Advent 4 – Rorate Coreli                                                     December 23, 2018
Luke 1:39-45
 
Oh Blessed Season!
 
v.45   And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.
 
          Dear friends in Christ, this is a blessed time of year—a blessed week—a blessed day!  For tomorrow marks the beginning of the celebration of Christmas—that brief ,but intense—12 day season of joy and happiness—as we remember the birth of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.  On this fourth and final Sunday of the preparatory season of Advent, we see this theme of blessedness coming through rather strongly in the interaction between the Virgin Mary and her cousin, Elizabeth. 
          Both of these women could be rightly considered blessed.  Elizabeth had been granted the gift of a child in her old age.  She would bear the forerunner of the Messiah, John the Baptist, of whom Jesus would later say, "Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist."  Truly, Elizabeth, and her husband Zechariah, were blessed in their old age with the gift of parenthood—the gift of a son.
          Mary's situation, of course, was somewhat different.  And, at first glance, it didn't seem to be a very great blessing.  For Mary was found to be pregnant before she and Joseph were married.  Indeed, this scandal almost prevented Joseph from marrying her altogether—had it not been for divine intervention, Joseph would have quietly divorced Mary and moved on.  But the angel came and assured Joseph that Mary was faithful and true, and that what was within her was of God the Holy Spirit. 
          Even so, however, Mary would have had to endure sidelong looks and glances, jokes at her and Joseph's expense.  She would have been looked upon as a "loose" woman, and Joseph as a fool.  Perhaps that was one reason why Mary left town to go and visit her cousin, Elizabeth.  Get away for a few months—let things die down a bit, until the next piece of small town gossip can take over. 
          Whatever the reason, Mary goes to Elizabeth to stay with her until Elizabeth gives birth to John.  And it is their initial greeting to one another that occupies our attention this morning.  For as Mary entered the house and greeted Elizabeth, Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and her unborn son, John, leaped in her womb with great joy.  It is then that Elizabeth exclaims "with a loud cry, 'Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!  And why is this granted to me that the mother of my Lord should come to me?  For behold, when the sound of your greeting came to my ears, the baby in my womb leaped for joy.  And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.'"
          Dear friends, what a scene!  What a confession of faith.  Indeed, Elizabeth is the first person to worship the Christ child—while He is yet in the womb of His mother!  And she states that Mary is blessed by God above all women—for the baby she carries is the blessed Lord God in the flesh.  She who has believed this amazingly good word of God, is most fortunate and blessed by God in the sight of all people.
          At this time of year that word "blessed" is used quite frequently, isn't it?  We feel blessed to have a home, family, and friends, a good job, presents under the tree, etc.  And that is true in the sense that all good gifts come from God—are indeed blessings from Him to us.  But there is a greater, deeper blessing at work here as well.  A blessing that comes only to those who hear and believe the Word of the Lord—particularly about the fruit of the Virgin's womb. 
          This state of blessedness is a condition for which God alone is responsible.  Mary is blessed because of the undeserved gift of the presence of Jesus.  Just so with you and me in the church today, beloved.  We are blessed because of the presence of Jesus.  Christ, in the midst of His church, is the source of every blessing.  And we are further blessed each time we hear God's Word to us and believe it—especially about the forgiveness of our sins.
          This is no easy or ordinary thing, but a miracle!  God the Holy Spirit works faith in our hearts through His Word so that we may actually believe what He tells us.  For what He says to us can be pretty unbelievable at times.  Just think what Mary must have thought when the angel Gabriel came and told her the Word of the Lord that she had been chosen to bear God's Son.  Many countless Jewish women before her had prayed for that especial honour, but it fell to Mary, a young unwed woman from a tiny town in a remote part of the country.  You will recall that Mary herself was astonished and wondered how this could be, but she trusted in God's Word to her—"Let it be done to me, according to your Word," she replied to the angel. 
          Just so with you and me, dear friends.  We hear these words of God and wonder how they could be true?  How could God simply forgive me after all the stuff that I have done?  I have said?  I have thought?!  How could He?  How could God possibly choose to bless me?  How could God wash me clean of sin through water just with His name?  How could He give me the body and blood of Jesus in simple bread and wine—just by His saying so?  These words are hard to believe, and can only be believed through the power of the Holy Spirit.  But when they are believed they bring great joy that causes us to want to leap with excitement at our happy fortune—our blessedness!
          For these Words declare that we are forgiven for all our sin.  These words declare that Jesus was born for me and for you.  That He is our Saviour too!  That He came in such lowly and humble means as a way of living the perfect holy life that we could not—and that He chose to take our sin upon Himself and to suffer and die for it on Calvary's cross—in the presence of His own mother—so that all the world could be set free from sin, death, and the power of the devil. 
          Mary is blessed above all women because she was given the special privilege of bearing God in the flesh.  She alone can rightly be called the "Mother of God."  Yet He who was born of her was not born only for her—but for you and me and all people.  For Elizabeth and John.  For Adam and Eve.  For Grandma and Grandpa.  For our neighbor down the street.  For the clerk in the department store.  Jesus was born for all of sinful humanity.  He was born so that He could be our Saviour—for He has done mighty things for us by His bloody cross and passion.  His blood has wiped out the enormous debt of our sin before the Father in heaven.  His mercy is upon you  and all who fear Him—who trust and believe in Him.  Who cling to His Word of life and hope, when all seems lost.
          Indeed, blessed are you who believe that there will be a fulfillment of what was spoken to you from the Lord—that He who believes and his baptized will be saved.  That Jesus is present with you in Word, bread and wine, for the forgiveness of your sins.  May this blessing always bring you great joy.  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.
 

