Category: Sermon Page

Third Sunday after the Epiphany
January 22, 2023

“The People Dwelling in Darkness Have Seen a Great Light” (Matthew 4:12-25)

In our Gospel reading for today, St. Matthew describes the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. And to do so, he quotes a passage from our Old Testament reading from Isaiah. Matthew writes: “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles–the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.” And this gives us our theme for this morning’s message: “The People Dwelling in Darkness Have Seen a Great Light.”

Yes, like the Galileans, we Americans are a people dwelling in darkness. We too are those dwelling in the region and shadow of death. But there is hope for us, just as there was for the Galileans. Because Christ has come to us, and we have seen a great light. On us a light has dawned.

“The people dwelling in darkness”: Is that us? Really? Yes, really. Just take a look around you, and you will see the darkness. People blinded by sin. People groping around in the dark. People living and breathing–even doing well, perhaps, successful, enjoying life–but spiritually dead on the inside, because they lack the light of Christ. That characterizes our society. We are people dwelling in the region and shadow of death.

Let me give you an example. It was fifty years ago today, on January 22, 1973–a date which will live in infamy–that the United States Supreme Court came out with its Roe v. Wade decision, striking down all state laws against abortion. Not only was that wrong constitutionally, violating the Tenth Amendment, of course it was also terribly wrong morally, legalizing the murder of unborn babies. And since that time, more than 63 million abortions have been committed in America, 63 million lives snuffed out. We are indeed people dwelling in the region and shadow of death.

Now thankfully, last year the current Supreme Court rightfully struck down Roe v. Wade. And in Missouri, there are no more abortion mills operating here. But just drive across the river from St. Louis, and one of the first things you’ll see is a giant billboard saying, “Welcome to Illinois, where you can get a safe, legal abortion.” Of course, an abortion is never safe, since it kills that little baby in the womb. And it may be legal in Illinois, but it is murder according to God’s law, which is always supreme.

Oh, by the way, about a week and a half ago, the House of Representatives passed a resolution that “(1) condemns recent attacks of vandalism, violence, and destruction against pro-life facilities, groups, and churches; (2) recognizes the sanctity of life and the important role pro-life facilities, groups, and churches play in supporting pregnant women, infants, and families; and (3) calls upon the Biden Administration to use all appropriate law enforcement authorities to uphold public safety and to protect the rights of pro-life facilities, groups, and churches.” Now this should be a no-brainer, right? Unanimous consent, yes? Who could be against condemning attacks on pro-life facilities, groups, and churches? Who could be against protecting the rights of American citizens? Well, apparently, almost half of the House. The measure passed, but just barely, 222-209.

We live in a land of darkness. We dwell in the region and shadow of death. And it’s not just out there. It’s in here, too. In us. Inside you and me. Too often we go along with the darkness and the death. Too often we live like the people who lack the light of Christ. Oh, sure, maybe you wouldn’t go along with abortion, but in other ways have you gone along with things that are popular in our culture but go against God’s word? Same-sex marriage? Premarital sex? Divorce for less than biblical reasons? Greed? Drunkenness? Not going to church when you are able to do so? See, there’s plenty of darkness to go around, sin out there and sin inside of us. And where sin is, death will surely follow. The death rate is still 100%, one per person. Your name is on that list, whenever that day comes calling.

But, as our text says, “the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.” That’s for us! We have seen a great light! On us a light has dawned! For here comes Jesus, doing his thing. And his “thing” includes the three things we see him doing in our text: preaching, teaching, and healing. “And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.” Preaching, teaching, and healing. Jesus brings his light to us.

First, he preaches: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Jesus is bringing the kingdom of heaven into our midst. And because he is, it’s time for us to repent. We all have sins to repent of. And it even goes deeper than that. It’s our whole sinful self that we have to repent of. As self-serving sinners, we turn away from God and choose our own way to live. To repent means to acknowledge your sinfulness, get sick of it, confess it to God, and seek his forgiveness and help. He will give it to you; you have his promise on it.

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Jesus brings the kingdom to us. It is the active reign of God, his gracious rule coming into our midst. The kingdom of heaven is the driving out of darkness and death and the entrance of light and life in their place. Jesus comes bringing the kingdom of heaven here on earth. He manifests the blessings of that kingdom in his ministry.

So first, preaching: proclaiming a call to repentance and the inbreaking of the kingdom of heaven. The next part of Jesus’ ministry is his teaching. And so he calls to himself people whom he will teach. He calls disciples. The first bunch are some Galilean fishermen: Peter, Andrew, James, and John. “Follow me,” he says, “and I will make you fishers of men.” Jesus is going to train these guys, so that they in turn can bring more people into the net of the church, so that they too can learn from Jesus and follow him.

