​Advent 1 – Ad Te Levavi                                                                                                                    December 2, 2018
Matthew 21:1-9
 
Welcoming the King!
 
v.5     Say to the daughter of Zion, "Behold, your king is coming to  you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden."
 
          Dear friends in Christ, blessed New Year to you all!  Indeed, this is the first Sunday of Advent, the season prior to Christmas in which we prepare our hearts and minds to receive with great joy the Saviour of the world, who is Christ the Lord.  The Lord Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords, and it is fitting and right that we welcome His as our King and Lord, for He is the One who has laid down His life for the sins of the world and taken it up again for our justification and salvation.  So, how do we do that?  How best do we welcome Him who has come, and has promised to come again in glory and power and majesty?
          Well, already the world is decorating for the Christmas season, isn't it?  The sales are in full swing and people are out in droves searching for gifts and enjoying holiday cheer.  Homes and businesses are decorated both inside and out.  Even the streets of our town are festive for this season of joy and gladness.  Of course, not all of these decorations have anything to do with the real reason for the season, do they?  Many decorations focus on tales of snowmen coming to life, or fat man with reindeer who drop down our chimneys at night.  Yet we are blessed to see scenes of mangers and shepherds with baby Jesus snug in the hay. 
          Yet even so, you and I both know that though there are many decorations to be found, nonetheless the true nature of Christmas (and especially this preparatory season of Advent) is far from peoples' hearts and minds.  We are more focused on preparing to meet the man who slides down chimneys, or our visiting friends and relatives, than we are on welcoming the coming King of kings.
          In our text for today, we see the reaction of the crowds of Passover pilgrims to Jesus as He enters Jerusalem for the last time.  This is what we now know as Palm Sunday.  And it seems that these crowds seem to have a better grasp on welcoming Jesus than we do today.  Jesus has just come from Jericho where He healed two blind men.  The men had called out to Jesus as He passed by, "Lord, have mercy on us, Son of David!"  In pity, Jesus had touched their eyes and healed them.  These two men then joined the throng of people gathered with Jesus on His way to Jerusalem.
          However, as they crest the hill of the Mount of Olives, Jesus suddenly decides to change His mode of travel.  He who had walked everywhere He went, now, in the last few miles to Jerusalem, directs His disciples to go into the little village of Bethphage and bring Him a donkey and colt to ride.  While, we do not know if anyone in the crowds that day recognized the significance of this act, St. Matthew makes sure that we, his readers, understand that this is in fulfillment of the Word of God.  For Zechariah had long ago prophesied, "Say to the daughter of Zion, 'Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.'"
          Jesus directs His disciples to act so as to fulfill Old Testament prophecy concerning Himself, the Messianic Son of David, Israel's greatest king.  It is He who has come as our King to be the Lord our Righteousness.  It is He who has come to undo the works of the devil—to destroy the power of death and hell—to forgive the people of their sins.  But He will do so in a way that the disciples, nor anyone else, expects.  For He has not come as a conquering king riding a warhorse or chariot, but lowly and humble, mounted on a donkey's colt.  He has come to lay down His life as a ransom by giving Himself up into death on the cross for the sins of the world.
          At first, it seems as though the crowds gathered around Jesus seem to rejoice in this—they almost seem to get it.  For they shout after Him, perhaps in echo of the healed blind men's words, "Hosanna to the Son of David!  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!  Hosanna in the highest."  But the next words of Matthew's Gospel are telling, "And when [Jesus] entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up saying, 'Who is this?' And the crowds said, 'This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.'"
          They shout Jesus' praises as He enters the city, but they still do not fully understand who He is or what He has come to do.  Much like people today, dear friends.  Our focus for our Midweek Advent services, as well as our Advent devotions, is the beautiful Christmas anthem, "What Child is This?" that answers that very question.  Who is this Jesus of Nazareth?  Who is this child born in Bethlehem's manger?  Is He a prophet of God?  Yes, but so much more. He is the One come from God to save people from their sin.  He is the child born to live the perfect life of keeping all of God's holy Law that we do not.  He is the child born to suffer and die on Calvary's cross in Jerusalem.  He is the child born to be raised again on the Third Day for our rescue and salvation. He is Emmanuel—God with us.
          This city, Jerusalem, which is perplexed and confused at Jesus' arrival on a donkey, will not long be shouting His praises and adulation.  In five days' time, Jesus will be turned over to Pontius Pilate to face death and execution by crucifixion, to the murderous cries of "Crucify Him!  Crucify Him!"  Recall, that on that day, Pilate will ask the assembled people, "Shall I crucify your king?" and the chief priests will respond, "We have no king, but Caesar."
          Dear friends, how often do we live our lives this same way?  Forgetting that God is our ultimate King and Judge, we look to our own government rulers—seeking to sway them and appease them by any means possible—so that we might live in peace.  But can there be peace in our hearts apart from the Son of David?  No, indeed, you know that there cannot.  For without Jesus we are still dead in our trespasses and sins.  Without Jesus, guilt and shame continually weigh heavily upon our hearts.  Without Jesus, death is our end reward, along with suffering and torment in hell.  We NEED Jesus.  EVERYONE needs Jesus: from our family and friends, to the department store clerk, to the waitress at the restaurant.  We NEED Jesus to come to us and FOR us.
          Thanks be to God Jesus has come.  He has come to wash away our sin by His own shed blood on the cross.  Jesus has come to bring us light and life eternal.  Jesus has come to usher us, undeserving, sinful people, into His everlasting Kingdom of joy and blessedness.  This happens only when we humbly receive Him by faith.  This happens only when we cling to the Word that He has spoken concerning Himself.  That He has come in humility to offer up Himself as the necessary sacrifice for sin—so that you and I might be saved!
          We remember and proclaim this each week with joy and thanksgiving as we prepare to receive Jesus' own body and blood in the Holy Supper.  We echo the words of the crowds in our communion liturgy when we sing the Sanctus, "Holy, holy, holy Lord God of pow'r and might: Heaven and earth are full of your glory.  Hosanna.  Hosanna. Hosanna in the highest.  Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.  Hosanna in the highest."
          Jesus comes.  He comes in humility, in ways that we do not expect—humbly through His Word and Sacrament.  But He comes to us.  To forgive. To save.  How can we NOT take every opportunity this Advent season to proclaim the coming King of kings to all whom we meet?  For we need Jesus.  And He has come—in His dying and rising—in His Word connected with water, bread, and wine.  King Jesus has come—and He will come again—to bring all who believe into His kingdom.  And we welcome Him best by humbly receiving His coming to us in His Word and Sacraments.  What a gracious and merciful King!  What a generous Lord!  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.
          

