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

In the Name of Jesus

John 2,1-11                                                                           1012

2. Sonntag nach Epiphanias  015
Maurus, Abbot at Glanfeuil, France † 584
15. January 2012

1.  O Christ Jesus, by Your Divine power You turned water into wine, by Your holy gospel the Holy Spirit creates saving  faith in You, and by Your words of institution You truly unite Your body and blood to bread and wine. When we see Your mighty glory in the Word and Sacraments may we believe and marvel in Your Divine glory.  Amen.

2. ¹On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. ²Jesus was also invited to the wedding with His disciples. ³When the wine ran out, the mother of Jesus said to Him: „They have no wine.“ ⁴And Jesus said to her: „Woman, what does this have to do with Me? My hour has not yet arrived.“ ⁵His mother said to the servants: „Do whatever He tells you.“ ⁶Now there were six stone water jars there for the Jewish rites of purification, each holding twenty or thirty gallons. ⁷Jesus said to the servants: „Fill the jars with water.“ And they filled them up to the brim. ⁸And He said to them: „Now draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.“ So they took it. ⁹When the master of the feast tasted the water now become wine, and did not know where it came from (though the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom ¹⁰and said to him: „Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.“ ¹¹This, the first of His signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested His glory. And His disciples believed in Him.

3. In our First Reading today: »Moses said to Yahweh: „Please show me Your glory“« (Exodus 33,18). Perhaps like me, you made a pinhole projector in grade school. We made these in science class once to view an upcoming solar eclipse. These makeshift projectors allowed us to see the afternoon eclipse without damaging our eyes. Just as we cannot look directly at the sun, neither can we look directly at God. Thus Moses was told to hide in a cleft, wait for Yahweh to pass by and then view His awesome glory from behind.

4. Yahweh reveals His glory throughout the Holy Scriptures. At times His glory brings His wrath and punishment as occurred in the Egyptian plagues. At other times His glory brings His loving-kindness as occurred when Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead. In John 2 we have recorded for us the first miracle performed by Jesus during His earthly ministry: He turned water into wine, and thus He publicly manifested His Divine glory.

5. The season of Epiphany focuses on Jesus manifesting His glory. John the Evangelist had already declared the gloriousness of Jesus at the beginning of his Gospel: »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 1,14). This first miracle of Jesus may not seem as spectacular as when Jesus will later cure the sick, cast out demons or raise the dead. In fact, this first miracle seems to lack the dire necessity that his later miracles have. What is the big deal about supplying more wine at a wedding?, but imagine if you threw a big Christmas party for your friends and family, and after all your planning it is discovered that you have run out of food too early in the evening. How embarrassed you would feel!

6. Nevertheless, would this festive fopaux merit Divine intervention? Mary and Jesus certainly think such an awkward situation merits rectifying at once. As John’s Gospel unfolds, he describes how Jesus’ miracles „are miracles of blessing through which man is led to his salvation and they are also given as examples and proof that the Lord uses nature in His healing of humanity“ (Löhe § 5). This includes His first miracle where He changes water into wine. But how does this translate as a blessing for mankind’s salvation?

7. The Holy Scriptures often use wine as a symbol of the festive joy in heaven. David writes: »O Yahweh, You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies, You anoint my head with oil and my cup overflows« (Psalm 23,5). David is talking about his wine goblet that overflows with wine because of God’s rich and abundant blessings. Solomon opines: »Wine gladdens life« (Ecclesiastes 10,19). Wine is considered a symbol of joy (Isaiah 55,1). At Jewish weddings, the wine flowed abundantly for the family and neighbors who gathered to joyfully celebrate the wedding. Jesus, therefore, used wedding feasts and wine as images of the great and glorious heavenly fellowship that His people will experience in His heavenly banquet hall.

8. Standard etiquette dictated that a few flasks of the good wine be served first for the toasts to the bride and groom, then the cheaper wine was uncorked and enjoyed for hours as the celebrations continued with singing and dancing. Jesus, in turning the water into wine reverses this long-standing etiquette. His wine is the best, and it is served last, much to the joy of the steward in charge of the wedding.

9. Jesus said at another occasion: »No one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine desires new, for he says: „The old is good“« (Luke 5,37-39). You can buy a bottle of Australian Yellow Tail Reserve Shiraz for $8, and I can tell you from personal experience that it is a fine tasting wine. Many wine enthusiasts rate the French wine Domaine Romanée-Conti from Burgundy, France as one of the world’s best wines (http://moreintelligentlife.com/story/best-wine-world). A bottle of this exceptional red wine will cost you $11,500 (€9030; £7500). The wine Jesus made in Cana is comparable to the French Domaine; you cannot put this in an old flask of Yellow Tail.

