​Quinquagesima                                                                                                                                    February 14, 2021
1 Corinthians 13:1-13
 
Love Is…
 
v.4-7 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude.  It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth.  Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
 
          Well, dear friends in Christ, there certainly is a great deal of talk about the “L” word this weekend, isn’t there?  Today is a special day in which we take the time to let those wonderful people in our lives know just how much we truly love them.  However, there is much confusion in our world today about just exactly what love is.  If you listen to any music lyrics on the radio—and there are a lot out there that talk about love—love is anything from "war" to "perfect" to "real" to "loud" to "reason" to "crazy" and anything and everything in between.  However, perhaps the song that best captures our societal view on love is the 80s rock band INXS with their song, “Love is (What I Say).” 
          That pretty much sums it up.  We human beings tend to want to think about love in whatever way we choose—making it mean for us whatever we want it to mean—which, rather than give love more meaning—ends up emptying it of all meaning.  Indeed, far too many today confuse love and lust.  No other day is this more true than St. Valentine's Day.  A day in which many people, both young and old indulge their lust with inappropriate sexual activity (ranging from adultery to fornication and everything and everything in between) all in the name of love.
          Sadly, love has come to mean for far too many people that indefinable ooey gooey feeling that they get inside whenever they are with, or are thinking about, that special someone.  But what happens when it is gone?  What happens when that feeling grows weak or even non-existent?  Is it time to cut the person loose—regardless of the consequences to family, friends, neighbours, relatives, and church—and simply start over new with someone else?  Unfortunately, as you well know—that is exactly what happens in far too many cases.  And I am sure that St. Valentine (who literally gave up his life to the cruel Roman Emperor Claudius II for his stance on the sanctity of Christian love and marriage) would be rolling over in his grave if he knew the state of things presently—not just in the world—but in the church of Christ herself.
          For the Bible has a great deal to tell us about love.  I found it very ironic that the epistle reading for this day, which just happens to land on St. Valentine’s Day this year, is that oft quoted Scripture passage that is read at so many weddings.  Indeed, the Holy Spirit, speaking through the Apostle Paul, tells us in no uncertain terms exactly what love is.  Love is…patient, kind, it does not envy or boast, is not arrogant or rude, nor does it insist on its own way, neither is it irritable or resentful, and it certainly does not rejoice in wrongdoing, but rather rejoices with the truth.  Love bears, believes, hopes, and endures all things—and it never ends.
          So, dear friends in Christ, how are you doing with all of that?  How patient are you with those whom you supposedly love?  When was the last time you were envious of a loved one in your life—when was the last time you were rude or grouchy?  Think about it and see if you can remember the last time that you didn’t insist on your own way (in your heart if not out loud), and also secretly (or out loud) rejoice at the other’s wrongdoing?  How well are you at bearing all things from those whom you love?  How well are you at enduring all things? 
Often, we’re pretty good at doing this with ourselves.  After all, we tend to love ourselves best.  But we’re not so good at these things when it comes to others—we may be OK at it with our closest loved ones—though not necessarily—and certainly not all the time.  But to really put this into perspective—how are you at bearing the annoying habits of your neighbours?  To take it even a step further—what about perfect strangers—you know the ones who cut you off on the road?  And to take it to its furthest point—how are you at bearing all the hurtful activities of your enemies—their hurtful action, comments, and rumours, etc.?  Not so good, huh?  Me either.
Which is why we as Christians need to be so clear whenever we talk about love.  Often, we may unintentionally lead people astray by saying things like, “Love is the answer.”  We equate love with the Gospel at times (the forgiveness of sins in Christ), but when we look at passages like 1 Corinthians 13 in which love is talked about a great deal we see that love, theologically speaking, is Law.  This means that love is better talked about in terms of the Ten Commandments.  Indeed, the Ten Commandments (which will be our focus for the season of Lent) are the greatest and simplest explication of what Christian love is supposed to look like—they are love in action:  love for God—and love for neighbour. 
And now, look at our text, Paul is telling us how to love one another (and, by the way, he wasn’t talking to married couples, but simply to all Christians in general and how we’re supposed to treat each other in the church).  But where does this text leave us if all we are talking about is love—our love?  It leaves us exposed before God, loved one, neighbour, strangers, and enemies alike as failing miserably at this.
For our love is most definitely NOT this—our love is NOT what it’s supposed to be--agape--an all-consuming sacrificial love.  But as we are brought to our knees in despair—we see that if our love is so imperfect—then we must look to the love of another.  We must find the love of one who is perfect—of one whose love is perfect—and that takes us right to Jesus Christ and the sacrifice of His cross.  For God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). 
Indeed, God’s love alone is patient—long suffering our sinful and unloving behaviour toward Him and one another.  God’s love alone is kind—bearing all things—for He sent His only-begotten Son to suffer and die—to bear in His flesh all the evil, all the hatred (for that is what lack of love truly is), all of our sin—and sacrifice Himself for it on the cross of Calvary, in order to purchase for us forgiveness of sins and life and love everlasting.  “For we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. (Evidenced for us in the cross of Christ)  God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in Him.” (1 John 4:16). 
For you see, dear friends in Christ, love—perfect love--true selfless love—became incarnate in the person of Jesus Christ.  Look at His life of love in the Gospel records.  See how He had such compassion and mercy on the people.  See how He came to live that life of love that you and I cannot and will not, this side of heaven, fulfilling all of the Ten Commandments perfectly.  See how He came to die in your place—see how He came to take up your sin and nail it to the cross in His broken and beaten body—crying out in agony and torment—suffering the full and terrible wrath of God for your lack of love—why?  Because of His great love for you.  It is His great and perfect love for you that removes your guilt and sin—for by His bloody stripes have you been healed.
And that is what love is, dearly beloved.  Love is not just ooey gooey feelings.  Love is action.  Love is truth.  Love is patience and kindness and mercy.  Love is…Jesus hanging dead on the cross…for your sins and mine.  And though this love may seem crazy to the unbelieving world—yet it is the power of God for the salvation of all who believe.  And this love empowers us and moves us to be more loving to those around us—to serve and to care for others regardless of how unkindly they may treat us—to put up with all annoyances—to put away our anger and irritability—to selflessly bear all things in our body as Christ has done for us. 
For we don’t live lives of love to earn God’s love, but because we have already freely received it.  He has poured forth His love for us in our Baptism—bathing us with the blood of the beloved Son.  And it is His love that renews and strengthens us each day of our lives.  His great love for you has broken the chains of sin and death that entangled you—His love has thrown down Satan from on high.  His love has set you free—to live—and to love—as He has first loved you.  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.  

​Sexagesima                                                                                                                                            February 7, 2021
Luke 8:4-15
 
Spreading the Seed of Hope
 
v.11 & 15   “Now the parable is this:  The seed is the Word of God...As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the Word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.”
 
