Category: Sermon Page

Second Sunday after the Epiphany
January 17, 2021

“Leading a Chaste and Decent Life” (1 Corinthians 6:12-20)

Have you seen the January issue of the Lutheran Witness? On the cover it has a quote from Luther’s Explanation of the Sixth Commandment. It says: “We should fear and love God so that we lead a chaste and decent life.” And that’s the theme of the issue: The articles are on how we as Christians should lead a chaste and decent life in what we say and do.

And so, when I looked at the Scripture readings coming up for today, I thought, “Wow, the Epistle lesson ties right in with this issue!” And it certainly is a timely topic, as we shall see. Thus the theme for our message this morning: “Leading a Chaste and Decent Life.”

“Chaste”: That’s kind of an old-timey word to describe the right and responsible use of our sexuality. The updated translation of the catechism uses the term “sexually pure” in place of “chaste”: “The Sixth Commandment: You shall not commit adultery. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we lead a sexually pure and decent life in what we say and do, and husband and wife love and honor each other.”

As I say, this ties right in with today’s Epistle. Let me read a few of the verses again for you: “The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. . . . Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never! . . . Flee from sexual immorality. . . . Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.”

Well, today I’m going to preach on this reading from 1 Corinthians 6. And I’m guessing that some of us may find that a little uncomfortable. Why? Because this portion of St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians deals with . . . sex. There, I said it, the “s” word. But we should not be afraid to hear this, because the Bible deals with this subject. And the culture that we live in is much like the culture of the Corinthians. It would draw even us Christians into some unhealthy, sinful patterns. So, this is a very relevant word that we need to hear today. God wants us to hear it. That’s why it’s in the Bible.

First, let’s set the stage. Paul is writing here to the Corinthians, that is, to the church in Corinth. Corinth was a big city in southern Greece, a major seaport for the Mediterranean world. And even in the pagan Greco-Roman world, Corinth was notorious for its sexual immorality. It was known as a “sin city,” full of vice and prostitution. So much so, that the term “to Corinthianize” came to mean “to live a promiscuous life,” “to lead a life of licentiousness, debauchery, and gross immorality.” That was what Corinth was like.

First-century Corinth was like what 21st-century America has become: a moral cesspool. Now I’m not the oldest person here today, but even I can remember when it was not like this. But since the mid-1960s, especially, our country’s public morality has increasingly gone downhill–particularly in sexual matters. Things that used to be shameful now are not only tolerated, they are celebrated.

Think of how things have changed. Divorce by its nature goes against what God intended, but now we have “no-fault” divorce, making it much easier for people to tear asunder what God has joined together. And now we have people bypassing marriage altogether, simply choosing to shack up together without the public commitment of marriage. People wanted to have sex without consequences, and since pregnancy and the responsibility of raising children were thought to be “inconvenient,” now we have abortion on demand, the willful killing of innocent human life. This Friday will mark the 48th anniversary of the fateful Roe v. Wade decision of January 22, 1973. On that date, the United States Supreme Court unconstitutionally and immorally struck down state laws against abortion. The Supreme Court acted egregiously again on June 26, 2015, in the Obergefell v. Hodges case, when they struck down state laws defining marriage as the union of one man and one woman. Now we have the strange notion of homosexual “marriage,” which is an impossibility.

Deviancy, perversion, LGBTQXYZ–rebellion against the way our Creator made us–all these forces are dominant now in our sick American culture. The people who promote these things dominate the entertainment industry, public education, big tech, the news media, and, once again starting this week, the federal government. And if you disagree with them, you are in danger of being cancelled.

America has become like Corinth. And here in our text, Paul is writing to the young church in Corinth. He’s writing to Christians who had come out of that pagan background and who were surrounded by that sexually immoral culture. But the problem was, many of the Christians, many of the church members, had not made a clean break from their culture. So in his letter to the Corinthians, Paul has to address this problem.

In chapter 5, for instance, Paul has to deal with the problem of a man who has been sleeping with his father’s wife–and the congregation has been tolerating this! This should not be! And in chapter 6, in the verses right before our text, Paul says: “Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.” In other words, Corinthians, too many of you are still living like you’re back in your old pagan ways!

