Grace Evangelical-Lutheran: December 2013

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

1. Timothy 3,16. The Feast of Christ's Nativity

✠ One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you ✠
The Word of the Lord Endures Forever
Verbum Domini Manet in Aeternum

1. Timothy 3,16 0514
Christvesper 05
Adam and Eve
24. Dezember 2013

1. Almighty God, who has given us Your only-begotten Son to take our nature upon Him and as at this time to be born of a pure virgin: Grant that we, being regenerate and made Your children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by Your Holy Spirit (Book of Common Prayer 21-22). Amen.
2. »And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with fear. And the angel said to them: „Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a Baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.“« (Luke 2,8-12)
3. Thus the great choir of angels sang their beautiful praise in glorious splendor to herald the birth of their God and Creator in human flesh. Perhaps the Apostle Paul had this angelic song in mind when he wrote in his 1. Epistle to Timothy: »Great indeed, we confess, is the mystery of godliness: Jesus was manifested in the flesh, vindicated by the Spirit, seen by angels, proclaimed among the nations, believed on in the world, taken up in glory.«
4. Tonight, indeed, is the mystery of godliness for the Son of God was born in Bethlehem. The mystery was promised long ago to another fair maiden who had fallen from God’s grace. God promised to Eve: »I will put enmity between the serpent and you, and between his offspring and your Offspring; He will bruise the serpent’s head, even as the serpent will bruise His heel« (Genesis 3,15). This promise was passed down from generation to generation through the patriarchs, then through the royal line of David and finally through the Prophets. Tonight the promise to Eve, to Abraham, to David, to the Prophets, to the people of Israel, to every man, woman and child living upon the earth this very moment and to each one of you has been fulfilled. An angel of Yahweh, perhaps it was Gabriel, said to the shepherds that Jesus’ birth is »the gospel of a great joy that is for all the people.«
5. Generation after generation, for millennia after millennia, the long night of our sinful nature and the curse imposed upon us by Yahweh hung over us as a dark gloom and shroud that surrounded us on our slow, wailful path to death and grave. The Baby Jesus wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger entered our history, took upon Himself our flesh and blood, lived life among His fallen creation and grew up to redeem us from sin and the curse. The mystery long-hidden was revealed on this night in the little town of Bethlehem.
6. An angel of Yahweh calls Jesus the Savior, Christ and Lord. Jesus has these titles even as a little baby. Jesus is God and man. He is our Savior from sin, death and the devil. Jesus is the Christ and the Anointed One of His Heavenly Father to be our Savior. He is the Lord and Creator of all things. Thus the Apostle John gives Jesus the superlative: King of kings and Lord of lords (Revelation 19,16).
7. Many kings have been born and many lords have ruled throughout human history. Some have achieved legendary status so that we yet remember their birthdays, like Washington or Lincoln, but none have or ever will obtain the glory lavished upon the Son of God. Jesus is the Word of God made flesh (John 1,14), and Jesus alone is the Gospel that redeems His fallen creation back under His reign.
8. An old Medieval Christmas poem describes Christmas Eve this way: „The Sovran Lord of heaven, effected help for all mankind e’en through His mother’s womb. And aye unceasingly the Savior of men bestows His forgiveness unto people each day to help them, He the Lord of hosts. For this we should loyally and zealously extol Him in word and deed. ’Tis a noble counsel for every mortal mindful of the past, that aye most often and most inwardly and with all eagerness we worship God. We will be rewarded for our sweet love, yea by the Hallowed Savior Himself, e’en in that home where we came ne’er before, the happy land where the immortals are, there blessed shall we abide for evermore, and dwell eternally world without end“ (Kynewulf 424-39).
9. Yes, on Christmas Eve the Immortal and Eternal Son of God was born among we mortal and temporal men and women. The Ancient God now lies in a manger as a Newborn Infant, and He lies there for us. No greater gift and present could God the Father give us than His very own Son. The virgin Mary gave birth to the world’s Savior and Joseph raised Him as his very own Son. God’s promise to redeem us was fulfilled this night two thousand years ago, and we have not ceased to celebrate the True and Perfect Gift of Christmas.
10. „Light breaks through Jesus’ birth in the middle of the night – it does not take much to experience this on Christmas Eve. It tells of the ancient promises of a King of Peace, who we find in Jesus, the descendant of King David and their fulfillment. He is Immanuel: God is with us. The night of His birth recalls the great mystery of God: truly in this Little Child, in Jesus Christ, He shows Himself. God’s truth is located and veiled here and nowhere else“ (ELKB). May each Christmas song you hear on the radio remind you of the angelic hosts who sang when He was born. May each Christmas tree light and ornament remind you that Jesus was born just for you and your salvation. May each gift and present you receive remind you of the greatest gift you have ever received: that of the Little Lord Jesus born to you this day in the city of David. May the love that Jesus shows you dwell deeply in your heart and may you share that love freely and graciously among all people who need the gospel of Christ’s forgiveness. Amen.
11. Let us pray. O Lord Jesus Christ, both Son of God and Son of Man, the heavens are glad and the earth rejoices, for You have arrived to judge the earth. O Jesus, Your judgment upon us is not guilty; help us to rejoice in this marvelous justification so that we may live each day with the Christmas spirit of joy and peace. Amen.