          Beloved in Christ, this parable has often led me to wonder, “why is the sower so careless with his seed?”  I mean, what farmer would be so absolutely foolish to scatter his seed among the pathways, the rocks, and the weeds?  You certainly don’t see any farmers around today doing that sort of thing—with their seed spreader turned on and churning out their precious seed as they travel along the road between their fields.  You don’t see them going to the gravel pit and scattering their seed over there because it would be so foolish and wasteful.
Nor do we carelessly spread our seed around in the grass or underneath bushes or on the sidewalk and driveway when we are planting our own gardens, do we?  When Jolene and I plant our flower gardens each year, I can tell you that we are very careful about where and how we plant our seedlings.  And I know that many of you share the same passion for gardening—we carefully plant, water, and nurture it so that we may watch it grow from tiny seeds to beautiful plants that lead us to marvel at God’s beautiful creation.
For, we have read the books, watched the television programs, learned from our parents and grandparents, friends and neighbours, about just exactly how to plant the seed for our gardens and care for them so they will grow.  Unfortunately, we are not nearly so sure and certain of ourselves when it comes to the seed of the Word of God.  Often we are unsure how to plant that Word of God home in the soil of our own hearts, let alone spreading that seed in the hearts of others. 
What does Jesus tell us?  For our hearts to be good soil, we are to “hold the Word fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience.”  Unfortunately, our hearts are not honest and good, nor do they often bear good fruit with patience.  For as Jesus says in Matthew 15:19, “out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander.  These are what defile a person.”  So, if our hearts are by nature sinful and unclean as we regularly confess, how can they be made good to properly receive the Word of God?  Not by anything that WE do.
No, indeed, the soil of our hearts is anything but good, so it must be cultivated by the Holy Spirit, harrowing deeply into our hearts with the Law so as to crush the rocks of rebellion and sin that afflict us, along with the thorny entanglements of this sinful world (the pleasures and cares of this life) which seek to choke and kill us by tearing us away from Christ.  The Law of God comes to us and lays us low.  It humbles us before our Almighty Creator and leads us to be ready to receive the life-giving nutrients of the Gospel in the Living Word—Jesus Christ our Saviour.
The Gospel turns our hearts from that of stone to hearts of flesh and it kills the weeds of sin that seek to entrap and entangle us at every turn.  The Gospel acts as a ward to fend off the attacks of the evil one who would try to come and snatch away the faith that God has sown so deeply into our hearts, through His precious Word. 
For not only has God sown the seed in the Word, but He continues to nourish and care for it through His holy church in the means of grace.  He richly and daily waters our faith in Holy Baptism that we may daily repent of our sin and our hearts might constantly be made ready to receive the life-giving Word again and again.  Baptism acts as a cleansing flood—washing away the rocks of rebellion and drowning the weeds of sin from the Old Adam—over and over again.  Each time we make the sign of the cross, each time we hear forgiveness proclaimed in the triune name of our God:  Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, we are led to repentance and faith—strengthened in His rich grace and mercy whereby we have received the full forgiveness of all our sin. 
Our God nourishes us with the true and holy body and blood of Jesus that is given into our mouths to eat and to drink with the bread and wine of the Holy Supper.  This holy food is so strengthening and nourishing that it causes the faith in our hearts to grow and grow—becoming green and alive—not with envy, but with faith and eternal life—secure in the complete forgiveness of all our sins that have been fully paid by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ on the cross.  He truly is the food of life.
This is so because Christ Jesus is the Seed, the promised one from whom all blessings flow.  He is the Seed that God promised Adam and Eve would come in Genesis 3:15 to “bruise/crush the head” of the serpent.  But, in order to destroy Satan’s hold over us through sin and death, Jesus Himself had to first suffer and die.  In John 12:24, Jesus said, “unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”  And as Paul wrote to the Corinthians in 1 Cor. 15:20, since “Christ has been raised from the dead, [He is] the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.”
Beloved in Christ, what great Good News is this!  For our Lord Jesus Christ is the Seed of hope in the face of death and all the cares and trials of this life.  He Himself has gone first through the agony and suffering of death for our sin, in our place, so that by His victory over sin, death, and hell in His glorious resurrection, we, too, may have new and everlasting life.  And we can trust this promise because His resurrection has confirmed it—He is the firstfruits, and we who have faith will certainly follow Him into His everlasting kingdom of righteousness.
And this Seed, the living Word, Jesus Christ, would have us scatter and sow His Gospel Word broadly and sweepingly into all the farthest corners of the earth.  So that all may hear of His coming and rejoice in the free salvation and forgiveness for all sin that He brings to those who confess His name and believe in His work on the cross for them.  Beloved, it is not our responsibility to make the seed grow into fruits of faith, but rather simply to scatter the Word far and wide. 
For it is God and God alone who causes all things to grow, from the wheat in the fields, to grapes on the vines, to the faith in our hearts.  It is His work from start to finish.  He is the one who will accomplish the purpose for that which He sent it as He says in Isaiah 55.  Also, as St. Peter writes in his first epistle 1:23, “you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and abiding Word of God.” 
Jesus is the one who causes us to grow in our faith through the means that He Himself has established in His holy church:  Holy Baptism, Holy Absolution, and Holy Communion.  Through these blessed acts Christ comes to us and gives us everything that He won on the cross—forgiveness of all our sins, everlasting life, and salvation.  These strengthen and nourish the faith that has been planted into our hearts so that come what may this side of heaven: be it sickness or injury, job loss or economic catastrophe, marital and relationship problems, death to friends and family alike, or anything else, we may rest secure in His loving embrace.  Knowing, without a doubt, that He is by our side—and that He has washed us in the blood of His Son, giving to us the robe of Christ’s own righteousness and granting us a place in His heavenly family. 
Dearly beloved brothers and sisters in Christ, the Father would not have us hold onto this seed for ourselves, but would rather that we spread it liberally everywhere that we go—into any circumstance that we find ourselves—so that His Word may be heard by all people.  Only His Word has the power to break through hardened hearts of sin and rebellion as He has done with ours.  Let us go forth joyfully into the world with this ultimate message of peace and hope that is found nowhere else, but in Christ Jesus, remembering that wherever and whenever repentance and forgiveness are proclaimed in Jesus’ name; wherever and whenever the Sacraments of Holy Baptism, Holy Absolution, and Holy Communion are administered according to the Word of Christ—there He is—and there will be growth a hundredfold, a thousandfold, and beyond—unto life eternal.  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.
          

​Septuagesima                                                                                                                                         January 31, 2021
Exodus 17:1-7
 
A Grumbling, Grouchy People
 
v.3     But the people thirsted there for water, and the people grumbled against Moses and said, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?"
 