​Last Sunday in the Church Year                                                                                                       November 22, 2015
Matthew 25:1-13
 
Preparing for the Unknown
 
v.13   “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.”
 
          Dear friends in Christ, the Boy and Girl Scouts have a motto:  Be Prepared – which means you are always in a state of readiness in mind and body to do your duty – having disciplined oneself to be obedient, and thought out beforehand any situation that might occur, so you know the right thing to do at the right moment and are willing to do it, as well as making oneself strong and active and able to do the right thing at the right moment, and do it, no matter how extreme the situation may be.  That’s a good motto.  There is certainly nothing wrong with being prepared. 
          In fact, this is exactly what Jesus is telling us in our text this day.  This parable comes in one of Jesus’ final public teaching sessions on Tuesday of Holy Week.  He knows what is ahead—He knows what He will soon face—the terrible judgement of God for all sin.  And so He tells a series of parables concerning the Last Day, when He will come again – to Judge the living and the dead as the Mighty Judge of all, which is where our text comes in.
          Of course, there are all sorts of theories out there concerning the end of the world – it seems that every year Hollywood manages to come up with another story about the end of the world, which seems to bring in the masses—people like to be scared, don't they?  To this day, there are many who try to pinpoint the exact date and time when Christ will return – for the example, the end times' prediction relating to supposed "blood moons" or super planets coming to crash into the earth—yet, we are still here.  All these End Times prophecies continue to be wrong.  For Jesus Himself tells us quite plainly that no one, “knows neither the day nor the hour.”  He says in Matthew 24 and Mark 13, “concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only.”
          Yet, even though, or rather, BECAUSE, no one knows the day nor the hour, Jesus urges all to keep watch and to be prepared.  Now, have you ever tried keeping watch for something and struggled to maintain your focus while waiting for a long, long....long time?  It’s enough to drive one crazy.  Five minutes seem like five hours and so on and so on.  It’s like the old saying that a watched kettle never boils – it just takes forever.  And so our minds wander from one thing to the next.
          In speaking of His coming on the Last Day, Jesus likens it to a wedding feast, which He often does.  This is what it will be like...THEN, Jesus says.  And He speaks of the bridal party – 10 virgins – who are waiting for the bridegroom to come.  You see, back in Jesus’ day weddings were far different than they are now.  After attending to the bride for most of the day, the attendants (the virgins) would then proceed to the edge of town to be on the lookout for the groom.  You see, unlike today where everything revolves around the bride, back then it was the groom who called all the shots – the wedding party couldn’t start until he arrived. 
          Usually, this would have been around 6 in the evening.  So, the virgins would take out their little hand held oil lamps in order to light the way.  These lamps didn’t hold much oil, but that was OK because the groom would be there shortly after dark and they would all proceed to the bride’s house to pick her up and then all go to the party. 
          And please note here that all the virgins—all 10—are invited—both wise and foolish—they all have a place at the wedding banquet—they all have a spot with their name engraved on it.  All their lamps are lit—everything is ready.  Unfortunately, the groom is delayed.  6 o’clock rolls around and he is nowhere in sight...7 o’clock—still waiting...by 8 o’clock they are all dead on their feet (having been up since before dawn)...and by 9 o’clock they are all asleep. 
          Then it happens!  Out of the blue the cry goes up that the bridegroom approaches at long last!  What time is it?  It’s midnight!  The most unreasonable time for a wedding to take place—but, nevertheless He comes.  That’s when the virgins discover to their horror that their lamps have been burning all night and their oil has run out.  Now the wise brought out their extra oil (which they carried along even though it seemed rather foolish to do so—why would they ever need so much oil?) and their lamps are fine.  The foolish virgins, however, are out of luck—no oil left—and where might they buy some at this time of night?  They quickly hurry off to try and find some more, but once they return the groom has already come and gone and the door to the wedding hall is shut tight.  They knock and pound on the door furiously shouting to be let in—after all, they were in the wedding party!  They have invitations and a place reserved inside.  But from the other side of the door, the groom replies to their pleas to open with the terribly sad words, “Truly, I say to you, I do not know you.”