And that’s the same problem with the church in our day, in our culture. Too easily we go along with the world around us. In his article in the current Lutheran Witness, Pastor David Ramirez writes: “While Christians often readily condemn homosexual behavior and other extreme deviancies, many ‘Bible-believing’ Christians wink at premarital intimacy, living together before marriage, adultery, and other forms of fornication. . . . Christians should not wonder how our culture arrived at the inability to recognize the absurdity of gay ‘marriage’ and transgenderism. We arrived by way of no-fault divorce, toleration of engaged couples ‘playing house,’ and glorification of hook-up culture. The culture that surrounds us celebrates promiscuity–indiscriminate physical intimacy.”

So the church needs to become countercultural. We need to recapture and extol the virtue of chastity. Also in the current Witness, seminary professor Joel Biermann defines chastity as follows: “Chastity is the practice of rightly embracing the fullness of one’s bodily self in a way that honors God and cares for the neighbor. In other words, chastity is thinking about and using one’s body, particularly the sexual aspect of that body, in a way that lives out the will of God for our sexuality and personhood.”

What Biermann is doing here is to portray chastity in a positive light. It’s not merely abstaining from sex, as though sex were dirty, which it is not. Rather, it is to use the good gift of our sexuality in a responsible and God-pleasing way. Which is why God instituted marriage in the first place, for husband and wife to love and honor each other within that blessed estate.

In our text, Paul says, “Flee from sexual immorality.” But now what do you do if you have been caught up in it? It may not be an adulterous affair. It could be an addiction to pornography. It could be going along with the popular culture and condoning what God condemns. What to do? Repent. Confess your sins to God your Father. Ask for his forgiveness. Seek his help to resist temptation, and avoid situations where you know you are more likely to be weak. Put to death the old sinful flesh, and put on the new person you are in Christ.

Listen to what Paul tells the Corinthians, and realize this is for you, too: “Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God?” You see, you are baptized. In your baptism, you received the gift of the Holy Spirit, to lead you in the right ways. Follow the Spirit’s lead. Don’t listen to the excuses and rationalizations you make up in your own head. Go with the fruit of the Spirit, not the desires of the flesh.

Paul continues: “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.” Thank God you are not your own! On your own, you would be doomed to hell, because of your sins. But God has delivered you from the domain of darkness and transferred you to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom you have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. You were bought with a price, the incalculable price of Christ’s holy blood, shed on the cross for your forgiveness. Jesus Christ, your Lord, has purchased and won you “from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with his holy, precious blood and with his innocent suffering and death.” That was the tremendous price with which you were bought. Why? To what end? That you “may be his own and live under him in his kingdom and serve him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as he is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity.”

This is who you are, dear Christian. You are no longer a worldling, lost in the darkness of sin and sexual immorality. No, now you belong to God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And that’s best place to be. The ways of this world are a dead end, literally. The ways of God are light and life. Flee immorality. Pursue immortality. Eternal life, new life–these are the gifts you have received from God. “So glorify God in your body.” Ask his help to lead “a chaste and decent life.” God is faithful, and he will do it.

The Baptism of Our Lord
Sunday, January 10, 2021

“The Baptism with Our Lord” (Mark 1:4-11; Romans 6:1-11)

Today we celebrate the Baptism of Our Lord. On Wednesday we celebrated the Epiphany of Our Lord. That makes today the First Sunday after the Epiphany. And that means that today, as we do every year on this Sunday, we hear an account of Jesus being baptized, whether from Matthew, Mark, or Luke. This year it’s the account from Mark.

And Mark says, “In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.” And you say, “OK, so Jesus got baptized. Why is that important? What does this have to do with me?” And I say, “A whole lot. As we will now see.” The Gospel reading from Mark and the Epistle reading from Romans will make the connection for us, the connection between the Baptism of Our Lord and our own baptism, under the theme, “The Baptism with Our Lord.”

But first, the Baptism of Our Lord. Christ’s baptism. And we ask: What’s so special about Jesus being baptized? Well, the most obvious thing is, he didn’t need to be. Jesus did not need to be baptized. Because John was preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, and what did Jesus need to repent of? Nothing. What sins did he need forgiveness for? None. The people being baptized were confessing their sins. What sins did Jesus have to confess? None. That’s what seems strange about Jesus coming to be baptized. He wasn’t a sinner.