          Dear friends in Christ, today's text is a difficult one for us to examine.  Not because it is so hard to understand, but rather because it reveals a very uncomfortable truth about each of us—about the nature and condition of our hearts—about the fickleness of our faith and trust in God.  The context for our text is that the Lord, through Moses, had brought the people of Israel out of their captivity in Egypt through the great Exodus.  Remember the Ten Plagues?  Remember the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night, indicating God's presence among them as they moved from place to place?  God had delivered them from the hands of the Egyptian army as they crossed the Red Sea—allowing the Israelites to pass through on dry ground, while drowning Pharaoh and his soldiers behind them.  Just in the previous chapter of Exodus, the Israelites had been blessed by God with a provision of Manna and Quail in the wilderness, that they might eat meat and bread freely during their long journey.  So God had graciously demonstrated His loving care and provision for His people time and time again.
          And yet, as they camp at Rephidim, it is discovered that there is no water to drink.  Immediately, their response is to quarrel with Moses—as if all this were his fault—they are really angry with God.  They demand of Moses, "Give us water to drink," like petulant children.  How quickly they forgot God's gracious providence toward them—His miraculous power—His steadfast love and devotion!  Rather than trust in the One who had brought them so far, against impossible odds, they turn against Him in unbelief.  Why, they even ascribe to Moses and God wicked intent in bringing them into the wilderness, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt, to kill us and our children and our livestock with thirst?"
          To be fair, the Israelites were scared.  And scared people say and do irrational things.  They lash out at anyone and everyone nearby, seeking someone to blame.  Sound familiar?  It should.  This is often our response when things don't go our way—or the way that WE think they should go—meaning for our benefit.  We cannot look at this text and sit in judgement over the ancient Israelites, decrying their lack of faith, when we do the same thing today.  Now, we might not be willing to go out and stone our pastors (thanks for that, by the way), but we certainly feel free to grumble against God in our hearts. 
          Let's be honest, there have been many situations this past year where we have looked at the state of the world, the state of our own lives, and shook our fist at God, wondering what in the world He is thinking allowing such things to happen.  Whether it be the pandemic, the lost jobs, the riots, the hurricanes, etc., etc.  We are very good at complaining, and at directing our anger and frustration against others we believe to be responsible.  And if God is God, then He certainly must be the ONE who is ultimately responsible for all our woes.
          Of course, we know from Scripture that this simply isn't so.  The Bible declares that God made His creation good.  It was mankind that broke God's good creation with our rebellion against Him in the Garden.  WE are responsible for all the suffering, pain, and death that we see around us, not God. 
          Yet, what is God's response to His people's grumbling against Him?  Does He smite them with some plague?  Does He simply wipe them off the face of the earth?  No, indeed.  In our text, we see the grace and mercy of God on full display.  He instructs Moses to take with him some of the elders of Israel that all that would be done could be attested to by many witnesses for the rest of the people.  Such is always the case with Christianity.  Nothing is done in secret.  There is no hidden knowledge or revelation.  It is out there, plain as day, for all to see in the pages of Holy Scripture. 
          Then God directs Moses, "Behold, I will stand before you there on the rock at Horeb, and you shall strike the rock, and water shall come out of it, and the people will drink."  In the sight of the elders of Israel Moses took the staff and struck the rock at Horeb—the rock upon which the Lord stood—and water came out of that rock and all the people drank.  Beloved, take note of that.  Moses didn't just strike any old rock—he was directed by God to strike the very rock upon which the Lord Himself stood before them.  Moses was to strike the Lord, and water flowed—the people were saved.
          Just so, the Lord Jesus, the incarnate God, the same One who stood on the rock at Horeb—would later be struck on the cross of Calvary.  He would be struck the furious blow of the full wrath of God the Father.  Jesus would suffer and die on the cross—and from His dead, broken body would flow blood and water—and the people would be saved.  Our great thirst for righteousness would be satisfied.
          Rather than strike us down in our sinfulness—our grumbling—our ingratitude—our lack of faith and trust—God acts in mercy.  He strikes down His own beloved Son in our place.  Jesus endured the agony of the cross so that you and I would never have to.  That by His death all our sins would be paid in full.  Despite our sinfulness, God acts in grace to save us.  Such is His wondrous love for His people—even sinners like you and me.
          We are so richly blessed, people loved by God, to have a God who is with us—not in wrath and judgement—but in mercy and peace.  Mercy and peace bought with the blood of Jesus.  For on the cross, Jesus' body poured out both blood and water.  And now we are led by God to drink deeply of the blood of Christ in the Sacrament of the Altar so that our sins may be forgiven—and our faith in God strengthened and renewed.  We are bathed in the refreshing water of our Baptism into Christ.  For having been washed in the water combined with God's own holy name, all our sins have been forgiven, and we have been granted a place in God's kingdom—His presence—for all eternity—life everlasting! 
          The people of Israel questioned the loving presence of the Lord among them in the wilderness, asking, "Is the Lord among us or not?"  We know the answer to that question, beloved.  We know it better than the Israelites who had the presence of God signified by the pillar of cloud and fire.  For we have the sure promise of Jesus Christ come in our own flesh to save us from our sin.  To grant us faith by trusting in His sacrifice on the cross to pay for all our sins. 
          And now, we have the certainty of the Word and the Sacraments given by Christ to His church.  These gifts of God are the sure presence of God among us.  We need not ask, "Is the Lord among us or not?"  For we know—we KNOW He is with us in Word and Sacrament.  He has promised.  The Holy Spirit uses these gifts of God to give us Jesus.  To strengthen and sustain our faith when dark is our road. 
          We have the great joy of knowing that the Lord is with us in our Baptism—that His loving arms enfold us—washing us clean day by day—as we look to the cross of Jesus for forgiveness and peace.  We have the added benefit of coming to the Lord's Supper and being served by Jesus Himself—as He graciously gives us His own body and blood in bread and wine for the full forgiveness of all our sins!  We have the clarion call of the Word of God—that we hear preached in church—that we read at home with our families—the Word of God that tells us of all God has done to rescue us from sin, death, and the power of the devil—through the person and work of Jesus Christ. 
          What reason, therefore, beloved, do we have to grumble?  To doubt?  To fear?  For God is with us in even more powerful ways than He was with the ancient Israelites.  Jesus, at His ascension to the right hand of the Father, boldly declared, "Lo, I am with you always, even to the very end of the age."  Truly, Jesus is our Emmanuel—God with us.  And so we have no fear of the world, the devil, nor even our own sinful flesh.  For Christ Jesus has conquered all—for you and for me—and He continues to give us His victory—shower us with His blessings and presence—by the power of His Word and Holy Sacraments.  To which we joyfully respond with faith, hope, and thanksgiving.  Truly, thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

​The Transfiguration of Our Lord                                                                                                           January 24, 2021
2 Peter 1:16-21
 
