Category: Sermon Page

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.”

The Nativity of Our Lord: Christmas Day
Friday, December 25, 2020

“The Word: Tabernacled and Received” (John 1:1-18)

On this great festival of the Nativity of Our Lord, Christmas Day, the Holy Gospel every year is St. John’s profound prologue that opens his gospel. And today, as we look at this text, I want to zero in on three portions of this prologue, under the theme, “The Word: Tabernacled and Received.”

First, the Word. And that literally is the first thing John writes about in his gospel, namely, the Word. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” “In the beginning”: John here is intentionally recalling the opening verse of the Bible, Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” And John is saying that in the beginning, before anything was created, there was this one called the Word, who was with God. John isn’t telling us yet who this one called the Word is–he will get to that later–but he is saying that this Word was there with God in the beginning, likewise active in the creation of the heavens and the earth. “All things were made through him,” that is, through the Word, “and without him was not any thing made that was made.”

“And the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” This is a brilliant way to convey the mystery of the Godhead. For it shows the distinction of persons: The Word is with God, in a face-to-face relationship with God. And at the same time it shows the divine essence of this one called the Word: He is truly God in his being. In doctrinal terms, we would say that the Son is distinct from the Father, and yet is also truly God.

The true divinity of the Word, the only Son of the Father, who like the Father was active in creation. The reading from Hebrews 1 says the same thing: God “has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power.”

And this is the idea behind the word John uses for the “Word.” It’s the Greek word, Logos. The Greeks thought of the Logos as the organizing principle holding the universe together. Logos means ordered thought, rational speech; a coherent, intelligent design, you might say. But what the Greeks could only speculate about as an organizing principle, John now reveals is a person. A person, not a principle! The Logos is the eternal Son of God, through whom all things were created and hold together.

Well, that’s nice, John, but so what? You’re talking about creation and the cosmos and big concepts like that. But what does that have to do with anything? What does the Logos, the Word, have to do with us and our life?

John tells us in verse 14: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” The Word, the Logos, became flesh! This is astounding! This is mind-boggling! This is the miracle of Christmas. This is the incarnation. The Logos, the eternal Son of God, the one “by whom all things were made,” as we say in the Creed, “for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man.” Amazing!

That the eternal Son of God could come in human flesh and be born, the babe of Bethlehem–how can this be? But it is! Poets have tried to express the awesome mystery of this birth. Paul Gerhardt’s hymn, “O Jesus Christ, Thy Manger Is,” which we just sang, puts it well: “He whom the sea and wind obey doth come to serve the sinner in great meekness. Thou, God’s own Son, with us art one, dost join us and our children in our weakness.”

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” He became our brother, God in the flesh did. Jesus did not keep socially distant. He got right down among us, in our midst and in our mess. He dwelt among us.

The Greek word here for “dwelt” is an interesting one. It could really be translated, he “tabernacled” among us. It’s the same word that’s used to refer to the Old Testament tabernacle, where God dwelt in the midst of his people Israel. What God was doing at the tabernacle, God now is doing in an even greater way in the birth of Christ.

What did God do at the Old Testament tabernacle? This was the place where God’s people could know for certain that God was dwelling in their midst. And that was a great assurance. At the tabernacle, the Lord was among them, to guard and protect them. At the tabernacle, the Lord was among them, to guide them and instruct them. At the tabernacle, where God had instituted the priesthood and the sacrifices, the Lord was among them to forgive their sins and to cleanse them from their impurities.

What all God was doing in the Old Testament tabernacle–all that was pointing ahead to what God would do in a much greater way in the Word made flesh. In the birth of Christ, God is tabernacling among us! Jesus Christ is dwelling among us, in our midst, to guard and protect us, to guide and instruct us, to forgive and cleanse us. Jesus is doing all that, for you! He comes and tabernacles among us, full of grace and truth.

Tom Egger, Old Testament professor at our St. Louis seminary, has an excellent article on this point in the current Lutheran Witness. “Tabernacled among Us,” the article is called, and I encourage you to read it. Egger writes: “God provided blood atonement for sinful Israel in the tabernacle. But here in the manger lies the new and better tabernacle, built not with poles, rings and ram’s skins, but with human flesh, born of Mary. With this flesh, He poured out His lifeblood once and for all to atone for stiff-necked sinners.” And having been raised from the dead, Egger says, “Jesus is the new and better tabernacle and abides with us always.”