10. In Cana, at a wedding feast for his friends, Jesus performed His first miracle. In doing so, He publicly manifested His glory. His disciples believed in Him. More miracles and more glory would follow. Jesus would later institute the Sacrament whereby He gives us His body and blood through bread and wine. Jesus says of this Sacrament: »Whoever eats  My flesh and drinks My blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day. For My flesh is true food, and My blood is true drink. Whoever eats My flesh and drinks My blood abides in Me, and I in him« (John 6,54-56). Today Jesus gives this gift out to you once again. Take and receive it for your forgiveness and salvation. Jesus is good and gracious. His loving-kindness toward you is overflowing. In Jesus, you see God’s glory. You do not see God from behind, after He has passed you by, but you see Him face to face in Jesus, for in Christ God has become man. This God-man suffered for you, died for you, and in His most glorious miracle, rose from the dead for you. He did all this so that you would enjoy abundant life forever. Jesus is the New Wine that is served last for the delight of all who partake of Him.  Amen.

11. Let us pray. O Christ Jesus, Divine Image of the Father, through You comes grace and truth; help us to believe Your signs, hear Your Word and receive Your Sacraments so that through them we receive by faith all grace upon grace.  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, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27^th Edition © 1993 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart. 

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. © 2011.

Romans 1,14-17. The 3. Sunday after Epiphany

In the Name of Jesus

Romans 1,14-17                                                                    1112

3. Sonntag nach Epiphanias 016
Vincentius, Deacon at Saragossa, Spain. Martyr 304.
22. January 2012
 

1. O Blessed God and Father most heartily do we praise and thank You for the exceeding great riches of Your grace which You have shown unto us in Your Son Jesus Christ. You have brought the Gentiles to the Light and united them in the fellowship of Your dear Son. We beseech You, Heavenly Father, to rule and govern us by Your Holy Spirit so that in these last evil times we may always walk according to Your Word and as children of light put off the works of darkness and be clothed with the armor of light so that with great confidence we may rejoice and comfort ourselves in Christ our Savior, participate in the inheritance of faithful Abraham and bring You, Father, Son and Holy Spirit acceptable sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving and finally with the fullness of the Gentiles and the Israel of God be saved and in Your reign with an everlasting hallelujah praise and magnify Your glorious grace (Löhe 129-30). Amen.

2. I am under obligation both to Greeks and to barbarians, both to the wise and to the foolish. So I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. For 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. For the righteousness of God is revealed in the gospel from faith in faith, as it is written: »The righteous will live by faith.« (Habakkuk 2,4)

3. In today’s Gospel Reading we have another miracle of Jesus. St. Matthew, the Apostle and Evangelist, proclaims how Jesus healed a paralyzed man. Jesus did so at the request of a Roman centurion. Here we see that although Jesus was first sent to the lost sheep of Israel, He was not only sent to them, but that He proclaims His gospel to all the nations of the world, including a Roman officer who Luke tells us in his Gospel that this centurion loved the Jews in Capernaum, so much so, that he ordered the building of their synagogue. The Jews therefore implore Jesus that this centurion, therefore is worthy of having Him heal the officer’s slave. Incredibly, Jesus finds a truer and greater worthiness in him, for Jesus praises this centurion’s faith in Him, a faith that, sadly, Jesus had thus far found lacking among the Jews.

4. The Apostle Paul speaks of this universal proclamation of the gospel in his Epistle to the Romans. Paul preached to both Jews and Gentiles. He also preached to Greeks, Romans and barbarians. In Paul’s world, the civilized, educated folks were the Greeks and the Romans; Jews were also regarded as a civilized culture, and many Romans took pride in learning Jewish culture, including their monotheistic religion. But you also had those uncivilized, uncouth barbarians north of the Imperial border. Those were the various German tribes, like the Angles, the Saxons, and the Bavarii. The barbarians also included those wild British Catuvellauni, the Scottish Caledonii and Irish Blanii.

5. Do we take seriously »the obligation to preach the gospel«? Are we »eager to proclaim the gospel«? A: Yes, but we could do much better. We can support missionary and evangelical work better with more money and fervent prayer. We could confess and profess our faith in Christ when the many opportunities are dropped in our laps by the Holy Spirit. We could do more, but we don’t because our flesh is weak and we tolerate that quintessential American philosophy of universal salvation for all people regardless of whether they believe in Jesus, Buddha or the pixie fairies. Shame on us for not being obligated and eager to proclaim the gospel of Christ Jesus to those who desperately need to hear it’s soothing comfort.