A Word of Jesus
 
v.19   And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place…
 
          Dear friends in Christ, we have come to the close of this year's relatively brief season of Epiphany.  Today we celebrate the festival of the Transfiguration of Our Lord—that special day that marks both the end and the high point of Epiphany.  For Epiphany is about the revelation of Christ to the world—that He is the only begotten Son of the Father come from heaven—filled with grace and truth—He who has all glory and splendor and might.  On this day, we remember with joy when Jesus took His three closest disciples: Peter, James, and John with Him up onto a mountain—and was there transfigured before them in glory—the veil covering the incredible glory of the Second Person of the Trinity was lifted ever so slightly—and those three disciples were blessed to glimpse the awesome splendor of the Son of God.
          It is this very event that St. Peter is recalling in our text for today.  He is talking about this event to reassure his readers in the early Christian church that the things reported to them by the apostles were not clever myths or fairy tales, such as was common among the ancient Greeks and Romans of the day.  The story of Jesus—though filled with wonder and miracles—is no mythic legend like Hercules or Odysseus.  No indeed, the things written by the apostles come from eyewitness and earwitness testimony.  From those who actually saw and heard the things described: who watched as Jesus raised the dead and healed the sick; who heard the power and authority of His great teaching; who saw Him walk on water, cast out demons; and who even saw His true glory shine forth on the mountaintop. 
          Indeed, Peter writes, "we were eyewitnesses of His majesty.  For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to Him by the Majestic Glory, 'This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,' we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with Him on the holy mountain."  Peter saw the events described.  He heard the words proclaimed.  And Peter would continue preaching and teaching this message of salvation in Christ Jesus though it was very unpopular.  Indeed, Peter and the other apostles would receive beatings, imprisonments, and even death for proclaiming Jesus as the only Son of the Father.  Peter would eventually be crucified upside down, and so die a horrible death, rather than take back anything that he had preached and taught about the Lord Jesus.
          Why?  Well, because it was true.  It was all true.  And the Father, speaking from the majestic cloud on that mountaintop said very clearly Jesus is His Son, and that all people must listen to Him.  Indeed, beloved, this is what the Christian church is STILL preaching and teaching—thousands of years later—Jesus Christ crucified for sinners.  Now, this doesn't sound very exciting or look very flashy.  The heart of the Christian message is that a Jewish carpenter-turned-preacher was arrested and crucified by the Roman authorities.  And that after three days He rose again from the dead, proving that He was indeed the Son of God—indeed, God in the flesh—and that by His death and resurrection sin has been forgiven and death has been destroyed. 
          You might think that after 2000 years this message would get old—that people would get bored with it.  This is always a danger for the church—to seek something new, more relevant.  We can easily get distracted by important side issues, like marriage, sanctity of life, the environment, etc.  Yet, in the end, all of these other issues get their support from the central message of Christianity—Jesus crucified for sinners.  Because of what He came to do for the sin-filled world, this is why He has been given all glory and authority from the Father—and why we should listen to Him about every issue, no matter how small it may seem.
          Yet, truly, what could be more relevant than God come in human flesh to save us from our sin?  Look around you!  See the darkness of this world—a world broken by sin—filled with horrors of natural disasters, pandemics, pain and suffering.  A world in which we may face persecution from our government or big businesses, family or friends, simply for proclaiming Jesus.  And if all that weren't enough, just take a look inside of you!  See the darkness of your own flesh and soul corrupted by sin.  Honestly examine your life and your heart in light of God's clear Word of Law (the 10 Commandments) and see how you have sinned in thought, word, and deed, every hour of every day. 
          In the light of these things that make our consciences tremble with fear, what greater news could be proclaimed to a hurting world—to suffering people—than that of a Savior from it all?  He who is the brilliant light—the morning star arising in your hearts—shining in the darkness—driving it away with His powerful Word—as a lamp when turned on scatters the darkness from the room.  For this brilliant word of God gives us Jesus who is the Light of the world.  He is the One about whom all the prophets and apostles have written and preached.  It is Jesus who is the answer to the darkness of despair that seeks to overwhelm you—be it the injustice and evil abundant in the world—or the guilt and shame you feel in your own heart because of your own manifold sins.  Jesus' blood and righteousness covers it all.  Jesus drives away the fear, the guilt, the death by the power of His own suffering and death in your place on the cross. 
          The Word of God that has come to you has been proclaimed from the earliest prophets: Adam, Abraham, Moses, and Elijah to the apostles: Peter, James, John, and the others.  These men spoke as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit, meaning they didn't just make this stuff up.  God spoke to them—inspired them with His Spirit to write the words they wrote.  What did they speak?  Or better yet, of Whom did they speak?  From Adam to Peter and all the others between—they spoke of Jesus.  The Old Testament prophets pointed ahead to the One promised of old who would come to undo the work of the devil—indeed, to crush the serpent's head.  The apostles pointed back to the One who had come—whose birth angels announced—who was anointed with the Holy Spirit—who taught the Word of God in all its fullness with an authority never before seen—who would offer up His life on the cross as a ransom for many—for sinners like you and me—Jesus. 
          Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.  It's all about Jesus.  The entire Bible from start to finish is about One person—Jesus, the Christ, the eternal Son of God, come to save His people from their sins and from everlasting death and the power of the devil.  This Jesus has done.  This is why He came.  To go to the cross.  To suffer and die.  Yes, Jesus' heel would be bruised—He would die—but by doing so He would forever crush the head of the serpent—break and destroy every evil work of the devil.  For by Jesus' innocent suffering and death on the cross in our place, He would usher in forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and salvation for all who believe and trust in Him.  For He has been victorious over our greatest enemies, as is evidenced by His glorious resurrection—another event to which St. Peter and hundreds of others were eyewitnesses. 
          This is why we remember and celebrate this day with such joy and gladness.  For though Jesus would be openly glorified before Peter, James, and John on the mountain, yet when He descended from the mountain, He would set His face toward Jerusalem—and the cross.  It would be there on the cross that Jesus would earn all glory, power, and majesty by giving up His very body into death—shedding His innocent blood—to pay for the sins of the whole world.  For your sins and mine. 
          All the Word of Jesus has been confirmed.  Every last bit of it has been found to be faithful and true.  For He who inspired it.  He who gave it to prophets and apostles—is the very Word of God made flesh—and by His death and resurrection He has shown that He is the beloved Son of the Father—and that all people must listen to Him.  This Word has been given to you, beloved.  A Word to hold onto in the darkness of your lives.  A Word to bring light and joy and healing to all who believe.  For it is a Word of life.  It is a Word of peace.  For it is all about Jesus—the beloved Son of the Father who suffered and died for you.  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

​Epiphany 2                                                                                                                                             January 17, 2021
John 2:1-11
 
Where’s the Sign?
 
v.11   This, the first of His signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested His glory.  And His disciples believed in Him.
 
          Dear friends in Christ, signs are important for us.  Indeed, without signs, we would often be, quite literally, lost--especially if your GPS isn't working properly.  Perhaps you have had such an experience when you were lost, searching for a certain address, and then you finally saw the sign!  What relief!  What joy!  To know that you are in the right place and have come to your final destination, as hard as the journey may have been.  Yet seeing the sign was like a sudden revelation to you—showing you where you were and where you needed to be.  The popular Swedish band of the nineties, Ace of Base, made the statement in their hit song, The Sign, “I saw the sign and it opened up my eyes, I saw the sign.”  While they were speaking of relationship issues, yet signs are important for us in all walks of life. 
          Signs serve to lead and to guide us, like street signs.  Signs serve to warn us of possible dangers or hazards, like icy road conditions.  Signs point us to things that are good and helpful for us, like those that direct us to the nearest hospital.  As important as signs are for us today then, it should not surprise us to learn that signs were also very important to Jesus and His ministry. 
          Indeed, if you will recall, at Jesus’ birth the angel announcing the Good News to the shepherds said (Luke 2:11-12), “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, 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.”  The sign of the baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger pointed to an even greater truth/reality—that this child was the long-awaited Messiah—the Saviour/Redeemer of the world.
          Signs were also key to Jesus’ ministry on earth—from healing the sick and the lame—to producing food for thousands of people—all pointed to Jesus as being the One sent from God to save the people from their sins.  And our text for this morning is especially significant as it is the first sign that Jesus ever performed.  This miracle did more than simply save a newlywed couple from incredible shame and embarrassment (running out of wine was an enormous social faux pas), but it served to show His disciples and others gathered, just exactly Who He is—the Lord God on high. 
          He who can change water into wine can also change your heart of sin and death to one of life and joy.  Just as the Lord Jesus blessed and sanctified that young couple’s marriage with His presence, sanctifying and blessing all marriages, He also has blessed you personally with His presence. 
          The signs are all around us that we live in a sin-filled and broken world—indeed, that our very own flesh is corrupt and doomed to fail.  For the media is full of terrible news and disasters—riots and civil unrest—shootings and bombings—pandemics and lockdowns.  Truly, the signs of our sin are ever before us—present within our very own flesh—that which is so easily hurt—broken—wracked with disease—grows old and weak—and which, eventually, dies.  As Luther was fond of telling people, if you want a sure sign that you are a sinner in need of Christ’s forgiveness, simply place your hand over your heart—feel your heart beating in your chest—know then that you are still alive and full of sin—and therefore in desperate need of the mercy of Jesus.
          And our gracious Lord has given you wondrous signs today to begin, uplift, strengthen, restore, and sustain your faith.  In His precious Word and Sacraments the great gifts of God of forgiveness, life, and salvation, are signed, sealed, and delivered, visibly to each of you.  Through the visible sign of the water along with His Holy Word in Baptism, Christ has come to you, entered into your heart, and washed away all your guilt and shame and sorrow sin and death—replacing it with His certain forgiveness and life everlasting.
          What is more Jesus gives you yet another sign in the bread and wine consecrated at various altars throughout the world.  For in them with His Word He also bestows upon you His holy body and blood so that you may know—with absolute certainty—that Jesus has come and died for you.  His blood that He shed on Calvary’s cross flows to you.  What came out of Jesus’ side when the Roman soldier pierced Him with His spear, but blood and water?  Blood that was shed for you and you now receive in the wine of the Holy Sacrament of the Altar.  Water that flowed from His side—water that washes over you in your Baptism, washing you clean of every stain of guilt and death.
          Furthermore, He gives you the sign of Holy Absolution—so that when your sin seems too great—when your guilt is so overwhelming—you may come to your pastor as to Christ Himself—and hear from Him—as from the mouth of Jesus—that your sin is taken away—forgiven—gone forever—buried in the cleansing flood of His shed blood on Calvary’s cross.
          Though we are often lost and astray in our sinfulness, wandering seemingly alone in this dark world—yet Christ has come to seek us out.  Shining the light of His glory into our hearts through the wondrous signs of His amazing love.  Though we are often spinning our wheels and going around in circles—He has found us.  And with blazing bright signs He brings us into His presence—taking us to be with Him by His side forever and ever. 
          For these signs, simple though they may appear on the surface—consisting of words, water, bread and wine, are the means by which Jesus gives you saving faith in Him.  What was the result of Jesus’ sign at the wedding in Cana?  “And His disciples believed in Him.”  As amazing as this sign was—an even greater one was yet to come.  The sign that would be for you and me and all people.  Jesus spoke of this sign in Matthew (12:38ff) when asked by the scribes and Pharisees, “Teacher, we wish to see a sign from you.”  But He answered them, “An evil and adulterous generation seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.  For just as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of the great fish, so will the Son of Man be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.”
          The sign of Jonah refers, of course, to Jesus’ own death and subsequent resurrection—whereby His glory was manifested to all the world—becoming the firstfruits of the new and eternal creation.  This is an enormous comfort to us—for all those who believe will be made like Him.  Because He has risen in triumph and glory over all the powers of sin, death, and hell—so also shall you, on the Last Day, be given all that is Christ’s.  Even now, His life is yours.  The sign of His resurrection is an epiphany to all the world—to flock to Him and His church—to thereby receive forgiveness and everlasting life.  What joy!  What peace!  What security!  To know that Jesus has done so much for us—out of selfless love and compassion.  May the sign of His cross ever give you peace and joy.  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

