Grace Evangelical-Lutheran: Luke 1,26-38. Rorate Caeli

Tuesday, December 21, 2021

Luke 1,26-38. Rorate Caeli

Luke 1,26-38 0422

Rorate Caeli 4. Advent 04

Abraham, Patriarch

Ulrik Vilhelm Koren, Pastor, Theologian, and Patriarch of Norwegian-American Lutherans. ✠ 1910. Born in Bergen, Norway.

19. Dezember 2021

1. ℣ Shower down, ye heavens from above:

℟ And let the skies pour down righteousness (Isaiah 45,8).

O Jesus, The adoration of heaven; tear our hearts and dry our tears, so that whether joy or sorrow, hopes or fears and whatever shall befall us, you comfort us this in every year. Amen. (lsb 353,4 Jesus came, the heavens adoring)

2. »In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary. And he went to her and said: „Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!“ But she was greatly troubled at the saying, and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. And the angel said to her: „Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a Son, and you shall name Him God. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to Him the throne of His father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His reign there will be no end.“ And Mary said to the angel: „How will this be, since I am a virgin?“ And the angel answered her: „The Holy Spirit will descend upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the Child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God. And behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month with her who was called barren. For nothing will be impossible with God.“ And Mary said: „Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.“ And the angel departed from her.«

3. Since Eve, the world had awaited the arrival of the Messiah. From Eve, the promise passed through Seth’s wife, Noah’s wife, Shem’s wife, Sarah, Rebecca and Leah; through Ruth, Bathsheba and, finally, through Mary. The promise of the Messiah branches through 76 matriarchal generations (from Luke … 3040 years with 40 years per generation).

4. 2000 years ago the Angel Gabriel was sent from God to Mary; he addressed her: »Greetings, O favored one, Yahweh is with you. You have found a favor with God. You will conceive and bear a son; you shall name him Jesus. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David.«

5. To find favor with God is no small thing. Gabriel puts Mary in the company of Noah, Abraham, Joseph and Moses who also found favor with God. We are told of Noah, that he found favor in the eyes of Yahweh (Genesis 6,8). חנ grace, charm, favor; χάριν grace, favor, delight; from the same root as χαίρω: to be happy. Noah was a righteous man and blameless in his generation (Genesis 6,9). Yahweh saved the human race through Noah; and Yahweh saved the human race through Mary.

6. Τηε declaration to Mary that her son Jesus will be given a throne of David fulfills what Yahweh told the Prophet Isaiah »Yahweh called me from the womb, from the body of My mother He named My name: You are My servant, Israel, in whom I will be glorified. It is too light a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make You as a Light for the nations, so that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth. In a time of favor I have answered You; in a day of salvation I have helped You« (Isaiah 49,1.3.6.8).

7. Mary’s response to Gabriel is: »I am the servant of Yahweh; let it be to me according to your word.« Mary, the servant of Yahweh will bear the Son of God who is likewise a Servant of Yahweh. With the announcement of Jesus’ forthcoming birth, what Yahweh spoke through the Prophet Isaiah is about to be fulfilled: »Say to the daughter of Zion: „Behold, your salvation arrives; behold, His reward is with Him, and His recompense before Him.“ And they shall be called the Holy People, the Redeemed of Yahweh« (Isaiah 62,11-12).

8. The O antiphon for this day points us to the Christ who fulfilled the words of Isaiah:

℣ O Root of Jesse, standing as an Ensign of the people, before whom all kings are mute, to whom the Gentiles will seek:

℟ Draw near quickly to deliver us (Isaiah 11,10; Psalm 40,13).

9. Jesus, the Root of Jesse does deliver us: from our sinfulness, from the tribulation of this cursed, fallen world, from illness and infirmity, from pandemics and pestilence. He is the Light that shines in the darkness; He is the Beacon that shines forth from heaven. Mary followed Him as a servant and we also follow Him as servants. We bring forth His Light in the corners of the world still in darkness.

10. God is your Treasure, He your joy,

Your Life and Light and Lord,

Your Counselor when doubts annoy,

Your Shield and Great Reward (lsb 737,2 Rejoice, My Heart, Be Glad and Sing Gerhardt). This is most certainly true.

10. The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippines 4,7). Amen.

11. Let us pray. O Lord God, Heavenly Father, by Your Son You have revealed to us that heaven and earth will pass away, that our bodies will rise again and that we all must appear before the judgment throne. Keep us in Your Word by Your Holy Spirit, establish us in the true faith, graciously defend us from sin and preserve us in all temptations, so that our hearts may not be obsessed with carousing, drunkenness and foolish cares, but that we may always watch and pray, trust fully in Your grace, await with joy the glorious advent of Your Son and at last obtain eternal salvation. Amen. (The Pomeranian Church Order and Agenda, 1854 p. 283.1; Stratman 26-27).

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.

Grace Evangelical-Lutheran

Grace Evangelical Lutheran Church

Tuesday, December 21, 2021

Luke 1,26-38. Rorate Caeli

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