To God alone be the Glory
Soli Deo Gloria
✠

All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4. Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27. Edition © 1993 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart.
Book of Common Prayer, The. Copyright © 1990 Oxford University Press.
ELKB. Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern. www.bayern-evangelisch.de/www/index.php. Copyright © 2013 Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern.
Löhe, Wilhelm. Seed-Grains of Prayer: A Manual for Evangelical Christians. Wartburg Publishing House, Chicago circa 1912. Concordia Publishing House; Concordia on Demand.
VELKD. Vereinigte Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Deutschlands. www.velkd.de. Copyright © 2013 Vereinigte Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Deutschlands.

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

✠ One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you ✠
The Word of the Lord Endures Forever
Verbum Domini Manet in Aeternum

Isaiah 52,7-10 0414
4. Sonntag im Advent 04, Rorate Caeli
Ischyrion, Martyr in Egypt 253
22. Dezember 2013

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. on the 4. Sunday in Advent the heavens shower down the righteousness and salvation (Isaiah 45,8), for Yahweh has arisen and had pity upon His creation; it is the time of grace; the appointed time has advented and arrived (Psalm 102,13). Thus the Prophet Isaiah proclaims: »Break forth together into singing, you waste places of Jerusalem, for Yahweh has comforted His people; He has redeemed Jerusalem. Yahweh has bared His holy arm before the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God« (Isaiah 52,9-10).
3. What Isaiah prophesied by the Word of Yahweh came to pass 700 years later, and it is recorded by St. Luke the Evangelist: And Mary said: „My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has looked on the humble estate of His servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His Name. And His mercy is for those fearing Him from generation to generation. He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts; He has brought down the mighty from their thrones and exalted those of humble estate; He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has sent away empty. He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to His offspring forever“ (Luke 1,46-55).
4. Yahweh promised to comfort His people and redeem Jerusalem. Six months after he had told Zechariah and Elizabeth that they would have a son named John, Gabriel was sent from God to the virgin Mary (Luke 1,26). He said to her: »The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the Child being born will be called the Holy One and the Son of God« (Luke 1,35). When Mary went to visit Elizabeth and greeted her, John leaped for joy in her womb (Luke 1,44). Thirty years before John was in the region around the Jordan River preparing the way for Jesus by calling people to the baptism of repentance, he was joyfully kicking in the womb at the sound of Mary’s voice, thus already as an unborn infant he was preparing the way for Jesus.
5. Yahweh likes to work in pairs: light and darkness, sun and moon, male and female, type and antitype, prophet and Christ. In today’s Gospel Lection, the virgin Mary speaks as a prophetess: »The Lord has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to His offspring forever« (Luke 1,55). This came to pass, as the Angel Gabriel said to Mary: »Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus« (Luke 1,31). Mary’s response is an honest one: »How will this be, since I am a virgin?« God had created mankind male and female, and thus children are conceived with a man and a woman. Two men won’t conceive a child, nor will two women, for such relationships are not natural. The only natural relationship is a man and a woman together conceiving children. This is not the political correct attitude of Western American civilization, but biology and common sense tell us that you need a man and a woman to conceive a child.
6. Another politically incorrect belief to hold today is that Mary was a virgin when she had conceived Jesus. Obviously, we would expect atheists and other non-Christian religions to reject and deny Mary’s virginity, but in the 21. century some Christian denominations and Christians also deny this doctrine. How, you might ask, can a Christian or a church deny this doctrine when it is clearly taught in the Gospels according to Matthew and Luke and furthermore confessed in the Creeds? Nevertheless, there are churches and Christians who deny Mary’s virginity. „Attacks upon the virgin birth emerged in the aftermath of the Enlightenment, with some theologians attempting to harmonize the anti-supernaturalism of the modern mind with the church’s teaching about Christ. The great quest of liberal theology has been to invent a Jesus who is stripped of all supernatural power, deity, and authority. In America, the public denial of the virgin birth can be traced to the emergence of Protestant liberalism in the earth 20th century.... Now...modern Christians completely discount the historicity of the virgin birth and understand it in a figurative sense“ (Mohler).
7. The rejection of the virgin birth of Jesus is the result when people deny that God can act in His creation and do things supernaturally, like making a virgin conceive a child without a man involved in the process. The rejection of the virgin birth is also the result when people already deny that Jesus is God. Naturally, our human reason, corrupted as it is by the fall into sin, cannot comprehend how God can make a virgin pregnant. Too often, we run God’s actions past our human reason and wisdom. If we cannot understand the how or the why of His actions we are tempted to dismiss and disbelieve them. An honest appraisal of God’s activity in human history as recorded in the Holy Scriptures reveals many instances where God acts contrary to how we think He should be doing things. God had chosen barren women, not once, but many times to become mothers and give birth to someone who was instrumental in His unfolding Heilsgeschichte (salvation history). Often, God did not choose the firstborn son to carry the promise of the Christ to the next generation, but rather a younger or the youngest son. God chose a teenager armed with a slingshot to confront and defeat a giant armed with the best weapons and armor complete with many victories to his credit. These are a few of the many Biblical examples of God’s activity in human history.
8. Here we are today on the 4. Sunday in Advent and we have before us in the Holy Gospel according to Luke the account of two women, one barren and the other a virgin, both who have become pregnant by the power and will of God for the salvation of all fallen men and women. Elizabeth’s John prepared the way for the Christ, and Mary’s Jesus is the Christ who is the Way, the Truth and the Life. By God’s command, the heavens shower down His righteousness and salvation (Isaiah 45,8). The Prophet Isaiah declares: »How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings the gospel, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion: „Your God reigns.“« (Isaiah 52,7). Thus Elizabeth proclaims: »and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you, Mary, among women, and blessed is the Fruit of your womb! For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy« (Luke 1,42.44), and Mary proclaims: »My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has looked on the humble estate of His servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for He who is mighty has done great things for me, and His Name is holy« (Luke 1,46-49). God the Father reigned through Elizabeth and Mary and John; He reigns through Jesus, His only-begotten Son; He reigns through each one of you as the joy of Jesus’ impending advent joyfully glows within Your heart and as you give testimony to Christ Jesus as your Lord, Savior, Brother and Friend. Jesus is our Heavenly Father’s Messiah for His fallen, sinful world. We will celebrate and welcome His birth on Christmas Eve. Amen.
9. Let us pray. O Holy Spirit, who creates a pleasing theme to overflow within our 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.