But how about you? Are you a sinner? Do you have sins to confess? Do you have sins to repent of? Yes, you do, and so do I. You and I need to make a trip to the wilderness, to hear John preaching repentance. For you and I daily sin much, in thought, word, and deed, in what we do wrong and in what we fail to do right. Read the Ten Commandments, and you will see how those commandments pierce through our self-defense rationalizations. Realize how seriously God takes the breaking of his commandments and how penetrating his eye is. You will soon discover that you have plenty of sins to confess. You will begin to see how deeply rooted sin is in you.

But with Jesus, this was not the case. He is the sole exception in the whole history of humanity. He is the only one without sin. Jesus is pure and holy as he is coming to the Jordan to be baptized. He is, in fact, the sinless Son of God, who kept God’s law as it was meant to be kept. Jesus is the only one who can say that.

So then, why is he getting baptized? It doesn’t make sense. But really it does, when you understand why the Son of God came in the flesh in the first place. Because he came to rescue sinners. And to do that, he needed to identify with us. Jesus gets in the water with us, going where sinners belong. For the ministry that he is about to begin will take him to where sinners deserve to go: to death, death under God’s judgment. That sinless Jesus here is identifying with us sinners is the first thing we can say about his baptism.

Next it says, “And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opening.” The heavens were opened. And really, it’s a little stronger than that. The text actually says, “he saw the heavens being torn open.” The Greek verb means “to split apart.” When Jesus was baptized, he saw the heavens “being split apart,” “being torn open.” There’s almost a violent feel to it. This is right away at the start of Mark’s gospel. And at the end of this gospel. you will find this same “split apart” verb used again, where at Jesus’ death the curtain of the temple is “torn in two.” Already here at the start, at Jesus’ baptism, we are given a hint of what’s to come.

The heavens are being torn open. It’s like there was an earthquake in the sky. What’s going on here? By God’s Son undertaking his saving mission of identifying with sinners and going to the cross for them, there is a deep cosmic shift going on. At Christ’s baptism, there is an intersection of heaven and earth going on. Heaven is opening up, so that the Father and the Spirit can add their blessing to what the Son is doing.

Which is what they do. First, the Holy Spirit descends in the form of a dove and comes to Jesus. This is showing that God’s blessing, favor, and choice are empowering this man, the Christ, the anointed one. Jesus is being anointed with power to do the work of his public ministry, which he is about to begin. Wisdom, healing, blessing–these will mark Jesus’ ministry, as he inaugurates the kingdom of heaven here on earth.

The Spirit descends, and a voice comes from heaven. It is the voice of the Father, giving divine approval, assurance, and encouragement to his Son as he undertakes his mission. “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” The Father was well pleased with the Son from before the foundation of the world, knowing that the Son would willingly take on this mission to redeem the world. Now, as the incarnate Son, Jesus Christ, begins that journey to the cross, the Father speaks his approval and his love.

So, what does all of this have to do with you? Everything. The triune God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, all are united on this great plan to redeem sinful humanity–yes, to save even you. That will only happen through Jesus identifying with us sinners and taking our place and bearing our sins into death.

At his baptism, Jesus sets out on this course that will take him to the cross. And since he has completed that journey and defeated sin and death, the result is complete forgiveness for you and final victory over death. This is what Jesus won for you by making that journey from the Jordan to Jerusalem.

And now Jesus shares his victory with you when you are joined to him in your baptism. In Holy Baptism, you are connected to Christ, united to him. You have been joined to Jesus. He shares with you all the blessings he won for you by his cross and resurrection. And so the baptism of our Lord leads to the baptism with our Lord. We are baptized with Christ.

That’s where Paul goes with this in his teaching on baptism in Romans 6. Paul says that in our baptism we have been united with Christ in his death and resurrection. This has profound implications for both our daily life and our eternal life.

For our daily life, it means a daily dying and rising with Christ. Dying to sin, and rising to newness of life. The forgiveness of sins is not meant to be used as a license to sin. That is a distortion of God’s grace, and Paul is arguing against that here. Just because God is gracious and he forgives sins–that should not be taken as an excuse to go on sinning. No, Christ died for those sins, so how can we go on living in them? We have been joined to Jesus, buried with him in baptism, and our old sinful self needs to be put under the water and drowned every single day. We come up out of that baptismal water each new day to live as the new people we are in Christ. We have been joined to Jesus, connected to Christ, and that will show up in the way we live. That’s what baptismal living is all about.

