieted the violent storm, and we have no reason to fear anything from nature or the supernatural, from life or death (Garland 200). Amen.

            12.       Let us pray. O Christ Jesus, whose deeds are awesome toward the children of men, send us the Holy Spirit so that we see what good things our Heavenly Father has done for us in You, His only and beloved Son, creation’s Lord, and our Victor over death and the grave.  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, 4^th Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27^th Edition © 1993 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the New Testament Greek Manuscripts, Matthew © 1995 by Reuben Joseph Swanson. 

                Book of Common Prayer, The. Copyright © 1990 Oxford University Press.

                Gibbs, Jeffrey A. Matthew 1:1 – 11:1. Copyright © 2006 Concordia Publishing House.

                Giertz, Bo. Preaching from the Whole Bible. Clifford A. Nelson, Tr. Copyright © 1967 Augsburg Publishing House.

                Löhe, Wilhelm. Seed-Grains of Prayer: A Manual for Evangelical Christians. Wartburg Publishing House, Chicago circa 1912. Concordia Publishing House; Concordia on Demand.

Matthew 8,5-13. 3rd Sunday after Epiphany

In the Name of Jesus

Matthew 8,5-13

3. Sunday after Epiphany (3. Sonntag nach Epiphanias) 

Emerentiana, Virgin, Martyr in Rome 304. 

23. January 2011

1. O King of Heaven, Jesus Christ, we render thanks unto You, so that from among Jews and Gentiles You have gathered unto Yourself a Church, and has prepared praise unto Yourself out of our mouths. Keep us in that heavenly wisdom which You have revealed unto the wise. Grant us Your Holy Spirit so that we may reverently seek You and Your reign. Help us to follow after Your Word as our miraculous guiding star. Cause us to confess Your Holy Name before friend and foe. Govern us by Your Holy Spirit, so that the Christian joy kindled in our hearts may ever increase. Hear our sighings and our prayers. Accept the offerings which You have Yourself given us, the gold of faith, the frankincense of prayer, and the myrrh of our contrite hearts. Save us from all shameful paths of sin, and let Your good Spirit lead us in paths of pleasantness. After this life, grant us all to attain that great New Year, the jubilee of everlasting life: then will we be praising You and the Father together with the Holy Spirit, forever and forever. Amen. (Löhe 456-57). 

2. Our sermon text for this morning, dear brothers and sisters, is from the Gospel according to St. Matthew where the apostle and evangelist writes: ⁵When Jesus entered Capernaum, a centurion came forward to Him, appealing to Him, ⁶“Lord, my servant is lying paralyzed at home, suffering terribly.” ⁷And He said to him, “I will come and heal him.” ⁸But the centurion replied, “Lord, I am not worthy to have You come under my roof, but only say the word, and my servant will be healed. ⁹For I too am a man under authority, with soldiers under me. And I say to one, ‘Go,’ and he goes, and to another, ‘Arrive,’ and he arrives, and to my servant, ‘Do this,’ and he does it.” ¹⁰When Jesus heard this, He marveled and said to those who followed Him, “Truly, I tell you, I have not found such faith with anyone in Israel. ¹¹I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the reign of heaven, ¹²while the sons of the reign will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” ¹³And Jesus said to the centurion, “Go; let it be done for you as you have believed.” And the servant was healed at that very moment.  This is our text. 

3. The second miracle before us in the season of Epiphany involves healing a paralytic. Last week, our first Epiphany miracle of Jesus involved Jesus turning water into wine at a Jewish wedding feast. Today the Gospel according to Matthew presents before us the paralyzed servant of a Roman centurion. Whereas the Cana miracle involved the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 15,24), the Capernaum miracle involved a pagan Roman centurion and his slave. Capernaum is located in Galilee on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee. Sometime before beginning His public ministry, Jesus moved from Nazareth and lived in Capernaum. The first four disciples who were fishermen Jesus called also lived in Capernaum, namely, Peter and his brother Andrew, James and his brother John. Matthew the tax collector was another disciple who hailed from Capernaum. Just as Jesus knew of and possibly knew the five disciples He called from Capernaum, Jesus probably knew of and possibly knew the Roman centurion who came to Him to ask for his servant’s healing. 