Advent 3 - Gaudete (Rejoice!)                                                                                                           December 16, 2018
Isaiah 40:1-8
 

v.1-2 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.  Speak tenderly to Jerusalem and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins.
 
          Dear friends in Christ, it was not going to go well with Israel.  You see, even though Israel had been called by God to be a special nation unto the world--His nation--His people--they had been faithless.  Like an adulterous spouse they had gone and worshiped false gods.  Evil gods, like Baal, Marduk, Nebo, Chemosh, etc.  Gods that demanded abhorrent practices, such as child sacrifice.  And God would chastise His people for it.  Boy would they be chastised.  The Babylonian Emperor Nebuchadnezzar would come in and crush Israel with a ferocity rarely seen even in the cruel ancient world. 
          It seemed from Israel's perspective that Yahweh had lost His power and strength.  That He was perhaps impotent to defend His people.  Or worse, Yahweh had chosen not to defend Israel--but was going to spurn them forever because of their rejection of Him.  Or worse yet, what if Yahweh didn't really even exist?  What if Israel's trust in Him had always been in vain?  Whatever their perspective, the people of Israel seemed to have no hope.  No future.  No joy.
          You ever feel the same way, dear friends?  Do you ever wonder whether or not God is really out there?  And, if He is, whether or not He is out there as your friend, or as your enemy?  It seems that every day we experience rejection from God: pain and suffering.  Anxiety and distress. 
          The doctor calls us into her office with bad news.  The family is fighting again--and right before the holidays too!  Laws are being passed and judgements from the courts being decided that make it more and more difficult for us to practice and live out our Christian faith in freedom.  We risk lawsuits, prejudice, and harassment from friend and stranger alike, simply for speaking God's truth in His Word about ordinary things like the nature of marriage as a union between one man and one woman.  Heck--we face persecution for simply believing that human beings are either male or female--period.  You face being called a bigot and a hater for daring to state the truth that life begins at conception and no one--man or woman--has the right to end that life. 
          It seems, beloved, as though we have been rejected.  As though God is not there.  As though our pain, our suffering--is completely unimportant to Him and He doesn't care--or maybe He just doesn't exist in the first place.  For if He does--He certainly is not in control--it seems the devil is running free in our society and all around the globe. 
          Into this darkness.  Into this silence--God speaks.  "Comfort, comfort my people, says your God."  A double portion of comfort is your due.  God has not finished speaking with His people.  When faced with exile in a foreign land--oppression--devastation--death--God speaks to Israel--God speaks to His people--God speaks to you.  And this double comfort is not dependent upon your sincerity of faith, but on the determined and gracious Word of Yahweh.  He speaks and His people are blessed.  You are blessed.
          As deep as Israel's hurt ran--as badly as their faith was shaken--Yahweh remained true and faithful to them.  As deeply as your hurt runs in your life, God's comfort runs deeper still.  He speaks comfort to you when you deserve it not.  He speaks joy to you when all around you see only darkness and despair.  He speaks life to you, even in the face of death. 