6. Too often we are ashamed of the gospel. Let’s be honest with ourselves: we don’t want to be compared to the annoying Jehovah Witnesses who knock on people’s doors or the goofy guy at the football end zone wearing a rainbow clown wig while holding up a John 3,16 sign. We are often content to stay safe and cozy rather than take the proclamation of the gospel seriously. We cannot even come close to boasting with the first century Christians in Corinth, Philippi and Rome with supporting the spread of the gospel. Yes, Corinth, with all its dysfunctional concepts about basic Christian doctrine were better supporters of the gospel than we are today.

7. We have lost our zeal. Meanwhile people are dying right this second apart from faith in Jesus and they therefore will spend eternity in hell. O we are wicked and selfish people for keeping the gospel only unto ourselves.

8. »The gospel is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek«. »The gospel of Christ crucified is a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to the Greeks, but to those who are called to faith, Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God« (1. Corinthians 1,23-24). »Righteousness will be reckoned to you who believe in God the Father who raised our Lord Jesus from the dead, who was handed over to death for our trespasses and was raised for your justification. Therefore, since you are justified by faith, you have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. For while you were still weak, at the right time Christ died for, you, the ungodly. Therefore just as Adam’s trespass led to condemnation for all, so Jesus’ act of righteousness leads to justification and life for all, yes, for you!« (Romans 4,24-5,1.6.18). »There is therefore no condemnation for you who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8,1), for Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for you who believe« (Romans 10,4). »Now that you have been freed from sin and enslaved to God, the advantage you get is sanctification. The end is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord« (Romans 6,22-23).

9. The gospel absolves our wicked and selfish fallen human nature. You cannot overcome your weak flesh, but Christ has already overcome it through His flesh. You are not perfectly faithful to the gospel and its proclamation, but Christ has already been perfectly faithful to the gospel, yes, »faithful unto death on a cross« (Philippians 2,8), for »Christ Jesus became for you wisdom from God, righteousness, sanctification and redemption« (1. Corinthians 1,30).

10. You see, Christ is obedient for you and in your place. He sends the Holy Spirit who creates and sustains the Church, and through His Church proclaims the gospel unto all the nations of the world. Through the gospel the Holy Spirit absolves you and me for our failure to be obligated and eager to proclaim the gospel.

11. The gospel of Christ Jesus crucified and risen for you and your sinfulness justifies you: all your sins have been paid for and you are now righteous before God the Father. The gospel sanctifies you: the Holy Spirit daily works in you to create good works by which your neighbors are blessed. The gospel is revealed by faith and received by faith. You are saved. You are righteous. You are sanctified. Christ has made it so. The gospel proclaims it. Believe it, for the gospel is the power of God the Son working in your life through the Holy Scriptures, Holy Baptism, the Lord’s Supper and Absolution. The gospel is yours by grace and it is free all on account of Christ. Amen.

11. Let us pray. O Lord Jesus Christ, You reign over all creation, send us the Holy Spirit with His means of grace so that we are assured of our salvation, and with this assurance we gladly rejoice with the earth and the coastlands the wonders of Your Heilsgeschichte (salvation history). 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, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27^th 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.

Löhe, Wilhelm. Liturgy for Christian Congregations of the Lutheran Faith. Copyright © 1902 Frank Carroll Longaker.

Matthew 3,13-17. The 1st Sunday after Epiphany

In the Name of Jesus

Matthew 3,13-17                                                             0912
1. Sonntag nach Epiphanias  014 grün oder weiß
Severin, Apostle of Noricum, † 481
8. January 2012

1. O God, Father of all grace and mercy, we praise You that You have also revealed the Redeemer of the world unto us unenlightened Gentiles, and has enlightened us to realize that Jesus is the Light of the Gentiles and our salvation unto the ends of the earth. Grant us Divine grace to walk worthily of our heavenly calling (Löhe 455-56), receiving Him by faith whom You verbally declared to be Your beloved Son with whom You are well pleased, Christ Jesus, our Lord.  Amen.

2. Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented Him, saying: „I need to be baptized by You, and You come to me?“ But Jesus answered him: „Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.“ Then John consented. And when Jesus was baptized, immediately He went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on Him; and behold, a voice from heaven said: „This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.“

3. „In today’s Gospel we hear the word of the Father at Jesus’ baptism: This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. We will hear this word again on the Last Sunday after Epiphany in the Gospel for the Transfiguration of Jesus. The word of the Father through the Son is the framework of Epiphany“ (Wenz § 1).

4. The season of Christmas came to an end two days ago with the Feast of Epiphany and the visit of the magi: Caspar, Melchior and Balthasar. Christmas is about giving and receiving gifts, for God the Father’s gift to us is His dear Son. In Christ, your Heavenly Father shows you His deep and abiding love. Jesus brings us the gifts of forgiveness, righteousness and eternal salvation.