Connected to Christ in baptism, this means everything to us for eternal life, too. Our sinful self has been put under the water with Jesus and drowned. Our sins have been washed away. We are forgiven. Peace with God once more is made. No obstacle, no barrier, exists between us and God. The heavens have been torn open, and the way is clear. Christ has opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. You, baptized believer in Christ, you have eternal life. You have eternal life already now, and that means death will not have the last word. You have been joined to Jesus in baptism, and therefore you will share in his resurrection from the dead.

The baptism of our Lord leads to the baptism with our Lord. Christ puts all the benefits of his baptism into ours. He takes all our sins upon himself and gives us all his righteousness in their place. Christ, who was anointed with the Spirit, baptizes us with the Holy Spirit, to give us newness of life now and eternal life forever. The heavenly Father, who called Jesus his beloved Son, takes us as his own beloved sons and daughters.

The great church father St. Ambrose wrote: “Our Lord was baptized, not to be cleansed himself, but to cleanse the waters, so that those waters, cleansed by the flesh of Christ which knew no sin, might have the power of baptism.” Brothers and sisters in Christ, this is the power of baptism: that our Lord got into the water with us sinners, washing away our sins and putting his righteousness and his life into our baptism. The Baptism of Our Lord leads to our baptism with our Lord, and that means life for you and me.

The Epiphany of Our Lord
Wednesday, January 6, 2021

“Why Have a Special Epiphany Service?” (Matthew 2:1-12)

So here it is on a Wednesday. And we’re having the Divine Service. How come? It’s not Sunday. “Pastor, why are you dragging us out here in the middle of the week, in January, to have church? What’s the big deal about Epiphany that we should come out on a non-Sunday?” In other words, “Why Have a Special Epiphany Service?”

Well, that’s what I’m going to tell you now. There are a number of reasons, which I will explain. But first, what are not the reasons for having a special Epiphany service?

1) So that we can have a potluck meal together. Now don’t get me wrong, I love potluck meals, and I know you all love my world-famous chili, but that is not the reason for having an Epiphany service. True, it makes it nice for those who do come for the service, but even if there were no potluck, it would still be worth coming here today.

2) Along the same lines, the reason for having an Epiphany service is not so that we can have people here to take down the Christmas tree. Again, it’s a nice bonus to have folks here to do that, but that’s not the main reason.

3) It’s an excuse to have people put another offering in the plate. No, that’s not it either.

So if those are not the reasons for having a special Epiphany service, what are? I mean, couldn’t we just shift the Epiphany lessons to the Sunday before or the Sunday after and observe Epiphany then? And some churches have done that. I guess they just gave up on having Epiphany on Epiphany, because of poor attendance. But when you do that and move Epiphany to the preceding or following Sunday, what happens? You lose the readings for that Sunday. You would lose either the Second Sunday after Christmas, which we heard this past Sunday with twelve-year-old Jesus in the temple. Or you would lose the Baptism of Our Lord, which we will get this coming Sunday. And that would be a shame if we lost that. So here we are on Epiphany itself, January 6.

You see, the Feast of the Epiphany of Our Lord is what’s called a fixed-date festival. That means it always falls on a specific date, regardless of what day of the week it is. In that way, it’s like Christmas. Christmas Day is always December 25, so we always have service on that date, no matter what day of the week. Likewise, with Epiphany. It is a fixed-date festival. It always falls on January 6, the day right after the twelve days of Christmas.

And not only is Epiphany a fixed-date festival, it’s also a major festival. It’s one of the big ones. You don’t want to omit it. And this goes back many centuries in the history of the church, this observance of Epiphany. In the early church, Epiphany had as strong an importance as even Christmas. It was that big of a deal.

But why? That’s what we’ll get to now. Our text is the traditional Gospel reading for Epiphany, the visit of the wise men, as recorded in Matthew 2. This is the only place we find this account. And today I’m going to key in on two aspects of this Epiphany text that make it so valuable: that it is the Gentile Christmas, and that it’s an occasion of great joy.

First, it shows us that Jesus is the Savior not just of the Jews but also of the Gentiles. Often Epiphany has been called “the Gentile Christmas,” and rightly so. What do I mean by that? Well, if you were here for our Christmas Eve service, you heard me say, “Christmas is a Jewish holiday.” The point being, that when Christ was born at Bethlehem, the angel told the shepherds, “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.” Now that is a very Jewish way to put things. Good news of great joy “for all the people.” And when it says, “the people,” that’s referring to the Jewish people. Jesus’ birth is the fulfillment of the promises made to Old Testament Israel. Likewise, to call Bethlehem “the city of David” and to call the child born there “the Christ”–again, very Jewish references. David, the great king of Israel. And the “Christ,” meaning the Messiah, the son of David who would usher in an everlasting kingdom. That’s why I can say that Christmas is, in the first place, a Jewish holiday.