          Because of your sin--you, too, deserve to be cut off from God.  Often it feels like that in this life.  As Christians you live in exile in this world of sin and death.  Heaven is your true home.  Yet, your sin serves as mountains and valleys that separate you from the glory of God.  Whether it is your love of false gods that you have invented for yourself--or whether it is your grievous and hateful thoughts, words, and deeds toward your neighbour--because of your sin--you deserve nothing less than to be completely cut off from God for all eternity.  All flesh is grass--surely you people are grass.  Yet, though "The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of the Lord will stand forever."
          And what is this Word of the Lord that will stand forever, even as you and I suffer and die in this world of sin and death?  "Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.  Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins."  Beloved, this message is for you, too!  Yes, ancient Israel would be restored to the promised land once again, as Isaiah foretold.  Though she was an adulterous nation--seeking after false gods--Yahweh would speak tenderly to her and restore her to a right relationship to Himself as His beloved bride.  But there is more to Isaiah's prophecy.  For you, too, are included in this comfort and pardon for all your sins.  Your warfare with God and the evil principalities of this world is ended--for Jesus has come and brings comfort eternal.
          The pardon for your sin has been accomplished by the Advent of God coming in the flesh in Jesus Christ.  He who was born a babe in Bethlehem--would go to the cross of Calvary in your place--to suffer in your stead--to take your sin and die for it.  Jesus ended the warfare by suffering the wrath of God for you.  His blood outpoured on the cross is your gift of salvation.  By His death and burial the mountains and valleys of your sin have been made level.  Now you can see the glory of God revealed--the glory of God suffering in human flesh on the cross--out of love for you--to save you from your sins.
          Beloved, the divine Word of God has become incarnate in Jesus Christ so the promises of double comfort would be fulfilled.  Though people may try to silence you and silence this good word of God--be it through intimidation privately, or through public laws--yet you continue to speak the truth in love.  For the Word of the Lord endures forever.  You speak so that others may hear of Christ and so the way may be made straight for them to witness the glory of God in Jesus' death on the cross and so receive the full pardon for all their iniquity--and they, too, may be comforted amidst all life's brokenness and ugliness of death.
          Gaudete Sunday means Rejoice Sunday.  What a Sunday it is to rejoice!  For though you are a sinner--you are a sinner to whom God speaks His comfort and pardon.  The blood of Jesus has covered your sins and washed them all away.  Your Baptism has erased every obstacle--every barrier--every mountain or valley between you and the Lord--the way is clear and straight--God's mercy for you is secure.  You have been raised from death to life by the death and resurrection of Jesus in your place--given to you in your Baptism.
          And now, what do we as God's people do when we rejoice?  We eat!  We feast!  We rejoice together around the foretaste of the great feast to come.  In simple bread and wine you are blessed to receive a double portion of God's mercy in the very body and blood of Jesus--He who is the Comforting Word of God made flesh--you get to feast on Him and rejoice!  For God has spoken tenderly to you today.  He has spoken through the mouth of this humble servant to forgive your sins by His holy name.  In the Supper, He speaks to you again with words of pardon:  Take, eat, my body given for you.  Take, drink, my blood shed for you for the forgiveness of all of your sins.
          So rejoice, dear friends, rejoice!  For Christ Jesus has overcome the world in His death and resurrection.  And He has overcome your sin and your death--to give you His forgiveness and life.  "Comfort, comfort is yours--your warfare is ended--your iniquity pardoned--you have received from the Lord Jesus' body and blood double for your all your sins."  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