To God alone be the Glory
Soli Deo Gloria
✠

All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4. Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27. Edition © 1993 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart.
Book of Common Prayer, The. Copyright © 1990 Oxford University Press.
ELKB. Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern. www.bayern-evangelisch.de/www/index.php. Copyright © 2013 Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern.
Löhe, Wilhelm. Seed-Grains of Prayer: A Manual for Evangelical Christians. Wartburg Publishing House, Chicago circa 1912. Concordia Publishing House; Concordia on Demand.
Mohler, Albert. Can a Christian Deny the Virgin Birth of Jesus Christ? http://www.religiontoday.com/columnists/al-mohler/can-a-christian-deny-the-virgin-birth-of-jesus-christ-11597404.html
VELKD. Vereinigte Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Deutschlands. www.velkd.de. Copyright © 2013 Vereinigte Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Deutschlands.

Monday, December 16, 2013

Revelation 3,1-6. The 3. Sunday in Advent

✠ One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you ✠

The Word of the Lord Endures Forever

Verbum Domini Manet in Aeternum

Revelation 3,1-6 0314

3. Sonntag im Advent 03, Gaudete

Ignatius, Bishop of Antioch, Turkey and student of the Apostle John, Martyr 108

15. Dezember 2013

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 One, 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 (Löhe 414). Amen.

2. Now when John the Baptizer heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to Jesus: „Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?“ And Jesus answered them: „Go, and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by Me.“ As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: „What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written: »Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.« (Isaiah 40,3) Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptizer. Yet the one who is least in the reign of heaven is greater than he.“

3. The 3. Sunday in Advent is called Gaudete (Gow DAY teh), and has as its theme: Rejoice! The 3. Sunday in Advent focuses on John the Baptizer who is the six-month older cousin of Jesus. Mary and Elizabeth were relatives, and that makes John and Jesus cousins. John prepares the way for the Christ. Matthew the Apostle and Evangelist tells us: »In those days John the Baptizer arrived in the wilderness of Judea preaching: „Repent, for the reign of heaven is at hand!“« (Matthew 3,1-2). Therefore, Jesus says that John is a prophet and the Messianic messenger.