And guess what? That’s you! You and I have been called to follow Jesus and learn from him. The purpose of Jesus’ teaching ministry is to unfold for you the true meaning of God’s Word, so that you can believe and live aright, according to God’s design. And that means living in faith toward God and in fervent love toward one another. Jesus teaches us not to trust in our own righteousness, which does not amount to a hill of beans. Instead, we trust in the merits of Christ, who went to the hill called Calvary to obtain for you the only righteousness that does work. Christ crucified–there is true wisdom for you, God’s wisdom and power, but which look like foolishness and weakness in the eyes of the world.

Following Jesus in faith, learning from him as his disciple–this is an ongoing discipleship, your whole life long. Oh, your salvation is already won. Jesus took care of that by his death on the cross and mighty resurrection. You have been joined to Jesus in your baptism and given the Holy Spirit. Your hope in Christ for eternal life is secure, because it rests outside of you and on God’s promise. But your life as Christ’s disciple is always growing. The Lord will continue to teach you, as you continue in his Word.

Preaching, teaching, and now the third part of Jesus’ ministry, healing. “OK, Pastor, explain that! You say that Jesus did preaching and teaching and that he’s continuing to preach and teach through the ministry of the church. Fair enough. But where is the healing? Look at what Jesus did: ‘And they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, epileptics, and paralytics, and he healed them.’ Why isn’t Jesus doing that today?”

Well, remember this about those healings: All those people that Jesus healed–they all ended up dying. They got sick from something else down the line and died. But it wasn’t like Jesus’ healings didn’t “take.” It’s just that they served a limited purpose. Those healings showed what’s in store for all of us, because of what Jesus has done by his death and resurrection. Those healings are a “sneak preview” of the ultimate healing we will receive when Christ comes again on the last day. The point being, God is committed to healing our bodies. He will restore the whole of this broken creation. That day is coming, the day when Christ returns. Resurrection. Glorified bodies. Paradise restored, better than ever. New heavens and a new earth. Everlasting life, with our Lord and all his saints.

And this is where the sacraments come in. The sacraments that Christ instituted show that God is committed to healing your body as well as your soul. The very acts of the sacraments–Holy Baptism and Holy Communion–these sacraments are applied to your body. God has redeemed you in both body and soul.

Luther makes this point in the Large Catechism. About Baptism, he writes: “I am baptized. And if I am baptized, it is promised to me that I shall be saved and have eternal life, both in soul and body. For that is the reason why these two things are done in Baptism: the body–which can grasp nothing but the water–is sprinkled and, in addition, the Word is spoken for the soul to grasp. Now, since both, the water and the Word, make one Baptism, therefore, body and soul must be saved and live forever.” Likewise, in regard to the Sacrament of the Altar, Luther writes: “It will cure you and give you life both in soul and in body. For where the soul has recovered, the body also is relieved.”

Preaching, teaching, and healing: Jesus is still doing these things today. And you are the beneficiary of his ongoing ministry. Christ is still coming to us, into our midst, bringing with him the kingdom of heaven. “The people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them”–on us!–“a light has dawned!”

Second Sunday after the Epiphany
January 15, 2023

“Enriched in All Speech and Knowledge” (1 Corinthians 1:1-9; John 1:29-42a)

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. That’s how I start every sermon I preach, with those words. Where did I get that idea? From St. Paul. That’s how he starts his epistles, with those same words: “Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.” For example, that’s how Paul begins his epistle to the Corinthians, as you heard. With those words, the apostle Paul is conferring a blessing on his hearers as he begins to speak to them. That’s what I do here with you. I’m reminding you that you have God’s grace and his peace in Christ, and it’s on that basis that I now will speak to you. God’s grace and his peace are the great riches that God has made known to me, so that now I can speak a grace-and-peace-filled word to you.

Now notice what Paul tells the Corinthians right after those opening words. He says: “I give thanks to my God always for you because of the grace of God that was given you in Christ Jesus, that in every way you were enriched in him in all speech and all knowledge.” Enriched in Christ in all speech and knowledge: God had gifted the Corinthians in that way. And this was so, even though Corinth was a pretty messed-up congregation. Still, they were a Christian congregation, they had had the gospel in their midst, and Paul is reminding them of this fact right from the get-go. And what Paul is saying of them is true for us also: We too have been “Enriched in All Speech and Knowledge.”

So, what are we doing with what we have been given? How are we putting these riches to use? God has given us his grace and his peace. He has enriched us in Christ in all speech and knowledge. How does this affect the way we speak? The words we speak to others?

