God, Our Father and Maker

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Text: First Article, Pt. I

The Latin title for today, the first Sunday in Lent, is Invocabit. It means, “He shall call.” It comes from a verse in Psalm 91, where it says, “He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him.” (Psalm 91:15, King James Version) This applies especially to Christ, whose temptation we heard in the Gospel reading; but it is also a promise for we who are in Christ. It is our Lord who teaches us to call on Him and promises to hear. Therefore, we may have confidence when we pray that God does hear us and will deliver us from every evil. 

In the Evangelical Lutheran Church, it has long been the practice to set aside the season of Lent as a time for relearning and refocusing on the teachings of the Small Catechism. We learn the Catechism not for the sake of the Catechism itself, but because the Catechism takes the essential teachings of Scripture and packages them in a digestible way. The Catechism isn’t always easy, but it is a good tool for us to learn and confess the Christian faith. We began last year by looking at our Lord’s Ten Commandments. The Commandments are God’s good and holy will. They show us what we should do, and what we fail to do. They show us our need for Christ and, after having received the forgiveness of sins by faith, they teach us how to love our neighbor. This year, our attention turns to the Apostles’ Creed. Today, we confess that God our Father is the maker of all things.

I.

Let’s pause for a moment so we can first answer this question: What’s a creed? Creed is actually taken from the Latin word credo, which means, “I believe.” A creed, essentially, is a statement of one’s beliefs. We all have many creeds. For example, if you believe one college team is better than another college team – that is a creed. In the Christian Church, we also have creeds. We have three of them: The Apostles’, the Nicene, and the Athanasian Creed. The Apostles’ Creed is the oldest, dating to at least the middle 2nd century. The Nicene Creed comes from 325. The Athanasian Creed is named after a man named Athanasius, though it probably wasn’t written by him. It comes from about the fifth century and is a defense and explanation of the faith we confess in the Nicene Creed – particularly as regards the Trinity and the divine and human natures of Jesus. These three together are called the Ecumenical Creeds because, if you are a Christian, you believe these things.

We confess these creeds not for their own sake but because, as with the Catechism, they take the true teachings of Scripture and put them in a digestible format. It takes a lifetime to learn the Scriptures, but one can learn the creeds in a shorter time. They also make it easier to confess the faith. If someone asks us what we believe, we can turn at least to the Apostles’ Creed, which we all probably have memorized. We use the Apostles’ Creed in the Catechism because it is the shortest and because, since ancient history, it was what you learned before you were baptized. Why not learn it before you get confirmed?

II.

The Apostles’ Creed is broken into three articles; one each for the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. This week and next we are looking at the First Article. Let’s speak the First Article together. “I believe in God the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.” Already, with only one sentence, we have set ourselves at odds with the world. In recent years, we’ve begun to notice more and more the division between those who are of God and those who are of the world. This is one area where the division is plainly visible. The world says that there is no maker of heaven and earth, but that all things came into being simply by chance and brute force. Sadly, even many Christians have fallen into this thinking. Or else, they may believe that God created – but not in the way that He Himself says He did in Genesis. In the First Article of the Creed, we mark a line in the sand and confess that God is the maker of heaven and earth.

But why do we confess this and suffer friction for it? We confess that God is the creator of heaven and earth, and that it happened in the way Genesis says, because that’s what Jesus believes. In Matthew 19, some Pharisees came to our Lord in order to test Him. They asked Him whether it was lawful for a man to divorce his wife, as Moses had allowed them. Jesus answered their question by going back to Creation. He said to them, “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” (Matthew 19:4-6, English Standard Version) 

Jesus cites the Creation account, specifically the creation of man and the institution of marriage, as fact. Later in Matthew, Jesus also affirms the Flood account and how He spoke to Moses from the Burning Bush. All these are things the world calls into question, and so do some Christians; but we believe that God created the heavens and the earth because that’s what Jesus believed. It is the plain witness of the Holy Spirit in the rest of Scripture, as well; but time limits us from going further. One can learn these things from Hebrews, Romans, Colossians, 2 Peter, the Psalms, and, of course, John 1.

III.