          Watch.  Be prepared.  Wise.  Foolish.  How are we to make sense of all this?  First of all, it is important to remember that Jesus says this is what the kingdom of heaven will be like...Then... not now.  This is a picture of the future judgement.  Secondly, throughout Scripture wise and foolish are often used to describe believers and unbelievers.  Indeed, Psalm 111:10 simply says, “the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.”
          Jesus’ Second coming is rather an important event in human history, wouldn’t you say?  And yet, how foolishly we treat His approach.  People in the world and the church forsake His Word, ignore it, thinking they have much time to prepare—but they know not the hour nor the day.  That is the way of unbelief.  It foolishly figures to have time, and lots of it – think they have God all figured out—giving them at least another day—only to discover on the Last Day that they had it all wrong.
          Indeed, we see in this parable that oil represents faith that has been nurtured by the grace of God in Word and Sacrament—and shines forth brightly in the good works of the saints.  Those who try to “buy” it are in for a big surprise.  Trying to get into the kingdom of heaven by buying it with their own works and righteousness apart from faith is a foolish thing to do – for they will only receive the cold words of Jesus—I do not know you.  So many people try to be like the Scouts, prepared by the things that they do—which works well for the Scouts and the rest of the world in terms of the things of this life—but is actually harmful when talking about the next life.
          For as sinful human beings we cannot prepare to meet Jesus at His second coming—we could care less.  Rather, we must be prepared by the Lord Jesus Himself to enter in His kingdom.  In Ephesians 5, another place where the kingdom of heaven is pictured as a bride waiting for her husband, Paul says, “Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her, that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the Word, so that He might present the church to Himself in splendour, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.”
          Through the means of grace God has worked faith in our hearts—filling us up to the brim with the oil of gladness in the Saviour—who lived, suffered and died, and rose again for us.  We are prepared by the one who was prepared for us.  Prepared as a sacrifice for our sin.  He was laid out as a sheep for the slaughter—so that He might take our sin into His flesh and die for it on the cross—being raised again to new and everlasting life three days later in triumph.
          Therefore, as Christians, His people, filled with His righteousness and light, we are fully and completely prepared for His coming.  We have nothing to fear, but can rest in peace, knowing that He holds us in His merciful hands.  For through faith in Him we have been granted entrance into the eternal wedding feast where we will rejoice in our Saviour God for all time. 
          Though it seems to the world that we are foolish, getting up early on Sunday mornings, giving of our time, talents, and treasures to One who apparently does not come and will seemingly never get here, yet to all who call upon Him in faith—those who have been baptized into His name—prepared by eating His body and blood in bread and wine—confessing our sins and receiving His forgiveness through our pastors—God says we are wise.  Wise unto salvation, prepared by the Lamb of God who has come to take away the sin of the world.  The Gospel is the wisdom of God for the salvation of all who believe.  And it is here in His church that He prepares us with His Word and Sacrament, cleansing us from all sin, marking us as His own, clothing us in the garment of His grace and purity, receiving life and light eternal.  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

​Thanksgiving Eve                                                                                                                              November 21, 2018
Deuteronomy 8:1-10
 