4. Repent, for the advent of the Christ is at hand! John prepared the way, and like all the prophets of old he ruffled feathers. He proclaimed a baptism for the repentance of sins (Luke 3,3). He called those who went out to hear him „vipers“ and refused to let them rely on their pedigree as sons of Abraham (Luke 3,7-8) as a guarantee of life in the Messianic reign. He call everyone sinners and told them to repent and live a righteous life: help your neighbor, don’t steal and be content with your vocation (Luke 3,10-14). This is harsh law for us sinners who are comfortable in our sinfulness. Such exhortation to repentance is to own up to our sins and accept Yahweh’s justice.

5. Calling sinners to repentance is the right and moral action to take, but if you convict powerful people of their sin, then there may be serious consequences. John told his king, Herod, a son of Herod the Great, that it was sinful to marry his brother’s wife (Mark 6,17-18). Herod then put John in prison to silence the one who irritated his conscience. Truth be told, each of us would like to silence those who call us to account for our sins.

6. John prepared the way for Jesus, and this preparation is repentance. Jesus did not arrive breathing threats of judgment and condemnation, but rather speaking words of mercy and showing compassion to downtrodden sinners convicted by His law and prophet.

7. Jesus told John’s disciples: »Go, and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by Me.« The words spoken and the deeds done by Jesus are words and deeds of the Messianic reign promised in the Prophets. Blindness, crippleness, leprousy, deafness, death and poverty are all effects of sinfulness and the curse on fallen mankind. Jesus arrived to reverse those effects by dealing with their cause, which is original sin. Each sick person cured by Jesus, each person raised to life and every time Jesus preached the gospel were events where He temporarily reversed the effects. He did not deal with the cause until He suffered on the cross as world’s vicarious sacrifice and rose from the grave as the First-fruit of the resurrected life. On the cross, God died for His fallen creation, paid mankind’s debt and then rose in resurrection victory giving His gift of everlasting life to men and women.

8. The Apostle John heard in his revelation Jesus say to the church in Sardis: »Those who conquer will be clothed thus in white garments, and I will never blot their names out of the book of life. I will confess their names before My Father and before His angels« (Revelation 3,5). On this 3. Sunday in Advent we rejoice for Jesus has dealt with the cause of mankind’s sin. The old cause was sinfulness with its effect of death and separation from God. The new cause is righteousness with its effect of life and fellowship with God. Jesus Himself is this new cause, and He gives us forgiveness and righteousness as a free gift ... a fitting theme as us as we are two weeks out from Christmas and its attending gifts and presents lovingly placed under the evergreen fir trees.

9. Jesus has conquered death and the grave. He went down to Hades and returned again to the world of the living. Jesus has done this for us so that in His Name we conquer.

10. Jesus sends today His messengers before Him, who prepare the heart through the preaching of repentance, so His gospel, His absolution and His Sacrament will fall on fertile ground, so that we are not offended in Him, but rather He keeps vigil though Advent with us, so that we will also arrive with Him. That alone is necessary [1] (Wenz 35).

11. Jesus proclaims that John the Baptizer is the greatest of those born of women. John was the last and greatest prophet of the old testament. John preached and prepared the world for the fulfillment of that old testament, but John was a transition figure. Jesus followed John and ushered in the new testament through His very own person. Those who believe in Jesus are now greater than John, for they are living in the new testament.

12. 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 grace and righteousness so that we are comforted and consoled in the justification You won for us at Your first advent. Amen.

To God alone be the Glory

Soli Deo Gloria

✠

All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4. Edition © 1990 by the Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 27. Edition © 1993 by Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart.

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

[1] Er sendet bis heute seine Boten vor sich her, die durch die Predigt der Buße die Herzen bereiten sollen, damit dann sein Evangelium, seine Absolution und sein Sakrament auf fruchtbaren Boden fallen, damit wir uns also nicht an ihm ärgern, wenn er auch bei uns Advent halten, auch bei uns ankommen will. Das allein tut not. Amen.

Friday, December 13, 2013

Audio sermons updated

The sermons for the past three Sundays have been added to the Audio Sermons link on the right side of the webpage.

You may listen to the sermons preached for Reformation Sunday, Eternity Sunday, The First Sunday in Advent and the Second Sunday in Advent.

May the Holy Spirit bless you as you hear and meditate upon His Word.

Also, if you are in the area, please join us for Christmas Service on December 24 at 7:30 p.m. to worship the celebration of the Newborn King, our Lord Jesus Christ.

Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Revelation 3,7-10. 2. Sunday in Advent, Ad te Levavi

✠ One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you ✠

The Word of the Lord Endures Forever

Verbum Domini Manet in Aeternum

Revelation 3,7-10 0214

2. Sonntag im Advent 02, Ad te Levavi

Apollos, assistant of St. Paul, Bishop of Corinth

08. Dezember 2013

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. The first two Sundays in Advent emphasize Jesus’ eschatological teachings, thus our Gospel Lection for Ad te Levavi (I lift up to You) reads: Jesus said to His disciples: „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 on the world. For the powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.“ And He told them a parable: „Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the reign of God is near. Truly, I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all has taken place. Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away“ (Luke 21,25-33). Jesus spoke these words in answer to the questions His disciples had asked at the beginning of Chapter 21, namely: When will the temple be destroyed, and what signs will signal it’s imminent destruction?

3. For us in the 21. century, this answer from Jesus is historical fact; Jerusalem was sacked, the temple has been destroyed for nearly 2000 years and it all occurred in A.D. 70. But for the disciples in the 1. century, Jesus’ words described a future event, and event that would occur in their generation and lifetime, nearly 40 years after Jesus spoke these sobering words in Chapter 21.

4. What do heavenly signs, destruction of buildings and razed cities have to do with Advent and its preparation for the forthcoming Christ and Messiah? Where chaos and death reign, Jesus promises peace and life to those afflicted. After the Roman legions under General Titus crushed and demolished Jerusalem and the temple, the Holy Spirit used the Christians who had earlier safely fled the devastation to proclaim the gospel of Jesus’ death and resurrection throughout the world. Twenty years after the temple’s destruction, another community was facing tribulation. The Church had spread throughout the Mediterranean, and in one corner of Christendom seven churches dotted the province of Asia Minor (Turkey). By this time all the apostles had been martyred, save elderly John, who now resided in Asia Minor (in or near Ephesus) and had written five books of the Bible: his Gospel, 3 Epistles and his Revelation. One of these churches, in Philadelphia, was small and seemed insignificant to the dominant worldly philosophies and religions that surrounded her. To this small gathering of Christians Jesus promised to spare them from the hour of trial. Those who denied Christ would be forced to bow before the Philadelphian Christians and acknowledge the power and glory of Christ Jesus.

5. The words of Christ have power, for His words are Divine words. The Apostle John began his Gospel with this prologue: »In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Jesus, and without Jesus was not any thing made that was made. In Jesus was Life, and the Life was the Light of mankind. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it« (John 1,1-5). »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). In John’s apocalyptic vision he heard Jesus called by the name: The Word of God (Revelation 19,13).

6. John also calls Jesus »Faithful and True« in his Revelation (19,11), for Jesus Himself promises: Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away (Luke 21,33). This promise recorded in Luke’s Gospel gives us comfort as we await Jesus’ second advent and return. The Church will endure tribulation and persecution, often at the hand of the State and politicians, the 1. Amendment notwithstanding; conquest, war, famine and death (Revelation 6,1-8) afflict the world; we endure personal trials and sufferings. Christ Jesus is our Comfort and our Hope; we will overcome all these earthly pains by holding on to Jesus. The heavens and earth will burn in Divine flames, but Jesus and His promise will not be scorched. Jesus promises to create new heavens and a new earth from the ashes of the old. With the apostles we proclaim: »Lord, You have the words of eternal life!« (John 6,68). If Jesus will not pass away, and if His words will not pass away, then we, who believe in Him as our Savior from sin, death and hell, yes, we will not pass away.

7. Jesus tells us in the Gospel according to Luke: »The powers of the heavens will be shaken. And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near«. Jesus spoke of these things that would happen prior to His second advent, and they have happened and they have been fulfilled when Jerusalem was sacked and the temple demolished. Such events were set into motion during His first advent when at His crucifixion the sky became dark and Jesus appeared with power and great glory as He suffered on the cross and burst forth from the grave in victorious triumph over Death and Hades. The crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus were the redemption that drew near for us and our salvation.

8. At the inauguration of His first advent, the heavens were also shaken, for Jesus arrived with power and our salvation drew near. Luke the Evangelist tells us in his Christmas pericope: »Now while Mary and Joseph were in Bethlehem, the time came for Mary to give birth. She gave birth to her firstborn son, wrapped Him in swaddling cloths and laid Him in a manger. Now in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. Then an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. The angel said to them: „Fear not, for behold, I bring you the gospel of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a Baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.“ Then suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: „Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!“ (Luke 2,6-14).