We are breaking the First Article into two parts, so we’ll finish next week. But, before we end we should actually confess what we believe. We’ve now learned why we should believe that God created the heavens and the earth – in the way that Genesis says; but what do we believe? It’s simple, we believe what we’ve already said, “I believe in God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.” Martin Luther explains this well in the Catechism. So, let’s turn to the meaning of the First Article and read just the first paragraph. “I believe that God has made me and all creatures; that He has given me my body and soul, eyes, ears, and all my members, my reason and all my senses, and still takes care of them.”

We believe that, in six days, God created all that exists, both in heaven and on earth; things both visible and invisible. He created all things out of nothing, simply by speaking. He is God, after all. Not only did He create planets, plants, and animals, but He also created you and me. Of course, He created us by knitting us together in our mothers’ wombs as Scripture says elsewhere. In the beginning, He created man by forming him from the dust of the earth. The Scriptures say that God formed man as a potter would a clay vessel. He breathed into man the breath of life and we became living creatures. 

This belief does mark us as different from the world. Isn’t this what Jesus said though, “If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” (Jn. 15:19) The First Article doesn’t stop with creation, though. We also confess our faith in God using the word father. Just as our earthly fathers care for us throughout our lives, so does our true Father continue to be involved in His good creation. We’ll continue with the First Article next week.

The Lord Works Not as Man Works

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Text: 1 Samuel 16:1-13

The Latin title for today is Quinquagesima and it means, “about fifty days” until Easter. This is the last Sunday before Lent begins. Ash Wednesday is this week; we’ve already sung the Gloria in Excelsis for the last time until we sing it joyfully at the Resurrection of our Lord. The tone of this Sunday is especially brought out in the Gospel reading, particularly in the beginning. In the first portion of the Gospel, Jesus said,

See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished. For He will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging Him, they will kill Him, and on the third day He will rise.

Luke 18:31-33, English Standard Version

The second half of the Gospel is what pulls us into our theme for today. When Jesus drew near to Jericho, His last stop before Jerusalem, He encountered a blind man named Bartimeaus. Bartimeaus heard that it was Jesus passing by and cried out for healing to the Son of David. Jesus stopped and healed him, saying, “Recover your sight; your faith has made you well.” (Lk. 16:42) Each of the last few weeks, we’ve looked at different aspects of the Reformation solas: Grace alone and Scripture alone. Today, we confess that our God does not work the way man does; He chooses us for salvation by His grace through the faith He Himself gives us in Christ. We ponder this from our Old Testament text.

I.

This week we’re in the book of 1 Samuel. The book is named after Samuel, who was a priest, prophet, and the last judge of Israel. The book, as a whole, focuses on the reign of Saul, which went poorly at many points; but there are spots that set us up for 2 Samuel, which focuses on the reign of David. Today is one of those spots. Our text takes place after the Lord rejected King Saul. This means that there would be no kingly line of Saul; none of his children would sit on the throne. Instead, because of his unfaithfulness before the Lord, the throne would pass to someone else. Samuel spoke these words to Saul, “Because you have rejected the Word of the Lord, He has also rejected you from being king.” (1 Samuel 15:23) The throne would pass from Saul to someone else, but whom?

“The Lord said to Samuel, ‘How long will you grieve over Saul, since I have rejected him from being king over Israel? Fill your horn with oil, and go. I will send you to Jesse the Bethlehemite, for I have provided for Myself a king among his sons.’” (1 Sam. 16:1) In the text, the Lord sent Samuel to Bethlehem to anoint the Lord’s chosen king. We know, of course, the True King who comes from Bethlehem – but that’s about 1,000 years after this text. Samuel met Jesse and invited him to sacrifice to the Lord. Jesse, in turn, made seven of his sons go before Samuel. But, one by one, each was rejected by the Lord. God said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” (v. 7) Finally, Samuel asked if Jesse had any more sons. Turns out, he did – the smallest and youngest, who was out shepherding the sheep.

II.