Suffering Thankfully
 
v.3     And He humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
 
          Dear friends in Christ, a very blessed Thanksgiving to you all!  Truly, we have much to be thankful for, don't we?  Indeed, without too much effort, we could probably fill pages and pages of things for which are thankful--bountiful blessings we have received from the Lord.  Indeed, Dr. Luther enumerates quite a list for us in his explanation to the First Article of the Apostles' Creed, when he writes:  "God has made me and all creatures; He has given m e my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them.  He also gives me clothing and shoes, food and drink, house and home, wife and children, land, animals, and all I have.  He richly and daily provides me with all that I need to support this body and life.  He defends me against all danger and guards and protects me from all evil…"
          Wow.  Quite a list.  And, amazingly, even with all those good gifts of God, we could still add even more:  good government, nice weather, peace, cars and snowmobiles, hunting and fishing, electronics and more…and we dare not forget to give thanks for indoor plumbing!  Yet, with all these gifts--all these manifold blessings from the Lord--there are still times when we just don't feel very thankful.  In fact, sometimes we are incredibly angry and upset with God.  You know.  You have felt this in your own hearts as well.  Despite the blessings--despite the gifts of family and friends, clothes and food, and things--we just don't feel like giving thanks.
          Such was the case for the Israelites in our text.  They had been delivered from dreadful bondage and slavery in Egypt by the Almighty hand of the Lord.  He had graciously sustained them throughout their 40 years of wilderness and wanderings--yet, they weren't always thankful.  Just like you and me. 
          Many of us--many of our family and friends--feel this way.  Particularly when we suffer.  Perhaps it is financial stress that is eating away at you.  "How am I going to put on that fancy Thanksgiving dinner?  How am I supposed to buy all the presents that I want to give when my credit cards are still maxed out from last year?  How can I survive in my retirement when my savings just don't cover my expenses?"
          We feel it in our hearts in terms of our relationships with family and friends.  Things aren't going well at home.  "There is too much fighting--too much hardship--too much stress.  Not to mention the boss is breathing down my neck at work and I've got a bunch of incompetent coworkers!"  Perhaps, worst of all, however, is when health issues arise--either personally or when our loved ones are afflicted--wasting away before our very eyes--and we are powerless to stop it.  How can we thankful then?  How are we to be thankful when all we really want to do is scream and shout in frustration and anger toward God.
          "What's the big idea God?  We are your followers!  Why would you let this happen?  Why are you allowing me to suffer like this?"  Don't you think any of the 10 lepers ever asked themselves that same question?  Why should they be afflicted?  Why should they have to suffer like that?  What about the Israelites in the wilderness?  Why, after all the trouble God went through to get them out of Egypt, would He now keep them hungry?  Why should they suffer in that way?
          Well, we find the answer to that in our text.  "And He humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna…that He might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord."  So…God allows us to hunger--to suffer--so that in this life we may learn that we do not live by bread alone--all these good First Article gifts of God:  government, spouse, children, toys, tvs, cars, and cabins--but rather that we live by the Word of God--the Second Article gift of Christ Jesus the Lord--the very Word of God made flesh who has come to redeem us from our sin.
          This Word of God humbles us to see what our true needs are--not the 60" LED flatscreen TV on sale at Best Buy for $399.  Rather, we see that in the end--all of these good gifts of God pass away--tvs fade and break, cars break down, even our family and friends--and our own bodies--die.  We have nothing left to put our hope or trust in, EXCEPT God's Word to us--that which is truly everlasting--Jesus.
          Our true needs as sinners, ultimately, are not new houses, bigger or better cars, or even a joyful and peaceful Thanksgiving dinner with close family and friends.  No, indeed, our needs as sinners can only be met by God Himself coming to us in human flesh and bleeding and dying for us on the cross to take away our sin.  Christ Jesus, with His innocent suffering and death, has taken care of your greatest need and given to you pardon and peace by His shed blood.  And it is your faith in Christ, beloved, this simple trust in Jesus' work for you--that gives you cause to praise and thank God, no matter what you are going through:  whether you are facing plenty or hunger, abundance or need.  The work of Christ has redeemed you and set you free from this life of suffering and death and brought you into light and life eternal. 
          This is why suffering can be so good for us.  It is helpful to strip away all the non-essentials and distractions of this life and put things into proper perspective.  What matters most is Jesus.  Always Jesus.  His dying and rising, which means that our own dying is not the end.  This is why we give thanks to God--not just in the midst of suffering--but actually FOR our suffering.  For in our sufferings we are brought nearer to Christ by the Holy Spirit.  We focus on Him and all He has done for us in gaining for us forgiveness, life, and salvation. 
          In the end--the final end--our death--and the Last Day--the true and final end of the resurrection of the dead and life everlasting--what matters most--what we are most thankful for--will not be the Turkey dinners at Thanksgiving with family and friends--nor will it be the wondrous gifts left for us under the Christmas tree.  No, indeed, what matters most--is Jesus.  His blood.  His life.  For you.  Truly, thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

​Trinity 25                                                                                                                                       November 18, 2018
Matthew 24:15-28
 
Watch for the Sign
 
v.26-28       So, if they say to you, "Look, he is in the wilderness," do not go out.  If they say, "Look, he is in the inner rooms," do not believe it.  For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.  Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures/eagles will gather.
 
