The First Sunday after Christmas (Christmas 1)

(Audio)

Luke 2:22-40; Galatians 4:1-7; Isaiah 11:1-5

 

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.

The temptation is always to be just a little too content with yourself, your life, and your world. A little too comfortable; a little too complacent; a little too rooted in this life and world which is passing away. That is idolatry, and idolatry is your chief sin. That is why the Scriptures are continually warning you to lay up your treasure in heaven, not on earth, and to remember that you are but a stranger here, and that heaven is your true home. Are you longing to return home? Or are you content and at peace where you are, like a pig in its wallow? If so, know that you are not alone, but do not take comfort in that fact.

The story of Jesus has a wonderful, unexpected way of helping us to avoid such temptation. The narratives of Jesus’ lowly birth, his humble upbringing, his unusual ministry, and his tragic rejection and murder show us that things are not as they should be. Nothing goes the way we would expect or hope for. Our Creator does not act in the ways in which we his creatures would expect or hope for. And we know that he is good and right, and that we are the ones who are sinful and wrong.

The events of Jesus’ birth are so mundane, even scandalous, that no one witnessing them would give them a thought. A government ordered census for the purpose of taxation causes an unwed couple from a backwater town in Galilee to journey to Bethlehem in the last days of the young woman’s pregnancy. When they arrive, the guest room is full, so the young mother is brought into the family room where she gives birth to her firstborn son and lays him in a manger filled with fresh hay. No one in Bethlehem was aware that anything of importance had taken place except for Joseph and Mary and some shepherds keeping watch over their flocks by night who received the Good News from a multitude of angels who simply couldn’t keep quiet over their astonishment at what God had just done!

But that’s how it is with Jesus, and that’s how it is with our God, Creator, Lord, and heavenly Father. His ways are not our ways; His foolishness is wiser than our wisdom. Isaiah prophesied of Jesus: “His appearance was so marred, beyond human semblance, and his form beyond that of the children of mankind,” “like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.” “Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.”

And so, forty days after his humble birth, Jesus’ family did what every Hebrew family did, they made the journey to Jerusalem, to the temple, to do what the Law required, to make the appointed sacrifices for the purification of a mother of a son, and to redeem Jesus, Mary’s firstborn son. Though he was sinless, holy, and righteous, Emmanuel, God with us, the infant Jesus submitted to the Law on our behalf, as one of us, for us and in our place, just as he submitted to gestation in the womb of a woman, natural birth, circumcision, weaning, diapers, and all the weakness, helplessness, and utter dependence of human infancy. They made the sacrifice of the poor, two turtledoves; nothing to see here, move along.

Indeed, in the busy temple court, no one noticed this family at all unless it was granted them to notice by the Lord. Simeon noticed. The Holy Spirit had revealed to him that he would not die before he beheld the Lord’s Christ, the Messiah. And so, by the Holy Spirit, Simeon was in the temple that day and, by the Spirit, he recognized the Holy Family and the Messiah Jesus. He went to them and took up the child in his arms praising God and saying, “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to your people Israel.” You know those words well, for you sing them each and every time you receive the Messiah’s body and blood into yourself at this altar, for you too have beheld the Lord’s salvation, even communed with him, and may now depart in peace.

By the Holy Spirit, Simeon could see in this lowly child what no one else could see. Simeon prophesied that this child would be the cause of the fall and rising of many in Israel, that he would be spoken against and opposed, and that his mother would be affected. For, all the world would be affected. In this lowly, holy child God was visiting his people; no one and no thing will remain unchanged. “He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.”

There was another who noticed Jesus that day in the temple, an aged woman named Anna who had dedicated the bulk of her life to fasting and prayer in the temple, waiting for the arrival of the promised Messiah. When she beheld the holy family and the infant Jesus, “she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem.” Undoubtedly, both Anna and Simeon were thought to be fanatics, kooks, or otherwise. Why all this fuss about a lowly family from backwater Galilee? But things are often not as they appear, particularly when we consider our holy and righteous God and the complete and utter darkness of our sin and death.

Israel was a stump, a great olive tree that had been cut down flush with the earth, and worse, burned out with fire, lifeless and dead. Nothing, absolutely nothing, could be hoped to bring it to life again. That was the state of Israel at the time of Jesus’ birth. They had been under Roman subjugation for about sixty years at the time and only a faithful remnant was hopefully anticipating a savior, and most of them had the wrong idea of what a savior would look like or do. Among this remnant were faithful Hebrew men and women the likes of Joseph and Mary, Zechariah and Elizabeth, Simeon and Anna, the men Jesus later called to be his Apostles, and others. But no one was expecting how God would act, what that would look like, or when exactly it might happen. This is summed up well in the Christmas Eve antiphon, “When all was still and it was midnight, God’s almighty Word descended from the royal throne.” That is to say, when no one was expecting it, and in a way that no one could have imagined, God acted; indeed, that is when God always acts. A shoot came forth from the burned out lifeless dead stump of Jesse; a branch from his root began to bear fruit. Surprise! Merry Christmas!

The temptation is always to be just a little too content with yourself, your life, and your world. A little too comfortable; a little too complacent; a little too rooted in this life and world which is passing away. The Christmas story, the story of Jesus can serve to wake you up and break you out of such complacency and help you to see with your ears and hearken to the word of the Lord regardless of what your eyes behold, and your reason seeks to dismiss, distort, and reject. Your salvation is not in a temple or church made by human hands. Nor is it in your works and obedience under the Law. Nor is it in your sacrifices or prayers or even in your faith in and of itself. But your salvation is in the temple built not by human hands, nor by the will or participation of a man. It is not located upon a throne in a palace, in a mighty army, or in riches, power, or prestige. But your salvation is located in the Son of God and the Son of David born of the flesh of the Virgin Mary by the Holy Spirit of God – something unthinkable, unbelievable, impossible, scandalous, foolish to fallen human reason, wisdom, values, virtues, and expectations, but the wisdom and the power and the glory of God, nonetheless.

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.” Grant that we may ever be alive in Him who made Himself to be like us.

In the + Name of Jesus. Amen.

The Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord - Christmas Day

(Audio)

John 1:1-18; Titus 3:4-7; Exodus 40:17-21, 34-38

 

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.