Today we’ll look at a couple examples from our Gospel reading to give us ideas of how we can use our enriched speech and knowledge to speak to others. The first example is John the Baptist. He sees Jesus coming toward him, and he says, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” Then the next day, John is with a couple of his disciples, and he sees Jesus again and says the same thing, “Behold, the Lamb of God!”

What does John mean by that expression, “the Lamb of God”? Why does he use that phrase? You know, we hear “Lamb of God,” and it sounds very familiar. We sing these words of John in the Agnus Dei every Sunday. And John’s disciples, as Jews, would likewise have had some idea of what John was getting at by calling Jesus “the Lamb of God.” But imagine you’re speaking of Jesus to someone who has no clue as to what “the Lamb of God” means. After all, why would you refer to a man as a “lamb”? What is there about him that is like a lamb? So how would you explain “Lamb of God”?

John gives us a clue when he adds some words: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” Now we’re getting somewhere! As I say, John is speaking to people who would have known their Bible. So his hearers had a frame of reference to work with. They could think back to all the lambs mentioned in the Old Testament.

They may have thought of the Passover lamb. When Israel was in bondage in Egypt, the angel of death was about to go across the land and strike down all the firstborn. But the Lord told Moses to have the Israelites take a lamb without spot or blemish and spread its blood on the doorposts of their house. That would be a sign for the angel of death to pass over, sparing their lives. Well, Jesus is like that Passover lamb, because his holy blood shed on the cross is the sign by which death passes over us.

“Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” John’s disciples would also have thought of the lambs sacrificed for sins at the temple. Of course, those lambs by themselves could not take away any sins. But they were “types” pointing ahead to Christ. He, Christ, is the fulfillment of all the Old Testament sacrifices. He really does take away the sin of the world! That’s what Jesus was setting out to do, setting out on the way of the cross, when John saw him and called him the Lamb of God.

That takes us to a third lamb that John’s disciples may have thought of. That’s the lamb mentioned in Isaiah 53. There Isaiah prophesies of the Suffering Servant who will bear our griefs and carry our sorrows, who will be wounded for our transgressions and crushed for our iniquities. And the prophet compares this servant to a lamb: “Like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth.” So John’s use of “Lamb of God” recalls the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 53.

The Passover lamb, the temple sacrifices, the Suffering Servant–all of these come to mind for a person well-versed in the Bible, when John points to Jesus and says, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

Now this shorthand will work when you’re talking to someone who knows the Bible. But these days, that would be hardly anybody. Almost no one knows the Bible anymore. The rate of biblical illiteracy in our culture is shocking. If you start talking about Jesus as “the Lamb of God,” you’ll get a lot of blank stares. So what do you do? You explain the terms. You do the longhand version, not just the shorthand. In fact, you may not even use the phrase “Lamb of God” at all, at least not to start with. But you certainly can get at what the term means. That Jesus is the sacrifice for sin. He is the one who takes away the sin of the world. He takes away my sin and yours. People can understand that. Of course, you still have to get at the whole matter of sin, what it is, and who has it, which is everyone.

And there’s the rub! It won’t be so much in understanding the concept as in resisting the application. See, people don’t want to admit that they are in need of a Savior to take away their sin. They will debate over what qualifies as sin, and our current culture has certainly screwed up people’s thinking on that. People think, “Hey, I’m not so bad!” Or “How dare God punish people for their sin! Who does he think he is, God?” Well, yeah. And you are not God. No, you are that sinner who needs your sin taken away and atoned for.

So say you get a chance to talk to a friend or neighbor or family member about Jesus. Unless that person senses their need, your words are pretty much going to fall on deaf ears. If people don’t think they have sin that needs to be taken away, they won’t care about the Lamb of God who does just that. But you may just run across someone who does recognize his need. Then your words about Jesus as the “sin-taker-away” will be music to their ears. It’s just what they need to hear! But here’s the thing: You may not know ahead of time who are the “resisters” and who are the “receivers.” So don’t be afraid to just go ahead and speak of your Savior, and let the chips fall where they may.

So John the Baptist is the first person in our text who speaks of Jesus. The other one who does this is Andrew. He’s one of the two disciples who hear John call Jesus the Lamb of God. So Andrew and the other disciple go and follow Jesus. Jesus asks them, “What are you seeking?” They say, “Rabbi, where are you staying?” He says, “Come and you will see.” “So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day.”

Well, staying with Jesus is always time well spent. And it’s enough to send Andrew on a mission. He’s so pumped, he’s so excited, that he goes and finds his brother, Simon, and tells him, “We have found the Messiah.” And “he brought him to Jesus,” it says.