9. The 2. Sunday in Advent is rightly called ad te Levavi, for we lift up Christ. We do so in a long history of tradition that puts us upon the same path with the prophets, the evangelists, the apostles, the angels and all the earthly and heavenly hosts, both human and angelic, who acclaim the Triune God and lift up Christ. How do we do this? Well, we do not lift up Christ as a great moral teacher (even though He certainly is), for even atheists lift Him up as a moralist. We do not lift Christ up as a great prophet (although He most certainly is), for even Muslims lift Him up as a prophet. Jesus is more than a moral teacher and a prophet. Thus, we lift Christ up as Paul and the apostles lift Him up: »we lift up Jesus as the crucified Christ who is a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles« (1. Corinthians 1,23). For it is only the crucified Christ who shakes the powers of heaven, who arrives in a cloud with power and great glory and who is our eternal life and blessed redemption. You can put all your hope and trust in this crucified Christ, for He first arrived in Bethlehem and slept in a manger; He hung on a cross and slept in a tomb, but He awoke from the sleep of death and burst asunder the gates of Hades for us and our salvation. This risen Lord Jesus Christ is with us now and always. He is our Salvation and Redemption, and so we patiently await His second advent as we prepare to celebrate again His first advent. Amen.

10. 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.

To God alone be the Glory

Soli Deo Gloria

✠

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

Monday, December 2, 2013

Matthew 21,1-9. 1. Sunday in Advent, Populous Zion

Matthew 21,1-9 0114

1. Sonntag im Advent 01, Populous Zion

Eligius, Bishop, † 659

1. Dezember 2013

1. O Lord, our Heavenly Father, we give You most humble and hearty thanks for the consolation ministered to us in the gift of Your dear Son Jesus Christ, whom You did send to be a King and Savior, to redeem fallen men and women from their sin, to deliver them from the might of Satan and the power of everlasting death. We beseech You to grant unto us Your Holy Spirit to enlighten, govern and sanctify our hearts, so that we may truly acknowledge Christ as our King and Savior, and perpetually cling to Him; and at all times grant unto us a true and living faith, so that we may not stumble at His humiliation, Word and Reign, which the world esteems so lightly (Löhe 119). Amen.

2. Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them: „Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find an ass tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to Me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say: ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.“ This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying: »Say to the daughter of Zion: ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on an ass, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’« The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They brought the ass and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and He sat on the cloaks. Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before Him and that followed Him were shouting: „Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is He who arrives in the Name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!“

3. The 1. Sunday in Advent begins the new Church Year with the historic reading from the Palm Sunday account in the Gospel according to Matthew. The four (4) weeks in Advent prepare us for the incarnation and birth of Jesus the Christ. Advent, therefore, begins with the emphasis on justification and salvation, and so we traditionally begin with Jesus’ Palm Sunday procession and His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Jesus was born into this fallen world to justify and save sinners, and thus the Prophet Zechariah proclaims Yahweh’s salvation which was fulfilled on Palm Sunday.

4. The disciples and the crowd received Jesus with songs and praises as one arriving in the Name of Yahweh, but some of the Pharisees in the crowd wanted Jesus to rebuke His disciples (Luke 19,39). Nothing has changed today. Some welcome Jesus with loving joy, but others reject Him with the vilest hate. Regardless of whether people believe in Jesus, they are nonetheless moved by Him (Nagel 13,2). Even inanimate creation is moved by Jesus, for Jesus answered the Pharisees: „If this crowd were silent, then the very stones would cry out.“ (Luke 19,40).

5. The world asks: „Who is this Jesus?“ Already by the middle of November the world is dreamily thinking of the little Baby Jesus peacefully sleeping in the manger. The world does not want to deviate from this iconic image of Jesus. The answer on the 1. Sunday of Advent is: Jesus is the Son of David who arrives in the Name of Yahweh. Advent prepares the way for this Jesus and Christmas celebrates His birth. To call Jesus the Son of David is to put Him in the royal Davidic line and that makes Him a prince and a king. He is the King who has complete possession and rule over all things (Nagel 14,5). The people of Israel are His, although He had allowed the Roman emperors to rule over the land for Him as stewards. The capital is His, although He had allowed the Sanhedrin to rule Jerusalem in His stead. The land is His, and He had used the Roman legions to police it and secure its borders from invaders. All things are His possessions, even another man’s donkeys whom He took charge of for His ride up to Jerusalem. „Now Jesus enters His city on another man’s donkey, not on a magnificent prancing horse with the flashing splendor of the spears and swords of a great army. His path is strewn with the palms of peace. He rides the animal of peace with the black cross on its back, for here rides the Prince of Peace who is hailed by the glad voices of children. Jesus’ throne is not His by shedding the blood of others but by shedding His own blood. Clearly His kingdom is not of this world. Jesus does not destroy but weeps over the city that will crucify Him. He goes into that city, for now is its great day of grace. Now it may behold its Messiah king clearly set forth. He comes unto His own Jerusalem, the sacred city so abundantly blessed, the glory of Israel to which He had so often mercifully stretched out His hands“ (Nagel 15,7).