“The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.” There it is. That is the basis of your redemption. Without the incarnation of the Word of God, there could be no salvation for you. Because of your sin, and because of your parents’, and their parents’, and your First Parents’ sin – which is all your sin – you fell from God’s grace. No, that’s putting it too lightly. Rather, you rebelled against God’s grace. You threw it off of you like a damp blanket. You left yourself naked in your sin and rebellion before God’s holy and righteous face, and you couldn’t hide, though you tried. But He could see right through your feeble façade. God was right, and you were wrong. And, because you were wrong, there was no way possible for you to make yourself right with Him once again. God must be reconciled, and you couldn’t do anything to make that happen. Therefore, He did what was necessary to reconcile you to Himself. “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.” The incarnation was the basis of your redemption, but its fulfillment was yet to come.

“The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.” That wasn’t the first time, though it was the final, the last, and the eternal time. For, the LORD had always dwelt among His people in various ways. Of course, in the Garden, before the Fall of our First Parents, God dwelt with them, walking and talking with them, in the cool of the evening. But, after the Fall, man could no longer abide in God’s holy presence, lest he be destroyed in the face of His holiness and righteousness. Therefore, it was in mercy that the LORD banished the man and the woman from the Garden that they might not eat again from the Tree of Life and live in eternal separation from God and His presence. However, before He sent them packing, the LORD sacrificed an innocent beast and shed its innocent blood that He might clothe Adam and Eve’s nakedness and cover their sin until time was full and He would send His only-begotten Son into the flesh to be the sacrificial Lamb of God’s offering that would take away the sin of the world.

The shedding of innocent blood and the covering with skin, with flesh, is a key Old Testament type of the Incarnation of the Son of God, the Word made flesh and dwelling among us. The innocent blood and the fleshly covering are typological symbols of what would be necessary to reconcile God in His relationship with humanity. Innocent blood, blood that is not corrupted and tainted with the stain of sin, must be shed and must cover, atone for, and wash away the sin of men. Innocent flesh, holy and righteous flesh, must cover sinful men, and incorporate them into the New Man, the Second Adam, the Son of God, Jesus Christ, with whom the LORD God is fully pleased.

And so, God instructed Moses to erect a tabernacle made of wooden poles and animal skins, a tent of fleshy skins in which God would dwell among His people. Within the tabernacle, Moses placed the Ark of the Covenant containing the testimony of the LORD, the Ten Commandments, Aaron’s budding staff, and a pot of manna. The Ark was covered with the Mercy Seat, flanked by fiery Seraphim, upon which the atoning blood was sprinkled. In this way, the Glory of God dwelt among His people.

Within the tabernacle, the Priests performed animal and grain sacrifices before the LORD on behalf of the people. And, while it is true that these sacrifices never took away or forgave sin, they did indeed permit God to overlook the peoples’ sins for a time, for He had attached His Word of promise to them that He would overlook their sins and spare them. Centuries later, the tabernacle was replaced by Solomon’s temple and, later still, Herod’s temple. The LORD would be present among His people in the temple just as He was in the tabernacle, and the sacrifices would continue just as before. However, neither the tabernacle, nor the temple, nor the sacrifices were an end in themselves, but they were shadows and types of a fulfillment yet to come – the Temple made without human hands, and the sacrificial Lamb of God that would take away the sins of the world.

“The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.” The phrase “made His dwelling” is only one word in the original Greek, eskēnōsen. It is the exact same word that is used in the Greek translation of the Old Testament for the tabernacle. Literally, it means “pitched a tent.” Therefore, we could read John 1:14 this way, “The Word became flesh and pitched His tent among us.” The word implies an intimate dwelling together with man, a living together in a domestic sort of way, making a home together and having a family together. Yes, that is what is connoted in the words “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.”

In the Incarnation of the Son of God, the Word of God made flesh, God has incorporated humanity into Himself. As the ancient Church has put it, “God became man that man might become God.” We are not God in and of ourselves, but we have been incorporated into God through Holy Baptism and faith in the Word made flesh Jesus Christ. Undoubtedly the very best symbol the LORD has given us to understand the kind of God He is and the kind of relationship He desires to have with us is marriage. “It is not good that the man should be alone.” When the LORD made Adam, He had no intention of leaving him alone. Eve, His wife, was not an afterthought, but was God’s divine plan from the beginning. The LORD joined Adam and Eve in marriage – the LORD’s creation, not man’s, or the state’s, or the court’s. “Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.”

No, Eve was not an afterthought, and neither was marriage and family an afterthought. Indeed, one cannot fully understand the meaning of the Incarnation apart from these symbols, these types, and foreshadowing the LORD has provided. For, from the beginning, God’s plan was to receive you into Himself. Now, many have speculated, even Martin Luther, how the LORD would have accomplished this if our First Parent’s had not plunged humanity and the world into sin and death. While it is speculation, Luther believed that the LORD still would have found a way for humanity to become one flesh with God. Perhaps, Luther thought, they might have fallen asleep, as in a bed of roses, and awoken to a new and fuller life? Regardless, the point is this: Your God and LORD desires to dwell with you, to make His home with you, to marry you, and, yes, to have a family with you! That is why the predominant theme throughout the Holy Scriptures depicting your relationship with God is marriage.

The incarnation of the Son of God, the Word of God made flesh, is the beginning of the redemption of your flesh, even as the death and resurrection of Jesus is the redemption of both your body and soul. God has redeemed the Bride by sending His Son, the Bridegroom, into your flesh to suffer and die and be raised to new life with the promise that your flesh and blood bodies will be raised to unending life as well. However, you have already begun to live that new life, life that will never die. Yes, your bodies are still under the curse and will surely die – you feel that and know that each and every day of your life as you grow older and weaker. However, your bodies will be raised new and holy and will be wed with your new spirit born of water and the Word in Holy Baptism. Therefore, the incarnation of the Son of God has meaning for you now.

And so it is that Christmas is every bit as much about your redemption and salvation as is Easter. “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us,” and that has changed everything, already, now! In the Incarnation of the Son of God, the Word made flesh, God has begun to remake you in His image once again, the image and likeness of His Son Jesus Christ. Though this work will not be complete in you until the resurrection of your body, you are already changed, and you will continue to be changed until then. Once you were in darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord. Therefore, put away the works of darkness and walk as children of the Light. Emmanuel, God with us, is with you, always. He has pitched a tent in your midst that He might make a family with you and bear within you the fruit of the family, love: Love for God, and love for your fellow man.