4. The centurion stationed in Capernaum would have been well known to the local citizens. A centurion commanded a century of one hundred legionnaires. Six centuries comprised a military cohort of six hundred soldiers. The rank of centurion was an officer rank that included many grades, meaning centurions had very good prospects for promotion (Wikipedia). A centurion was equivalent to the rank of an army captain and the senior centurion in the cohort was equivalent to the rank of an army colonel (Wikipedia). A centurion was paid ten times the basic wage of a legionnaire (Wikipedia), which made centurions wealthy men. 

5. The Gospel of Matthew describes Galilee by quoting the Prophet Isaiah (9,2; 60,1-3): »Galilee of the Gentiles, the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned« (Matthew 4,15-16). The Divine Light of the Messiah has shown upon the Gentiles and the nations as Jesus heals the centurion’s servant. This Light unto the nations will continue to shine upon them throughout the Gospels, and various Gentiles will be drawn to Christ Jesus. 

6. The issue in this pericope is „faith“. The centurion had faith in Jesus, whereas many in Israel did not. This is a shocking observation made by Jesus. Jesus declares, „With no one is Israel have I found such faith“. Being the chosen race means nothing for the individual Jew is he or she does not believe in their Messiah. In Chapter 8 Jesus puts His Jewish brethren in their place: a pagan Roman centurion has more faith in Me as the Messiah than My own people. Sadly, we find this still true in the 21^st century as only a few Jewish people have faith in Jesus as their Messiah while billions of Gentiles believe that Jesus is the promised Christ. Christians, however, cannot pat themselves on the back, for many people who claim the name „Christian“ also lack faith in Jesus. 

7. It happens so quietly and insignificantly. A person is baptized and brought into the family of our Heavenly Father and His heavenly reign. If that faith is not nurtured, it will die. A baptized Christian who never worships in Church, shuns fellowship with his or her fellow Christians, does not read and study the Holy Scripture, does not hear God’s Holy Word preached and taught, removes him- or herself from the communion rail where Jesus’ real and present body and blood is given out for the forgiveness of sins, will wind up a baptized Christian who has suffocated and killed their the Holy Spirit’s precious gift of their baptismal faith. A Christian cannot remain a lone wolf aloof from the other wolves. Wolves travel in packs for safety and security, and likewise Christians remain together for their mutual edification in the faith and to bear one another’s burdens. 

8. The Church has an ancient proverb: the law of worship is the law of faith is the law of life (lex orandi, lex credendi, lex vivendi). Q: What is this? A: How a person worships shows what the person really believes, and what a person believes is shown in how he worships. The liturgy strengthens faith, and faith determines the liturgy. Those who never worship in the Church show that their faith is weak or dead. When faith is gone, one’s Baptism will be of no avail, for Baptism creates faith and faith looks to Baptism for the forgiveness of sins. In Chapter 8, the Roman centurion showed himself to be more Jewish than many of the Jews among whom he lived in Capernaum! 

9. The Roman centurion understood the truth proclaimed by the Prophet Isaiah: »For thus says Yahweh, „I am the Lord, and there is no other. And there is no other god besides Me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides Me. Turn to Me and be saved, all the ends of the earth! For I am God, and there is no other“« (45,18.21-22). Isaiah the Prophet proclaims 24 times that the nations

 will acknowledge the glory of Yahweh, believe in Him, and be saved. Isaiah prophesies: »It shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the house of Yahweh shall be established as the highest of the mountains, and shall be lifted up above the hills; and all the nations will flow to Mt. Zion« (2,2). »„I am Yahweh; I called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations“« (42,6). »„I will make Israel as a light for the nations, so that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth“« (49,6). 

10. The centurion understands the power and authority of the mere spoken word. His orders and commands were carried out quickly and efficiently lest his legionnaires wanted to face severe disciplinary action, such as a whipping or a flogging. Likewise, the centurion firmly believes that if Jesus merely speaks the word, then his stricken servant will walk again. The same Divine Word that can heal a paralytic is the same Divine Word that can create faith in Christ Jesus. The Apostle Paul told the Roman Christians, »I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek« (Romans 1,16). The spoken and proclaimed Word of God has the power and authority to create and sustain faith in Christ Jesus. Jesus ministered and preached the gospel first to the people of Israel throughout Galilee and other provinces of Judea. Jesus also ministered and preached to the Greeks, Romans, and other Gentiles throughout Palestine. In doing so, Jesus grafted believing Gentiles onto the tree of Israel. Jesus’ ministry involved pruning Israel. Dead, unbelieving branches were cut off and tossed aside when such unbelieving Jews refused to be revived and believe in Jesus as their promised Messiah. Jesus then took living, believing wild branches and grafted them onto the roots where the dead natural branches had once been. 