But where does that leave us Gentiles, that is, non-Jews? Do we get left out? No, and that’s where Epiphany comes in. This is why Epiphany is called the Gentile Christmas. Because now the birth of the Christ is revealed, is manifested, as being for us Gentiles too, for our blessing and salvation.

Notice what our text says. It says that “wise men from the east came to Jerusalem.” And that gives us a clue. These men, the Magi or wise men, were court scholars from a land to the east, probably a place like Babylon. And the question they ask–this also indicates they were most likely Gentiles, not Jews. Because they ask, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews?” The way they put that–it sounds like they themselves are not Jews. But somehow, they’re interested in one born “king of the Jews,” the Jewish Messiah.

Well, if they themselves were not Jews, how would they know about or be interested in one born king of the Jews? How? Because they had heard of the promises made to Israel of a Savior, a Messiah–prophecies that had been shared over the centuries to other lands in the Middle East. Remember how people from all over had come to hear the wisdom of Solomon? They could have heard of it that way. Remember how the tribes of Israel had been dispersed centuries earlier? The people of Judah had been taken captive to Babylon, including Daniel, who became a court scholar himself, serving in the court of the Babylonian king. These are ways that wise men from the east could have heard about the promise to Israel of a great Messiah to come, “the king of the Jews.”

So Epiphany is the Gentile Christmas. The king of the Jews is also meant for us Gentiles. And that’s good news! We Gentiles, our ancestors, had been in the dark, not knowing the one true God, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Our ancestors worshiped sacred oak trees and stars in the heavens, not knowing who God was. They were groping around in the dark. Offering up sacrifices of their own, trying to appease the gods. Idolatry. Ignorance. Lostness. But now a great light has been manifested, in the birth of Christ. God wants all nations to know him. And God makes himself known in the person of Christ. So that’s the first point: Epiphany is the Gentile Christmas.

Second, Epiphany is an occasion of great joy. The wise men from the east come to Jerusalem looking for the one born king of the Jews. But he is not to be found there in Herod’s palace. Rather, the prophecy says that the Messiah is to be born in Bethlehem. So that’s where they go. And when the star points them to the place where the child was, it says, “they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.” Not just “they rejoiced.” Not even, “they rejoiced exceedingly.” But “they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.” That’s a lot of joy! Joy piled up to the sky!

These wise men from the east made a long journey, hundreds of miles, to have the original Epiphany service. And they did not mind the extra effort. Indeed, they brought costly gifts to the infant king–gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And they counted it all joy!

How come? And why should this special Epiphany service be an occasion of great joy for us? Because it reveals to us our Savior, Jesus, the Savior of both Jews and Gentiles alike. How has he saved us? Well, look back at that title the wise men use. They say, “the one born king of the Jews.” And where do we find that title again? On the cross, hanging over Jesus’ head: “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews.” Jesus does the saving job in a most unique and unusual way–by dying on that cross, in our place, to take away our sins. The baby born in humble circumstances will die in humility and shame.

He will do this to accomplish exactly what we need: to make the one acceptable sacrifice for sin–your sin and mine. What the Gentiles were groping around in the darkness to find–how to get right with God–now has been revealed, it’s been made manifest. And it’s not in what we do to appease the gods. Rather, it is in what God has done to rescue us out of our ignorance and idolatry. He sent his Son, Jesus Christ, to be the Savior of the world.

The light is shining in the darkness, the darkness covering the earth, the thick darkness covering all the peoples of the earth, that is, the Gentiles. What is revealed at Epiphany is God’s plan to make us Gentiles: heirs of the inheritance waiting for us in heaven; members of Christ’s body the church; and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

This is the special emphasis of the Epiphany festival. And this is why wise men and women from the east and the west and the north and the south–this is why you, dear friends, have made the journey today, to find Christ your Savior here where he has promised to be found.