Brothers and sisters, people of God, by tabernacling among us, by shedding his blood for us on the altar of the cross and by rising from the tomb in victory over death, Jesus Christ has won for you forgiveness for your sins and life with him forever!

The Word became flesh and dwelt, tabernacled, among us. Now how do we receive him? Do we receive him, or do we reject him? Not all have believed our report, as the Bible says. Our text from John 1 puts it like this: “He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him.” That was true back then, and it is still true today. The world around us does not receive Christ. Many people you know do not receive him. They don’t think they need a Savior from sin and death. That’s why they have no interest in church. But they are wrong, dead wrong.

“But to all who did receive him,” John writes, “who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.” You, dear brothers and sisters, you know that you do need a Savior from sin and death. And you know that this Savior is Jesus. Only he can save you and put you right with God. You realize your need, and you receive the gift. Jesus himself is the greatest Christmas present. He gives himself freely to you. And you receive him by faith. You trust in him, not in yourself, for your salvation.

God has given you the gift of faith to trust in Christ. God works this faith in you by the Holy Spirit, through the gospel, through Word and Sacrament. In Holy Baptism, you were given the gift of the Spirit to trust in Christ your Savior. In Holy Baptism, you were born again, by water and the Spirit. This was God’s doing, not your own. Now you are God’s child, headed for heaven. As they say, Christmas is for children. And you, dear friends, you are the baptized children of God. Christmas is for you.

“In the beginning was the Word,” the Logos, “and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” “And the Word became flesh and dwelt,” tabernacled, “among us.” And to all who received him, “who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” These are the three Christmas presents we find in John’s gospel this morning. “The Word: Tabernacled and Received.” A merry Christmas indeed!

Fourth Sunday in Advent
December 20, 2020

“The Handmaid’s Tale” (Luke 1:26-38)

I’ve never seen the program, but I have heard about a television series called “The Handmaid’s Tale.” The premise of the show is that there is a tyrannical, theocratic government that is oppressing women. Of course, the religious people are portrayed as evil. The women that they are oppressing and enslaving are called “handmaids.” Well, the American Left have seized upon this, and in some of their marches, their women dress in the handmaids’ costumes as a way of protesting how religious people in our country are oppressing women.

However, in the Holy Gospel for today, from Luke 1, we meet a young woman who is content with being a handmaid. In fact, she even calls herself by that term: “I am the handmaid of the Lord,” she says. And indeed, she is, as we just sang, a “most highly favored lady.” So let’s hear her story now, under the very good title, “The Handmaid’s Tale.”

In the first chapter of his gospel, Luke lays out the story of what leads up to the birth of Christ. He goes back and forth between the background of the miraculous birth of John the Baptist and the background of the miraculous birth of Jesus himself. First we have the account of the angel Gabriel announcing to aged Zechariah that he and his wife Elizabeth, who had not been able to have children–that they will have a son named John, who will prepare the way of the Lord.

Now, six months later, the angel Gabriel has another message to bring, about another special birth. He goes to the town of Nazareth and comes to a young woman named Mary. He greets her: “Greetings, O favored one, the Lord is with you!” As usual in the Bible, whenever a human being encounters an angel, that person is frightened, and the angel has to do a “Fear not.” Which Gabriel does: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God.”

Notice, Gabriel has addressed Mary as “O favored one,” and now he explains, “for you have found favor with God.” Let’s explore this a little bit. The word that’s translated here as “favor” is the Greek word “charis,” which can also be translated as “grace.” “Charis,” grace, favor–it means God’s free gift. Mary has been given grace, by God. It’s not that Mary is a source of grace. She is not a dispenser of grace. Rather, she is a recipient of grace, God’s free grace and favor. So when Roman Catholics repeat Gabriel’s greeting and say, “Hail Mary, full of grace,” if they think that somehow the Blessed Virgin is a source or dispenser of grace, as though she can hear and answer our prayers–well, that is a misreading of the text.

So Mary herself has been graced and favored by God. And what is the gift that she has been given? Gabriel now tells her: “And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.”

