Grace Evangelical-Lutheran: December 2018

Thursday, December 27, 2018

Isaiah 9,1-6. Christvesper

✠ One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you ✠

The Word of the Lord Endures Forever

se cwide þæs béaggiefan ábireþ ferhþ

Isaiah 9,1-6 0519

Christvesper 05

Adam and Eve

24. Dezember 2018

1. O Well-beloved Emmanuel, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Highest, and Son of the Virgin, we give thanks unto You that, You have come to us from the Father’s throne into this misery below, taking upon Yourself our flesh and blood, so that we might be made partakers of Your own Divine nature. Now, indeed, has the Heavenly Father shared His loving heart with us; and in You is His wrath appeased. By Your holy birth, we are born again unto heaven, and You have become the veritable gateway of heaven for us; and by You we have access unto the Father, and abundant entrance into Your reign. O then help, Dear Lord, Gracious Emmanuel, so that we may rightly realize the mystery of Your revelation in our flesh (Löhe 448-50).

2. But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time the Lord brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time He has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people who walked in darkness have seen a Great Light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined. You have multiplied the nation; You have increased its joy; they rejoice before You as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the spoil. For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, You have broken as on the day of Midian. For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire. For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder, and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

3. When the Prophet Isaiah spoke the words of the Lord, Judah was in dire straights; they were in the midst of a 16-year rule by the wicked King Ahaz. He worshipped false idols and had offerings made to them on the high places, on the hills and under every green tree (2. Kings 16,4). Worse still, he offered up one of his sons to the fire of Moloch (2. Kings 16,3). Child sacrifice was part of Moloch worship: the large bronze statue had the head of a bull, the torso and arms of a man and the base was a furnace: children were thrown into the fire and sacrificed.

4. Isaiah told Ahaz to repent: »If you do not stand firm in the faith of the Lord, then you shall not stand at all« (Isaiah 7,9). »The Lord will bring on you and on your people such days as have not been seen since the day Israel in the north was taken into captivity by the king of Assyria« (Isaiah 7,17). Isaiah promised a time of gloom and anguish for idolatrous Judah; the Lord judged Judah’s sin 100 years later when He sent the nation into Babylonian Captivity.

5. Nevertheless, the gospel shone forth. »But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time the Lord brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time He has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations. The people who walked in darkness have seen a Great Light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.« The antiphon for 21. December proclaims:

℣ O Morning Star, splendor of Light Everlasting and Sun of Righteous- | ness: *

℟ Draw near and enlighten those who dwell in darkness and the shad- | ow of death.

Jesus is the Morning Star whose Divine Light shines upon us, bathing us in His righteousness, and enlightening us who sat in our sin and the shadow of gloom. „Jesus Christ is the Morning Star and Bright Light in the heavens, who descended to mankind upon this Earth, His radiance is brighter than the sun, more radiant above all the stars, who illumines forever all the tides of time! He is God indeed begotten of God, True Son of the True Father, eternal without beginning in heavens’s glory, His handiwork is sorely needed, and He has entered our midst as the Radiant Sun to enlighten us who for too long were wrapped around with darkness and here in gloom, have sat the lifelong night; shrouded in sin death’s dark shadow we have endured. Now we faithfully trust in the salvation Christ brings to the host of men through His Father’s own Word“ (Cynewulf 104-120).

6. the Prophet Isaiah prophesied that the Lord’s Messiah would: »break the yoke of our burden and the bar across our shoulders.« We celebrate the birth of this Savior tonight. »For to us a Child is born, to us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder, and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.« »He shall inaugurate endless peace for He shall establish and uphold this peace with justice and righteousness forever and ever« (Isaiah 9,7).

7. The very Son of God was incarnate in the virgin Mary, has taken into His Godhood human flesh and was born in the city of David. Christ birth brings peace from God to you for He is born to be your Redeemer from sin and the devil. In Christ, you have peace, joyous peace. Rejoice and be merry, for unto you this day we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

8. Let us pray. O Christ Jesus, Born this day our Savior, on this day appears to us which God has sanctified. Help us to see this glorious gospel in Word and Carol which proclaims that today the Great Light descends upon the earth, so that we can rejoice in all things and give thanks to You who is the greatest gift given to us by our Heavenly Father. Amen.

To God alone be the Glory

Gode ealdore sy se cyneþrymm

✠

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.