​Epiphany 1 – The Baptism of Our Lord                                                                                                January 10, 2021
Isaiah 42:1-7
 
A Servant Who Saves!
 
v.3     a bruised reed He will not break, and a faintly burning wick He will not quench; He will faithfully bring forth justice.
 
          Dear friends in Christ, this past week we in the church transitioned from the blessed season of Christmas (celebrating the nativity of Jesus) to the season of Epiphany (the revelation of Jesus to the Gentiles—Christmas to the non-Jews, if you will).  You will recall that prior to Christmas, during the preparatory season of Advent, we heard the call of Isaiah the prophet, noting that God would send One who would comfort His people (40:1).  Today, as we celebrate the Baptism of our Lord Jesus, we find that He is now here—for all!  From various sects and idolatries, God calls us to this One Christ who is the unique servant who heals us. 
          Isaiah prophesying the Word of God in our text today, boldly declared, "Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations."  Hear the good news of our loving God.  The Chosen Servant of God has come to help and save God's people.  God's own Spirit will rest upon Him.  We see this in the account of Jesus' Baptism in the Gospels.  As St. Matthew records (3:16), "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…"
          Jesus is the fulfillment of this prophecy from Isaiah.  He is the Chosen Servant of God!  Boy, don't we need to hear this.  The holidays are over, and we are back, once again, to the depressing grind.  The pandemic persists. Lockdowns continue.  Lives are disrupted.  People are hurting—aching for comfort and peace.  What is the cure for this?  As always, we must take the focus off of ourselves and the world—and put it back on Christ.  Listen to what God declares, "Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights…"  Look not to yourselves.  Look to my servant—look to Jesus!  He has been anointed with the Holy Spirit—to do what?  To teach and to save!  He is the servant of God—and it is to Him we must listen.  As God the Father spoke from the cloud at Jesus' Transfiguration (Luke 9:35), "This is my Son, my Chosen one; listen to Him!"
          This Jesus comes meekly and gently, proclaiming the love of God to all in need.  He does not "cry aloud or lift up His voice, or make it heard in the street…"  Jesus does not come to exalt Himself—but rather to deny Himself—to take up the cross for you and for me.  At His Baptism, He was immersed in the sin of the world—He took it all into His own flesh—sunk down into its deepest depths—so that on the cross He could suffer and die for it all—for you! 
          And so, beloved, Jesus comes to you now in tender pastoral care.  "A bruised reed He will not break, and a faintly burning wick He will not quench…"  What is cracked and half broken already He will not break.  What is burning feebly He will not snuff out.  Those whose inner and outer life is hanging by a thread—in a complete shambles—not only will He not destroy—but rather will save!  For Jesus does what we cannot.  He redeems and saves—by His perfect fulfilling of the Law of God in its entirety—and by His sacrificial death on the cross—taking our place under the wrath of God—faithfully bringing forth justice by paying the penalty for all sin—so that by faith we might receive forgiveness and mercy—all by His grace.
          This is what we receive in Holy Baptism.  As St. Paul writes in Romans 6:(3-4, 8, 11), "Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?  We were buried therefore with Him by Baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life…Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him…So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus."
          Dear friends, you may be bruised reeds—outwardly broken—by the circumstances of this world and life.  Your may feel completely lost and alone: family life falling apart—personal life on the brink of destruction—terrified of the great evil and darkness that seemingly plagues  your every step.  You may be a dimly burning wick—one utterly broken on the inside.  Outwardly, you appear fine to all—you put a brave smile on your face—and no one seems to know just how terribly you are hurting on the inside.  You may struggle with guilt over your own sin—shame and despair over what you have done in your life against God's clear Word—or what has been inflicted upon you.  You may struggle deeply with doubt over the truthfulness of what God has declared in the Scriptures—your faith is weak—just the briefest glimmer in the darkness—the devil anxiously waiting to lick his fingers and put an end to your dim hope—plunging you into everlasting darkness and despair.
          What can be said in the face of such dire circumstances?  Behold the Servant of the Lord!  Behold Jesus our Redeemer and Saviour.  Look not to yourselves—look not to your own heart—your own feeble attempts to improve your life—to better yourself, which always fall short.  Look not to the strength of your own weak faith.  Rather, look outside of yourselves—look to Christ Jesus.  He is your strength and your salvation.  He is your Rock and your Fortress.  You think the devil or the world can assault His great power and might?  "He will not grow faint or be discouraged till He has established justice in the earth…"  He is upheld by God Almighty—indeed Jesus is God Almighty in the flesh!  He has been given by the Father in fulfillment of the covenant He made with Abraham—Jesus is the "light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness." 
          Look to Jesus who is the Light of the world!  He beats back the furious assaults of the world by His mighty Word—granting us His own Spirit in Baptism—so that we may be strengthened in our faith—clinging to His Word of hope, no matter what befalls us in this life.  Furthermore, Jesus calmly smiles in the face of the devil's infuriated roar—protecting us from his fiery arrows with the shield of faith.  Faith given to you in your Baptism.  Faith firmly established by water and the Word of God.  What have you to fear—you who have the Holy Name of God upon you?!  You have been marked with the cross of Christ who bled and died and for you!  You have died with Him in your Baptism and now have been raised to eternal life in Him who has conquered sin, death, and the devil for you.
          Whether afflicted with a guilty conscience or a frightening world—look to Christ—and remember your Baptism.  That which took place outside of you, and which no one and no thing can ever undo.  When lost and hurting, frightened and alone, assaulted by the evil one—you can boldly say, "Be gone Satan!  For I am baptized into Christ!  He has washed me clean of all sin—He has given me His life and salvation—and promised me a home in His heavenly kingdom.  Scowl and rage all you want—I rest secure in Him." 
          Indeed, for Jesus was Baptized and anointed with the Holy Spirit for the very purpose of binding up the brokenhearted.  He will not break you who are bruised and battered by the storms of this life in this broken world.  He will not extinguish the faith of those who struggle against the madly persistent assaults of the devil and their own sinful flesh.  Rather, Jesus has come to care for you—to heal your deep wounds of sin and death—and He will fan the flame of your faith into a bright and shining light for all the world to see.  Through the power of the Word and Sacraments, Christ comes to give you His forgiveness and mercy—all by His grace.  Your eyes have been opened to Him who is the Light of the world.  He has brought you out of the prison house of the darkness of sin and death by the Light of His death and resurrection for you. 
          So hear the Word and promise of God, "I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you."  You, too, have been called in righteousness through your Baptism into Christ.  He has taken you by the hand—and He will keep you now and forevermore, according to His grace and mercy, by the blood that He shed for you.  Truly, thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

​Christmas 2 - The Circumcision and Naming of Jesus (Observed)                                                         January 3, 2021
Numbers 6:22-27
 
A Blessed Name
 
v.27   So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.
 