In the + Name of Jesus. Amen.

The Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord - Christmas Eve

(Audio)

Luke 2:1-20; Titus 2:11-14; Isaiah 9:2-7

 

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.

When the Archangel Gabriel appeared to Mary, the Evangelist tells us that she was greatly troubled and tried to discern what sort of greeting this might be. Truly, Mary’s response to an angelic greeting was not unique. In fact, St. Luke, alone records no less than three angelic appearances in the first two chapters of his Gospel, beginning with the appearance of Gabriel to Zechariah, the soon to be father of John the Baptist. Zechariah was serving as priest in the temple at the hour of incense when Gabriel came to him in a vision. Luke tells us that he was troubled when he saw him, and that fear fell upon him. Later, after Jesus was born in Bethlehem, an angel of the Lord appeared to some shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. Luke tells us, in the old King James translation, that they were sore afraid.

Outside of the infancy narratives, even in the Old Testament, whenever an angel from heaven visited God’s people, they were filled with fear. Perhaps the most well known instance is that of the prophet Isaiah who, when he beheld, in a vision, the angels of God surrounding His throne, famously confessed, “Woe is me! I am undone! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell amongst a people of unclean lips, for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.” In this, Isaiah’s confession, we hear the reason that God’s people are so very afraid in the presence of God’s holy angels – it is because of their unclean lips, the guilt of their sin which makes them and all men unholy. Isaiah was right, of course; he should have been undone. He should have died.

But that’s not what happened. Instead, an angel of heaven flew to him, having in his hands tongs holding a live coal taken from the altar of sacrifice. The angel touched the burning coal to Isaiah’s lips and said to him, “Behold, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away, and your sin atoned for.” Our sin separates us from God. His holiness can only consume and destroy sin, guilt, and unholiness. Such things have no place in God’s holy presence. But besides being perfectly holy and just, the very standard and definition of these, He is also the standard and the measure of goodness, love, mercy, and grace. Therefore, instead of destroying unholy man, He did what was necessary to justify him, to make him to be right and clean and holy in His presence. God forgave and atoned for Isaiah’s sin and guilt and made him clean. And the fact that the purifying coal came from the altar of sacrifice demonstrates that His forgiveness comes at a cost – holy and innocent sacrificial blood, blood shed for those who are unholy.

The first words from the angels’ lips are always “Do not fear.” The justification? “You have found favor with God.” In other words, there is no need for you to be afraid, not because you are sinless and holy, but because God has chosen to look at you that way, because God has sacrificed Himself to make that possible. You have found favor with God. It almost sounds as though you tripped over it, or that it fell into your lap. Do not think that it was your work, or your will, your choice, or your decision; you weren’t even looking for God, let alone for His favor. But He has found you, and He has decided and chosen to have favor upon you freely, apart from your will, decision, or choice, because of the goodness, the mercy, and the love that He is.

Fear. That’s something I think we all share, particularly at this time of the year, with a new year just around the corner. We are afraid for our children. We are afraid for others we love. We are afraid for ourselves, for our security, and for our way of life. Often it seems that we are surrounded by fear and uncertainty, horror and tragedy, everywhere we turn, every moment of our lives. If you’re near retirement age, you’re likely wondering if anyone will look after you and care for you when you are no longer able to care for yourself. You’re likely wondering how you will pay for all the things you will need as you get older and have little or no income. If you’re parents of young children, you’re likely wondering if your children will be safe when they go to school, will they learn what they need to be successful adults, what kind of America will your children live in, what kind of world will it be? There are a lot of things to cause you to be fearful. And there are a whole lot of people, organizations, and institutions, not to mention the media and the government, that seemingly want you to be afraid, and that are all too eager to use your fear to control you and make you buy and believe whatever it is that they’re selling, pushing, or advocating.

“Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” There is no need to be afraid. God has heard your cries in the darkness of sin and death and He has responded. “When all was still and it was midnight,” in the darkest hour of your night of helplessness and fear, God’s “almighty Word […] descended from the royal throne.” When you least expected it, when you were certain your situation was hopeless and there was nothing that you or anyone could do – you were right, by the way – that was when God acted, that’s when God acts, that’s when you can see that God has been acting all along. All that’s been threatened is your idols, those things, those people, those emotions that you have put your fear, your love, and your trust in instead of God. God will permit them to be knocked down, undone, taken away, or destroyed, or He will simply do it Himself, so that you will see that your fear, love, and trust in them is misplaced.

Fear not. God is in control. And, He is not unsympathetic to your fears, your worries, your concerns, and your anxiety, for He shares your flesh and blood and He has suffered through many of the same fearsome happenings as you. He was born in conditions of want and need, exposed to the elements with no defense. He was the would-be victim of murderous Herod as he slaughtered the innocent babes of Bethlehem in his fear-driven insanity to hold onto his power and throne. He was ridiculed and mocked by the intellectuals of His day, and He was hunted by the government as an insurrectionist, and by the Church as a blasphemer. But, He permitted Himself to be taken captive, and He willingly submitted to mocking, spitting, and blows, and, ultimately, to the cruel and tearing whips, thorns, and nails of hatred and evil, even death on the cross, to sanctify all suffering and to defeat the power of sin and take away the sting of death – that you need not fear any longer.

God is in control, and He works all things – even the bad things, even the evil things – He works all things for the good of those who love Him, through Jesus Christ. Jesus came to absolve you of all your fear: Fear for today; fear for tomorrow; fear of death; fear of God. He says to you “Do not be afraid. I know your fears. I know your worries. I know your anxieties. I have faced them all, and yet I remained faithful, trusting in the Word of my Father. I have faced and suffered even death, your greatest enemy, for you, in your place, and I have destroyed its power and sting; death cannot hold you; already you are its victor through me. Because of this, my Father is your Father. Because of His love for me He loves you as His own dear son or daughter.”

Already at His birth the choirs of heavenly angels broke forth in song, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased!” Tonight, we join them singing, “Glory to the newborn King; Peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled!” Jesus Christ is born! No more shall we be afraid!

In the + Name of Jesus. Amen.