When Jesse had David go before Samuel, the Lord said to him, “Arise, anoint him, for this is he.” (v. 12) David was the one chosen by the Lord to be king over Israel. Samuel anointed him in the midst of his brothers, it says, “and the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day forward.” (v. 13) This brings us to the question of why David. Israel first received a king (Saul) because they wanted to be like all the nations around them. They grew tired of the Lord being their king and of the judges whom God sent. They wanted to be like everyone else, so the Lord allowed them a king like all the other kings, Saul; and it went very badly. Now, the Lord gets His chosen king; and He doesn’t work like man does. Even Samuel had to be told that when he thought Eliab was certainly going to be the one – perhaps because of his height. 

No, David was the one chosen by the Lord – but why? Here’s the clue, “The Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” There was something different about David. He had faith, which itself was given to him by God. Out of His own good will, the Lord revealed Himself to the world through the prophets. David had heard the Word of the Lord through said prophets and, by the work of the Spirit, held onto it in faith. Though he himself was, perhaps, nothing to write home about compared to his brothers, yet by God’s grace he was adopted into the salvation that is in Christ alone. It wasn’t because of anything in David that God chose him as king. God chose David by His grace through the faith He had already created in his heart. God doesn’t work like man does. When man wants a ruler, they look for strength or other outward characteristics; but God looks on the heart. He works by grace through faith. This is, of course, what St. Paul says. “By grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Ephesians 2:8-9)

III.

This is a good thing, too, that God doesn’t work the way man works. From an outward perspective, we don’t amount to too much. Not individually and not as congregations. I mean this from an outward perspective. There will always be other organizations out there that have more members, more money, more visible good works to their name, more organization, better facilities, better leaders. In fact, as far as the world is concerned, we don’t exist – except to those who wish us harm. As individuals, too, we don’t amount to much. None of us are international celebrities as far as I’m aware. None of us are particularly prestigious or decorated in the world’s eyes. In many other organizations, the longer you’re in the group the more you climb the ladder. Many of us have been members of the Church for decades, but every day we go back to the beginning when we die and rise with Christ in our Baptism.

But, you see, God doesn’t work the way the world works or the way man works. He looks on the heart. When He looks at us, He chooses to not to see the evil and sin that lurks in our hearts by nature, but the faith He has planted in there Himself. Our God is such a loving Father that He spared no expense to bring us back into His own good favor, not even His own Son. It is for our sake that, as He said, Jesus went up to Jerusalem to suffer, die and rise. He did this because deep in our hearts, according to our nature, there is not one good thing. There is only sin, evil, and death. But, by His death, Jesus made the payment for our evil sins. Then, by His grace, He sent out to us His Holy Word. He sent the Apostles out to preach and teach in all the world (like we heard last week), and through their writings we have been brought to faith. God the Holy Spirit has worked through the Word, to plant and grow the seed of faith in our hearts. This faith is what saves us.

That’s what Jesus really said to Bartimaeus in Jericho, by the way. English translations of the Bible commonly miss that. Jesus really said, “Recover your sight; your faith has saved you.” God doesn’t work the way man does. He doesn’t forgive, save, or choose based on anything that is in us. He didn’t choose David based on appearances, but because of the faith which He (God) created in David’s heart. Not even having faith is something we can do. It is the work of God the Holy Spirit in us. When we hear these words, that Jesus went to Jerusalem to suffer, die, and rise for us, and believe it, we can take comfort that God has chosen us for salvation in Christ. This is not because of anything in us; it is only by His grace through faith in Christ, who is revealed to us in Scripture alone. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Baptism Saves You

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Texts: Matthew 28:19; 1 Peter 3:21

The Latin title for this Sunday is Sexagesima, and it means “about sixty days.” We are now only about sixty days away from celebrating our Lord’s Resurrection. By His rising from the grave, Jesus defeated death and the devil for us, and His resurrection becomes our own through faith. Last week we spoke about the grace of God, particularly His giving water to the grumbling children of Israel in the wilderness. Though they grumbled and complained against Him, He had mercy and provided for them. So, also, does He look upon us in grace. The Lord will not punish us for our sins eternally but instead, by His own good favor, He put Christ forward to bear the punishment of our sins on the cross. The Gospel readings in the season of Pre-Lent each teach on the solas of the Reformation. Last week was grace alone, next week will be faith alone; this week is Scripture alone.