5. It is not easy for people to freely accept gifts, especially from God. We have an innate desire to do things on our own. We think that we should at least do something for God to justify the great gift He has given us in His Son. Surely, we rationalize, it is fair to think that God expects us to perform some good deeds to prove that we have merited His gracious gift of forgiveness. Over the course of Church history we can trace how theologians argued that Christians should perform some good deed or an act of penance to legitimize God’s merciful attitude toward us.

6. John the Baptizer, however, has the right attitude: Jesus should be baptizing sinful John, not John baptizing the holy Son of God. But Jesus tells His cousin: »Let it be that you baptize Me, for it is proper for us to fulfill all righteousness.« In fulfilling this righteousness, Jesus stepped into the Jordan River, bowed His head and allowed John to pour the water upon His holy head. By stepping into the Jordan and receiving John’s baptism of repentance, Jesus declared solidarity with us poor, miserable sinners.

7. For some, this is a stumbling block. Jesus must stay separate, and we must move to Him – so some think (Nagel 43). Jesus should not come and be a sinner with us (Nagel 43). If you cannot deign for Jesus to step into the water among the other sinners, then you want another Jesus, a Jesus who is different from the one presented to us in the Holy Scriptures. In Matthew 3, Jesus is in the midst of, and with, sinners. He yields to the same baptism that the Jewish sinners were receiving from John the Baptizer. „Jesus takes on all that has gone wrong with us – all our sins. Jesus is most sinner, most Savior. With that sin, He belongs with us. There is no distance or separation between us and Christ“ (Nagel 43). Jesus, then, begins His public ministry by receiving a baptism of repentance, with us, and binds Himself to us in all our corrupt and wicked sinfulness.

8. In His baptism, Jesus reveals His righteousness, and yours. God has become man, and He does not shy away from you or your sins. Is there any greater joy, grace or righteousness than this? Is there now anything that Christ would withhold from you? Is there no blessing that Christ would not shower upon you? Indeed, God the Father has sent you His very Son. Jesus is baptized by John. Jesus is one of you. All that is Christ’s He now gives to you. His righteousness is now your righteousness.

9. There can be no doubt about your salvation here. The Holy Spirit flew down like a dove and sat on Jesus’ shoulder; God the Father spoke from heaven that Jesus is His Beloved Son, and He is therefore pleased with Jesus. The baptism of Jesus shook the very foundation of the devil’s earthly reign. The voice of the Heavenly Father deafened Satan’s ears and the Holy Spirit sent the devils fleeing in distress. In your Holy Baptism has God’s righteousness been given freely unto you. The Baptismal waters are for you a holy bathe that washed away all your sins and made you a child of God, but that same Baptismal water is a searing acidic water that burns the devil and drives Him away.

10. Jesus’ righteousness is given to you in baptism. Jesus’ baptism is vicarious, for sinners, pointing forward to His crucifixion and resurrection in the place of sinners (Gibbs 185). In your Holy Baptism you are joined to Christ and united with Him in His death and resurrection (Romans 6,3-6). In Christ’s death you have died to sin. In Christ’s resurrection you have risen from the Baptismal waters into the newness of eternal, resurrected life. Yes, Christ has saved you in your Baptism. »You are dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus« (Romans 6,11). God the Father’s words spoken to Jesus at His baptism are now spoken upon you: »You are My beloved son, My beloved daughter, with whom I am well pleased.« You are righteous before God, for you stand before Him covered with the pure and holy righteousness of Jesus Christ.  Amen.

11. Let us pray. O Good God, who leads us on level ground, teach us to do Your will, so that we are always ready to give an account of Your precious gospel to our neighbors.  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.

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

Nagel, Norman. Selected Sermons of Norman Nagel: From Valparaiso to St. Louis. Frederick W. Baue, Ed. Copyright © 2004 Concordia Publishing House.

Wenz, Armin. A sermon preached on 10. January 2010 (1. So. n. Epiphanias) in Oberursel, Germany on Romans 12,1-8. Copyright © 2010 The Rev. Dr. Armin Wenz. The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind, Tr. © 2012.