          Dear friends in Christ, our Gospel reading for today takes place during Holy Week.  Jesus has been teaching and preaching at the temple.  One day, as they were sitting on the Mount of Olives just outside Jerusalem, the disciples asked Jesus a question in private, "Tell us when will these things be (meaning the destruction of the temple that Jesus had foretold, as well as the Last Day), and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?"  Jesus then warns them against false christs who will come claiming to be Him.  He encourages them not to be alarmed, even when wars occur, famines, earthquakes, [we might add, terrible wild fires, hurricanes, and blizzards], for these are but the beginning of the birth pains.  They are there to remind us to repent for the end of the world is coming—Judgement Day is coming.
          Jesus even forewarns the disciples that one of the signs will be their own persecutions and deaths.  He then goes on to foretell the destruction of the temple and all of Jerusalem at the hands of the Romans (which will occur in about 40 years).  He says that when these signs occur, there will be many false christs and false prophets who will come, and will try to deceive even the elect that Christ has returned and all people should follow these false prophets and christs.  But He warns us beforehand, not to listen to them.  Whether we are told Jesus is in some desolate land, waiting for us to come to Him, or whether they claim He has come in some secret inner place, we are to not believe these claims. 
          Why not?  I mean, if someone is doing miraculous signs and wonders, shouldn't we listen to THEM?  Isn't that a sign that God is with them?  No.  Not necessarily.  As we have learned in our Apologetics Bible study, Satan is sometimes given the power to perform what appears to be miracles, but are not.  God allows this in order to test His peoples' faith—to see whether or not they will remain true to His clear Word that He has spoken—or whether they will go after some new teaching that is not of God.
          And we can certainly see these things continuing today, can't we?  We are witnessing many of these signs in our generation.  We see wars taking place, we hear of rumours of wars, we even see self-proclaimed christs and prophets cropping up all over the world—claiming to be Jesus returned, in some cases—or, to be His direct, special mouthpiece, in others.  We see famines.  We see earthquakes.  We experience fires, typhoons, blizzards, and the like.  We see all of these signs—and it becomes very tempting when someone arises and begins to say that Christ has returned—or that these signs prove the special revelation of God that this supposed prophet has received.
          But beloved, what are we to do in these circumstances?  Not believe them!  Flee from such false teaching.  Jesus told us they would come beforehand—and He explicitly told us not to trust them.  Why not?  Because He has given us His clear Word for us to cling to in every time and circumstance and place.  We need not worry that we might somehow miss Jesus' return—that He might return secretly in some hidden manner—and we be left behind.  Such is a lie of the devil.
          Listen to Jesus' words!  "For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.  Wherever the corpse is, there the vultures/eagles will gather."  What does this mean?  Jesus' coming will be swift and sudden—unexpected.  But it will also be plainly visible to all.  Just as during a thunderstorm at night—when lightning flashes at one end of the sky—but is visible to those at the far end.  Or, to put it in more earthy terms—especially to those who hunt—wherever the corpse is, there the vultures/the eagles will gather.  Jesus' return will be just as visible and noticeable as when birds circle in the sky above a dead animal.  You can see them for miles and miles. 
          The clear sign of the coming of the kingdom of Christ was foretold by the prophets.  Just listen to what David prophesied in Psalm 22:16-18 a millennium before Jesus was ever born, "For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet—I can count all my bones—they stare and gloat over me; they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots."
          Beloved, we see here a clear picture of the crucifixion of our Lord.  Jesus, surrounded by His enemies who have come to gloat over Him as He suffers on the cross—pierced with thorns, nails, and spear.  We see Jesus' kingdom comes as He offers up His life as a ransom for the whole world—shedding His blood for the forgiveness of our sins.  Golgotha, the place of the Skull—Mount Calvary—is where the kingdom of Christ is most plainly visible.  For when Christ suffered in our place—He ushered in His kingdom of grace and mercy for the forgiveness of sins.  He gave His body and blood so that we might be sanctified and holy in the sight of the Father. 
          And you know what, dear friends?  The place of the Kingdom of God, is still the body of Christ.  This remains to this day in the age of the church—we who are the body of Christ gather around the body and blood of Christ in the Sacrament of the altar.  We do so in order to receive His forgiveness, life, and salvation.  There is no other place where Christ is to be found.  No other place to receive His love and mercy.  No other place to enter into His kingdom than in the very place that He Himself has promised to be—His holy church—in Word and Sacrament. 
          This is why we are exhorted to come to church each week—to receive His gifts.  This is why we do not fret or fear over the signs of the end times that we witness in our own day.  Christ will come—that is certain.  But we need not fear.  For by faith we have been redeemed by the blood of Christ.  Our sin and guilt and shame have been taken away by His loving sacrifice.  We need not listen to the competing voices of those who claim to have special revelation of God about what we are supposed to do, or what we are supposed to believe, or where and when Jesus will return.
          Jesus has already told us where to find Him.  In His church.  In His gifts.  His Word is clear—do not believe those who speak otherwise—they are liars like their father, the devil.  Rather, listen to voice of your Saviour.  Hearken to the voice of Him who has called you from death to life by the power of His life-giving Word.  Hear Jesus proclaim to you through the mouth of His called servants, "I forgive you all your sins—in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."  And know it is true.  For Christ has proclaimed it in His Word. 
          Therefore, when Jesus does return—and we will all know exactly when that happens because it will be gloriously visible for all to see—do not be afraid.  Rather, do as Jesus tells us to do in Luke's Gospel 21:28, "Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."  Jesus' return is the final fulfillment of your redemption that He won for you.  And so the sign of His coming is something to truly look forward to.  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