Rorate Coeli - The Fourth Sunday in Advent (Advent 4) - Sunday School Christmas Lessons & Carols

(Audio)

Isaiah 9:2, 6, 7; Luke 1:26-35, 38; Luke 2:1, 3-7; Luke 2:8-16; John 1:1-14

 

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Christmas is truly about the incarnation of the Son of God: The Word became flesh and made His dwelling amongst us. The Second Person of the Holy Trinity, the eternal, creative Word spoken by the Father, was conceived by the Holy Spirit in the virgin womb of Mary and was born to us as an infant child in the city of David, Bethlehem. God dwells with man as a man. He knows what it means to be a man; He knows what it means to be you better than you do. And so, you do not have a God who is far off, but you have a God who is very near. You do not have a God that cannot empathize with your weaknesses, griefs and temptations, but you have a God who has experienced all these and has suffered and died in your flesh.

Yet, perhaps, the most astounding, and the most comforting thing about the incarnation of our Lord is the love that He displayed in it. For, the incarnation is God stripped naked and presented to you bare, entirely for you. He gave Himself as a gift to you without any concern for Himself at all. He came out of the womb naked, like all men, weak, helpless, needy, vulnerable, and defenseless. Our God became a human child, and our God is still a human man. As Jesus has taught you, there is no greater love than that a man should lay down his life for his friends. Indeed, your God has given Himself to you wholly, holding nothing back, as a gift of perfect and holy love. He came with no demands but with His only desire being that you would receive and benefit from His love, and, perhaps, a hope that you might love Him in return.

He’ll never stop loving you, even if you don’t love Him in return – imagine that! And, He has forgiven you and all people in Jesus Christ, even if you don’t believe that – imagine that! He is for you; there are no conditions or exceptions; He is for you; He is for the whole world! Your God is the greatest gift imaginable – a free and perfect gift of perfect love and perfect grace. But it’s not cheap grace, but it is the most costly and rare grace imaginable. But truly, that’s what love is. That’s what love means. And that’s what love looks like. Love was born at Christmas. And Jesus Christ is God’s gift of perfect love dwelling amongst us.

You don’t take a gift. You don’t choose a gift. You certainly don’t earn, buy, or even necessarily deserve a gift. But you receive a gift. And you believe the gift is truly yours. And then, you receive the benefit of the gift and the love of its giver who desires only that you would receive and believe and benefit from His love.

That’s the gift of the incarnation. And that’s what Christmas is truly all about.

In the + Name of Jesus. Amen.

Advent Evening Prayer - Week of Gaudete (Advent 3)

(Audio)

John 7:25-31; Zephaniah 3:14-20; Psalm 149

 

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Joy and rejoicing, singing and shouting, are the good and proper response of creation in the presence of its LORD God and Creator. The psalmist says that “the mountains skip like rams” and “the hills like lambs” at the presence of the Lord. They certainly sound joyful! However, the psalmist also says that “the sea looked and fled,” and the “Jordan turned back,” and that the whole earth trembled at the presence of the Lord. Now, that’s quite a different response. The truth is this, all creation knows its Creator and responds in either joy or fear, both of which are proper, yet man, the crown of God’s creation, does not know his Creator, but ascribes the glory, honor, praise, and rejoicing, and reverent fear, rightly due to our God and LORD to created things, idols of wood and metal and stone.

It was for this very reason that the LORD caused Nebuchadnezzar and Babylon to rise up and to destroy Israel and Judah, and to cart away her best and brightest into exile. The LORD did this, not because he hated his people, but because he loved them as a father loves his son or daughter. It is not the LORD’s proper will to cause his children harm or suffering; nevertheless, his judgment was just and righteous – they literally had it coming – but out of his abundant love and mercy the LORD used his judgment as discipline that his people might be turned in repentance to him  once again, that he might shower them with his blessings and make them shine with his light once again.

Joy and rejoicing, singing and shouting, are the good and proper response of creation in the presence of its LORD God and Creator. Yet man, the crown of God’s creation, does not know his Creator, but ascribes the glory, honor, praise, and rejoicing rightly due to our God and LORD to created things, idols of wood and metal and stone. This is the fruit of the first sin, the result of listening to a word not of the LORD but of an enemy. “Did God really say?” is not an innocent, harmless question. Embedded within the question is an intentional nefarious suggestion that there could be, that there is, some other word, something that has been said that is not from God. And, of course, the suggestion is that God is not good, that God is not love, that God is holding out on us and intends us harm and evil. We know how that all went down with our First Parents. So it goes down with us each and every day of our lives even now.

We must confess that we are congenital sinners. Our fathers were sinners. Our mothers were sinners. For they themselves were the sons and daughters of sinners, even as our own children have inherited our mortal corruption. Our Divine Service liturgy reflects this truth as the Gloria in Excelsis is sung after confession and absolution, not before, just as joy and rejoicing, singing and shouting, come after contrition and repentance as we rejoice in the LORD’s gracious pardon and forgiveness. The prophet Zephaniah says, “Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all you hear, O daughter of Jerusalem!” Why? Because, “the LORD has taken away the judgments against you; he has cleared away your enemies.” It is finished.

We have an advantage over our forefathers, for Jesus has come and he has fulfilled the Law and all that was necessary to make us right with the LORD once again. While we were still sinners, while we were still in open rebellion against him, God died for us. If that’s not cause for rejoicing, then I don’t know what is! Even before the Assyrian and the Babylonian conquest, and the exile into Babylon, the LORD had promised Israel and Judah forgiveness, absolution, restoration, and judgment upon their conquerors. The promise of joy and rejoicing was set before them even before they faced judgment and discipline, just as, for the joy of the birth of a child a mother endures pain, suffering, and labor, and just as for the joy set before him, Jesus endured the cross, scorning its shame, so too, for the promise of joy and rejoicing in the presence of the LORD do we his children endure suffering and sorrow, trial and tribulation, and even death, in the hope of the promise fulfilled in Jesus’ resurrection from the dead.