Mary is being given the gift of a son. Now that in itself is nice, but it would be nothing extraordinary. What is extraordinary is the son she will bear! God has even picked out a name for him: Jesus. Again, that in itself would be nothing extraordinary–Jesus was a fairly common name for Jewish boys. It’s the same name as “Joshua,” who was one of the heroes of Israel’s past. Joshua was the one who led Israel into the promised land. This Joshua, this Jesus, will lead all of God’s people into the eternal promised land of heaven. “Joshua,” “Jesus”–the name means “The Lord is Savior,” and this baby will fulfill that name perfectly.

“He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.” Now this is extraordinary! This is remarkable! The Son of the Most High God! God’s one and only Son is going to be born in the flesh! This will truly be a one-of-a-kind birth!

Gabriel continues: “And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” Jesus’ birth will be the fulfillment of a very significant promise that the Lord gave to King David a thousand years earlier: that one of David’s sons, one of David’s descendants, will rule as king over an everlasting kingdom of blessing. Jesus now will be the fulfillment of that promise. He will be the Messiah, the Son of David, spoken of so long ago.

So Mary’s boy child will be great, to say the least. He will have a special destiny to play in God’s plan for the ages–the key role, in fact. But Mary herself will have a special place in this plan: She will bear this child, God in the flesh. She will be the mother of the Messiah. This is a high honor! This is the gift, the grace, the favor, that Mary is being given.

One problem, though: How can Mary give birth to a child when she is not even married? She asks the question of Gabriel: “How will this be, since I am a virgin?” And the angel replies: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy–the Son of God.” “Conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary”: Just like you learned it in the Creed. This will be no ordinary pregnancy and birth–as befits the unique child who will be both true God and true man.

Elizabeth’s pregnancy in her old age took a miraculous act of God. Mary’s pregnancy, while remaining a virgin–Mary’s giving birth to God’s own Son–this even more so can only be God’s doing.

And so Gabriel concludes: “For nothing will be impossible with God.” And Mary responds: “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” Now notice, it says: Nothing–that is, no “thing”–will be impossible with God. “Nothing” is a decent translation. But the Greek word here is “rhema,” which can mean “matter” or “thing,” but often “rhema” has the added nuance of being a “thing spoken of,” an “utterance.” In other words, Gabriel is saying: “No utterance, spoken by God’s messenger–just as I have spoken to you, Mary–no utterance from God will fail to come to pass.” You can count on it, Mary. God’s word will do what he sends it out to do. When God speaks, things happen. God’s creative, active, powerful word will bring it about.

This is a lesson for us. You are hearing God’s “rhema,” his spoken utterance, delivered to you by God’s messenger here today. God’s word is alive and powerful. It does for you what it says: When God’s messenger, your pastor, tells you, “I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” it is as good and certain as if Christ himself were declaring it to you. When I deliver to you the body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins, that is a sure deal. God’s word does what it says. You can take it to the bank. This “rhema” is as sure as when Gabriel spoke to Mary.

And that’s how Mary receives it. She says, “Let it be to me according to your word.” And guess what? What is the word here for “word”? Once again, it is “rhema.” Mary is trusting in the spoken utterance from God’s messenger. In this respect, Mary is a wonderful model for the church. Would that we all would take God’s word to heart and let it sink down deeply!

Now notice one more thing about Mary’s reply. She says, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord.” The “servant” of the Lord: This is the word for a bondservant, a slave. A bondservant does not do her own will; she does the will of her master. And Mary, willingly, is ok with this!

“Behold, I am the servant of the Lord.” Some of the older translations have, “I am the handmaid of the Lord.” And this is the verse where that television series gets its name, “The Handmaid’s Tale.” Only this handmaid, Mary, is not being enslaved by some mean old oppressor of women. No, quite the opposite. She is being given a great gift, a great privilege: to be the mother of the Savior of the world! Mary regards being the handmaid of the Lord as the highest honor anyone could have! Which it is.

Again, Mary is the model for the church. Would that each one of us would say, “Behold, I am the maidservant, I am the manservant, of the Lord. Thy will be done in me and through me, O Lord!” This is not oppression. No, this is contentment, knowing that God’s will for us is always best. This is the joyous freedom of the gospel!

“Blessed are you among women, Mary, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” “Blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her from the Lord.” What was spoken to Mary–the “rhema” delivered by God’s messenger–found its fulfillment in the birth of Christ. For nothing is impossible with God, even the salvation of the world. And this is the beginning of how it happened. This is the true “Handmaid’s Tale.”