Luke 1,39-56. Rorate Caeli

✠ One Message: Christ crucified and risen for you ✠

The Word of the Lord Endures Forever

se cwide þæs béaggiefan ábireþ ferhþ

Luke 1,39-56 0419

Rorate Cæli; Shower down, O heavens; 4. Sonntag im Advent 04

Servulus, beggar at Rome ✠ 589

23. Dezember 2018

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. »In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry: „Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should visit me? For behold, when the sound of your greeting entered my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy. And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.“ 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 who fear 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 empty away. He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his offspring forever.“ And Mary remained with her about three months and returned to her home.«

3. It is the 4. Sunday in Advent, and the arrival of the Christ is now imminent. Today is the eve of Christmas Eve, and the heavens shower down the Glory of the Lord. Our Gospel pericope recounts when the Son of God was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the Virgin Mary. Thus the Church believes, teaches and confesses that Mary is the θεοτοκος, the bearer of God.

4. The Prophet Isaiah speaks of this 700 years earlier when he told King Ahaz in 735 bc: »The Lord Himself will give you a sign of His deliverance. Behold, the virgin will conceive and bear a son, and He will be named Immanuel, God is with us (Isaiah 7,14). Mary’s response to this prophetic fulfillment in her womb was to immediately go to her cousin Elizabeth so she could greet her who was pregnant with the Christ’s forerunner who would prepare His way. The very moment Mary’s voice is heard, John leaps for joy in his mother’s womb and Elizabeth blesses Mary and her Child. Luke tells us that the Prophets (particularly Isaiah 7,14 and Malachi 3,1; 4,5-6) have been fulfilled with the conception of John and Jesus.

5. Mary’s Child would fulfill the promise given in Genesis 3,15: He would strike the head of the Serpent who had caused Adam and Eve to disobey God and thus fall into sin. In striking the Serpent’s head, Jesus defeats him and conquers sin, death and hades. Jesus is the Blessing for all nations, first to the Jews and also to the Gentiles. Jesus is the Son of God (Luke 1,35), the Son of Man (Luke 5,24), Immanuel (Matthew 1,23), Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9,6), the Lion of the tribe of Judah (Revelation 5,5), the Α and the Ω, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End (Revelation 22,13). Jesus was sent to save the world from its sin.

6. The Apostle Paul told the Roman Christians: »The Jews are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the Law, the worship and the promises, the Patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ who is God over all, blessed forever« (Romans 9,4-5). Jesus is the Jewish Messiah promised to the Patriarchs. His lineage stretches back through David, Jesse, Judah, Jacob (Israel), Isaac and Abraham. Paul also says that Jesus is the Gentile Christ. The Prophet Isaiah even foretold this: »The Root of Jesse, who shall stand as a signal for the peoples – of Him shall the nations inquire, and His resting place shall be glorious« (Isaiah 11,10).

7. 23. December also concludes the final of 7 Advent antiphons expecting the arrival of the Christ. Today’s antiphon is:

℣ O Immanuel, our King, Law-giver and Lord, the Longing of the nations and their | Savior: *

℟ Draw near and save us, O | Lord our God.

Mary sang about this saving God to Elizabeth: »The Lord who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His Name.« Mary’s Lord is our Lord; He has done great things for us. Tomorrow we will celebrate His birth into this fallen, depraved world of sinners and rejoice in God the Father’s great salvation gift to us. Amen.

8. 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

Gode ealdore sy se cyneþrymm

✠

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 28. Revised Edition © 2012 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.

Sunday, December 23, 2018

O Immanuel antiphon. 23. December

O Immanuel

℣ O Immanuel, our King, Law-giver and LORD, the Longing of the nations and their | Savior: *

℟ Draw near and save us, O | LORD our God.

Therefore the LORD Himself will give you a sign. Look, the virgin is with Child and shall bear a Son, and shall name Him Immanuel (Isaiah 7,14).

The Apostle Matthew proclaims in His Gospel the fulfillment of Isaiah 7,14: Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall name Him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son,

and they shall call His name Immanuel”

(which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he named Him Jesus.

Prayer: O Christ Jesus, our Immanuel, draw near us and be with us in Your Word and Sacraments so that we may rejoice and celebrate Your birth into our world. Amen.

Saturday, December 22, 2018

O King of the Nations antiphon. 22. December

O Rex Gentium

℣ O King of the nations, the Ruler they long for, the Cornerstone uniting all | people: *

℟ Draw near and save mankind, whom You formed | out of clay.