You see, this is like a number of seemingly backward scriptural truths: Only sinners can be forgiven. Only the dead can be raised. Only the meek and the lowly can be lifted up. Only the hopeless can find comfort in hope. Forgiveness is meaningless to the self-righteous. The promise of life is meaningless to the living. Being exulted later is meaningless to those who pridefully hold their heads up high now. Hope is meaningless for the content and secure. Advent is about being prepared for the coming of the Lord in all the ways he comes to us. Being prepared is about trusting in the LORD and his word and commandments, law and gospel. The law will always accuse and convict you, that is its job. Let it. Let it break you. Let it do its worst to you. For, then comes the gospel, the Good News: The law has been fulfilled, it cannot condemn you any longer, because Jesus has taken the law’s condemnation upon himself and has suffered and died for you, breaking its curse and setting you free.

This is why the Daughter of Zion, the Church, the Bride of Christ, rejoices: She rejoices because she is forgiven. She truly has something to rejoice in! Joy and rejoicing, singing and shouting, are the good and proper response of God’s children in the presence of our Father God and Creator who has loved us with an everlasting love.

In the + Name of Jesus. Amen.

Gaudete - The Third Sunday in Advent (Advent 3)

(Audio)

Matthew 11:2-11; 1 Corinthians 4:1-5; Isaiah 40:1-11

 

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.

A prophet does not speak for God on His behalf, but a prophet is literally a mouthpiece for God who proclaims His Word to His people. John the Baptist was such a prophet. In fact, Jesus says that “among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist.” That’s pretty high praise coming from the Son of God. It had been four hundred years since the last prophet of the LORD proclaimed His Word to His people, and that prophet was Malachi who proclaimed, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.” Jesus proclaimed Malachi’s prophecy fulfilled in John saying, “All the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

“All the Prophets and the Law” is the Holy Scriptures, The Old Testament, the Word of God, Law and Gospel. All the Prophets of the LORD, men like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Ezekiel, Malachi, and others, preached both the Law and the Gospel, but the Gospel they preached pointed to a fulfillment yet to come, the promise of Messiah, the Anointed One of the LORD. But, John was different, for John preached the Law just like those prophets before Him – “Repent! For the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” but He also had the unique honor, privilege, and blessing of pointing repentant sinners directly to the Messiah Jesus Christ saying, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”

John the Baptist was the prophesied “Elijah, who is to come,” for John prepared the way for the coming of Jesus the Messiah by turning “the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers.” That is, by turning men’s hearts in repentance through the preaching of Law and Gospel that they might be prepared to receive the LORD’s Messiah, Jesus, in faith and put their trust in Him as Jesus proclaimed of John in St. Luke’s Gospel, “And he will go on before the Lord in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous--to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

However, as a prophet of the LORD, John’s fate would be no different than those prophets who preceded him. The Word of the LORD John proclaimed would be rejected by the self-righteous and the self-secure, by those who loved worldly power and wealth and possessions and prestige in the eyes of men more than they loved the LORD and His Commandments. They would despise him and ridicule him. They would think him crazy and out of step with the world. They would consider him a blasphemer of the LORD because they had hardened their hearts and stopped their ears to the Word of the LORD, exchanging the truth of God for a lie. They would persecute, imprison, and murder him because he exposed their hypocrisy and sin and threatened their self-righteousness and self-security. They would join with Jerusalem in killing this prophet as they killed all the prophets before John, stoning and murdering those sent to her.

And so it was that John was in prison for preaching against King Herod Antipas’ adulterous marriage to his brother’s wife Herodias, calling him to repentance. Herod hated John for this, but he also feared him, just as Jesus’ opponents, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and Herod both hated and feared Him. Herod wanted John dead, but he was afraid to do it. It would take a young girl, Herodias’ daughter, Herod’s step-daughter and grand-niece, to bring about John’s murder by arousing and pleasing Herod with her sensuous dancing. Regardless of any delay, John knew that he would not leave that prison with his life, not without a miracle of the LORD.

In prison, awaiting his inevitable execution, John heard about the deeds of Jesus in fulfillment of prophecy, perhaps particularly the prophecies of Isaiah which Jesus quotes in today’s Gospel reading: “The blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.” However, John may also have been recalling Isaiah’s prophecy that the Messiah would “bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.” It seems probable that John, in prison awaiting his execution, would be wondering if Jesus were going to fulfill that particular prophecy as well. In answer to John’s inquiry via his disciples, Jesus directed John to what they had seen and heard in fulfillment of Messianic prophecy, conveniently, intentionally (?), leaving the freeing of prisoners out. Ultimately, when all material and fleshly things have passed away, when signs and wonders are no more, we are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Jesus Christ alone. Perhaps even John the Baptist, the greatest of those born of woman, needed to learn this as much as you and I.

Yet, when John’s disciples went away to return to John and tell him the news, Jesus turned to the crowd that had gathered and proclaimed about John saying, “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. This is he of whom it is written, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way before you’.” Now, “A reed shaken by the wind” is an analogy for someone who changes position with every shift in public opinion. John the Baptist was no “reed shaken by the wind,” for he fearlessly proclaimed the Word of the LORD in the face of the Pharisees and the religious leadership of Israel and even before King Herod as Psalm 119 says, “I will also speak of your testimonies before kings and shall not be put to shame,” and as Jesus taught His disciples saying, “You will be dragged before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the Gentiles.” Beware those who seek to appease men to win their favor and compromise the Word and Commandments of the LORD. Jesus promises that, if you confess Him before men, He will confess you before His Father in heaven, but if you deny Him before men, He will deny you before His Father in heaven.

“A man dressed in soft clothing?” John wore camel’s hair for clothing tied with a leather belt. He lived in the wilderness eating locusts and honey. Like the prophecy of Jesus before whose coming John prepared the way, John “had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.” John did not attract people by his position, association, title, or location. His preaching drew people out to the wilderness by the Word of the LORD. So too you must not judge a book by its cover, or a preacher of the Word by his appearances, manner, or style, but by his faithfulness to the Word of the LORD alone. You will know the LORD’s servant, not by his appearance, eloquence, age, wisdom, or even his success, but you will know him by his fruits, by his faithfulness in proclaiming the Word of the LORD and His Commandments and in the administration of His Sacraments. Those who are too lazy to read, study, hear, and inwardly digest the Word of the LORD, perhaps, are best to keep their ears open and their mouths shut.