Again, this is instructive for us. No one had to put pressure on Andrew to get him to “evangelize.” No, he just did it spontaneously. Why? Because he had spent time with Jesus. This was so important to him, so life-changing, that he had to go and tell somebody. It wasn’t a program. It wasn’t a campaign. It just happened as a result of spending time with Jesus. Andrew was beginning to know who Jesus is and why that’s so wonderful.

And notice what else Andrew does when he tells Simon about Jesus. He then brings him to Jesus. He invites him to come with him to the place where Jesus is staying. And you can do the same thing. Do you have a family member, a friend, a neighbor, a coworker, someone you know that you could speak to and share your excitement with?

That’s assuming you yourself are excited about knowing Jesus. If not, if you’ve grown lukewarm about being a Christian, then take time to reflect on all that Christ has done for you. He has taken away your sin. He has saved you from death and hell. He has brought you into a new life in the Spirit. Christ has given you a hope and a future. He will come again and take you to be with him forever, in a raised and glorified body, in a perfectly restored creation. I’d say that’s something to get excited about! And it’s something worth telling others about, too, so that they too can get in on the action.

So do what Andrew did. Speak to someone you know about Jesus. Invite him or her to come with you to where Jesus is staying. And that would be here, in church. This is where Jesus is staying, speaking his words of grace and peace to hungry sinners like you and me. This is where Jesus is staying, giving out his gifts of salvation. Come and you will see!

Dear friends, you and I are like the Corinthians. We have been enriched in Christ in all speech and knowledge. You know Jesus and the riches he freely gives. This gives you something to speak about! So be the John or Andrew you already are, one sinner telling another what you know to be true. “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” “We have found the Messiah!” You may need to explain those terms, but remember: You have been enriched in Christ in all speech and knowledge.

The Baptism of Our Lord
Sunday, January 8, 2023

“Anointed for Servanthood” (Matthew 3:13-17)

Today we recall the Baptism of Our Lord, that great event when our Lord Jesus was baptized in the Jordan by John the Baptist. The heavens were opened. The Spirit of God descended on Jesus like a dove. The Father’s voice came from heaven, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” What an awesome occasion! And what I especially want to say about it this morning is that, in his baptism, Jesus was “Anointed for Servanthood.”

“Anointed for servanthood”? What does Jesus’ baptism have to do with that? And what do we mean by “anointed”? How was his baptism an anointing? Let’s find out.

Jesus’ baptism was an anointing because it marked him out as the Christ. The word “Christ” means the “Anointed One,” “Christos” in the Greek, “Mashiach” in the Hebrew. The “Messiah” or “Christ” would be the “Anointed One” promised by God from long ago. In the Old Testament, various kings and priests, sometimes prophets, were anointed–literally, they were anointed with oil. Oil, such as a fragrant olive oil, was poured over their heads to set them apart as those chosen by God for their office. The anointing conferred God’s blessing and power and favor upon them.

But there was a special anointed one to come. The promise was that there would come one particular king, the Son of David, who was prophesied as being the great Anointed One. God’s blessing and power would rest upon this coming king in a special and singular way. In Psalm 45, the psalmist prophetically addresses the messianic king and says: “Grace is poured upon your lips; therefore God has blessed you forever.” “God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”

Grace poured upon his lips, anointed with the oil of gladness, blessed and set apart by God–this would be the Messiah, the Christ. And this is who Jesus is. This is what his baptism declares. Jesus is the Anointed One. Even though he was not anointed with oil, Jesus was blessed and set apart by God. God’s prophet, John the Baptist, poured water over his head. The Spirit of God came and rested upon Jesus. God’s voice of approval came from heaven, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

By the way, why no oil? Why wasn’t Jesus anointed in the traditional way? Perhaps the reason is that the people then would have thought he was the same kind of king they had before, only this time more successful. The Messiah they were expecting was a political king, who would restore the military glory and economic fortunes of Israel. But Jesus was not going to be that kind of king. His kingdom was not of this world.

So here at the start of his ministry, Jesus is anointed in an unusual way, being baptized along with people confessing their sins. John recognizes the strangeness of this–the sinless one being baptized with sinners. He says to Jesus, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But by being baptized in this way, Jesus shows how he will establish his kingdom–by identifying with sinners, by becoming one of us. His different kind of anointing fits his different kind of kingship.

In his baptism, Jesus is anointed, anointed as the Christ, anointed with the Holy Spirit. For what purpose? Jesus was anointed for servanthood. In the Book of Acts, the apostle Peter makes this very point, saying: “You yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.”

Notice that this anointing is not just to elevate Jesus to a position of prominence for his own sake. God didn’t anoint Jesus with the Holy Spirit and power just so Jesus could sit on a throne and take life easy. No, it says that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and then “he went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.” In other words, Jesus’ anointing, his baptism, launched him into ministry. God anointed him, and then he “went about doing good.” Jesus was anointed for servanthood.