The Scriptures are the instrument of the Holy Spirit to create and sustain faith. This is brought out especially in the Old Testament and Gospel readings. I want to do something different this week, although it is related. We’ve had the privilege and joy this week to witness a Baptism among us, something which is becoming less frequent in these latter days than when we were younger. We’ve witnessed this washing of water and the Word, by which a little child became God’s own. Let’s take some time today to be reminded about Baptism. Baptism is a precious gift of God, whereby we receive the gift of salvation and new life in Christ.

I.

If you want, you can open to the Small Catechism at the front of our hymnal. It’s not necessary, but you may browse and listen at the same time. We are all Lutherans here and most of us have been fully catechized; that is, we’ve heard all these things before. Still, it’s good to be reminded; especially on days like today. Let all the world fall away around us; we’ll hold on to these things. Let’s start at the beginning, then. What is Baptism? The Catechism says, as we’ve memorized, “Baptism is not just plain water, but it is the water included in God’s command and combined with God’s Word.” (Catechism citations are from http://catechism.cph.org/en/sacrament-of-holy-baptism.html) This is good and true, but it does jump a step or two. What, literally speaking, is Baptism, what does it involve, what action is done?

The word, “baptize,” comes from the Greek New Testament and means, literally, “to apply water.” Take water, put it on something. At one point in the Gospel, the Pharisees took issue with our Lord’s disciples because they (the disciples) ate with unwashed hands. St. Mark tells us that, on the other hand, the Pharisees wouldn’t eat until they’ve washed their hands, their cups, their pots, and even their seats. (Mark  7:4) The word through all of this is baptize. They don’t eat unless they baptize everything, apply water to it. Baptism involves applying water to something: by sprinkling, pouring, dipping, immersing. But there’s more to it, isn’t there? Baptism involves applying water while speaking.

This is what Jesus says, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” (Matthew 28:18-20, English Standard Version) Although Baptism is hinted at in other parts of Scripture, yet we find its beginning in the words of our Lord. Having won for the whole world the forgiveness of sins, He sends out His disciples to apply water – to baptize people of all nations in His name. Christian baptism is not just applying water to people, but applying water by God’s command and in His name saying, “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”

II.

Holy Baptism is a washing of water combined with God’s Word, but what is it for? Why did our Lord Christ give us this washing? In the Catechism we learn that Baptism, “works forgiveness of sins, rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to all who believe this.” This is keeping with what St. Peter taught in his Pentecost sermon. When the people heard his preaching of Christ, how they had crucified and killed the Lord of life, they were convicted deep in their hearts. They asked Peter what they must do. This is what Peter said, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 2:38) When St. Paul was making his defense before those in Jerusalem who sought his life, he recalled how Ananias preached the Gospel to him in Damascus saying, “Rise and be baptized and wash away your sins.” (Acts 22:16)

These passages, and more, teach us what Baptism is for; it’s for the forgiveness of sins. We’ve confessed already today, as we always do, that we are sinners. We have sinned in our thoughts, words, and deeds. We also confess that we aren’t just sinners because of what we’ve done but also because of how we were born. We were born in this sinful condition, as we are descended from the flesh of Adam and Eve. This condition is called original sin, and we all have it. It means that we are born turned away from God. We are born not believing in Him, not loving Him, and not wanting to do His will. Instead, what we all want to do by nature is our own will, and only our own will. Hear what St. Paul has to say about this, “[God] saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.” (Titus 3:5)

God saved us when He sent His Son Jesus to die and rise for our sins. He applies that salvation to us – each and all – through the washing of Holy Baptism. In Holy Baptism, our sins were washed away. Our old evil nature, called the Old Adam, was drowned and died, and we received the gift of the Holy Spirit. In Baptism, the Holy Spirit makes His home in our hearts and does this work in us – He creates faith. In Holy Baptism, we receive the forgiveness of our sins and the gift of faith, which takes hold of that forgiveness. Where there is forgiveness of sins, there the devil no longer holds sway. Baptism rescues from the devil and his handiwork, death. By our Baptism into Christ, we were united to Christ. Just as He rose from the dead by the glory of the Father, so will we at His return.

III.

