✠ One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you ✠
The Word of the Lord Endures Forever
Verbum Domini Manet in Aeternum
1. Corinthians 4,1-5 0316
3. Sonntag im Advent: Gaudete (Rejoice) 03
Lucia, Virgin Martyr of Syracuse 304
Odilia,Virgin, Abbess, ✠ 720
13. Dezember 2015
1. O Lord God, Heavenly Father, who allowed Your Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, to become man, and to go into the world, so that He might destroy the works of the devil, deliver us poor offenders from sin and death, and give us everlasting life: We beseech You so to rule and govern our hearts by Your Holy Spirit, so that we may seek no other refuge than His word, and thus avoid all offense to which, by nature, we are inclined, in order that we may always be found among the faithful followers of Your Son, Jesus Christ, and by faith in Him obtain eternal salvation, through the same, Your Beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, One True God, world without end. Amen. (Veit Dietrich for the 3. Sunday in Advent)
2. This is how one should regard us, as slaves of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required of stewards that they be found trustworthy. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged by you or by any human court. In fact, I do not even judge myself. I am not aware of anything against myself, but I am not thereby acquitted. It is the Lord who judges me. Therefore do not pronounce judgment before the time, before the Lord arrives, who will bring to light the things now hidden in darkness and will disclose the purposes of the heart. Then each one will receive his commendation from God.
3. The Apostle Paul writes that the apostles were slaves and stewards of Christ Jesus. Such a description would apply the the prophets before them and the bishops that followed them. John the Baptizer, last of the old testament prophets, was a slave and steward of his younger cousin Jesus.
4. Matthew tells us in the 11. Chapter of his Gospel that John is imprisoned for being a prophet. His crime: he had told his king that it was not right that he had married his brother’s wife. By Matthew 11 John the Baptizer had been behind bars for about one year. Herod Antipas, King of Galilee and Perea, had imprisoned John because Herod’s wife, Herodias, was offended by John’s preaching, for John told Herod that he should not have married his brother’s (Philip) wife (14,12). Herodias was scorned by this moralistic pronouncement so John felt her fierce wrath.
5. John prepared the way for Jesus by preaching the law in all its harshness. He urged sinners to repent and start living moral, virtuous lives. Each Sunday we confess our sinfulness, repent and resolve to live better lives. Jesus followed John and preached the gospel: wretched sinner, I forgive your sins. Jesus thus told the disciples of John: »Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind regain their sight, the crippled walk, lepers are made clean, the deaf hear, the dead are raised up and the poor have the gospel preached to them. Blessed is the one who is not offended by Me.« [Isaiah 35,5; 61,1]
6. The 3. Sunday in Advent is named Gaudete: Rejoice! Jesus brings the gospel, and sinners rejoice. The sick rejoice. The infirm rejoice. Jesus gathered them into the reign of God too and welcomed them as healed, redeemed and forgiven sons and daughters of God. Rejoice, for God welcomes you and brings you salvation. Jesus was born, suffered, died and rose again to merit your forgiveness and declare you righteous and justified in the sight of God the Father.
7. The Apostle Paul tells us that when Jesus returns on the last day, then each one will receive his commendation from God. Those offended by Jesus, those who reject Him and refuse to have Him as their Lord and Savior will summarily be judged by Him to be allotted a portion with the devil and the fallen angels in hell. But those who receive Jesus, believe on Him for their salvation and trust Him as their Lord and Savior will be judged by Him to be given the inheritance due sons and daughters of God.
8. Notice how the old and new testaments are in sync. John represents the old testament, and Paul the new. The Prophet John the Baptizer sends his disciples to Jesus where they find the gospel. The Apostle Paul also points us to Jesus. First, John’s disciples: Jesus tells them that He is fulfilling the words of the Prophet Isaiah. The gospel is proclaimed so that the sick are healed and sinners are forgiven. Second, Paul’s Christian hearers: on the last day Jesus will judge. Unbelievers will be condemned, and believers will be commended. Jesus they shows us through John and Paul that the entire Scriptures, the old and new testaments, are all out the Christ. Recall what Jesus told two of His disciples as they travelled to Emmaus on the evening of His resurrection: »„Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter intoHis glory?“ And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, Jesus interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning Himself« Luke 2,26-27).
9. The Psalmist proclaims: »O Lord, You were favorable to Your land; You restored the fortunes of Jacob.You forgave the iniquity of Your people; You covered all their sin. Restore us again, O God of our Salvation, and put away Your indignation toward us. Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him, so that glory may dwell in our land. Faithfulness springs up from the ground, and righteousness looks down from the sky« (Psalm 85,1-2.4.9.11). The Apostle Paul responds to these blessed words of the Psalmist: »Rejoice in the Lord Jesus Christ always; rejoice: The Lord is at hand« (Philippians 4,4-5). The Church thus replies with the antiphonal: »Amen. Return, Lord Jesus!« (Revelation 22,20). He will return,and now we turn our attention to His first advent where He was born in Bethlehem. »The grace of the Lord Jesus be with us all« (Revelation 22,21). Amen.
10. Let us pray. O Lord God, Thou art gracious, righteous and merciful, as we await Your return on the last day, give us the grace of anticipating the glorious celebration when we worship You in remembrance of Your first advent on Christmas so that we may have Godly peace and joy. Amen.
To God alone be the Glory
Soli Deo Gloria
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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.
ELKB. Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern. www.bayern-evangelisch.de/www/index.php. Copyright © 2013 Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche in Bayern.
VELKD. Vereinigte Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Deutschlands. www.velkd.de. Copyright © 2013 Vereinigte Evangelisch-Lutherische Kirche Deutschlands.
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