11. »For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed from faith upon faith, as it is written, „The righteous will live by faith“« (Romans 1,17). Jesus’ Jewish disciples lived by faith in Him as the Messiah. Jesus’ Gentile disciples lived by faith in Him as the Christ. You and I live by faith in Jesus as the Christ. Righteousness and eternal life are received by faith in only Jesus. The Roman centurion had faith in Jesus, and because He believed Jesus and trusted in the power of His word, his paralyzed servant was made well. Likewise, we believe in Jesus and trust in the power of His spoken word which accomplishes what it proclaims. Jesus’ word tells us that we have the forgiveness of sins and everlasting salvation on account of Jesus’ merit on the cross and the empty tomb. We hear that word and the Holy Spirit gives us that forgiveness and salvation by the power of the word that creates what it speaks. Trusting in Jesus, we may live our lives in certainty that He is our Savior and trust Him to bring good and positive results even in the midst of trials and hardships. Thus we leave each Divine Service in peace, knowing that it is done as we have believed, and our faith is founded upon Christ Jesus, and in Him is our Heavenly Father’s „Yes.“ and „Amen.“ to our prayers (2 Corinthians 1,19).  Amen. 

12. Let us pray. The Lord God who reigns over all creation; let the earth rejoice, let the many coastlands be glad, let Your holy and beloved people give You praise so that we are uplifted by the Holy Spirit that in Christ Jesus we have everlasting life.  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, 4^th Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27^th Edition © 1993 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the New Testament Greek Manuscripts, Matthew © 1995 by Reuben Joseph Swanson.  

Löhe, Wilhelm. Seed-Grains of Prayer: A Manual for Evangelical Christians. Wartburg Publishing House, Chicago circa 1912. Concordia Publishing House; Concordia on Demand. 

The 2nd Sunday after Epiphany. John 2,1-11

In the Name of Jesus

John 2,1-11

2. Sunday after Epiphany (2. Sonntag nach Epiphanias)

Marcellus, Bishop of Rome, Martyr 310

16. January 2011

            1. O Holy Spirit, the Mighty Wind of wisdom, from the 14^th through the 17^th centuries You did hover upon the European waters and did move upon the cultures and science of many people with a marvelous rebirth in the a Renaissance. Through men like Michelangelo and da Vinci You blessed the arts and sciences of nations, and through professors like Luther and Melanchthon you blessed the theology of churches. Through princes like Duke Frederick the Wise and King Adolphus You blessed the nations. Through musicians like Paul Gerhardt and Johann Sebastian Bach You blessed the liturgy of the churches. Just as the heirs of the Renaissance squandered the achievements of their masters and settled for a watering down in the arts, the sciences, and politics, so we today squander the great doctrinal teachings of the Reformation in the Church and settle for pale imitations of the arts, the sciences, and politics in our nation and our State. Send us, O Divine Spirit a renewal in Church and State so that we may once again live our lives with full assurance of our heavenly Father’s beloved mercy on account of Jesus Christ our Lord and be governed by leaders who love God and govern with the best interests of the people foremost in their hearts and minds. „Almighty Father, whose Son our Savior Jesus Christ is the light of the world: Grant that Your people, illumined by Your Word and Sacraments, may shine with the radiance of Christ’s glory, so that He may be known, worshipped, and obeyed to the ends of the earth“ (The Book of Common Prayer).  Amen.

            2. Our sermon text for this morning, dear brothers and sisters, is from the Gospel according to St. John where the apostle and evangelist writes: On the third day there was a wedding in Cana, Galilee, and Jesus’ mother was there; and both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. When the wine ran out, Jesus’ mother said to Him, „They have no wine.“ And Jesus said to her, „Dear woman, I have plans that are different than yours. My hour has not yet arrived.“ His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever He tells you.” Now there were six stone water jars containing twenty or thirty gallons each set there for the Jewish custom of purification. Jesus said to them, „Fill the water jars with water.“ So they filled them up to the brim. Then He said to them, „Now draw some out and bring it to the steward responsible for managing the banquet.“ So they brought it to him. When the steward tasted the water which had become wine, and he hadn’t known where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water had known), the steward called the bridegroom, and said to him, „Every one serves the good wine first, and when the people have drunk freely, then he serves the cheaper wine; you have held the good wine in reserve until now.“ This, the first of His signs, Jesus did in Cana, Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.  This is our text.