This should have come as no surprise. Centuries earlier, the Lord had spoken through the prophet Isaiah: “Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.” And to this servant the Lord says: “I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness.”

This then was the servanthood that Jesus undertook in a special way, beginning at his baptism. As Peter said: “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good.” Jesus himself put it like this: “The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

This was the greatest good that Jesus could do. He gave his life to redeem you, to set you free. He died, that we might live. We were the ones with blind eyes. We were those captives in a prison of sin, sitting in darkness in the dungeon of death. Jesus, God’s anointed servant, came and opened our eyes. He set us free from our dungeon. We were under the power of the devil, but Jesus broke that power, triumphing over the devil by the cross. Christ’s death on the cross, in our place, won for us the forgiveness of sins. That, in turn, secures our ultimate healing, the resurrection of our bodies and the life everlasting.

Jesus’ baptism anointed him for servanthood, for his life-giving ministry. But what about our baptism? What happened there? In our baptism, you and I were united to Christ. We were buried with him in his death and raised with him to new life. This union with Christ means eternal salvation for us. But it also means for us, in the here and now, that we have a new life, a life of service. For in our baptism we too were anointed for servanthood.

I have a good friend who is Greek Orthodox. When his twin daughters were baptized, I attended the service at a Greek Orthodox Church in Chicago. In the Greek Church, the child who is baptized is also anointed with oil. This ancient practice of anointing is called “chrismation.” It’s like when we refer to baptism as a “christening.” To say that a person is “christened” is to say that he or she is being united with Christ, the Anointed One. And so a baptism is a chrismation, a christening, an anointing.

Luther liked to say that we who have been baptized are “little Christs.” We are “little Christs” to our neighbor. We demonstrate the life of Christ in the way we live toward others. We too are called to “go about doing good,” like Christ did, because God is with us also. God is with you, dear friends. He calls you his beloved children. He is well pleased with you, because of Christ. The Holy Spirit is resting upon you. In your baptism, you have been anointed. Anointed for salvation. Anointed for servanthood.

How will you live out your servanthood? What good can you go about doing? Some of you today we are installing as officers in our congregation. This is good. Your service is much appreciated. And the rest of you–you can work with these officers in doing the many things that need to be done in our church, as well as some new things we could be doing. And your life of service extends beyond these walls. In whatever your vocations in life–family member, community member, worker, friend–in all your callings in life, you have been anointed to serve your neighbor with the love of Christ. Go and be who you are.

Of course, our servanthood is always dependent upon Christ’s servanthood for us. Our servanthood is imperfect, always a work in progress, as we struggle with our sinful selfishness. Christ’s servanthood was perfect, his anointing without measure, always marked by his selfless love and his devotion to his Father. That was the mission the Father sent him on. That was the journey the Spirit empowered him for. Jesus had no sins of his own to confess, yet he was baptized, standing in the place of us sinners. His baptism set him on the road to the cross. That’s what Jesus meant when he said, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Jesus fulfills the righteousness we lack. His perfect righteousness becomes our righteousness through our baptism into Christ.

Jesus was anointed for servanthood at his baptism. In our baptism, we Christians are joined to Jesus, connected to Christ. We receive his righteousness and his victory over sin and death. The Spirit rests on us, giving us life, conferring God’s blessing and power upon us. The Spirit anoints us for a life of servanthood, leading us to be “little Christs” to our neighbor. And the voice of the Father comes from heaven and says over each one of us–he says over you: “This is my son, this is my daughter, with whom I am well pleased.” Christ makes it so. Amen.

Circumcision and Name of Jesus
Sunday, January 1, 2023

“Jesus!” (Luke 2:21)

[In 2022 and now into 2023, we are celebrating the 175th anniversary year of our Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod. Today, on this eighth day of Christmas, we are observing the Circumcision and Name of Jesus. And today is January 1, New Year’s Day. Our message this morning brings together all three of these themes. This past week I came across a sermon by Friedrich Wyneken, the second president of the Missouri Synod, on the Circumcision and Name of Jesus, preached on New Year’s Day, January 1, 1868. I read it and thought it was excellent. So I edited it down to manageable size–sermons back then were over a half-hour–and I adapted it for our use today. This message blessed me, and I know it will bless you. The text is the Holy Gospel, Luke 2:21, “And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb.”]

Beloved in Christ: By the grace of God we are starting a new year today. Not for nothing did God arrange it that the world’s celebration of the new year coincides with the church’s celebration of the Lord’s name-day and the day of His circumcision. Therefore, on this first day of the new year, together with the Holy Spirit, let us consider the meaning of Christ’s circumcision and the name Jesus, and how these apply to us at the beginning of the new year.