This brings us back to today. Today, we’ve had the joy of witnessing a Baptism among us. We have seen with our eyes this gracious work of God taking place. Though it seems to the world such a small thing, a sprinkling of water and a few spoken words, yet this is a wonderful work of God. The Lord has taken a little child and made her His child. She has received the forgiveness of her sins. They were washed away, those sins which were inherited from Adam and which she has committed. Through the Word, the Holy Spirit has worked to create faith in her heart and unite her to the body of Christ. According to the Lord’s will, she will grow and be nurtured in the Christian faith and will await with joy our Lord’s glorious return.

Let us not forget, though, that these promises have been given to us. We, too, have been baptized. Most of us were baptized as children, some were saved by God’s grace as adults. In our baptisms, all of our sins were washed away. We received the gift of faith and, by faith, we take hold of these promises. When our sins give us pause, let us remember that we are baptized. When the world rages and tears, let us remember whose children we really are. Let us remember, also, that in our Baptism each day we die and rise with Christ. When we rose from the font, we came up as new creations in Him. We are those in whom the Holy Spirit dwells, so that we might love and serve our neighbors. 

“Baptism,” the Catechism says, “works forgiveness of sins, rescues from death and the devil, and gives eternal salvation to those that believe this.” Such a small thing in the world’s eyes but, by God’s work, a big thing in ours. Let us bless the Lord. Thanks be to God.

I Will Raise Him Up – Velda Haldeman

Text: John 6:35-40

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our savior Jesus Christ. May the resurrection of Jesus and the promise of our own in Him be of special comfort to you, family and friends of our dear Velda gathered here today. Jesus said, “This is the will of My Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:40, English Standard Version). This promise of our Lord serves as our text.

I.

The teaching we hear from the mouth of our Lord comes as part of the discussion the day after the Feeding of the Five Thousand. As our Lord was teaching His disciples near the Sea of Galilee, a large crowd came to Him because they had seen the miracles He was performing. Our Lord had compassion on the crowd, and with only five loaves of bread and two fish, Jesus fed a crowd that would’ve taken 200 days’ salary to feed. This miracle was a sign that Jesus truly is God, and also the abundance of blessings He gives. Some of the crowd did not understand this and came again the next day, seeking to be fed again. Jesus taught them not to long only for food that perishes, but also for the food that endures to eternal life – Jesus Himself. Those who come to Him in faith, Jesus said, “shall not hunger, and whoever believes in Me shall never thirst…and I will raise him up on the last day.” (vv. 35, 40)

With these words, our Lord touches upon a central teaching of the Christian faith: the Resurrection of the Dead. This is what Velda, by the work of the Holy Spirit, believed from her childhood and what we, also, believe. We believe, according to Jesus’ Word, that He will return on the Last Day. As He ascended on the clouds, so will He come; and every eye will see Him. By His glorious power, He will raise the dead out of their graves. St. Paul said that we who have believed in Him will have our mortal bodies changed to be like His immortal body, and we will live forever with Him and all who have gone before us in the Christian faith.

II.

We are reminded today why the Resurrection is necessary; we are gathered because our sister Velda has died. Though it is something that she welcomed, especially since the passing of her husband and our brother in the faith Harry, death is still something bad. Death was not a part of God’s good creation. In six days, God created all that exists in both heaven and on earth, things both visible and invisible. Death was not among those things. Death, rather, was introduced to the world through the temptation of the devil and the sin of our parents Adam and Eve. As we are descended from them according to the flesh, the corruption of sin has passed to us all. St. Paul wrote to the Romans, “Sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.” (5:12) These words are also familiar to us, “The wages of sin is death.” (6:23)

We confess, as Velda freely would as well, that we are sinners. In the words of the Liturgy, we confess that we are sinners in thought, word, and deed, both by what we have done and left undone. For this reason, pending the quick arrival of the Last Day, we, also, will die. This is a just punishment, for with each sin we have disobeyed the Lord God Almighty and have, in fact, hated Him. Though, by His mercy, we may not perish directly because of a sinful act, we will die from the condition of sin. We must not stop with this thought, though. Hear, again, the promise of Christ: “This is the will of Him who sent Me, that I should lose nothing of all that He has given Me, but raise it up on the Last Day…everyone who looks on the Son and believes in Him [has] eternal life, and I will raise him up on the Last Day.” (vv. 39-40) These words are true, and they are true of Velda.