Midweek Advent Matins
Wednesday, December 16, 2020

“The Genealogy of Jesus Christ: From the Deportation to the Christ” (Matthew 1:1, 12-17)

During this Advent season, we are preparing to meet and greet our coming king. The king is coming–to us, for us–coming at Christmas, coming at the end of time, coming now into our midst through Word and Sacrament. So we prepare to meet him–in repentance, in faith, in holy joy. That’s what Advent is all about.

But this king we are preparing to meet–this king who comes to us–this is a lowly king. Lowly, not high. Lowly, humble, coming in a way you might not expect. Our lowly king comes to us in a very surprising way. Surprising, yet faithful to God’s promises. While we may forget God’s promises–when we think God may have forgotten his promises–here comes this surprise. It is a lowly surprise that brings salvation and hope and joy to our hearts. We realize that God does remember. God does keep his promises–even when things are looking their worst.

Lowly, surprising, and faithful–that’s how God works. That’s the message we can take from our text today. At first glance, though, it looks like just a bunch of names–most of which you have never heard of. But when we take a closer look, we see how God deals with us by the gospel. And we gain strength, courage, and confidence in God’s promises.

Our text is “The Genealogy of Jesus Christ,” as recorded in the opening verses of Matthew. More specifically, today we focus on the last third of the genealogy, the part that takes us “From the Deportation to the Christ.”

We began two weeks ago with the first third of that genealogy as Matthew gives it, starting with Abraham: “Abraham was the father of Isaac, Isaac the father of Jacob, Jacob the father of Judah,” and so on. Jesus is the son of Abraham, the fulfillment of the promises made to the patriarchs: “I will bless you and make your name great. And through your seed–through your offspring–all the nations of the earth will be blessed.” Jesus is that seed of blessing, the fulfillment of the Abrahamic covenant.

We traced the line of Abraham down through Jesse and to his son, David. The middle third of the genealogy starts with King David, as we heard last week. The Lord made a promise to David, that one of his sons would reign on his throne in an everlasting kingdom. The Messiah, the Christ, would come through the line of David. But it wasn’t Solomon. Solomon started out so promising, but he ended up failing, he didn’t measure up. And so it went through all the kings after him. None of them lived up to the great things spoken of about that one great son of David who was to come. In fact, after David and Solomon, the nation and its kings basically went into a long downward spiral, ending in God’s judgment coming upon them in the form of the Babylonian Captivity. From the heights of King David’s reign, down to the low point of conquest and defeat and exile at the hands of their enemies. The nation had been brought down. The king was taken off his throne and hauled off to exile in Babylon.

This was a real low point, this exile or deportation to Babylon. A low point in Israel’s history, but it would get even lower. This was no brief, temporary setback. No, from this point on, Israel gets locked into a pattern of never getting back to where they once were.

The exile to Babylon lasted about seventy years, until Babylon itself was conquered by another power, Persia. Then the Israelites were permitted to come back to Judah, back to Jerusalem to rebuild the temple. The returnees were led by Zerubabbel, who is mentioned early in this part of the list. But Zerubabbel was really never anything more than a governor. He was not a king. So there was no king to sit on the throne as David had. The royal line was still alive, physically. But politically, Israel never again would be strong enough to where they could be their own independent kingdom. No son of David would be reigning on a throne anytime soon.

Do you realize what that meant? What it meant to the people back then, during those six hundred years covered in this part of the genealogy? They must have been asking: Where is God in all of this? Has he forgotten his promises? Where is the Messiah that he promised? We don’t even have a son of David on the throne at all, much less one who might be the Messiah. When will he come? When will God do what he promised? How long, O Lord, how long? How long must we bear up and endure under foreign domination?

Maybe you have had similar complaints and confusions. Has God forgotten about me? Has he forgotten his promises? And the longer this goes on, the more likely I am to forget his promises, to lose confidence in them and in him. Have you ever felt that way?