            3. Epiphany is the liturgical season which highlights the revealing of Jesus’ Divine glory. Jesus’ epiphany begins when the magi adore Him, is publicly manifested when Jesus is baptized, and begins to bear fruit in His miracles and signs, the first of which is the changing of water into wine at Cana.

            4. It would be wrong to take this miracle in John 2 and conclude that Jesus is only a miracle worker. In his book Jesus through the Centuries, Jaroslav Pelikan entitled his final chapter on the twentieth century as „The Man Who Belongs to the World“. Some movements in twenty-first century Christianity have twisted this concept into false doctrine whereby we find a merging of environmental Gaia religion and classic first century Greek Gnosticism with its secret, mystical teachings known only to a few enlightened Christians dressed up with Jesus language, language that often speaks of Jesus as a spiritualized version of Captain Planet who goes around healing the earth. Captain Planet was an animated show that ran from 1990-92 whereby children joined forces to help Captain Planet right all the environmental wrongs of the earth.

            5. Every generation has its handful wonder workers. The reason for their success is their dedication to ritual and formula. Success occurs because what led to previous successes is followed to the letter without deviation. In finances it is: buy low and sell high. In pharmaceuticals it is: take this medicine at this dosage for this many days. The same is true for wonder workers: they follow the procedure that brings results. Jesus, however, did not follow a ritual or formula. Each miracle was unique and different from all the others. Jesus never healed or raised the dead the same way twice. This shows His Divinity and power to command natural laws. His miracles proclaim His lordship and authority over creation. „Each miracle has to be distinguished from the others, but what they have in common is that they are miracles that bless through which the person is lead to his salvation and they are also examples and evidence that the Lord is willing to take nature and to enable it to take part in the salvation of mankind“ (Löhe 76 §5).

            6. On the surface, Jesus’ first miracle was one that helped his neighbors save their honor in the little town of Cana. Perhaps the wedded couple were friends or relatives of Jesus or patrons of His carpentry business, as Cana is only 7-8 miles NNE of Nazareth. We should not disregard the setting of this miracle when compared to other miracles of Jesus. Here Jesus turns water into wine so that the groom and the steward do not lose honor in the village. At Jewish wedding feasts (which could last a week), the good wine was normally served first and then the larger quantity of cheaper wine was rolled out throughout the remaining days of the festive celebration. By turning the water into wine, Jesus ensures that this popular tradition is turned upon its head so that the wine served toward the end of the festivities is better than what preceded it. Chronologically, then, the steward served the good, expensive wine, then the average, cheaper wine, and finally 180 gallons of exquisite wine that had been created by Jesus. What Jesus shows us in this, His first miracle, is that He desires the very best for us. When Jesus helps us in our temporal or spiritual needs, He gives us the very best from His hands. At Cana, Jesus shows us the heart of His Heavenly Father who sent His only and beloved Son to the earth as our redeemer. Likewise, Jesus is a caring and loving savior who gives us the very best.

            7. Jesus Himself tells us in John’s Gospel: »I am the vine, you are the branches« (15,5). Allegorically, we can understand this miracle in the way our Heavenly Father has manifested His glory among His people. The good wine served first represents the Sinai covenant of the Old Testament. The average wine that was served over a sustained period were the judges and prophets who continually kept before Israel’s eyes the good wine of the Mosaic covenant. Finally, the most exquisite wine in our Heavenly Father’s wine cellar brought out at the close of the wedding feast is His very own only-begotten and beloved Son, Jesus Christ. The apostles served this best wine when they proclaimed the risen Christ. Today pastors and bishops are stewards of this blessed wine through the preaching of the Word and by administering the Sacraments which give us the benefits of Christ, namely, eternal salvation and the forgiveness of sins.

            8. The deeper reason for Jesus’ miracle at Cana was the strengthening of His disciples’ faith in Him. A few days prior to the wedding in Cana, Jesus had called Andrew, Peter, James, and John to be His disciples; now these five were celebrating at a wedding feast. John reveals in his Gospel that these disciples had already confessed Jesus to be the Messiah (1,41) and the Son of God (1,49). The disciples of Jesus had heard His teachings and already believed Him to be the Christ. Now the disciples saw a wondrous sign and their faith in Jesus was strengthened. This first miracle of Jesus is meant to strengthen our faith in Him, too. Thus John the Apostle and Evangelist included it when he wrote his Gospel. John even explains why he wrote his Gospel: »Jesus also performed many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His Name« (John 20,30-31). The Four Gospels exist in our Bible as apostolic and evangelical biographies of Jesus so that those who read them or hear them preached may believe in Jesus as the Son of God and Savior of the world.