III.

Rather than leave His creation to die in sin eternally, our Lord Jesus entered into His fallen creation. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He grew and lived just as we all have, yet without sin. He fully obeyed the will of God the Father and, for our sake, bore our sins on the cross. Jesus bore the weight of all human sin – yours, mine, and Velda’s – and made payment for it in His death. By His resurrection, He restored eternal life to all who trust Him, including Velda. It was into this faith that she was baptized on May 24th, 1925. Through that sacred washing, Velda was united to Christ’s resurrection by the gift of faith. She was clothed in His righteousness. Velda publicly confessed the same May 12th, 1940. By God’s grace, Velda was kept in the Christian faith her entire life, thanks in no small part to her faithfully receiving the Lord’s Supper for almost 80 years. In fact, my last conversation with her was in the context of a communion service. Some of the final words I ever heard from her were the Apostles’ Creed and the Lord’s Prayer; she even took the time, with her lost voice, to encourage me in the faith as her pastor. 

The Lord granted many blessings to Velda, including a truly and dearly loved husband. Through Velda, we all have been blessed and, at one time or another, encouraged by her witness. The chief blessing which she received from the Lord, she now enjoys: eternal life in heaven with Christ, with Harry, and all the Christians who have gone before. This same blessing, this same promise, Jesus gives to us. All who believe in Him, He will not cast out, but raise on the Last Day. Today, we give thanks to God – even in our sadness – for all the blessings He bestowed on Velda, and we ask that He would keep us in the same faith, that she and we would be reunited and together raised on the Last Day. In Jesus’ name.

Now Your Servant Can Depart in Peace – Mary Bellis

Text: Luke 2:25-32

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord of Life, Jesus Christ. Amen. May the peace of Christ’s resurrection and the hope of our own in Him be of special comfort to you: Bob and Jean, (Carolyn); and to all of Mary’s family and friends gathered here today. Though we grieve the loss of our beloved Mary, we do not grieve as those who have no hope, as St. Paul says, for we know that Mary has been received into the loving arms of her savior. She is alive now with Him, with Earl, and with all the saints who’ve gone before us, including Simeon, of whom we heard in the Gospel text.

I.

Our text today is from the Gospel of Luke, chapter 2. This passage relates to us the events that took place 40 days after our Lord’s birth. In the Church, we celebrate these events with a holiday called the Purification of Mary and the Presentation of Our Lord. This falls every year on February 2nd, this past Sunday. Under the old covenant of the Law, the Lord God gave various commands concerning childbirth. One was that, 40 days after giving birth, a mother would travel to the Jerusalem temple and offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving for the gift of a child. Another command of God was that every firstborn male was to be dedicated to the Lord. Therefore, trusting in the Lord’s Word and obeying His commands, the holy parents brought our Lord up into the temple.

Now, in the temple there was a man named Simeon. Simeon, as tradition holds, was a well-aged man. And yet, he had received this promise from the Lord, St. Luke relates, “it [was] revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.” (Luke 2:26, English Standard Version) Simeon was a righteous man by faith, and was waiting for the consolation of Israel. What that means, is that Simeon was awaiting the promised Messiah. The Messiah is the one promised by God to come and destroy sin, death, and the devil; to bring forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and peace to those who trust in Him. When the holy parents brought Jesus into the temple, Simeon took the baby up in his arms and sang, “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace…for my eyes have seen Your salvation.” (vv. 29-30) Simeon knew that, in Jesus Christ, the salvation of the world had come. He saw in Christ, with his own eyes, the peace of forgiveness and eternal life and, thus, Simeon knew he could die in peace.

II.

When I was visiting with Bob and Jean the other day, they shared with me a conversation they had with Mary. I won’t try to give the whole of it, because I’d butcher it, but the gist is: when the topic of Mary’s age came up, she was likely to say she felt more 1,096 than the actual 96 she was. When Mary and I had similar conversations, I would remind that she was “only” 96; she would reply, “if you say so.” Certainly, using Mary’s own feelings, she would qualify as well-aged, just like Simeon. And, also, like Simeon, Mary received many blessings from the Lord. She was united by Him in holy matrimony to her beloved Earl on February 12th, 1943. From their union came the blessings of children: Bob and Carolyn. The Lord blessed Mary with grandchildren, and with a long and fulfilling career. The Lord also blessed many others in the community, including ourselves, through Mary. 