​Trinity 24                                                                                                                                           November 11, 2018
Matthew 9:18-26
 
What if...?
 
v.22-24       Jesus turned, and seeing her He said, “Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well.”  And instantly the woman was made well.  And when Jesus came to the ruler’s house and saw the flute players and the crowd making a commotion, He said, “Go away, for the girl is not dead but sleeping.”  And they laughed at Him.
 
          Dear friends in Christ, we learn from the other Gospels in our text for today that Jesus has recently returned home to Capernaum (the base for His Galilean ministry) after a gruelling schedule of teaching, preaching, and wonders.  He has healed the sick, calmed the stormy seas, and even cast out demons.  Upon returning home He is immediately accosted by one of the lay leaders of the local synagogue; St. Mark and St. Luke record his name as Jairus.  Jairus is in deep distress—his daughter—his only daughter—just 12 years old—has died.  Would Jesus help?  Could Jesus help?
          Those who have children and loved ones who have died know the terrible pain and sorrow that is afflicting this distraught father.  The ache in his chest is real as he knows his little girl is gone—finished, in the Greek.  But a radical thought has leapt into his brain—what about Jesus?  He has just arrived back in town!  Running from the house—leaving his grieving wife and the crowd of family and friends who have gathered to mourn—he hurries to find Jesus.  What if?....What if?...just maybe Jesus can do something? 
          Finding the Lord, Jairus falls down before Him in a state of deepest devotion and worship—pleading—begging!—Jesus to come and lay His hand upon his little girl that she might live—might arise.  And St. Matthew records for us that Jesus Himself arose (also used to mean raised from the dead) and followed Jairus, along with His disciples.  There is no need to fear—not even death itself—when Jesus—the Lord of Life is there for you and with you.
          However, on the way to Jairus’s house, being pressed in by the great crowd of people following all around them—a woman approaches Jesus from behind.  This woman has been plagued for 12 years (the same age as the little girl) with a severe discharge of blood that has rendered her not only ritually unclean according to Jewish Law, but also unable to bear children.  She had tried every remedy—she had seen every doctor—she had spent all her money on wild schemes—but nothing worked.  And then she heard that Jesus was back in town and she thought...what if?...what if...I just touch the edge of His cloak?—the prayer tassel that Jewish men wore over their outer clothing.  If I only touch it—surely I’ll be healed.
          So with trembling hand this poor, distraught woman, reaches out and—going against all Jewish rules of ceremonial cleanness and decorum—she, an unclean woman—touches the cloak of a holy man (indeed, the holy of holies, though no one yet realizes it!)—a rabbi no less!  She knows that in Jesus she will be healed/made well/rescued/delivered/SAVED. 
What she didn’t count on was Jesus noticing this amidst the great press of the crowd surrounding Him.  And even though Jairus is anxiously waiting, urging Jesus to hurry, wringing his hands in nervous expectation—Jesus stops.  He stops and looks around—knowing that power has gone out from Him.  For every miracle costs Him.  Every act of power led Him to the cross where He would lay down His life in suffering and pain.  He spots the woman and says to her, “Take heart/courage, daughter.  Your faith has made you well/SAVED you.”  And from that very moment the woman was finally healed! 
Can you imagine the joy?  Can you see the tears streaming down her face as she smiles in extreme happiness?  Finally!  After 12 long years—the bleeding is finished—done!  She has been made well—and what’s more—she has been saved—not by her work of stretching out her hand—but by receiving the mercy of Christ given to her by His grace through faith.  She believed in Him and His power to save her—and so He has. 
Just as He has done for all of you, beloved, who have been touched by Christ in His Word and Sacrament—whereby He has cured you of the deadly disease of your sin and made you well by your belief/trust in Him alone.  When all seems lost—(when terrorists wreak havoc and kill with senseless violence) we look to Jesus—we run to Him and trust in His power to make us whole—for that is precisely why He has come—to bring comfort and healing to sinners like you and me.  To put an end to the sin that afflicts us.