For to us a Child has been born and a Son has been given; authority rests upon His shoulders, and He is called Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9,6). He shall judge between the nations, and shall arbitrate for all people; they shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, and neither shall they learn war anymore (Isaiah 2,4). Thus says the Lord God: Behold, I am the one who has laid as a foundation in Zion, a Stone, a Tested Stone, a Precious Cornerstone, of a Sure Foundation; Whoever believes will not be in haste. (Isaiah 28,16). For Jesus Himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in His flesh the dividing wall of hostility (Ephesians 2,14).

Jesus is the King of the nations and the Cornerstone of His Church. He is the Beginning and the End, the First and the Last, the one who is all and fulfills all. This incarnate Jesus was born to redeem fallen mankind from sin, death and hell; He was born to restore mankind's broken fellowship from God the Father. All that has been sundered will be rebound; all that is lost will be found; all who are built on Him will endure for ever and ever.

Prayer: O Christ Jesus, King of the nations, send forth the Holy Spirit to proclaim the gospel so that in hearing we are grounded upon the solid foundation of the prophets and the apostles with You the Cornerstone, our everlasting salvation. Amen.

O Morning Star antiphon. 21. December

O Oriens

℣ O Morning Star, Splendor of the Eternal Light and Sun of | justice: *

℟ Draw near and give light to those who sit in darkness and the shad- | ow of death.

The people who walked in darkness have seen a Great Light; those who lived in a land of deep darkness -- on them Light has shined (Isaiah 9,2). Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the Lord has spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me (Isaiah 60,2). But unto you that fear My Name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in His wings; and you shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall (Malachi 4,2).

Jesus is the Morning Star who shines down the Divine Light upon mankind. His Majestic Light drives away the darkness. His Light reveals the path of righteousness and salvation, a path that leads to the darkness of the cross, death and the grave, but also a path that leads from the tomb with the light of resurrection.

Cynewulf writes in his Anglo-Saxon poem of Christ:

Hail Morning Star, Brightest of angels Thou,

sent unto men upon this middle-earth,

Thou art the True Brilliance of the sun,

radiant above the stars, and from Thyself

illuminest forever all the tides of time!

And as Thou, God indeed begotten of God,

Thou Son of the True Father, wast from aye

without beginning in the heavens glory,

so now Thy handiwork in its sore need

prayeth Thee boldly, that Thou send to us

the Radiant Sun, and that Thou come Thyself

to enlighten those who for so long a time,

were wrapt around with darkness and here in gloom,

have sat the lifelong night; shrouded in sin

death’s dark shadow had they to endure.

Hopeful now we trust in the salvation

brought to the hosts of men through God’s own Word,

which was in the beginning co-eternal

with God, the Almighty Father and is now

flesh void of blemish, that the maiden bare

to help the wretched. God was seen ’mong us

in all His sinlessness; together they dwelt

the Creator’s Mighty Son and the Son of Man

in peace on earth wherefore as it is meet

we may well thank the Lord of Triumph aye,

that He vouchsafed to send to us Himself (Crist 104-129).

Prayer: O Lord Jesus Christ, the Morning Star, shine upon us with the light of Your grace and mercy, so that we may bask in the glory of Your righteousness that You have merited for us. Amen.

Thursday, December 20, 2018

O Key of David antiphon. 20. December

O Clavis David

℣ O Key of David and Scepter of the house of Israel, You open and no one can close, You close and no one can | open: *

℟ Draw near and rescue the prisoners who are in darkness and the shad- | ow of death.

I will place on His shoulder the key of the house of David; He shall open, and no one shall shut; He shall shut, and no one shall open (Isaiah 22,22)

His authority shall grow continually, and there shall be endless peace for the throne of David and His kingdom. He will establish and uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time onwards and for evermore (Isaiah 9,7).

To open the blind eyes, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison house (Isaiah 42,7).

Sometimes, the Prophet Isaiah is called the Fifth Evangelist or Gospel because he has many verses prophesying about the Messiah. The O Antiphons contain several of them. The Scriptures are also clear that the Messiah descends from the House of David. This is why many thought at the time of Jesus that the Messiah would be a earthly king similar to David, and that He would rule over a united Israel after driving out all the pagans and their idolatrous culture, but Jesus said His kingdom is not of this world. His kingdom is a heavenly kingdom that is concerned with saving mankind, both Jews and Gentiles. Jesus was born to redeem all men and women.

Prayer: O Christ Jesus, Thou Key of David, unlock the hearts of the unbelievers so that when they hear the gospel they will believe and be counted as citizens in Your reign. Amen.