            9. As John’s Gospel unfolds, he reveals that Jesus has a specific ministry to perform. Jesus’ cryptically refers to the fulfillment of His ministry as „My hour“. At Cana Jesus’ hour was not yet, for His „hour“ was the passion of His death and resurrection, and those events were a few years away in John 2. When His hour arrived, Jesus fully manifested His power over sin, death, and the devil. At Cana Jesus nonetheless reveals that the Messianic age is beginning right now at the wedding feast. The Messianic age was foretold by the Prophets Isaiah, Hosea, and Joel who describe the age of the Christ as a time when wine would flow abundantly (Isaiah 55,1; Hosea 2,21-23; 14,7; Joel 2,19.24; 3,18). Jesus’ first miracle shows that Yahweh’s Christ has arrived, for the wine is flowing abundantly at this wedding in Cana! The wine, however, did not cease after the wedding banquet ends in Cana, but the wine continues to flow throughout the world as the blessings of the Messianic age and reign reaches unto all the earth.

            10. The gospel of Jesus and faith in Jesus has expanded throughout the earth because the apostles and disciples took up the task to spread this gospel across the globe. We continue the task of spreading this same gospel in the 21^st century. The preached Word is proclaimed each week from this pulpit. Each day we are presented with opportunities to spread the gospel among our neighbors. We annually send a portion of our Sunday offerings to the LCMS for the sole purpose of supporting missionaries and evangelism around the world. By the Holy Spirit’s grace, we will be able to do more in the months and years ahead to support the proclamation of the gospel both at home and in foreign lands. Before that gospel spreads outward, first and foremost is should touch our hearts and minds and encourage us and strengthen our faith in Christ Jesus as our Savior from sin and hell. The Holy Spirit has placed the gospel in our midst so that our faith in Jesus is strengthened. »Jesus said to the Apostle Thomas, „I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me“« (John 14,6). Thus the disciples believed at Cana in the 1^st century and so we also confess here in the 21^st century. Drink this good wine that is Jesus and receive His abundant blessings. Amen.

            11. Let us pray. O Christ Jesus, Friend of all who celebrate the Messianic age, pour upon us the Holy Spirit so that we become filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5,18) and our lives makes their boast in the Lord so that the humble hear and are glad.  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, 4^th Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27^th Edition © 1993 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the New Testament Greek Manuscripts, John © 1995 by Reuben Joseph Swanson. 

                Book of Common Prayer, The. Copyright © 1990 Oxford University Press.

                Löhe, Wilhelm. Evangelien-Postille für die Sonn- und Festage des Kirchenjahres. Copyright © 1859 Samuel Gottlieb Liesching. A sermon preached on John 2,1-11 for The 2^nd Sunday after the Epiphany. The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind, Tr. © 2010.

                Löhe, Wilhelm. Seed-Grains of Prayer: A Manual for Evangelical Christians. Wartburg Publishing House, Chicago circa 1912. Concordia Publishing House; Concordia on Demand.

                McClaren, Brian. Everything Must Change. Copyright © 2009 Thomas Nelson.

                Pelikan, Jaroslav. Jesus through the Centuries. Copyright © 1995 Yale University.

                www.bible-history.com/geography/ancient-israel/nazareth.html

Translations

Pastor Bauernfeind has two translations printed in the new volume of LOGIA (Epiphany 2011). They are under LOGIA Forum and are "The Hour of the SELK" and "A Sermon on the Holy Trinity". To view them you need to download the electronic version of the issue for $6.