Second Sunday after Christmas
January 3, 2021

“At Home in God’s House, Growing in Wisdom” (Luke 2:40-52)

We just sang: “Within the Father’s house the Son has found his home.” Even at twelve years old, Jesus was at home in God’s house. And earlier in this service, we sang: “For He is our childhood’s pattern, day by day like us He grew.” Jesus is our childhood’s pattern, but he is also our adulthood’s pattern, as well!

Listen to these verses from today’s Gospel. At the start of the reading, Luke 2, verse 40: Jesus “grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him.” And at the end of our reading, verse 52: “And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man.” And in between, when Joseph and Mary find him in the temple, Jesus says: “Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”

Taking all these thoughts together, we can see that a) Jesus was at home in God’s house, and b) he grew, not only in stature, but also in wisdom. And since Jesus is our pattern, both for our childhood and our adulthood, here is my wish for you for 2021: that you would likewise be “At Home in God’s House, Growing in Wisdom.”

First, being at home in God’s house. Jesus was certainly at home there. It says that his parents took him to the feasts in Jerusalem every year. “They went up according to custom,” it says. And that is a great custom to have. You parents, both fathers and mothers together, take your children to church every Sunday, every year. This year, in 2021. If it hasn’t been your habit or custom before, make it so now. Many parents take their children to soccer practices and music lessons, and that’s OK. But if you don’t take your children to church, you are neglecting your most important parental duty.

As a child, Jesus was at home in God’s house, and that’s how it should be for our children too. But not only is Jesus the pattern for our childhood, he is the pattern for our adulthood also. A couple of chapters later in Luke, it says of Jesus as an adult: “And as was his custom, he went to the synagogue on the Sabbath day.” There’s that word “custom” again. It should be our custom, our habit, our regular routine, to be in God’s house every week on the day set aside to hear God’s word.

That’s what we learned in the Third Commandment, isn’t it? “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. What does this mean? We should fear and love God so that we do not despise preaching and His Word, but hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it.” “Hold it sacred”: That means “Set it apart,” “Don’t let anything else interfere with it.” Going to church every Sunday morning, to hear the preaching of God’s word–that is sacred time, set apart as holy.

Now of course, I’m not talking about when there’s an ice storm and church is canceled, or if you’re sick or in the hospital, or things like that. But if there’s nothing to stop you from going to church, you should go, every Sunday morning, every week, every year, for the rest of your life. This is where God wants you to be: at home in his house.

God has commanded you to attend to the preaching of his word. In the Large Catechism, Martin Luther writes about how seriously God takes this. He says: “God insists upon a strict observance of this commandment and will punish all who despise His Word and are not willing to hear and learn it, especially, at the time appointed for the purpose.”

“Well, good,” you say. “I’m safe, because I’m here in church every Sunday. I’m not like those lousy, lazy slugs who skip out on church.” Oh, but wait! That’s not the only way you can break this commandment.

And so Luther continues: “It is not only the people who greatly misuse and desecrate the holy day who sin against this commandment (those who neglect to hear God’s Word because of their greed or frivolity or lie in taverns and are dead drunk like swine). But even that other crowd sins. They listen to God’s Word like it was any other trifle and only come to preaching because of custom. They go away again, and at the end of the year they know as little of God’s Word as at the beginning. . . . We allow ourselves to be preached to and admonished, but we do not listen seriously and carefully.”

“Know, therefore, that you must be concerned not only about hearing, but also about learning and retaining God’s Word in memory. Do not think that this is optional for you or of no great importance. Think that it is God’s commandment, who will require an account from you about how you have heard, learned, and honored His Word.”

So, my fellow sinners, there is not anyone here who has not broken this commandment–including your pastor. It’s not just the folks who blow off church. It’s also us who are here, in church, every Sunday. We let God’s word go in one ear and out the other. We do not let his word have its way with us in our heart and in our lives.

But friends, this is all the more reason why we need to be here in church every Sunday. “For we daily sin much and surely deserve nothing but punishment.” But here in church–this is where we receive forgiveness for our sins. This is where we hear the word of Holy Absolution: “In the stead and by the command of my Lord Jesus Christ, I forgive you all your sins.” Here in church, at this altar, this is where you receive Christ’s holy body and blood, given and shed for you for the forgiveness of your sins.

Here in church, this is where we hear the preaching of the gospel, the good news of what Christ has done to win your salvation. Jesus fulfilled the law on your behalf. He kept all of the commandments the way they’re supposed to be kept. His active obedience to God’s law fulfilled the requirements. And his righteousness has been given to you as a gift. It has been credited to your account.