Luke 4,16-21. New Year's Day

In the Name of Jesus

Luke 4,16-21                                                                   0812
Neujahrstag  011 weiß
Circumcision of the Lord, and Name of Jesus
1. January 2012

1. O Christ Jesus, the Bearer of the Holy Scriptures, You proclaimed in Your public ministry the gospel by which You rescued those who are in a malaise. At times the world and the Church respond to this with anger and frustration, for our sinful nature always seeks to take control and do things our way and in our timing. The world, however, needs Your gospel proclaimed to the four corners of the earth, for there are many people still in bondage to sin, death and the devil. The Church, however, needs Your preaching of the Lord’s grace, for a number of Christians do not understand the depth of Your loving-kindness. Help us, O Christ, as the Church and as individual Christians, to proclaim the gospel and preach Your mercy. Encourage us to support those efforts in Your Church with our lives, our fortunes and our honor.  Amen.

2. And Jesus came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as was His custom, He went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and He stood up to read. And the scroll of the Prophet Isaiah was given to Him. He unrolled the scroll and found the place where it was written: »The Spirit of Yahweh is upon me, because He has anointed me to preach the gospel to the afflicted. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of Yahweh’s grace« [Isaiah 61,1-2a]. And He rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on Him. And He began to say to them: „Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing.“  This is our text. 

3. Today is the first day of 2012, and it is a year of God’s grace! Throughout this year, especially as we draw closer to December, many will cry that this is the year that the world will end. To be sure, 2012 will have its share of wars and rumors of war, signs in the heavens and natural disasters, just as every year past has experienced, but above all 2012 is a year of God’s mercy for it is another year in which the gospel will be proclaimed throughout the world in churches from pulpits like ours.

4. But will people believe this? Will you believe that this is a year of great opportunity and gospel proclamation in our borough? In A.D. 30 the Nazarene Jews did not believe it was a year of grace, for they were still living under the old testament. In their minds it was still a year of the law where Moses reigned. Who are you, Jesus, to declare this is a year of the new testament? The old testament with Moses has served us well for centuries, and we are happy with the way things are. We do not want any changes. We know who you are Jesus; you are a carpenter and the son of a carpenter. Your parents are Joseph and Mary; your brothers and sisters live in town. You are not a prophet nor are you the Messiah, for you are merely a carpenter. Because the Nazarenes refused to believe Jesus, many of them missed out on the opportunity to be disciples of Jesus and His ministry of grace.

5. „Those who see God as angry do not see Him rightly, but look upon a curtain as if a dark storm cloud has been drawn across His face. If we truly believe that Christ is our Savior, then we have a God of love and to see God in faith is to look upon His friendly heart“ (Luther). The devil, the world and your own sinful flesh all conspire to convince you that God wants to punish you and condemn you to eternal torment in hell. But God is no longer angry at you, nor does He approach you as a Vengeful God. Christ Jesus shows us God’s friendly heart. When the devil or your conscience throw your sins in your face and threaten you that you deserve damnation in hell, remember that, yes, this is true, but you know the one who suffered and died in your place, the one who bore all of God’s hellish wrath on the cross, Jesus Christ your Savior. He has made satisfaction on your behalf and where Jesus is you too shall be. Jesus is in heaven preparing your mansion. You will dwell with Him forever in eternal glory.

6. What about you? Will you miss out on all that Jesus plans to do this year through our church? Will you be satisfied with the status quo? Will you be content with thinking small instead of expecting great things from Jesus this year? This is the year of God’s grace!

7. This grace is proclaimed in the Word, poured out in Holy Baptism, spoken with the words of Absolution and received at this altar in the Lord’s Supper. God’s grace is offered to you and you receive it by faith in the full assurance that all your sins are forgiven.

8. This is the year of Yahweh’s grace! Jesus is here for you. Are you afflicted? Are you in bondage to some Anfechtung (spiritual attack)? Are you sick or oppressed by an ailment or tribulation? Be of good cheer, for Jesus was born to set you free and this freedom from sin, death and the devil is given to you freely as a gift, a gift of Christ’s mercy and grace. 2012 is another year in which Jesus, through the Holy Spirit, pours out His gifts upon His Church, and through the Church das Pfarramt (the Pastoral Office of the Holy Ministry), that is both die Seelsorger (the carer of souls) and das Predigtamt (the preaching office), gives Christ’s gifts of Word and Sacraments to you as an individual.

9. Yes, this is the year of God’s grace. You have this grace on account of Christ Jesus. Live this year in peace and joy, for Christ has made you righteous in the eyes of our Heavenly Father.  Amen.

10. Let us pray. O Lord Jesus Christ, the Spirit of the Lord is upon You to preach the gospel to the poor. You have sent the Holy Spirit upon us and we believe that we are redeemed by Your grace; continue to send the Spirit upon us so that we may yield the fruits of faith and so support Your gospel with our tithes and talents so that we and many other people can hear and be absolved from our sins, for repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in Christ’s Name to all nations.  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. 

     Luther. Copyright © 2003 MGM.