But to people sitting in darkness, like Israel was so long ago, suddenly the light comes. In a surprising way. In a lowly way. At a time and in a way that we maybe weren’t expecting. After a long list of nobodies–and I do mean nobodies; most of these names are not even mentioned in the Old Testament–from out of a long string of obscurity, we come to a name that likewise would have remained obscure, except for the surprising thing God was about to do. We come to a man with the common, ordinary name of Joseph–just an “ordinary Joe,” literally. But this fellow happened to marry quite well. He’s listed here as “the husband of Mary,” who herself would have been totally forgotten by history, except for what the Lord did in her and through her. For of Mary was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

Finally, the Christ has come! From out of nowhere, out of the long and undistinguished list of nobodies in this part of the genealogy, after Israel had hit its lowest point and then got stuck at that low point for centuries–now, in this lowly and surprising way, here comes the Christ! Here comes the Messiah! God has not forgotten his promises! He is faithful and keeps his word. You could have predicted it. In fact, the prophets did predict it. But it still came as a total surprise. God keeps his promises, even when you least expect it.

Lowly, surprising, faithful–that’s how God works. Lowly: The Christ came to a humble carpenter–an ordinary Joe–and his wife. Surprising: This king, this son of David, would bring in God’s everlasting kingdom in a way you wouldn’t expect: by dying a criminal’s death on a cross. He did that as the sacrifice for your sins, so that you would not die forever but instead share in his resurrected, eternal life. Lowly, surprising, and faithful: God kept his promises to Abraham and David. He fulfilled them at a time when it looked like he may have forgotten them. But God is faithful. He does what he says he will do.

God is faithful to his promises. The genealogy of Jesus Christ shows this. And so you can know from this, dear friends, that God has not forgotten you. From out of nowhere your Savior came, so that you could really go somewhere. From out of a long line of nobodies he came, so that you would no longer be a nobody in God’s sight. Now you are somebody. Now you are God’s own child, baptized, forgiven, nourished with Word and Sacrament, those lowly means that do so much. Now you have been filled with the Holy Spirit. You are a new person in Christ, headed for heaven. Now your name is listed in God’s family line of blessing and promise. You’ve been adopted in, and you will share in the inheritance.

And it’s all because of this one who was born, who lived, who died on the cross for your salvation, who lives and reigns forever over God’s eternal kingdom. All your blessings come to you because of “Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” Rejoice this Advent, for Christ, your lowly, surprising, and faithful king is coming to you!

Third Sunday in Advent
December 13, 2020

“The Year of the Lord’s Favor” (Isaiah 61:1-4, 10-11)

We’re coming to the end of this year, and what a year it has been! 2020–a year that will live in infamy! Our country has had a very tough year: Covid-19, economic shutdowns and lockdowns, people losing their jobs, people losing their businesses, people losing their lives. We had rioting in the streets, looting and burning, and governors and mayors letting it happen. We had a tense election season, with the results very much in dispute. What a year it has been! Those “year in review” retrospectives you’ll see at the end of the month–they will not be a happy trip down memory lane.

And for churches, too, this year has not been a happy experience. Back in March, we chose to shut down services for some weeks out of concern for public safety. Then when it was safe to come back together, we took some reasonable precautions. But we had some members who thought we were not doing enough, and other members who thought we were doing too much, and still other members, more at high risk, decided to just stay home to be safe. All this, in turn, has affected our offerings, which puts further strain on our already-tight budget. We have all been trying to do the best we can for all concerned, but it has not been easy. And people of good will have had different views on how to handle things.

And for you personally, having to live through all of this–the stress and strain of this year no doubt has affected you. Maybe you know someone who has been sick or even died. Maybe you know someone who lost their job or their business. Maybe physical sickness or mental strain or financial setbacks have hit close to home, in your home, touching you or one of your loved ones.

So when you listen to people talk about this year of 2020, whether on social media or at a social distance of six feet and through a mask, the talk has largely been negative. And to some degree, understandably so. Nobody likes the “new normal” of isolation and restrictions and diminished expectations.

But in spite of all this, I’m here to tell you today that there is something good–something very good–about this year of 2020. In fact, I want to tell you that this is–hard to believe–this is “The Year of the Lord’s Favor.”

“‘The Year of the Lord’s Favor’?? Are you kidding me, Pastor? If this is the Lord’s favor, I’d hate to see what his displeasure would be like!” Well, in a way, I have to agree with you. You would hate to see what the Lord’s displeasure would be like! Fortunately, you’re not experiencing that, and I hope you never will. And I’m here today, bringing you God’s Word, precisely so you won’t.