God first instituted circumcision with Abraham, as the sign of a covenant and a seal for him and his descendants. For God had made a covenant with Abraham. Great and mighty things were promised to him and his seed. Through Abraham would come the woman’s seed promised in Paradise, who would crush the serpent’s head, and, as was specifically promised to Abraham, by whom all mankind would be blessed. And the Lord promised that He would be the God of Abraham and his descendants.

Thus the descendants of Abraham were to carry this sign of the covenant and seal on their bodies–namely, circumcision–to remind them at all times that they had a merciful God who would aid them in all their troubles, save, protect, and guard them, and richly bless them. Yea, He would even deliver them from all sin, death, and judgment, and give them eternal life. At the same time, circumcision was to remind them that all of mankind was conceived and born in sin, and that this inherited sin is upon all people. They were to be constantly aware of the abomination of sin, especially of original sin, so that they would live their lives in continual repentance and humility before God. They were to recognize everything God did for them, be it worldly or spiritual blessings, not as deserving but as a gift of mercy. And they were to be ever mindful to circumcise the foreskin of their hearts, so that with God’s mercy they could live before Him in a chaste, righteous, and God-pleasing manner.

However, Christ’s circumcision has a totally different meaning. He was not in need of this sign of a covenant and a seal. He was the Son of the Most High God. He himself was righteousness, and not conceived and born in sin as other men. He was our equal in everything, except He was without sin. Then why did He suffer circumcision? Galatians lists the main reason: “When the time was completed, God sent his own Son, born of a woman, born under the Law, to purchase freedom for the subjects of the Law, in order that we might attain the status of sons.” To be under the Law means to be subject to it, to be obligated to obey the Law, and that all those who violate the Law will be condemned to punishment. And it is thus concerning God’s Law. He demands strict obedience and curses and condemns those who violate it.

Yet even the most saintly person does not fulfill the Law, neither is he able to do so. Though there have been many who lived devout and saintly lives, never has there been one on earth–and there never will be one–who has fulfilled the Law, except Christ. We, even though we are believers, are by nature sinners and under the dominion of sin. Therefore, according to the right of the Law, we are condemned and given over to the suffering of eternal condemnation.

Christ’s circumcision means for us that He submitted to the right of the Law. He has taken on the obligation to keep the entire Law for us, to fulfill it in the most perfect loving obedience and to receive for us the wages of sin, that is, death and condemnation–in short, all the suffering and pain that the Law had appointed for all time and eternity on the sinner and the violator of the Law. These drops of blood, shed by the baby Jesus during His circumcision, are like a down-payment–a guarantee given for us in view of God’s judgment. Jesus is taking it upon Himself to pay the entire debt for us and do everything on our behalf in order to establish peace between us and God and His Law.

On the cross, in death, this act was completed. There Christ gave His life as payment for the sins of the lost children of Adam. With His precious blood, He paid the entire redemption price and bought us out from under the condemnation of the Law, so that the Law no longer can demand complete obedience or else face eternal death! Thus we have been redeemed from sin, death, and Satan. There, on the cross, God’s Law has been completely fulfilled, so that now He forgives us our sins for Christ’s sake. He takes us back as His children. He wants to give us life and eternal life, for which He prepares us through the Holy Spirit, so that we can be righteous and holy before God.

See now, that is the significance of Christ’s circumcision. It is of the highest importance for a lost sinner. Thus is taken from your shoulders the terrible yoke and horrible burden of the Law and its impossible demands and dreadful curses. They are laid on this dear little child, who made the first payment with His drops of blood, taking it upon Himself to pay your entire, large, large, debt, so that you can go free. In addition, by this down-payment and guarantee, He has obtained forgiveness of sin and eternal life for you.

Now let us examine what meaning the name Jesus has for us. When the angel made the annunciation to Mary, he told her that the child to be born was to be named Jesus. Later an angel appeared to Joseph while he slept and instructed him to take Mary to himself and that the child within her, which was conceived by the Holy Spirit, was to be named Jesus, for He would free His people from their sins. At the time of circumcision, then, when He began His work of redemption and salvation, He publicly received this name.

This name is to remind you, then, that you have a Savior and Redeemer, given you by God Himself, one who loves you and has taken your sins and your condemnation upon Himself, in order to redeem you from your sins and give you eternal life. He reconciles us with God, upholding us and keeping us safe from all evil, all dangers and sufferings. He uses these so that they turn out to be good for us, finally redeeming us completely–yea, He leads us through death into eternal life and everlasting bliss.

See now, all this is contained in this name Jesus and given to you. Therefore, if you believe in this name and call on Him, not considering your own works and merits as your savior, then you are redeemed from your sins and the wages of sin. Then you are righteous and saved, a child and heir of all of God’s promises.