6. The crowds, the Pharisees and even many in the world see the signs, but fail to recognize that this King rides into Jerusalem to stretch out His hands upon a rough wooden cross. Perhaps they reject Him with hateful unbelief or skeptical uncertainty, but reject Jesus the King they do. To reject Jesus as King and Messiah is to turn away from His mercy and grace, is to turn one’s back on the forgiveness He merited and the righteousness He imputes. Such rejection has consequences. The leaders of Israel rejected Jesus. They believed the land and the kingdom were theirs as a birthright, and so they had no need for Jesus and His kingship. They rejected the merciful Jesus who would have gathered them to Himself as a hen gathers her chicks under her wing, therefore they could not escape the wrath of the Roman eagle who snatched them up in their predatory talons (Nagel 15,7).

7. Our sinful nature, however, is a far greater predator than the Roman eagle. Our sinfulness exhibits itself in our sinful actions, such as, drunkenness, immorality, quarreling and jealously (Romans 13,13). Our sinfulness has us in its predatory claws and we cannot escape, for we are its helpless prey. Our sinfulness will carry us to death and hell.

8. Yahweh therefore made us a promise through His prophet: »Behold, your King is going to you; He is justifying and saving you; He is humble and mounted on an ass, on a colt, the foal of an ass« (Zechariah 9,9). This Divine King fulfills His promise, and He rides up to Jerusalem to make you righteous. This is why Jesus was born.

9. Zechariah and Matthew tell us that Jesus saves His fallen world meekly and mildly. He rides into Jerusalem on a beast of burden; He does not lash out against His accusers and He dies the death of a condemned criminal. This is not to say that Jesus is a wimp or powerless against the rulers of His age. Jesus was in complete control during Holy Week, but He exercised His authority by willingly humbling Himself and submitting Himself to others in order to redeem His fallen creation. Jesus is your King and Savior; He wants your loyalty, but He will not force or coerce your loyalty.

10. „There are no reservations in loyalty to Jesus. He wants His love to rule in every house and shop, in every alley and gutter in the city of your heart. To each one of you the Advent king says: ‘Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you, and learn of Me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall shall find rest unto your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light’ (Matthew 11,28-30). We were constructed to fit under that yoke. Without it we are like a car without a battery. We can’t get started. Under that yoke, in Christ’s kingdom, we first become ourselves. Then, for the first time, we become a real individual, for Christ has dealt with us personally, in and for ourselves. It was for you, just you (not for a thousand million people), that Christ died. That is the sweet, personal, life-giving message of the cross. As one redeemed by Christ, you belong to Him, to His kingdom. You have a place, value, and meaning, and unto your soul is given rest and peace“ (Nagel,17,12).

11. So great is God’s love for you that His Only Son was born, rode into Jerusalem, suffered and crucified for you so that you would be His people and His Church. Jesus wants you to be in His reign; He desires that He be the King of your heart (Nagel 17,13). The Apostle John writes in his 1. Epistle: »See what kind of love the Father has given to you, so that you should be called children of God; and so you are. The reason why the world does not know you is that it did not know Him. Beloved, you are God’s children now, and what you will be has not yet appeared; but you know that when He appears you shall be like Him, because you shall see Him as He is. And all who thus hope in Him purify themselves as Jesus is pure« (1. John 3,1-3).

12. „What this world despises, Jesus takes and uses to accomplish His great purposes of love. Out of the mouths of babes and sucklings He perfects praise. He had need of a donkey; so also He has need for me and you“ (Nagel 17,14). Amen.

13. Let us pray. Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God shines forth. Our God arrives; He does not keep silence. Amen.

To God alone be the Glory

✠

Matthew 25,1-13.Eternity Sunday (Trinity 27)

✠ One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you ✠

Matthew 25,1-13 5613

Letzer Sonntag des Kirchenjahres (Ewigkeitssonntag) 072 (Trinity 27)

Chrysogonus, Martyr 303

24. November 2013

1. O Lord, absolve Your people from their offenses so that, from the bonds of our sins which by reason of our frailty we have brought upon ourselves, we may be delivered by Your bountiful goodness. Amen.