Not only so, Jesus took the punishment that you deserve, dying on the cross for your sins. For your neglect of God’s word. For the times you have blown off church when you could have made it. For your inattentiveness even while sitting in the pew. Jesus paid for it all. And then he rose from the dead, assuring you that what he has done is more than enough to overcome sin and the death that comes with it.

You see, Jesus is not only the pattern for our life. Oh, he is that. Jesus is the model, the example, we should follow, yes. But even more than that, Jesus is the Savior of our life. He steps in where we fall short. His righteousness covers us all. Receive it as a gift. Receive him as your Lord and Savior.

This is why it is such a joy to be here, to be at home in God’s house. For we are God’s children! We’ve been made so in Holy Baptism. This is our true home. This is where we belong. This is where we find our true life and our very identity.

Do you want to know the meaning of life? Come to church and hear God’s word, and you will grow in your understanding. You will increase in wisdom.

Wisdom is more than mere knowledge. Wisdom is not just knowing a lot of things. It’s knowing what to do with the things you know. It’s knowing how it all fits together, under God’s design. To meditate on God’s word, to let it sink in deep–this is how you grow in wisdom. To let God’s word shape your life–this is true wisdom. As the psalmist says to the Lord: “How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way.”

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” Realize that you are a sinner in need of God’s forgiveness–that’s a good place to start. And then turn to where you will find that forgiveness: in the cross of Christ. For the word of the cross, the preaching of Christ crucified–this is the power of God to save those who believe. “Christ, the power of God and the wisdom of God.”

Brothers and sisters, this is why it is so important and so wonderful to be here in God’s house. What a joy! What a Savior!

And so my prayer for you in this new year of 2021 is that you would more and more be at home here in God’s house. Soaking up God’s word, in the sermons and in the Bible classes. Being a part of this community, this family, called the church, where we have a mission together. Singing out in praise and worship of our gracious God. Receiving the refreshing cleansing of Christ’s forgiveness–a clean slate and the ability to move forward. Being strengthened through Word and Sacrament in faith toward God and in fervent love toward one another. These are just some of the benefits that God has for you here in his house.

These are tough times for the church. These are tough times for us all. But that’s all the more reason why we need the strength and the support and the refreshment that we find here in church. At home in God’s house, growing in wisdom: This is how, by God’s grace, we together will have a happy new year!

First Sunday after Christmas
December 27, 2020

“A Great Way to End Things” (Luke 2:22-40)

Our text today is the story of Mary and Joseph presenting the infant Jesus at the temple and the reactions of Simeon and Anna. As we will see, what happens in this story is “A Great Way to End Things.” And that applies not only to the persons involved but also to us.

A great way to end things. The first thing it ends is Mary’s time of purification. Reading again the opening verses of our text: “And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, ‘Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord’) and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, ‘a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.’”

This was the end of Mary’s time of purification. The prescribed time, according to Levitical law, was forty days. That was long a woman had to wait after giving birth to, in this case, a son. Then she was ceremonially clean to go the temple, where she was to offer up a sacrifice. By the way, the sacrifice Mary offers is the one allowed for those who could not afford the more expensive sacrifice of a lamb. This tells us the Holy Family was of humble means. Well, actually, if you think about it, Mary does offer up a Lamb. More on that in a moment.

The Purification of Mary ends that period of forty days after the birth of a son. That is the first thing that is ended. But there is also something begun. For this son is a firstborn son, which means that he is to be presented in the temple and dedicated to the Lord. This law goes back to the time of the Passover in Egypt, when the angel of death struck down all the firstborn in Egypt but passed over the homes of the Israelites and spared their firstborn. Therefore, from that time on, all firstborn sons were to be dedicated to the Lord’s service.

And if there ever was a firstborn son who was dedicated to the Lord’s service, it’s Jesus! His whole life was devoted to carrying out the will of his heavenly Father. That is why he came, born in the flesh, born at Christmas, born in order to carry out the mission for which he was sent. Presented at the temple, dedicated to the Lord. Coming forty days after his birth, this is a fitting way to begin that mission. For he himself, Jesus Christ, will be the Lamb of God presented as a perfect sacrifice, to take away the sins of the world.

One thing ended, with the Purification of Mary. One thing begun, with the Presentation of Our Lord. But another thing is ended, and it is a time of waiting: “Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.”