Advent 2 – Populus Zion                                                                                                                     December 9, 2018
Luke 21:25-36
 
 
v.25   And there will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world.  For the powers of the heavens will be shaken.
 
          Dear friends in Christ, today is the second Sunday in Advent.  Advent is Latin for "he is coming."  It is a season wherein we both remember our Lord Jesus' first coming through the womb of the Virgin Mary, but also anticipate His Second Coming in power and glory to judge the living and the dead on the Last Day.  It is to this Second coming that our text refers this day.  Indeed, this is the only time in Luke's Gospel that signs of the end of the world are described.
          Earlier in Luke 21 Jesus described the signs that would precede the fall of Jerusalem.  But here at the end of Luke 21 we hear a vivid description of the cosmic signs that will precede Jesus' final coming on Judgement Day.  They are fearful signs having to do with the sun, moon, and stars, and the raging of the sea.  "The powers of the heavens will be shaken," Jesus says.  These are general descriptors.  He does not go into detail as to exactly how that will happen, or what it will look like.  But it won't be good.  Indeed, as God's orderly creation becomes unstable and reverts toward chaos, there will be much quaking and fear among the people of the nations.  For the Creator begins to withdraw His benevolence and goodwill toward His originally good creation, and now turns in anger and wrath as His patience runs out with corrupt and perverse humanity.
          The point of Jesus' words is not so much about the specific details of the end times signs, but rather their effect on humanity.  Indeed, there will be people of this generation "fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world."  This generation will not pass away until all has taken place.  This generation is the unbelieving generation.  This generation that has consistently refused to listen to the Word of God through His prophets, apostles, and church.  This generation that seeks after wickedness and licentiousness—this generation will not cease UNTIL that Day.  But they will fear.  Oh my how they will quiver like leaves blowing in the wind on THAT Day.
          The signs of Jesus' imminent return will be so fantastic, so obvious, that all will see.  The effect on the pagan unbelievers will be profound: great, paralyzing fear and distress and anxiety.  But not so for you, dear friends.  Not so for the Christian.  For the Christian the effect of these powerful portents will be that instead of bending over and cowering in fear, you will "straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near."  Beloved, even as your redemption came through the Word made flesh in Mary's womb—Jesus who would suffer and die in your place on the cross—shed His blood for your forgiveness—be raised to life for your justification—even so as these incredible signs take place—know that your final redemption—the consummation of your eternal salvation is at hand!  And so you will not shrink, or cower, or hide.  You will not tuck yourself into a ball and hide under the dining room table, crying for your mommy.  Rather, you will stand up straight, and you will raise your head to stare into the heavens so that you will with joy see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory—your redemption—Redeemer—drawing near.
          Now, why is this?  Why is it that the pagans will be so afraid, but we Christians will sing and dance for joy at the same signs of the end of the age?  Because Christians know and trust and rely upon the Words of Jesus.  For, though "heaven and earth will pass away, but [Jesus'] words will not pass away."  His Word is eternal and true.  His Word is life and light to all who believe.  His Word is love and joy and peace found in the forgiveness of sins earned by the dying and rising of Jesus Himself.  And it is this simple faith and trust in this Word that will enable you to have the "strength to escape/endure all those things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man."
          For on that Last Day, every person on earth will kneel before the Lord Jesus.  Every person will come before Him to give an account.  The wicked and perverse generation will come shaking with fear—trying in vain to present their own works and efforts to Jesus in order to be found acceptable.  They will be cast into the outer darkness of hell where there will be great weeping and gnashing of teeth.  They will suffer and die in their trespasses and sins, having forsaken the Lord's Christ who came to take their sins away.
          But not so with you, beloved.  For you will not shrink away from Jesus in fear and trembling, but run toward Him with joy and thanksgiving!  For your Saviour has come!  He who has washed you clean with His own blood has come!  He who has fed you with His own body and blood has come!  He who has spoken tender words of forgiveness and peace to you when you were overcome by your sin and sorrow has come!  He has come to make you whole.  He has come to set you free from sin, death, and the power of the devil.  He has come to usher you into the great wedding feast of His glorious kingdom.  You approach His throne with confidence in His Word, pleading His favor for the sake of Christ who bled and died for you.  And you will receive it.  For He is your Redeemer—the One who purchased your for His Father's kingdom with His own precious blood.  He will not disown you now or ever, especially on the Last Day.
          Which is why we are exhorted by the Lord Jesus to watch and pray so that our hearts are not weighed down by the terrors and difficulties and cares of this life.  Do not be led astray by false teachers who proclaim to you that God is not coming back—that He is not real—that all there is to this life is to "eat, drink, and be merry for tomorrow we die!"  Indeed, there is so much more.  There is great fulfillment in loving and serving one's neighbor.  There is joy in the midst of suffering.  There is life in the face of death.  There is forgiveness in the place of guilt and shame.  All because of the Word of God in Christ that sets us free.  Trust in this Word that will not pass away.  Trust in this Word who took on flesh for you.  Was nailed to a cross for you.  Was raised to life for you.  And who will come again…for you!
          The Lord Jesus will come—the Sun of Righteousness—with healing in His wings.  He comes to you now in Word, water, bread and wine.  He comes to proclaim His undying love for you—to give you His kingdom through the forgiveness of all of your sins.  And He will come again on the Last Day to bring you into His never-ending kingdom of joy and blessedness. 
          So, when you see these signs take place.  When you see the old order of creation begin to fade as heaven and earth pass away—the sun darkening—the moon turning to blood—the stars falling from the sky—and the sea roaring with crashing waves—fear not.  For your redemption is finally at hand.  Don’t be like the pagans who will cower in terror, looking to themselves for salvation.  Rather, be Christians.  Look to the Word of God, which alone is able to give you comfort and hope.  And look up.  Look up to Jesus who has come to you—and for you.  Look to Him whose gracious words will never pass away.  Look to His nail pierced hands, and spear pierced side.  Look to the One who shed His blood for you—and rejoice!  Thanks be to God in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

​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.