But let us not forget poor Jairus—impatiently standing on the sidelines during this whole exchange which has taken precious minutes—precious time that could have been spent on his daughter.  They continue on together and come to Jairus’s house at last.  But they are not alone.  Already the professional grieving committee has arrived and some are playing mournful songs on their flutes while others wail with great commotion and uproar to signify the horrible distress that has come upon that household because of the little girl’s death.
Jesus tells them, “Go away, for the girl is not dead, but sleeping.”  They turn to Him with incredulous expressions on their faces.  “This guy might be a great rabbi, but He apparently doesn’t know a thing about life and death.  Come on!  She’s not even breathing!  She’s finished—she’s gone.”  And they laughed at Him.  “What’s He gonna do?  She’s too far gone for a healing now!  HA!  What a fool!”
But Jesus and Jairus forcibly remove the crowd of mourners from the household—drive them out until only Jairus and the disciples and close family remain.  Jesus goes in to the little girl’s room—this 12 year old child—who was rapidly approaching marriageable age—but whose life had been tragically cut short.  He approaches her and simply takes her hand—and she was raised—she rose up as easily as if she HAD only been asleep, such is Jesus’ power over life and death!  And the news of this event spread throughout the land.
So, beloved, ends our text.  Jesus the Lord and giver of Life triumphs even in the face of insurmountable odds.  He heals every disease—He cures every ailment—and He has come to take away the guilt—the deadly disease of your sin—indeed, He brings life even in the face of death!  In His cross He has paid the ultimate price—suffered the wrath of God in your place—so that by His blood—you might be healed.  Though He died to take away your sin—He did not long remain in the tomb.  For Jesus was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father after three days and so has overcome death in all its ugliness and horror.  In Christ we need not even fear death itself—for He has beaten it for us.
Which is why even though we face death as believers.  Even though our loved ones get sick and die before our very eyes—yet we do not lose hope—we do not yield to the darkness and the pain of despair.  For we have a Lord who is greater than all these things.  Whatever troubles you—you may be deeply wounded on the inside—bleeding profusely for a long time.  Take heart!  For He has come and touched each of you with His hand of compassion and mercy.  He baptized you in water with His Word to wash away the uncleanness of your sin and mark you has His own dear child.  So that He can say to you, “Son, daughter, take courage—cheer up—for I have overcome your greatest enemies and in me you are truly saved—all is well.”
Having been raised from death to life by the power of Christ’s Word of grace that has brought each of you to faith in Him through the Gospel, He also feeds you richly from His table to keep you strong in the faith all the days of your life.  Nourished by Jesus’ own body and blood given to you this day in bread and wine you are made well.  The guilt of your sin is totally removed.  The eternal death that creeps upon your soul is tossed aside by the power of the life of Christ working in you and for you to take away your sin. 
For where sin is forgiven so also is there life and salvation.  A life just as real as Jairus’s daughter.  A life changed just as dramatically as the woman who had bled for 12 years.  Christ’s work for you—His perfect life, suffering death, and resurrection—has accomplished all this for you—and you humbly receive it by faith.  Trusting His Word to you—you need not fear:  not sin—not the devil—nor even death itself.  For Jesus has risen and conquered all—for you and all people.  And He has raised you up out of the sin and death that entrapped you by the power of His creative—life-giving—redeeming Word.  A Word that touches you—takes your hand and says, “Arise!  Your faith has saved you.”  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

​All Saints' Day (Observed)                                                                                                                  November 4, 2018
Revelation 7:2-17
 
Unbelievable Blessings
 
v.9     After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands...
 