          Dear friends in Christ, a blessed 2021 to you all—no doubt you are glad to leave 2020 with all its tragedy and suffering behind.  As we began a new secular year this past week, it is good for us to have as our text a beautiful picture of God's loving care for His people in the Old Testament.  A new year--new beginnings--remind us of the great joy and blessings that come whenever a child is born.  A new child brings with it a sense of hope and excitement for the future--a zest for life--a belief in tremendous potential.  Perhaps this will be the child to find a cure for cancer.  Perhaps this baby will find a way to end world hunger!  Who knows? 
          And, as with any newborn child, one of the most important tasks for the parents is to come up with a name for the baby.  Usually, a great deal of thought has already been put into this process long before said child is ever born.  Sometimes parents may argue back and forth over the names for the child, often trying to honour family members and history.  "Let's name her after my great aunt Sally…let's name him after my dad." 
          Mary and Joseph were no different as new parents.  In the Gospel text appointed for this festival from St. Luke we have but one verse.  The verse that immediately follows the text from the Christmas Eve Gospel, ending with the shepherds returning to their flocks, rejoicing in all that God had revealed to them about the Messiah's birth.  "And at the end of eight days, when He was circumcised, He was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb."  Eight days after He was born, Mary and Joseph took the newborn Lord and had Him circumcised, in accordance with the Law, and gave Him the name that the angel Gabriel had given to Mary and Joseph before He was even conceived--Jesus.  The name that described the future and destiny of the baby boy--for He is God in the flesh--come to save His people from their sins.  Already at the tender age of just eight days, He was beginning this monumental task.
          Names are important for us, aren’t they?  Parents take a great deal of time and effort in selecting just the right name for their baby.  Some names carry the weight of family history and honour behind them.  Other times names are chosen because of the deep meaning behind them.  We all have names that connect us to our families--parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, children, etc. 
          As Christians we are connected by a name as well.  A name that unites us and binds us together in our common faith.  The very name of the Lord God Himself--the name with which the Lord bade His priests in the Old Testament to bless His people--is the same way in which pastors in our church tradition continue to bless God's people each week at the end of every service:  The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.  This is the name that the Lord commanded His priests to put upon the people so that He might bless them.  Note the threefold nature of this blessing and God's name.  This was a foreshadowing of the future blessing of the revealed triune name of God given to His people in Holy Baptism so that He might bless them fully and completely.
          This is the same name that each and every one of you has upon you, dear friends.  The name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  The name of God has been put upon you in your Baptism and now you are truly blessed. 
          I know it doesn't always seem like it.  In fact, it seems that Christians are smeared more and more in our culture.  That the name "Christian" carries with it the connotations of "bigot, hater, backwards, and stupid."  We receive heaps of bad names upon us, simply for speaking the truth of God's Word in love.  Yet the more that you are shamed, ridiculed, mocked, and hated--the more bad names you are called--remember that you have another name upon you.  A name that is above all other names.  A name that brings incredible and ultimate blessings.
          As Luther wrote in his Large Catechism, Part IV, par 10, "To be baptized in God's name is to be baptized not by men, but by God Himself."  Furthermore (par 16)," the kernel in the water is God's Word or command and God's name.  His name is a treasure greater and nobler than heaven and earth." 
          Baptism gives the great blessings of forgiveness, eternal life, and salvation.  Indeed (par 42), "Baptism promises and brings victory over death and the devil, forgiveness of sins, God's grace, the entire Christ, and the Holy Spirit with His gifts."  Faith clings to the Word and promises of God in Baptism because of the Lord's command and institution of this great gift and the fact that His name abides in it.  "Where God's name is there must also be life and salvation (par. 27). " 
          Beloved, you have received in Baptism a name that removes all guilt and stain of your sin--a name that promises the reward of heaven--and the bliss of eternal life.  Which is why you may now stand firm in the face of vile name calling shouted at you in anger by the unbelieving world.  Furthermore, Baptism enables you to withstand the assaults of the evil one, who seeks to undermine and destroy your faith by accusing you relentlessly of your great sin and error and vice.  Because your Baptism is a work and a gift of God done entirely outside of you, you have something sure and certain to cling to and run toward when overwhelmed with guilt and despair.  You return to your Baptismal water and the name which you received therein.  You cry in opposition to the devil's attacks, "But I am baptized!  Therefore, I know that God loves me dearly and has sent His beloved Son to save me!  Depart from me you worker of lawlessness--you liar!"
          Dear friends, in Baptism you have a gift like no other.  As Dr. Luther illustrates in the Large Catechism (par 43), "Imagine there was a doctor somewhere who understood the art of saving people from death or, even though they died, could restore them quickly to life so that they would afterward live forever.  Oh, how the world would pour in money like snow and rain.  No one could find access to him because of the throng of the rich!  But here in Baptism there is freely brought to everyone's door such a treasure and medicine that it utterly destroys death and preserves all people alive."  This is your gift, beloved.  You life.  Your salvation.  All because you have been blessed with Baptism into the Holy Name of God--the name by which the Lord promises to bless His people and work salvation. 
          And it is yours--for free!  Forever!  How can we not share this good name with others?  How can we not lift up our voices in praise and thanksgiving to the One whose name is so wonderful that it forgives, saves, and brings life eternal?  Beloved, rejoice in the Lord!  Not even the name COVID can dampen your spirits—for you have the name of the Lord upon you.  The name of eternal joy and blessing.  The name of your Baptism.  The name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.  The name that gives you the benefits of Jesus' blood and righteousness.  With His name you are blessed, you have His grace, and have been given His peace.  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.
          

​Christmas  1                                                                                                                                       December 27, 2020
Hebrews 2:10-18                                                                                                                 
 
“The Reason for the Season”
 
v.17   “For this reason He had to be made like His brothers in every way, in order that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that he might make atonement for the sins of the people.”
 