“What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet!” John the Baptist was indeed a prophet of the LORD, a mouthpiece proclaiming His Word to His people. John was no shrinking violet, nor was he a lover of pleasure and comfort, but he was dedicated to full proclamation of the Word of the Lord, of Law and Gospel, in season and out of season, to people who closed their ears and clenched their fists and gnashed their teeth in hatred of John and of the LORD whose Word he proclaimed. For this John was despised and ridiculed, persecuted, imprisoned, and murdered by men who feared, loved, and trusted in their own works and righteousness and believed that they earned and merited the good things they enjoyed in life. Truly, then, as now, the words of St. Paul to the young pastor Timothy ring true: “Preach the Word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” Truly, St. John the Baptist knew those times, as did the prophets before him, as did Jesus and the Apostles, and faithful pastors and teachers still today.

John was in prison. I know from personal experience ministering to a few folks who have spent time in prison that those walls and those bars change your perspective on the world. For a Christian locked in prison, it might seem as if Jesus isn’t doing anything, at least not to help me. Did John feel that way? Perhaps. But, even more importantly, this text, and this Advent season, is provided you that you may step outside of the prison you have constructed for yourself, a prison of selfish, fleshly, and worldly expectations for how God must act in order for you to trust in Him, and how preaching must sound for it help you to believe, and for worship to feel in order to believe that Jesus is present and active. Jesus directed John to the Word of the LORD, and to that Word fulfilled for others, if not immediately for himself. And, by hearing and seeing that God is working and active and present in the lives of others, John was encouraged and caused to reflect upon the many and various ways God was working and active and present with him in his prison cell, forgiving his sins, preserving and strengthening his faith, even unto death and eternal life with Him. Jesus directed John to hope outside of his prison walls now. And, because of that hope, John was truly free even while in prison. For the walls and bars we construct for ourselves to imprison us are much worse than any worldly and material prison that may hold us. Worldly and material prison walls and bars will fail and perish. Blessed is the one who finds his freedom in Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, now, and for eternity.

Judge not by what your eyes see and your ears hear. Things are not what they appear, but they are as the Word of the LORD has declared. John the Baptist is the greatest of the prophets of the LORD and the greatest among those born of women, but Jesus, who made Himself to be the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. John had the unique honor, privilege, and blessing of pointing repentant sinners directly to the Messiah Jesus Christ saying, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” Pastors today have this same unique honor, privilege, and blessing of pointing you to Jesus. Your Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the LORD’s Messiah, is present and active to heal you and forgive you and to set you free from the prison of sin and death you have constructed for yourself. How do you receive him? Jesus invites you to believe on Him for your life and salvation that you may live freely without fear. What did you come here today to see? Judge not by what your eyes see and your ears hear, but see with the eyes of faith and hear with the ears of faith that the Holy Spirit has created in you through the Word of the LORD, and you will be free indeed.

In the + Name of Jesus. Amen.

Populus Zion - The Second Sunday in Advent (Advent 2)

(Audio)

Luke 21:25-36; Romans 15:4-13; Malachi 4:1-6

 

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.

“Daughter of Zion, behold, your salvation comes!” But, what does that mean? What does salvation look like? How will salvation change how you live your lives from day to day? Those are good questions, for your lives will be indeed be changed. When your salvation comes, it will be like when Mom and Dad get home and turn the lights on in the basement where their kids and other teenagers have been partying while they were away. Whatever was going on will be exposed! There will be no time to cover up or clean up. Whatchya got is whatchya see. When your salvation comes, it will be like turning on the lights in a dark and filthy kitchen; the cockroaches will run for cover, but it will be too late – they will have been seen for what they are, dirty, disease carrying vermin.

This is what it will be like, for the day of your salvation is a day of judgment, for you and for everyone else. There is no escaping it, just as there can be no darkness where the light shines brightly. Yet, you need not be afraid of that day. For, “though the day is coming, burning like an oven, when all the arrogant and all evildoers will be stubble,” for you who fear, love, and trust in the Lord, “the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings.” Thus, the day of salvation, the day of judgment, will prove to be a very good day for you. Therefore, lift up your heads, for “you shall have gladness of heart.”

Yet still, you fear change. So do I. Indeed, all people do. You fear change because you have made idols of worldly and fleshly things: money, possessions, family, power, health, reputation, etc. You don’t want these things to change. You fear these things changing because you have placed your fear, love, and trust in them over and above, or in place of, the Lord. In some very real ways, you believe that they define you, they make you who you are. But, they do not last, and you know that to be true. You see the material things you own break, rust, and decay, become outdated and obsolete. You see and feel your own bodies become weak and frail; you don’t see as well, hear as well, or look as well as you used to; you are dying, a little more each day. You see your children age and marry and have children, and often move away, sometimes far away. But these things don’t define you. They don’t make you who you are. You came into this life having none of them. If you leave life without them, that doesn’t change who you are.

Then, who are you? You are the people, the Daughter of Zion, the New Israel, born from the side of the True Israel, God’s Son, Jesus Christ. It is to you that the LORD says the day of judgment will be a day of great joy for you! However, that does not mean that you will be left unscathed. No, not at all. You will be changed as all the idols you have oft placed your fear, love, and trust in are destroyed. Then the hearts of fathers will be turned to their children, and the hearts of children to their fathers, for that most fundamental reality of your lives, the very source and origin of your lives, imperfect and corrupted by sin as it may be, and the imperfect love and faithfulness which accompany it, will be seen as an image of the perfect, holy, and righteous source and origin of all of your lives and the perfect and holy love and faithfulness of God, your Father and Lord.

This is a call to repentance uttered from the mouthpiece of God, John the Baptist. The LORD promised that he, Elijah, would come before this great and awesome day of the LORD. But, that was nearly two thousand years ago, you say? Yes, it was – for that was when the day of the LORD occurred, in Jesus’ crucifixion and death upon the cross. That was when the Light switch was turned on and the darkness of sin and death were scattered and overcome. That was the day of judgment, when Jesus was judged guilty in your place. That was the day when it was promised and guaranteed that the ways of the arrogant and evildoers will not last, that they will be left with neither root nor branch. That was the day when the Lord began to make all things new – the ushering in of a new first day of the new creation. That was the day that everything changed. The world has changed. Your life has changed. And, this change is good and nothing to fear.