          Dear friends in Christ, what a day this is!  What a feast!  What a text!  What a beautiful picture of the heavenly realms that God gives through His apostle John to you and me.  We see here the end promises of Jesus to those who are blessed by the Lord with the gift of faith.  We see in Revelation a wondrous picture as the saints, angels, elders, the four living creatures--all are active in worshiping God together in blissful paradise.  Indeed, heaven is for real--and this is what God wants us to know about it.
          But this picture that we are given in Revelation is hard to believe--it's hard to fathom that such perfect bliss/joy could really exist--or ever truly be ours.  We look at our own situation in this life:  we are wounded and hurting--scarred by our own sin and misdeeds, while also bearing the marks of others' cruelty against us in our bodies, minds, and spirits.  Our relationships are often tattered--hanging on by a mere thread.  We are consumed with worry and doubt as we are faced with sickness and dying.  We are persecuted and hated for being Christians who actually believe the simple words of Scripture and hold that God's Word is absolute.  It seems unbelievable that the  great reward Jesus promises--the paradise that John describes in our text--could ever belong to us.
          Indeed, we look at ourselves:  we are ever prideful and looking out for number 1--we are not poor in spirit or meek.  We hunger and thirst, but often not for God's righteousness, but rather to satisfy our lust for the pleasures of this world and life.  It seems that we are in constant and deepest mourning due to the suffering and death that plagues the world as everywhere we look there are hurting and dying people.  We look at ourselves and think that the beautiful picture of all the saints gathered around the throne of God MUST not--COULD not--include us.  If God knows just half the things we have done--He'll never let us in!  How could He?  Why would He?
          Beloved, we find ourselves in this life torn between faith and doubt, the sacred and profane--as the good that we want to do is not what we tend to do, while the evil we do not want to do is usually what we end up doing.  "Wretched man that I am!  Who will deliver me from this body of death" and give me the heavenly glory that John describes so elegantly?
          Dear friends, lowly sinners' only hope is in Christ Jesus--who comforts those who mourn--satisfies the need for righteousness--delivers mercy--adopts into His family as sons of God--and who bestows the kingdom of heaven to all those who believe.  And you can know absolutely--without a doubt--that all of that belongs to you and more because of what John records for us in Revelation.  An angel came with the seal of the living God and he called to the four angels who were about to bring destruction on the earth to hold--to wait--until all of God's servants could have the seal of God upon their foreheads--the seal of His protection and might--to preserve them from the calamity to come.
          "But how do I know if I have been sealed or not?" you may ask.  Listen to the number of people that John hears.  12 thousand from the 12 tribes of Israel, which equals 144 thousand in total.  This number symbolically represents ALL the people of God for all time--all the faithful--from Adam to Noah to Moses to David to Peter to John to Luther to YOU!
          Now Jesus tells us plainly that the life of the Christian in this unbelieving world will not always be easy.  This world is broken with sin, even as we ourselves are.  So in our constant struggle we need to be blessed.  The Holy Spirit fortifies us through the Word and the Sacrament.  You were sealed, dear friends, at your Baptism for the kingdom of heaven.  The Holy Spirit came and put upon your forehead the mark of Jesus' cross as you were baptized into the triune name of the Holy God--Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  You are a part of the "great multitude that no one can number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches..."
          "For salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"  He eulogizes you--blesses you with fine speech--as He speaks to you of mercy and forgiveness that is given through faith in Jesus Christ.  The Lord bestows His blessed righteousness and life and salvation upon you who are unworthy!  But you are MADE worthy by Him!  The Lord has taken you and washed you clean in the blood of the Lamb.  You are now clothed in the white robe of Christ's righteousness.  The filthy garments of your sinful flesh--the wretchedness of your supposed good works--all cleansed--all made new and pure and holy--by being immersed and drowned in the blood of Jesus. 
          Now...is THIS hard to believe?  Absolutely, yes!  But, by God's grace in the Holy Spirit--you DO believe.  As miserable and desperate as people are in this life--plagued with sin and crushed by evil--as weighted down with guilt and despair and loneliness as you may be now--remember who dwells with you.  "He who sits on the throne will shelter [you] with His presence.  [You shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike [you], nor any scorching heat.  For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be [your] shepherd, and He will guide [you] to springs of living water, and God will wipe away ever tear from [your] eyes."
          You have been brought through the great tribulation of this life and death by He who has conquered it all for you--the Lord Jesus Christ.  The Lamb who was slain is your Good Shepherd who leads you to the springs of the water of life that flow from His pierced side on the cross.  No matter what you may face--what you may suffer--what you may endure--heaven is for real--and it's already yours--as a free gift--paid for by the blood of Jesus.  Hard to believe?  Sure, but remember, "Amen!  Blessing and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and might be to our God forever and ever!  Amen."  The blessing is His to give--and He has given it to you by filling your heart with faith in Jesus.  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.