“The year of the Lord’s favor”: That phrase comes to us today from the Old Testament reading, from Isaiah 61. There our text begins: “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor. . . .”

This was the word of the Lord that came to the prophet Isaiah about 700 years before Christ. But, make no mistake, this is a prophecy about Christ himself. This is a passage about Jesus. Jesus said as much at the start of his ministry. He was reading this passage in the synagogue at Nazareth, and when he finished, he rolled up the scroll and said, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.” In other words, Jesus was saying, “This prophecy is about me.”

And indeed it is! Think of it. The prophecy says, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me.” That happened when Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River, and the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in the form of a dove. Jesus was being anointed for his ministry as the Messiah. Jesus is the Messiah, the Christ, the Anointed One.

And Jesus then went about doing those things prophesied of the Messiah in our text from Isaiah. “The Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.” That’s what Jesus did. He did not hang around with the rich and famous. He went to people who were down and out, and he ministered to them. He preached good news to them: “Blessed are the poor, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

How do you come before God? As though you’re rich and have everything you need? Or do you realize your spiritual poverty and your reliance on God to supply your every need? Jesus reveals to us the heavenly Father who cares for his children and clothes them and feeds them.

“The Lord has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted.” And that’s what Jesus did. Think of Jairus, whose daughter Jesus raised from the dead. Or the widow of Nain, whose son he raised. Or Martha and Mary, whose brother Lazarus he raised. All those folks were brokenhearted at the loss of a close family member. But Jesus bound up their broken hearts.

If you are brokenhearted, at the loss of loved ones, at great disappointments in life (and we all have them), at loneliness and emptiness–if that’s you, Jesus is here for you today, to bind up your wounds with the healing balm of the gospel. Jesus has overcome the sting of death with his resurrection, and he shares that resurrection victory with all who trust in him.

“The Lord has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.” Jesus did that also. Those who were under the control of demons–Jesus set them free. Christ is the world’s Redeemer, the one who sets us free from our bondage to sin, Satan, and death. You are no longer a slave to those things. The word of Christ is the truth that sets you free. And if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.

“The Lord has sent me to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” Jesus did that back then, and he’s still doing that today. “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, full of grace and truth.” The favor of the Lord came upon Mary, when she was told that she would bear the Christ child. And the favor of the Lord rests upon you, his undeserved grace and favor, on you who are God’s baptized children.

Jesus came to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor. He came to comfort you who mourn. You mourn the people in your life who are no longer with you. You mourn the damage that sin has inflicted on your life and on the world around us. You mourn your own sinfulness. This life is a vale of tears. But Jesus comes and gives you “a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit.”

Jesus has clothed you with the garments of salvation; he has covered you with the robe of his perfect righteousness. Jesus took all your sin-stained garments and cleansed them white in his holy precious blood. Now you have the righteousness you need to stand before God on Judgment Day and be welcomed into his eternal kingdom.

What does this do? It gives you hope. No matter how crazy and chaotic this world has become, you have a hope to hold on to. And nothing can disturb this hope you have. Not Covid, not lockdowns, not the dark winter that may be coming upon us. Your hope is as strong and secure as our risen Lord Jesus himself.

What else does this give you? It gives you joy. As our text says: “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God.” Did you notice that today we lit the rose-colored candle? That candle symbolizes joy. The Third Sunday in Advent is known as Gaudete Sunday, “Gaudete” being the Latin word for “Rejoice.” Even in the darkening days of December, even in a lousy year like 2020, you and I have reasons to rejoice. Jesus gives us joy! The knowledge that we are right with God because of our Savior. The anticipation, the looking forward to, all that will be ours when Christ comes again–it’s like a kid seeing the Christmas presents under the tree, even though it’s not time yet to open them. This gives us a joy that is deeper and more profound than the ups and downs of mere happiness. “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion. Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem. Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation.”

This year of 2020, as bad as it has been in many respects–and it has been, we’re not sugar-coating that–even so, this year 2020 is the year of the Lord’s favor. Because he has not stopped being among us. Through Word and Sacrament, Jesus has been here all year long. And he will continue to be, for the rest of this year and on into 2021. You have Jesus’ promise on this: “On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.” “And lo, I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Brothers and sisters in Christ, this year, 2020, believe it or not–no, wait, believe it!–this is the year of the Lord’s favor!

“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.”