One of the first things to be changed was how you relate to each other as brothers and sisters in Christ, and to your neighbor in the world. Your heart is to be turned to your Father, and your children’s to their Father. Jesus introduced this new understanding of family in His last words to His mother and His disciple John: “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” In those words, Jesus created a new family. Though John was not a true son of Mary, he became her adopted son. In the same way, you have been adopted into the family of Jesus Christ. Jesus had taught in this way throughout His ministry saying, “whoever does the will of my Father in heaven is my brother and sister and mother.” Look at one another.  This is your family.  This is your true family.  Yes, You were born into a family according to the flesh.  Nevertheless, here is the family God has adopted you to be a part of. You are the people of Zion, the Daughter of Zion, the children of God through faith in Jesus Christ.

Daughter of Zion, behold, your salvation has come! Your salvation comes! And, your salvation is coming! The day of judgment has come for you, and you have been judged innocent in Jesus Christ. Therefore, you have a new family and a new life, and you need not live in fear of change or loss or of the Last Day when your King returns. “For whatever was written in former days was written for your instruction, that through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures you might have hope. May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Even now you are free to “go out leaping like calves from the stall” and to “tread down the wicked, for they will be ashes under the soles of your feet.” You are free from living like those who have no hope. You are free from the slavery of idolatry to the worldly and fleshly things the godless covet. The kingdom of God has come, it is near you now, and it is coming soon in it’s fullness, power, glory, and might. Its reign is mercy, forgiveness, grace, and love. It reigns upon you, it reigns to you, and it reigns through you into the lives of your brother, your sister, and your neighbor to the glory of God in Christ Jesus. Your Lord Jesus is the sun of righteousness, and His reigning scatters the darkness of sin and death, while it brings healing in its wings to the children of God.

In the + Name of Jesus. Amen.

Advent Evening Prayer – Week of Ad Te Levavi (Advent 1)

(Audio)

Luke 1:67-80; 1 Chronicles 16:1-36; Psalm 24

 

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.

Something occurred in England last year that had not occurred in over half a century – On May 6, 2023, a new king was crowned as Charles III was coronated the sixty-third Monarch of England. The crown placed upon Charles’ head weighed five pounds and was made of solid gold bedecked with over four hundred gemstones. A coronation anthem composed by George Frederick Handel rang out as Charles was coronated king. The anthem was titled “Zadok the Priest,” based upon 1 Kings 1:38-39, the account of Solomon, the son of David, riding into Jerusalem on David’s mule to be anointed King of Israel. Indeed, the glory of God filled Westminster Abbey!

Even British pomp and circumstance at its best, however, is but rubbish compared to the glory of God in the journey of the Ark of the Covenant. David’s song of thanks in the tent of meeting was preliminary to Solomon’s later dedication of the ark in the temple recounted in 2 Chronicles chapter 5. Asaph, the great liturgist, hymnist, and leader of the Asaphite guild of musicians, offered songs of praise before the ark with harps and lyres, cymbals, and trumpets, as it was carried into the tent of meeting, and the glory of the LORD filled the house of God.” Burnt offerings to atone for sin, and peace offerings of thanksgiving and praise, were offered before God who made His presence amongst His people. Then David blessed the people with the blessing of God’s grace, and they ate a festive meal of breads, and meats, and cakes as they recounted with praise and thanksgiving the mighty works of the LORD, and His promises made and kept for generations of their fathers before them.

Charles III processed with great pomp and circumstance to Westminster Abbey where he was crowned King of England in the midst of his subjects. The ark of the covenant processed to the tent of meeting with great praise, thanksgiving, sacrifice, and worship, and the glory of the LORD took up residence there above the mercy seat in the midst of his people. Yet even this most glorious and holy event was but a foreshadowing and a type of what was to come when the Son of God became incarnate of the Virgin Mary and the King of heaven and earth pitched his tent amongst us as one of us, taking our flesh and blood and nature upon himself that he might fulfill the will of his Father and atone for us, his people, by his selfless, holy, innocent, suffering and death upon the cross.

For, Christ the King is the new, eternal Monarch, who sits upon the Davidic throne, world without end. Jesus is the new tabernacle, according to His human nature, made not by human hands, or by the will of a man, whereby he “pitched his tent” among us in human flesh and blood, body and soul. And we, his worshippers, his people, are the new Israel, both Jews and Gentiles, who are united in Christ alone.

Our God and King is he who seeks to dwell amongst his people. So, it was in the beginning in Eden that the LORD walked and talked with our First Parents in paradise. But after their sinful fall and rebellion this was no longer possible lest God’s holy and righteous wrath consume and destroy them. Therefore, he exiled them from his presence even as he began his passionate work of restoring them to communion in his presence once again. The tabernacle, and then the temple, housing the ark of the covenant, was a typological stage in this work as the LORD located his glory within a tent of animal skins and provided a means by which he could look away from his people’s sins for a time through the sacrifice of bulls and lambs and goats. Yet this was still but a type and a foreshadowing of the work the LORD would complete in the flesh and blood sacrifice of his only-begotten Son for the sins of the world.

“But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” The Word became flesh and made his dwelling amongst us. A young Jewish maiden conceived by the word of the Lord and became for us the dwelling place of God with man. The Virgin Mary was made to be the dwelling place of the glory of God, foreshadowed by the burning bush, the ark of the covenant, the tabernacle, and the temple. And the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

Like the ark of the covenant before her, so Mary made the journey to the hill country of Judea, just outside of Jerusalem. There she was greeted with rejoicing as the child in Elizabeth’s womb, John the Baptist, leapt for joy in the presence of his LORD. On the night of Jesus’ birth, shepherds, angels, and all creation rejoiced. Wise men from the east came to worship the newborn king and to present their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh, confessing him to be our great Prophet, Priest, and King. Forty days after his birth Mary and Joseph brought their son to the temple in Jerusalem to make sacrifices in accordance with the law of the LORD. They were greeted there by Simeon and Anna who were waiting for the redemption and salvation of Israel and who confessed their hopes fulfilled in the Christ Child Jesus. At age twelve, our Lord Jesus remained at the temple amazing the rabbis with his questions and answers. When his worried parents found him, he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?”

The priest Zechariah was serving in the house of the LORD, the temple, when the angelic messenger visited him and proclaimed that his wife Elizabeth, who was barren, would conceive and bear a son who would be the promised forerunner of the Messiah. Zechariah burst forth in prophetic song saying, “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David.” The LORD God of Israel has visited and redeemed his people in the incarnation of Jesus the Christ. Rejoice! The LORD has set up a tent among us!