2. Jesus said to His disciples: „Then the reign of heaven will be like ten bridesmaids who took their lamps and went to meet the bridegroom. Five of them were foolish, and five were wise. For when the foolish took their lamps, they took no oil with them, but the wise took flasks of oil with their lamps. As the bridegroom was delayed, they all became drowsy and slept. But at midnight there was a cry: ‘Here is the bridegroom! Come out to meet him.’ Then all those bridesmaids rose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise: ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying: ‘Since there will not be enough for us and for you, go rather to the dealers and buy for yourselves.’ And while they were going to buy, the bridegroom arrived, and those who were ready went in with him to the marriage feast, and the door was shut. Afterward the other bridesmaids arrived also, saying: ‘Lord, lord, open to us.’ But he answered: ‘Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.“

3. 3, 2, 1 ... the Bridegroom has arrived to take His Church into the heavenly reign. Jesus is describing a future event. Right now, like the bridesmaids, we patiently await His arrival and the consummation of the wedding with its banquet. The Gospel Readings for the past weeks have told us that Jesus’ second advent will be a surprise. We don’t know when it will occur, so we wait ready for His arrival. We will become drowsy and fall asleep as we await His return, but when the cry goes out we will awake and join the wedding procession behind Jesus. Whenever Jesus arrives, we know we will be ready for we have faith in Him.

4. One of the images Jesus used to describe eternal life in His presence is the image of a marriage feast. Wedding receptions are joyous events with plenty of food, alcohol, music and dancing. It is an event to be celebrated and enjoyed by all in attendance. The feast described in Matthew 25 will be celebrated in the new creation, for on the last day God will create a new heaven and a new earth (Revelation 21,1). God will also dwell with men and women (Revelation 21,3). This is a renewal of the Garden of Eden, where Adam, Eve and God dwelt in holiness and perfection. John described this dwelling of God and mankind as the new Jerusalem.

5. We often think of eternal life with stereotypical images of sitting on clouds, playing a harp and singing hymns to Jesus all the time. That stereotypical image is downright boring, monotonous and quite inaccurate. The Bible only gives us glimpses of eternal life, but those glimpses are wonderful in description. Jesus tells us in Matthew 25 that we will celebrate a banquet with Him. Since we will have a resurrected body of flesh and blood, that implies we will really eat and drink in this eternal life. [1] John saw a vision of the new earth, and that implies ground, water, plants, animals, birds and fish. John also described a city of gold with gates, walls made of jasper, and decorated with all sorts of precious jewels. This new Jerusalem may be God’s capital on the new earth, and we will be able to go in and out at will whenever we want.

6. So what does this all mean? Eternal life may be lived here on the new earth, an earth very much like the one we experience now. As we are now stewards of this earth, we may be stewards on the new earth. We may farm, shepherd, invent and build. We may play sports, hike or lie in the shade under a tree and just think. There may be plays to see, concerts to hear, music to be produced and dances to be danced. Every extinct kind of animal and plant may be flourishing on the new earth. If the new earth is our home, then the universe may be our backyard to explore and exercise stewardship over. Imagine the potential that awaits us when our Divinely created human ingenuity is unshackled from the curse now imposed upon us!

7. Eternal life in God’s fellowship will be a return to His originally intended created order. We will have our Divine image and likeness fully restored. Original sin will be removed from our body and soul; original righteousness will be the foundation for our resurrected body. There will be no sin, no curse, no natural disasters, no disease, no infirmities, no disabilities, no strife, no violence, no hatred, no murders, no warfare and no death on the new heaven and earth. Jesus promised us full restoration and holiness.

8. The Triune God created men and women to be in perpetual fellowship with Him. For a short while, Adam and Eve experienced this fellowship. After Adam brought sin into the human race, God still desired to be in fellowship with His crowning jewel of creation, therefore He promised Eve a savior who would triumph over both sin and the serpent. Next week we begin the liturgical season of Advent with its preparation for the birth of this Savior in Bethlehem. Today we look ahead to the culmination of the salvation that our Savior Jesus brings us through His death, resurrection and second advent.

9. Jesus’ return is delayed; we do not know the day nor the hour of when He will return, therefore, we wait and watch for His second advent. Jesus will return, for He has a wedding to attend with His bride, the Church, and a splendid wedding reception to throw that is but the beginning of eternal joys for those who believe in Him as their savior from sin, death and hell.

10. Jesus teaches that when He arrives, those who were ready go in with Him to the marriage feast, and the door will be shut. Earlier, in His Beatitudes, Jesus taught: „Not everyone who says to Me: ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the reign of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven.“ (Matthew 7,21). Jesus explains this will in John 6: »For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day« (John 6,40). Thus Jesus exhorts us in Matthew 25 on this Eternity Sunday to be patient and be ready for His second advent. We believe in Him to be our Lord and Savior who will arrive to raise us up to everlasting life. Trust in Jesus to fulfill His promise, for He will do it. Amen.

10. Let us pray. O Lord Jesus Christ, Eternal Fullness of joy, make known to us the path of everlasting life so that we comfort ourselves during Your delay with the glorious pleasures at Your right hand will be forevermore. Amen.