Praise be to God! Our redemption is based on His works, which started with His birth, freely submitting to circumcision, where He solemnly made a pledge to God, which He gloriously fulfilled on the cross. For that, He was born, circumcised, crucified, died, and buried. For that, He descended victoriously into hell. For that, He triumphantly arose, ascended to heaven, sitting on the right hand of God, from where He will return to judge the living and the dead.

With that judgment, He will complete His work. Jesus is the end of the Law. The one who believes in Him is righteous, and whosoever calls on His name will be saved. This name contains all your salvation, the peace of your conscience, the joy of your heart, the hope of life, the victory over death. In short, all of life and salvation, God and heaven–all this is contained in the name Jesus. The name of Jesus embraces the unfathomable depth of mercy and the love of God toward the lost world of sinners. Jesus is our God and Lord.

How then are we to apply what we have heard to the beginning of the new year? Beloved, once again we are standing at the threshold of a new year. Look, over the portal your God has painted a beautiful picture and written a name above it. Look at it and ask God to put this precious picture and name into your heart. The picture depicts the circumcision of Christ, and the name is the sweet, precious name of Jesus. This picture and this name enable you to look right into heaven, into the Father’s heart.

For the one who has faith in this little child–who here has been given the name Jesus, because He is the Savior of His people; who with His first drops of blood becomes our defense against the judging and condemning Law–by faith in Christ you can rejoice and confidently step into the new year.

Oh, there will be enough temptations, trials, and sin–yea, you may be overcome by your body’s weakness and die. But you are not depending on your own heart but on your Jesus, who saves you from your sins and gives you renewed mercy in Word and Sacrament. Forgiveness of sin surrounds you like the air–yea, it is spread out around you like the sky. He is faithful, the one who has called you. He will do it for you. You just hold on to His Word and Sacrament; do not forsake prayer. Death might meet up with you whenever and wherever it wants. But it will only lead you into the eternally new year, into the right peace and bliss. And even while you are in the throes of death, this beautiful name will lighten your way and bring you safely across: J E S U S!

The Nativity of Our Lord: Christmas Day
Sunday, December 25, 2022

“Christmas and Easter Rolled into One!” (John 1:1-18)

This year we have the unusual circumstance of Christmas falling on a Sunday. This last happened in 2016, and before that, in 2005 and 2011. Christmas won’t fall on a Sunday again until 2033. Not only is it Sunday, the Lord’s Day, when Christians have been going to church for 2,000 years, but it is also Christmas Day, one of the major festivals of the church year. So you would think, with this double reason for going to church, that churches across the land would be packed this morning.

Nah, nah! Think again. Now of course, with the bitter cold across much of the country, that is cutting down somewhat on church attendance today. But even apart from that, apart from the weather, attendance is down for another reason. And ironically, it’s because Christmas is falling on a Sunday. Yeah, it’s crazy! Instead of giving people even more reason to go to church, it’s just the opposite. People are choosing not to go to church today, precisely because it’s Christmas.

And what’s really weird is that many churches are going along with this! They’re even encouraging people to stay home. They’re actually going so far as to cancel their regular Sunday services. On one church website I saw this message: “No service this Sunday: Enjoy Christmas with your family.” Another church says: “We’re all about Jesus. . . we just want to introduce you to Jesus.” But then it says, “No Sunday Service 12.25.22.” Again, ironically, it tends to be the bigger churches with the most people that are choosing to not have service today.

There was an article about this in the New York Times this past week. The article is titled, “O Come All Ye Faithful, Except When Christmas Falls on a Sunday.” I’ll read a couple of excerpts: “Worried about coaxing people into pews when they’d rather be in their pajamas, some Protestant pastors are canceling Sunday services on Dec. 25. . . . This year, church leaders are grappling with what may seem like an odd dilemma: Christmas Day falls on a Sunday for the first time since 2016, and that’s a problem. . . . Among nondenominational evangelical pastors . . . the numbers hosting Christmas Day services. . . . Only 61 percent say they will do so, according to [a] survey.”

One more quote: “Most people . . . think of Christmas morning not as a religious time but as a family time: stockings and brunches and staying in your pajamas until midday or later.” Well, if most people think that, then most people are wrong. Because Christmas–literally, the Christ Mass–is a church service. It is the Feast of the Nativity of Our Lord, always held on December 25, regardless of the day of the week. If you haven’t been to the Christ Mass, you haven’t had Christmas.

Well, so here we are in church on this Christmas Day. And on a Sunday, to boot. I guess we’re out of step with the times. But you know what? There’s nowhere else on earth I would rather be. You know why? Because it’s “Christmas and Easter Rolled into One!”