Simeon was waiting for the consolation of Israel. He was waiting for the promised comfort for God’s people, prophesied long ago by such men as Isaiah: “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned.”

Now, that comfort, that consolation, has finally arrived. The wait is over! The Lord had made a special promise to Simeon, “that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.” Now what do those old eyes see? Not death, but the Christ! The consolation of Israel bundled up in that little baby blanket!

Oh, another “by the way”: Our text does not actually say that Simeon was an old man. Readers have always inferred that Simeon was an old man, based on several clues in the text: the fact that it says he “would not see death before such-and-such,” along with his response, “now you are letting your servant depart in peace.” That would seem to indicate that Simeon was getting up there in years–that, plus the pairing with Anna, who definitely is described as “advanced in years.” In any case, Simeon’s time of waiting, his waiting to see the consolation of Israel in the person of the Christ–that waiting now is over. Yes, this is a great way to end things!

For Anna, too. This faithful old saint gave thanks to God when she saw the little baby. Anna and all the others who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem could now cast their eyes on the infant Redeemer and rejoice.

The Presentation of Our Lord in the temple was a great way to end the long waiting that God’s saints had experienced. They been waiting for the fulfillment of the prophecies and promises. Now their aged eyes could look upon and see the fulfillment come in the flesh. They could see him with their own eyes and hold him in their arms and behold him with the eyes of faith.

You and I, of course, do not see our Savior with our eyes. But like Simeon and Anna, we do behold him with the eyes of faith. For the Holy Spirit has revealed him to us, through the gospel. This Jesus is the consolation and the redemption we have been waiting for. He comforts and consoles us in our sorrows. He redeems and rescues us from our sins, from death, and from the power of the devil. Consolation and redemption, come in the person of Christ!

The time of waiting is over. The time of consolation and redemption and salvation has arrived. So sing out, old Simeon! “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.” For Simeon to see the Lord’s Christ and to hold him in his arms–this was truly a great way to end things! Now old Simeon is ready to go! He’s ready to be with the Lord, to be gathered with his fathers. Now Simeon is ready to depart in peace.

You, dear Christian, beholding Christ, seeing the Lord’s salvation with the eyes of faith–that is how you are ready to depart this life in peace. No matter how old or how young you are, the good news of Christ your Savior prepares you to be ready to die. And when you are ready to die–only when you are ready to die–are you really ready to live.

None of us knows how long the Lord will give us here in this life. If we are old, the Lord may have some reason to keep us around for a while longer. And if we are young, there are no guarantees. Whatever our age, we want to be ready, like Simeon, like Anna. Ready to depart this life in peace, having seen the promises of God arrive in the person of Christ–that is a great way to end things.

Because really, that’s just the beginning of things. Death is not the end for the Christian. For Christ has conquered death by his death and opened eternal life to us by his resurrection. That is how the consolation and the redemption would be won. Our salvation has been secured by Christ’s death and resurrection. At the temple. Simeon hints at the death it would take, Christ’s death, when he says to the boy’s mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” The Christ, received so joyfully on this day at the temple, would later be opposed most bitterly. And his death on the cross would pierce his mother’s soul with sorrow. But that’s what it would take for our consolation to be won. Christ redeemed us by his holy precious blood shed on the cross. And by his resurrection, we have the comfort of knowing that death is not the end for those who trust in him.

A great way to end things, assured of comfort and peace and hope by the coming of the Christ. That is why we end the Divine Service with that very song of Simeon, the Nunc Dimittis. Having received Christ in Word and Sacrament, we then are ready to depart–to depart the service, and even to depart this life, if it should come that day. “Lord, now lettest thou Thy servant depart in peace according to Thy word, for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation.” Our eyes have seen that salvation by faith. Our ears have heard it preached in the sermon. Our mouths have tasted it in the Lord’s Supper. God makes us ready to go, and then he sends us off into our week, to live as his people, living and loving and laughing for as many days as he gives us. What a great way to end things!

To see the Lord’s salvation in Christ with the eyes of faith, and so be ready to depart in peace–whether to go on to glory or to go out from here, strengthened in faith to go on living–either way, beholding Christ is a great way to end things. And today, as we end our services for 2020, it is a great way to end this message: “Lord, now you are letting your servant depart in peace, according to your word; for my eyes have seen your salvation.”