          Dear friends in Christ, this morning I want to take you back in history to the time when the Muslims were waging war in Spain.  “For a long time, the Muslims had been laying siege to the capital of Spain.  Courageously and skilfully King Alphonso led the defense, but by some twist of fate the attackers captured the king’s son.  The besiegers made the most of their hostage.  The sultan ordered a gallows built in full view of the capital.  The young prince was forced to stand under the words:  ‘Alphonso, either the city or your son!’
          “What a decision for a father to make!  Anxiously his advisors and officers watched the face of their king.  Will he give up the city and allow the enemy to slay or enslave his people?  Or will he give up his own, dear son?  They had not long to wait, for King Alphonso decided quickly.  Back to the sultan went this message: ‘Let my son die, that my people may live! Live!’”[1]
          During this time of year a popular phrase among Christians is, “Keep Christ in Christmas—for He is the reason for the season.”  And rightly so.  Much of the world does not know what Christmas is really all about.  The true reason for Christmas has been greatly overshadowed by the excitement of presents and visits with family and friends.  We have the glorious opportunity at this time of year to share the true meaning of Christmas with those around us who may not know what it is really all about.
          So...what is Christmas really all about, then?  Well, we know that it is a joyous celebration of our Lord and Saviour’s birth.  Buy why?  Why did Christ come as He did?  Why did He who is the Word, through whom the entire universe was created, take on frail human flesh?  What was the point?  What was His reason?  Why did the mystery of the incarnation have to take place at all?  After all, He is Almighty God, right?  Surely He could have simply saved the world from sin with a wave of His hand, as it were. 
          We find the reason in our text for this morning.  “Since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil—and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.”  (Hebrews 2:14-15)  In order for Jesus to turn aside the wrath of God against us (guilty sinners), He had to become one with us and die as a substitute for us.  God chose to send His Son to die for the sins of the world—for you and for me.  Just as King Alphonso chose his son to die to save his people from slavery and death, so too have we been released from the captivity of sin, death, and the devil—by Christ’s substitutionary sacrifice for our sins.
          But why did Jesus have to take on human flesh?  Well, remember that “it is not angels He helps, but Abraham’s descendants.”  (Hebrews 2:16)  He did not come to atone for the sins of spiritual beings (angels), but to pay for the sins of flesh and blood beings (you and me) with His own precious body and blood.  He suffered the torments of pain and death in His own flesh—the punishment that was ours He took upon Himself.  For as the writer to the Hebrews states later on in his letter (9:22b), “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” 
So, “For this reason He had to be made like His brothers in every way, in order that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, and that He might make atonement for the sins of the people.” (Hebrews 2:17)  Because we are all sinful beings deserving of death, it was necessary that Jesus become a substitute for us—take our place—in order to pay the penalty for sin, which is necessary to God.  In order to fully rescue us from our sinful, wretched and terrible state, Jesus had to remove our sins from us and leave nothing out in paying for them before God.  Therefore He took on flesh and blood with the sole purpose/reason of giving up His body to death and shedding His blood so that we might be forgiven.
          This is biggest difference between Jesus our Great High Priest and all the other priests that ever came before Him, since the institution of the priesthood with Aaron, Moses’ brother.  In the old sacrificial system the priests were the instruments who killed the animal sacrifice.  But this whole system merely prefigured the great and final sacrifice of Christ.  He suffered and died.  He became the sacrifice for our sin—and it is for this reason that we who have faith in Him and in His atoning work have been freed from all fear of sin, death and the devil.  For the word atonement means that our sins have been paid—and paid in full—by the blood of Jesus shed on the cross.  Through His incredible substitution on the cross, in which He took the place that we deserved, we have been brought back into a restored relationship with our loving God.  We have “at-one-ment” with God once more.  By His sacrificial death—we have been given life.
          “In the battle of Sempach, fought between the Austrians and the Swiss before the use of firearms, a brave Swiss soldier who name was Arnold Winkelried, nobly sacrificed his life for the sake of his country.  The Swiss army was very small, and that of the Austrians very large, presenting such an unbroken ridge of spears that the Swiss soldiers could not get at their enemies.  Arnold told his comrades to follow him, and he would open for them a way to victory.  Rushing up to the Austrian front, he grasped as many spears as he could reach with his outstretched arms.  Pierced through by spears, he sank down to the earth; the Swiss soldiers pressed into the opening thus made, and gained the victory.”[2] 
          This is the reason that Christ came to earth.  In order to present Himself as a perfect sacrifice to God our Father.  He too stretched out His arms as wide as He could to be pierced by all of our sin.  The punishment for our sin—death—was given to Him—pierced and tormented His flesh—so that we might live and gain the victory.  And, as our text says, “Because He Himself suffered when He was tempted, He is able to help those who are being tempted.”  (Hebrews 2:18)  Because He has suffered every trial and temptation that we have—He knows our pain and suffering—He knows our sorrows and despair.  He knows and He gives us strength.  Through the healing power of His Word and the Washing of rebirth in Baptism, and through the feasting of His own flesh and blood—we are made new.  Through His almighty atonement we are made “at-one” with God. 
And so the reason for the season is so much more than just the babe born in Bethlehem—but about the Babe born to die; so much more than just material gifts and presents—but about the gift of forgiveness for our sins and the life everlasting which He came to bring; so much more than just personal relationships between family and friends—but about our personal relationship with our Lord and Saviour that He has established and continues to strengthen through His other gifts of Word and Sacrament.  Through Christ’s incarnation—His life, suffering, death, and resurrection—we have a great exchange.  The exchange of our unholiness, unrighteousness, sinfulness and death for His holiness, righteousness, purity, and life.  That is our greatest gift during this Christmas season and throughout our entire lives.
This is the reason that Jesus became incarnate of the Virgin Mary and was made man.  This is the reason why He chose to suffer, die and be buried—so that we too might die to sin.  This is the reason that He rose victorious once more—so that we too might be raised to new and everlasting life through faith in Him and in His unblemished sacrifice for us.  This is the true reason for this season—that we too might have the victory that He earned for us over sin, death, and the power of the devil.  For all eternity.  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.


[1] Paul Lee Tan, ed., “10786—City Or Son,” Encyclopedia of 15,000 Illustrations, 2430.

[2] Richard Newton, “10792—He Grasped Enemies’ Spears,” in Encyclopedia of 15,000 Illustrations, edited by Paul Lee Tan, 2431.

​Christmas Day – O Emmanuel                                                                                                          December 25, 2020
Isaiah 7:10-14
 
God With Us and For Us
 
v. 14  Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign.  Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.
 
O Emmanuel, our King and Lord, the anointed for the nations and their Saviour:  Come and save us, O Lord our God.
 
          Dear friends in Christ—Merry Christmas!  It has been quite a journey these past weeks, hasn’t it?  We have walked our way through the Scriptures—through time and history—as we have studied the ancient hymns of praise to Christ our King—the O Antiphons of Advent.  And now He is here!  He has come!  We rejoice this day as we celebrate His birth—for now our Emmanuel has come and God is truly with us—in the flesh!
However, as we look at our final antiphon, we must remember that God with us is not immediately, nor necessarily, Good News.  For what does it mean for God to be with us if we are His enemies?  What does it mean for God to be with us if we are His rebellious people?  Is it a good thing to be an enemy of One who is the Almighty God King of all creation—who with a word created the heavens and earth and all therein—is it a good thing that He is with us when all we do is sin against Him and rebel against His Word and truth?
As sinful human beings, having God with us means our death—our destruction—our consummation—for He comes to destroy sin and punish those who turn away from Him.  No indeed, this is not Good News at all!  This is terrible news!  We don’t want God to be with us in wrath and judgement—that is a terrifying thought!  We need God to be with us in mercy...in peace...in love.  The only way God with us can be Good News—is if He is with us to save us.
Which, of course, leads us into our text for this morning as the prophet Isaiah foretold the coming of the One who would be born of a virgin—who was to be called Emmanuel.  However, we know this prophecy is fulfilled in Luke 1 and 2.  Yet, Mary is not instructed by the angel to name her Son Emmanuel, but rather Jesus.  Why?  Because God has come to be with us as Saviour and friend. 
So—rejoice in the Lord, always—I will say it again, rejoice!  For Jesus your God and King has come in the flesh to save you.  He has come to slay our enemies—to wipe them out by His mighty hand—to free the human race from the bonds of sin and death. 
For our biggest problem in this life and world is not whether the Leafs make the playoffs—a dim hope to be sure—or whether all the family can be together for the holidays (a difficult task in time of pademic)—or even whether our retirement funds are secure—or those test results come back negative and we can breathe a sigh of relief.  Rather, our biggest problem is to have God with us—but to be without His favour.  Our biggest problem is to be godless—without Him favourably in our lives—for without Him setting His face toward us in kindness and mercy—we must bear the just punishment for all our sins.
Therefore, the best solution for our problem is to have God with us—in favour—in mercy—in love and peace.  This He has come to do in Jesus the Christ.  He has taken on human flesh so that He may fully be on your side—He is here not to get you—but your enemies—sin, death, and the devil must now flee His divine wrath and fury—for He has come to swallow them up in the victory of His life and resurrection.  He has lived the perfect life that you and I never could—but which God demands—He has died the death that you and I fully deserve—He has risen in triumph—all for you. 
That is really the point of this antiphon—indeed, of all the antiphons.  This final verse of praise to Jesus is the culmination of all those that have gone before.  Jesus is the Wisdom, the Lord, the Root, the Key, the Dayspring, the King, and so much more—and He has come to be a Saviour, FOR you.  He has come to defeat death through the forgiveness of sins that He purchased and won with His own death and glorious resurrection—in the flesh!
Jesus is here—has come—for the nations.  He has come to save.  And He has come not only to save the human nature—dreadfully corrupted by sin and death—but has come to save human persons—you and you and you—to set you free from captivity—to release you from the chains of the evil one—to set your hearts free so that you are no longer in the darkness of sin and death and rebellion against God—but are changed by His mercy and forgiveness to love the Light—to love He who is the perfect Light and Life—to be healed from your fears, anxieties, everything that plagues you.  They find their answer—their defeat—in Jesus of Nazareth.  For as Paul says in Romans 8, “if God is FOR us, who can be against us?”
Indeed, according to our human reasoning, the last place we would expect to have God with us would be at the cross—with Jesus hanging dead on a tree.  But as we go into the darkness of death—as the years grow long and heavy—as the light in our eyes dims—we know we have a God who has been there.  We know we have a Saviour who has entered into death—has gone through it—and He has been victorious.  And this same Victorious Man who is God in the flesh—is with you and for you as you walk through the valley of the shadow of death.  You need fear no thing—for the One beside you has beaten it back—and He radiates light and life and peace.
The entire goal of Jesus' coming to be with us was so that we might finally be with God—as He intended it—as He had always planned until sin drove us away from His presence.  He wants us to have our life in Him and Him alone.  That is why He gets so angry with idols and false gods—for as we place our trust in these things—we choose death—for they are false and empty things—incapable of giving us what we truly need and desire—life everlasting. 
What is more, God continues to be with you in His church—for you—in His own body and blood—given and shed for you in the holy Sacrament of the Altar.  For He knew—and He knows—that we as sinners do not merely need someone to help us—no, indeed our state is far beyond the point where anything could help us.  We need a rescuer—we need a Saviour—and that is why and that is how Jesus has come.  To rescue you from your sin and death—to bring you to His side in glory and life eternal.  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus our God who is WITH us and  FOR us.  Amen.