Christmas and Easter rolled into one? “OK, Pastor, Christmas I can understand–this is December 25, after all. But how are we celebrating Easter? I thought that doesn’t come until March or April.” Well, hold that thought. We’ll come back to it a little later. First, though, let’s talk about why we’re here celebrating Christmas.

Why are we here, when we could be at home with our family, in our pajamas, sitting by the Christmas tree, drinking hot cocoa, and enjoying the presents that we opened? That does sound pretty appealing, doesn’t it? And there’s nothing wrong with those things, if they’re kept in their proper perspective. That’s the key: keeping things in their proper perspective. Cocoa is good, but there’s something better: the Feast of the Lord’s Supper, here at this altar. Christmas presents are good, but the presence of Christ is better. Christmas trees are good, but there is a tree that’s more important: the life-giving tree of the cross.

Family is good, and God wants us to love and spend time with our family. But what is good can sometimes become the enemy of the best. “Whoever loves father or mother or son or daughter more than me,” Jesus says, “is not worthy of me.” Idolatry is especially tempting when what is idolized is something good, like family. When we place that good thing ahead of the one thing needful, then there’s a problem. And the one thing needful is to receive from Christ what he wants to give us.

So here we are, celebrating Christmas, assembled together as the most important family that God has placed us in, namely, the church. “Whoever hears God’s word and keeps it is my mother and brother and sister,” Jesus says. The Christian church is our family, and Christmas is one of our main family traditions.

On Christmas we celebrate the coming of our brother, Jesus, in the flesh. That’s the miracle of Christmas. God became one of us. The eternal Son of God took on human flesh and bone. This is the Incarnation. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us,” John writes. Why is this such a big deal? Because the eternal Son of God, the Second Person of the Trinity, who was with God in the beginning, the one through whom all things were made–at a certain point in time, in history, the one-and-only Son of the Father came in the flesh as a little baby, born of a woman.

This is amazing! This is a mystery too great for words–except that God has revealed it to us in the words of Holy Scripture. God wants us to know the importance of the Incarnation! Our salvation depends on the Son of God coming in the flesh, at Christmas, as our brother! If that didn’t happen, we would be lost, forever!

Only God could save us from the hole we had dug ourselves into. We had fallen into sin and could not get up. Sin works its damage in our lives and kills us. There’s not one thing we can do to stop it. We are too weak to overcome sin, death, and judgment under God’s wrath. That’s our big problem, and we can’t solve it.

Only God could, and he did. Only God is wise enough and strong enough to save us. But in order to do that, he had to become one of us. For the judgment we deserve is death. And so Jesus, God’s Son, had to come in the flesh and take our place and die for us, under that judgment, on the cross. That’s why he had to be our brother. He lived the perfect life we failed to live, to make his life the perfect sacrifice for sin. That’s why Christmas is such a big deal. That’s why we are here celebrating.

But there’s a second reason we’re here today. Because it’s Sunday! Sunday marks the victory of what Jesus did for us on the cross. Sunday is the day we celebrate the new life Christ won for us by his death and resurrection. His death covers all our sins and overcomes the grave. Sunday is the day all that became clear. Remember, it was very early on the first day of the week–that’s Sunday–that the women came to the tomb. But the tomb was empty, and the angel told them: “He is not here. He is risen, just as he said.” Yes, Easter, the Resurrection of Our Lord–this is what we celebrate every week, on the first day of the week! Every Sunday is a little Easter!

And so, for almost 2,000 years now, the Christian church around the world has been meeting on the first day of the week, every week. We call it “the Lord’s Day,” because it was on this day that our Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead. He rose bodily, ushering in the new creation and giving us a sneak preview of what’s in store for us in the age to come. On the first day of the week, every week, the Christian church around the world meets together in the presence of our Lord, to hear his Word and to receive his Sacrament. That’s why we are here today. It’s the Lord’s Day, and we are the Lord’s people. And this is the Lord’s house, the place where we gather in his presence.

So we have two big reasons to celebrate today! 1) It’s Christmas! And 2) it’s Easter! Christmas, when the Son of God came in the flesh to be our Savior. And Easter, when our Savior rose from the dead, assuring us of our own resurrection. Christmas and Easter rolled into one! Two reasons to rejoice! Two reasons to be in church today! Instead of canceling church, there’s twice the reason for having it!

Dear friends, what a great day this is! It’s Sunday, the Lord’s Day, when our Lord Jesus Christ rose from the dead. Plus, it’s Christmas, the Nativity of Our Lord, the Word becoming flesh and dwelling among us. So today I wish you all a happy Easter and a merry Christmas, both at the same time! Christmas and Easter rolled into one!