Matthew 2,1-12. The Epiphany of our Lord, transferred

In the Name of Jesus

Matthew 2.1-12

The Epiphany of our Lord (Fest der Erscheinung des Herrn), transferred 

Julian the hospitable and Basilissa, his wife, Martyrs 313

9. January 2011

            1. O Lord God, Heavenly Father, who, by a star, did reveal Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ unto the Gentiles this day, graciously grant that we who have by faith acknowledged Him, may also be led to behold Your Divine majesty and glory (Löhe 455). Many, however (dennoch), remain like King Herod the Great and the scribes and chief priests, who heard from the magi the gospel proclamation that the Messiah had been born and remained hard of heart and stubborn of will, thereby refusing to believe and rejoice in Your beloved Son’s birth. Use us, like You used the magi, to proclaim the gospel to our neighbors and pour upon them the Holy Spirit so that they may hear, and in hearing believe, and in believing rejoice, and in rejoicing arrive at Your Church where they may each week adore Him who is born the King of kings, Jesus Christ our Lord.  Amen.

            2. Our sermon text for this morning, dear brothers and sisters, is from St. Matthew’s Gospel where the holy evangelist writes: Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying: ,,Where is the king of the Jews who has been born? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to adore him.“ When Herod the king heard this, he was frightened, and all Jerusalem with him; and gathering together all the high priests and scribes of the people, he was asking them where the Christ is to be born. Then they told him: ,,In Bethlehem of Judea; for so it has been written by the prophet:  »And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the princes of Judah; for from you will come a ruler who will shepherd My people Israel«“ (Micah 5,2; 2 Samuel 5,2). Then Herod secretly called the magi and ascertained precisely from them the time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying: ,,Go and search diligently for the child, and as soon as you shall find him, report to me, so that I too may come and adore him.“ After listening to the king, they left and behold, the star which they saw when it rose was going before them until it stood still above the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And they went into the house and saw the child with Mary His mother, and they fell down and adored him and opened their treasures, and presented him gifts, gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And being directed in a dream not to return to Herod, they returned to their own country by another way.  This is our text.

            3. It’s Epiphany, and the magi from the east have arrived in Jerusalem to worship the newborn king. These Eastern sages were more than mere ,,wise men“ from the Babylonian-Assyrian region, now known as Iraq and Iran; the magi interpreted dreams for kings and princes; they counseled the rulers when to go to war and when to settle for peace; they studied religion and prophecies. While they were advisors to Eastern kings, the average Jewish person probably  regarded the magi as pagans who obtained their knowledge and wisdom from ungodly sources such as magic and mysticism. Nevertheless (Dennoch), searching the heavens for signs of future events occurred in Judaism (the apocalyptic literature) and Christianity (Jesus’ eschatological apocalyptic teachings in the Gospels), for Yahweh Himself proclaims: »And Elohim said, ,,Let there by lights in the firmament of the heavens in order to separate the day from the night; and they will be for signs and for festivals and for days and years“« (Genesis 1,14).

            4. Yahweh got the magiäs attention. Since their focus was always in the heavens, God gave them the sign of a star. The Greek word translated as ,,star“ can also refer to a planet or other astronomical bodies in the heavens, such as a comet, a meteorite, or a nova. Shortly before Jesus was born, Jupiter and Saturn conjoined in the constellation of Pisces. A year later Mars joined Jupiter and Saturn in a conjunction that (after the Moon) was the brightest object in the night sky.

            5. We have demythologized the heavens in our pursuit of scientific knowledge, but to the ancients, and especially the Persian magi, events in the heavens meant something. Jupiter was the king’s planet, and Saturn represented the defender of Palestine. Mars was the bringer of change. Pisces represented Syria and Palestine. The magi saw this conjunction and interpret it as: a king of kings has been born in Judah on the scale of Nebuchadnezzar, Alexander the Great, Charlemagne, or George Washington.

            6. How did these magi know about the promised messiah? When Daniel was part of the Jewish Exile to Babylon in 587 B.C., he and other Jewish men (most notably Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) eventually joined the caste of the magi; Daniel soon became Nebuchadnezzar’s most trusted advisor. Daniel may have taught the other magi the messianic prophecies from Moses and the Prophets, including the star as the symbol of the Messiah: And Balaam prophesied by the Spirit of Yahweh, »A star will rise from Jacob, and a scepter will arise from Israel« (Numbers 24,17). When Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar arrived in Jerusalem, they learned from King Herod and the scribes that the messiah was prophesied to be born in Bethlehem.

            7. The political and religious elite in Judah failed to honor and adore the fulfillment of God’s Holy Word, while the magi (known for their paganism and idolatry) faithfully journeyed to where Jesus is, adore Him, and give Him presents. Luke also reminds us that the first to pay homage to the newborn Christ were the shepherds who were not the most respected members of Judean society.