In the + Name of Jesus. Amen.

Ad Te Levavi - The First Sunday in Advent

(Audio)

Matthew 21:1-9; Romans 13:8-14; Jeremiah 23:5-8

 

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit.

At this time of the year, situated as we are in the northern hemisphere, the prevalence of darkness and the scarcity of light can, at times, be oppressive, depressive, and draining. And if you are one of the millions of Americans, like me, who are negatively affected by the absence of sunlight, you know what I’m talking about; and, if you are not so affected, perhaps you can sympathize with us as we march day by day toward the winter solstice, the shortest day of the year.

That our Advent preparations fall during this time of the year fortuitously serves as a powerful symbol of the oppressive darkness of our sin and death in which we live, a darkness from which we need deliverance and encouragement to not give in to. In fact, this very deliverance we prayed for but moments ago in our Collect for the Day, “Stir up Your power, O Lord, and come, that by Your protection we may be rescued from the threatening perils of our sins and saved by Your mighty deliverance….” For, struggling, as we are, in the darkness of sin and death, we are in peril: We are in peril of not seeing our sins as perilous. We are in peril of drowning, perishing, and suffocating in the hopeless darkness of sin and death.

Part of our Advent preparation, then, is to hold out a beacon of hope, a guiding light in the darkness to lighten our path. That hope is that the night will soon be ending, that the darkness will soon withdraw and pass away.  Now, worldly speaking, each day, we move closer to December 21, the Winter Solstice, the shortest day of the year. That day is coming, a day of deep darkness that we all must pass through. But, after that day, the days will progressively grow longer as light increases, so that’s something for us to look forward to, something that gives us comfort and hope. Now, spiritually speaking, though we continue to walk in the darkness of sin and death, and though we see that much darkness is all around us, we are comforted in the remembrance that the Light of the World, Jesus Christ, has come. And we wait, in hopeful expectation, for His coming again to take us out of the darkness forever. Further, we are comforted and hopeful that even now He comes amongst us, so that, even as we dwell in darkness, we are not of the darkness, but we are children of the Light.

Rescue is coming. Rescue has come. And rescue comes to you now. But it’s not the Marines, it’s not the FBI, it’s not even your favorite political party that is coming to your rescue. There is no great war horse, tank or armored truck, there is no powerful political sway, might, or power as men count might and power. Those things are too obvious to our fallen flesh, too easy to place our trust in, they don’t demand anything of us in the way of change. But your Savior came in humility, “mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.” He comes to you now through veiled means: His Word preached and read, prayed and sung; common water; tasteless bread and simple wine. But He is coming on the clouds, with power and great might that no flesh can imagine, and the darkness of sin and death will pass away forever.

It is this three-fold “coming” of Jesus Christ, the Son of God and Son of Man, that we reflect upon during Advent: He has come. He comes. And He is coming. But do you see how the coming of Christ enfolds and permeates your entire life and existence? Christ came before you. Christ comes to you now. And, Christ is coming again for you, to receive you to Himself. Do you believe that He came as the Babe of Bethlehem, born of the Virgin Mary? Then you can believe that He will come again just as He has said. Do you believe that He will come again at some time in the future? Then you can believe that He is present with you now just as He has said. Christ has come. Christ comes. And Christ is coming. He is the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End, and He is everything in between. He is your life, for He has laid down His life in exchange for yours. Thus, He promises you that if you remain in Him, He will remain in you and that you are not a slave, but a son of God, and if a son, then also an heir with Him of the kingdom that He brings, then, now, and for eternity.

Still, we dwell in darkness, for a time. But “the hour has come for you to awake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.” St. Paul warns you against a litany of sinful behaviors that make most of us squirm uncomfortably in our seats: Things like orgies, drunkenness, sexual immorality and sensuality. It’s easy for us to justify ourselves and feel a little self-righteous because we don’t participate in such dark and seedy behaviors. But notice how Paul concludes that list with quarreling and jealousy. Quarreling and jealousy, for Paul, are every bit as sinful and dangerous for you as are the other sinful and immoral behaviors.

These works of darkness are dangerous because they serve to separate you from the body of Christ, the true Vine that enlivens and fortifies the branches. They are the fruits of unbelief in the coming of the Christ past, present, and future. Cast off these works of darkness. Do not dwell in them or be tempted to by them to become drowsy as you watch and wait for the coming of the Lord. Cast off those works of darkness and replace them with good works? No, the works of darkness are not replaced by other works, but the Apostle writes instead, put on the defensive armor of light, the light of Christ.

For, you have been called to change your ways and to no longer walk in darkness, for you have been changed by baptism and faith from a child of darkness to a child of light. So that, you are not darkness, but you are light, therefore, walk in the light of Christ and do not return and submit yourself to works of darkness.

From where we stand today, the New Year is just around the corner. After the Solstice, when the days begin slowly to grow longer, the New Year begins. The New Year is a time that people have chosen to reflect upon the blessings, challenges, and failings of the past year and to make resolutions for change in the New Year to come. Well, The First Sunday in Advent is New Year’s Day for the Church of Christ. It is a time for God’s people to reflect upon another year past lived in the grace, mercy, love, and forgiveness of God our Father, through Jesus Christ our Lord. We may be tempted to believe that nothing has changed, that everything continues just as it has before. But one thing has certainly changed: You have lived one more year and you have one less year left to live when the New Year comes along. Truth be told, you are never the same again. When a year has passed, it has done something to you – you have either come closer to God through faith in Christ Jesus or you have drifted farther away. So, as you begin this New Year, ask yourself, “Has your faith grown, or has it withered?” Have your words and deeds served your brothers and sisters in Christ so that their faith might grow and increase, or have your words and deeds inflicted injury upon others so that their faith is damaged or that they might fall away from the Church and from the Lord?

If you have done these things or any others, do not despair, there is Good News for you! Your Rescuer is here, now. In fact, today your salvation is nearer to you than when you first believed. Happy New Year! A New Year in God’s grace, mercy, love, and forgiveness begins for you today! Repent, cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Walk as in the daytime, not in darkness, drunkenness, or slumber. Put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires. For the Lord has come. He is coming. And He comes to you now to rescue you from the threatening perils of your sins and to save you by His mighty deliverance.

In the + Name of Jesus. Amen.