Wednesday, December 19, 2018

O Root of Jesse antiphon. 19. December

O Radix Jesse

℣ O Root of Jesse, standing as an Ensign before the peoples, before whom all kings are mute, to whom the nations will do | homage: *

℟ Draw near quickly to de- | liver us.

A Shoot shall come out from the stock of Jesse, and a Branch shall grow out of his roots. On that day the Root of Jesse shall stand as a Signal to the peoples; the nations shall inquire of Him, and His dwelling shall be glorious (Isaiah 11,1.10). But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall He go forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting (Micah 5,2). And again, Isaiah says: There shall be a Root of Jesse, and He shall arise to reign over the Gentiles; in Him shall the Gentiles trust (Romans 15,12).

The Apostle Paul writes: The Jews are Israelites, and to them belong the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law, the worship and the promises. To them belong the patriarchs, and from their race, according to the flesh, is the Christ who is God over all, blessed forever (Romans 9,4-5). Jesus is the Jewish Messiah promised to all the patriarchs. His lineage stretches back through David, Jesse, Judah, Jacob (Israel), Isaac and Abraham. But Paul also says that Jesus is also the Christ of the Gentiles (the nations). The Prophet Isaiah even foretold this (11,10). Jesus is thus the Savior of the entire world: no nation, race or people is left out; He was born to redeem all men and women. Through Abraham's offspring all the Earth has been blessed.

Prayer: O Jesus Christ, Thou Root of Jesse, send forth the Holy Spirit to preach the gospel so that all nations and people may hear and believe that Jesus was born and has obtained eternal life and salvation for all people. Amen.

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

O Adonai antiphon. 18. December

O Adonai

℣ O Adonai and Ruler of the house of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the Burning Bush and gave him the Law on | Sinai: *

℟ Draw near with outstretched arm and re- | deem us.

The LORD shall judge the poor with righteousness, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; He shall strike the earth with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt around His waist and faithfulness the belt around His loins (Isaiah 11,4-5), for the LORD is our Judge, Ruler and our King; He will save us (Isaiah 33,22). And Moses said: I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt (Exodus 3,2). The LORD said to Moses: Draw near to Me onto the mount, and I will give you tablets of stone, a law and commandments which I have written; so that you may teach them (Exodus 24,12).

Adonai is Hebrew for "Lord". In this antiphon we confess that Jesus is the LORD. We tend to confine Jesus to only the New Testament, but as this antiphon reminds us: He also appears in the Old Testament. We call these pre-incarnation appearances of Jesus "theophanies" (Theophany is Greek and means "the appearance of God to a human being"). Jesus is the one who who walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden. Jesus is the one who spoke the law to the serpent but gospel to Eve. Jesus is the one who appeared in the Burning Bush to Moses. These all show that Jesus appears to redeem His people. He fulfilled those promises in the New Testament with His death and resurrection. His birth in Bethlehem heralds that great redemption.

Prayer: O Jesus Christ, Thou our LORD, send out Your grace through the gospel so that we may be assured that You have purchased our forgiveness and earned for us eternal life. Amen.

Monday, December 17, 2018

O Wisdom antiphon. 17. December

O Sapientia

℣ O Wisdom, proceeding from the mouth of the Most High, pervading and permeating all creation, mightily ordering | all things: *

℟ Draw near and teach us the way of | prudence.

The Spirit of the LORD shall rest on Him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD. His delight shall be in the fear of the LORD (Isaiah 11,2-3), for He is wonderful in counsel and excellent in wisdom(Isaiah 28,29). I came out of the mouth of the Most High, and covered the earth as a cloud (Sirach 24,3). Wisdom reaches from one end to another mightily: and sweetly does she order all things (Wisdom of Solomon 8,1).

The Gospel according to John tells us that Jesus is the Word of God made flesh (John 1). Jesus preceded from His Father and was incarnate upon this earth through the Virgin Mary. Jesus is the very image and likeness of His Father; He has arrived to restore fallen mankind to that Divine image and likeness.

Jesus is also the Wisdom of God. In the Divine wisdom of the Triune God, the Second Person of the Trinity would be sent to Earth in order to redeem fallen mankind. Advent prepares us for the celebration of His arrival in the little town of Bethlehem. This Child of Mary would then grow up, and as the Messiah and Christ, He would be the Light to the Gentiles and the Glory of Israel.

Prayer: O Jesus Christ, Thou Wisdom of God the Father, pour forth upon us Your wisdom so that we see that the Holy Scriptures speak of You and Your redemption of men and women. Amen.

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church