​Christmas Eve – O Desire of Nations                                                                                                December 24, 2020
Haggai 2:6-7
 
The Biggest Gift You Didn’t Even Know You Wanted...or Needed
 
v. 6-7 For thus says the LORD of hosts; Yet once, it is a little while, and I will shake the heavens, and the earth, and the sea, and the dry land; and I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: and I will fill this house with glory, says the LORD of hosts.
 
O Desire of the nations, the ruler they long for, the cornerstone uniting all people:  Come and save us all, whom You formed out of clay.
 
          Dear friends in Christ, what is it that you desire most?  At this time of year most children desire that Santa Claus come and visit their homes tonight to leave them something special under the Christmas tree.  Perhaps you, too, are hoping for that special gift to be there tomorrow morning.  Or, perhaps you are hoping for the togetherness of family and friends during this joyous holiday season, especially in a time of pandemic and forced distancing from loved ones.  Perhaps you are hoping for there to be security in your life—either financially or otherwise—praying for an end to the Coronavirus—perhaps you are praying for peace—peace in your personal life—peace in the world. 
          Well, beloved, tonight as we are gathered here together to celebrate the birth of the Saviour, Jesus Christ, we are going to be talking about the greatest desire of all.  Something that has been desired by all people—for all time—in every place—and continues to this day—to everyone here—whether you even realize it or not.  Maybe you have come to church this evening as is your annual custom—you have made your once-a-year trek to these doors—or perhaps it has merely been a long while—or you may even be here practically every week.  No matter which category you fall under—you are seeking something special—something so unique that you know the world cannot give.  You are looking for something that cannot be found in a box under the Christmas tree—you won’t find it tied up with ribbons and bows and placed in your Christmas stocking.
          Indeed, this intense desire is built in to each and every human being by God.  Often we don’t realize it—we may unwittingly reject it—but we desire Him.  For God, who formed our first parents Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden out of clay—has created within us an intense desire to be with Him—to have Him in our lives—to live in communion with He who is the Architect and King of all the universe.  We all have this God-shaped hole in our lives—and we desire to fill it.
          Unfortunately, ever since Adam and Eve fell into sin, we all try to fill this God-shaped hole with the wrong things.  We may try to fill it with stuff—which is what happens all too often, especially at this time of year as we go crazy buying gifts for people that they don’t really need (or even want sometimes!).  We may try to fill this hole with other people—our friends and family—even though they drive us insane!—and buy us all sorts of awful gifts—like the “mole remover 2000.”  We may try to fill this hole with our work—with our sense of purpose and power.  But, in the end, all these things fall short—they leave us feeling empty and disappointed.  For all these things are really false gods—idols—that lead us astray from the one true God.
          It is Jesus alone—that babe wrapped in scraps of rags and lying in a manger—who would grow into the man—who would later be wrapped in a bloody robe and decorated with a crown of thorns—fixed to the tree of the cross with cruel nails—it is He who is our Desire.  He is the One whom God promised long ago through the prophet Haggai would come when the nations were in uproar.  The nations were up and moving all about because of the decree issued by Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed—so people had to go to their hometowns.  It was during this uproar that Joseph and Mary travelled to Bethlehem and Jesus was born—the Desire of all nations had finally come!
          Jesus had not come to be coddled and cuddled—though I’m sure Mary and Joseph did that just as much as any parent.  But He came with a specific mission in mind—He desired the salvation of the world—to come and save us all.  This He did by living the perfect and holy life that you and I could not.  His desire was never selfish—never for Himself—rather He thought only of the needs of others—seeking out the lost and frightened—the sad and the lonely—the hurting and suffering—even the dead.  And He brought great healing in His wings—He brought joy and peace—He brought forgiveness and life.
          For after living the perfect life that you and I never could—Jesus went to the cross to suffer and die the death that we deserve.  He was not forced into this.  He desired to do so.  Why?  Because of His great love for each and every single one of you.  He desires to be in a right relationship with you—a relationship that can only be possible because of His shed blood on the cross for your sins.  Indeed, He comes to you this very night to fulfill the one thing that you need most—the one thing that you are literally dying to have—but may not even know it—the full and free forgiveness of all your sins. 
          For it is through Jesus’ life, suffering, and death that you and all who believe are granted forgiveness of sins.  To those who trust in Him—He has given the desire to believe in Him as Lord and Saviour—not just one evening a year—or one day a week—but every day and night.  What is more, we are given as a gift eternal life and salvation—this gift—this promise—this hope and peace—is for you and your children—not just tonight—but every day.
          Dearly beloved, Jesus’ desire is for you and all the nations—to pour out His great love and mercy toward you just as He has poured out His blood on the cross—paying the deadly penalty for your sins and mine—breaking down the barrier that separated us from Him and from each other.  Though there have been many times that you have turned away from Him—filled your life with the empty things of this world—though you have often rejoiced in your sin—in your rebellion against Him.  Yet His love remains steadfast and pure.  Yet His love remains for you.  It does not matter what you have done.  It does not matter how long you may have been away—the Lord Jesus Christ desires you to come home—desires you to receive His goodness and blessings—He desires to shower you with His gifts of love and forgiveness. 
Jesus has come to you this night to restore you.  And He desires that you not merely receive Him this evening and then forget all about Him tomorrow morning or the next day or the next.  Rather, He desires that you rejoice daily that He is the greatest gift you will ever receive, just as He rejoices in coming to save sinners who are lost and alone—empty and afraid.  For He has fulfilled your greatest desire and need.  He has died in your place to give you life and salvation—to give you the peace that the world cannot give—to be the solid rock cornerstone of your life.  The One who has saved you has done this—and He will bring you into His everlasting kingdom of blessedness and peace.  What more could you possibly desire?  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.