            8. The liturgical season of Epiphany reveals the ways in which God’s glory manifested itself through Jesus. ,,The Jews have the proclamation and the angels singing praise, they have the shepherds, they have Joseph and Mary, they have Simeon and Hannah, they have the very sun in their midst, the newborn Christ. The Gentiles have mysterious revelation and a wonderful morning star. The same grace is extended upon the Jews and the Gentiles“^[1] (Löhe 60). Luke shows us that the Jews are blessed by the glorious arrival of the Messiah, and Matthew shows us that even the Gentiles are blessed by the enlightened appearance of the Christ. The Prophet Isaiah says that the Christ is for the salvation of both Jews and Gentiles: »nations will walk in Your light, and kings in the brightness of Your rising« (Isaiah 60,3). The Psalmist David also proclaims: »For with You, O Yahweh, is the fountain of Life; in Your light we see Light« (Psalm 36,9).

            9. But how will this Divine blessing be received? Will we receive it like Herod and the chief priests who rejected God’s savior, or will we receive it like the magi who received and believed in God’s savior? Knowing the Holy Scriptures is not enough. The priests and the scribes knew the Scriptures; they knew the prophecies about the Christ. They knew, but they did not believe. The Holy Scriptures, the star, the magi, and countless other signs that heralded the birth of God’s Christ should have given King Herod, the chief priests, and the scribes’ great joy and an earnest desire to go to Bethlehem and see the King of kings.

            10. The magi heard the proclamation and received God’s word with gladness; they went and saw the newborn king. The magi even brought gifts for the King of kings. As such, they showed that they were not only advisors but also stewards. We likewise are stewards of Christ Jesus, and such stewardship is manifested in the offerings that we place in the offering plate each week, the prayers we pray for our church, and the others gifts of service, all of which are necessary for Christ's Church to carry out her daily tasks.

            11. The magi followed the star to the Christ Child, but Jesus is much brighter and more spectacular than the ,,star“ that heralded His birth. He is the Light to the nations and the Glory of Israel. The shepherds came first and paid homage to Jesus. God shows us that His salvation is for the poor as well as the powerful. Economic or social status will not bar us from God’s salvation. Then the magi arrive and worship Jesus. God shows us that His salvation is for the Gentiles as well as the Jews. Ethnicity or nationality will not bar us from God’s salvation. The magi were among the first of many people and nations who would come from the east and the west, from the north and the south, and worship Christ the King of kings.

            12. The star in the nighttime sky drew the magi to the Star of David, Christ Jesus our Lord. Jesus is the Divine Light, the Light of the world, in whose Light we see the light of salvation at the cross of Mt. Zion and the empty tomb in the garden. Jesus has drawn us to Himself, and once we have been captured by the gravity of His Divine love and salvation we continue to orbit Him and soak up the warmth of His forgiveness and grace. Jesus is the Christ, the firstborn son of Mary, and the glorious Light of salvation for the magi, for the entire world, for you and me, and thus we praise, laud, and adore Him as the Star of salvation.  Amen.

            13. Let us pray. O Holy Spirit, Your Word is our light and guide, which is more glorious than the star that guided the magi to Christ the King of kings. Send us the guiding light of Holy Scripture so that we are not oppressed by the darkness of sin, death, and hellish fire, but liberated by the gospel which promises us that Christ Jesus is our King of righteousness, life, heaven, and salvation.  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, 4^th Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27^th Edition © 1993 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the New Testament Greek Manuscripts, Matthew © 1995 by Reuben Joseph Swanson. 

                Löhe, Wilhelm. Seed-Grains of Prayer: A Manual for Evangelical Christians. Wartburg Publishing House, Chicago circa 1912. Concordia Publishing House; Concordia on Demand.

                Löhe, Wilhelm. Evangelien-Postille für die Sonn- und Festage des Kirchenjahres. Copyright © 1859 Samuel Gottlieb Liesching. A sermon preached on Matthew 2,1-12 for The Feast of the Epiphany of our Lord. The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind, Tr. © 2010.

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^[1] Die Juden haben predigende und lobsingende Engel, sie haben die Hirten, sie haben Joseph und Maria, sie haben Simeon und Hanna, sie haben die Sonne selber in ihrer Mitte, den neugeborenen Christus. Die Heiden haben geheimnisvolle Offenbarung und einen wunderbaren Morgenstern. Einerlei berufende Gnade erstreckt sich auf Juden und Heiden.