The chief blessing which Mary received, though, is what she now enjoys: eternal life with Christ and those who have gone before in the Christian faith. Mary was born May 16th, 1923 and was baptized in Fairbank as a young child. In her baptism, Mary was united to Christ and became a member of His body, the Church. Through the witness and encouragement of a friend, Mary began attending here at St. John’s while still a child and was confirmed in this sanctuary in 1937. She publicly confessed her faith in Christ and her hope in life everlasting. For 83 years, Mary received the body and blood of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of her sins and the strengthening of her faith. Through her baptism, in the Word, and in Christ’s Supper, Mary saw the Lord’s Christ, and in Him, she has departed in peace. She has passed from this earthly life, to eternal life. She awaits with Earl the day of Christ’s coming and the resurrection of the dead.

III.

In the reading from Isaiah, we heard the words of Christ – that He has come to bring good news to the poor, to bind up the brokenhearted, and to lift out of sadness those who mourn. We confess today, that these words describe us. We are poor before God because of our many sins. We are brokenhearted at the loss of our sister, and we mourn her passing. Yet, it is for these reasons that Christ came. These reasons are why He was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary. These are the reasons why He was brought into the temple while still a child. Jesus came to fulfill the will of God for us and to die on our behalf. He was “pierced for our transgressions; He was crushed for our iniquities,” St. Isaiah says. (53:5) Jesus did not just die for us; He also rose for us. This is why Simeon sang he could depart in peace, and why Mary could as well. They both saw Christ and knew He died and rose for them.

Simeon and Mary both saw Jesus and departed in peace. Simeon held Him Him in the temple; Mary saw the Lord through His Word and Sacraments. The same peace which Christ became for them, He is for you and me. It was not just for the world, and not just for them that He died and rose, but for you and me, too. The forgiveness and eternal life which He secured for Simeon and Mary, He won for you. He sets no condition on it, but gives it freely to those who trust in Him. Those who believe in Him, will live, even though they die. Such is true for Mary. We give thanks to God for the blessings bestowed on Mary, for the blessings we received through her. We know that, though she has departed from this life, she departed in peace and is alive with Christ. 

The Shining Face

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Text: Exodus 34:29-35

Today we celebrate the Feast of our Lord’s Transfiguration. Transfiguration, which means “changing,” is the word we use to describe how our Lord’s appearance changed to shine like the sun. In the presence of Peter, James, and John, our Lord spoke with Moses and Elijah concerning His own death and resurrection for our salvation. A bright cloud also overshadowed the group, and God the Father Himself told us that Jesus is His Son and the one to whom we should listen. We should also note that today, February 2nd, is also the 40th day after Christmas. This is the day our Lord’s parents brought Him up to the temple to be dedicated, when St. Simeon sung the words of the Nunc Dimittis. 

The change in our Lord’s appearance at the Transfiguration was for our benefit, that we might see just a bit of the glory to be revealed to us at the Resurrection and in the new creation. The shining face of Jesus also reminds us that He is the one who speaks God’s Word to us. This is why Moses’ face also shone in our Old Testament text. As Moses’ face shone, demonstrating that he spoke for God, so did Jesus’.

I.

We were last in the book of Exodus about two weeks ago. We heard then from chapter 33, and what we heard happened right after the incident with the golden calf. While Moses was up on Mt. Sinai speaking with God, his brother Aaron fashioned for the people an idol made of gold, which they then worshiped. As punishment, the Lord told Moses that he and the people must leave the mountain and head toward the Promised Land. Whereas before, the Lord’s presence went with them directly, now they would be led by an angel – lest the anger of the Lord consume them. Moses pleaded with the Lord on behalf of the people, that He should have mercy on them and remember His promise to be with them. The Lord did have mercy and, as a sign of His presence, would make Himself pass before Moses and be seen by him. That does happen in Exodus 34.

After the calf incident, Moses went back up the mountain. The original copy of the Ten Commandments God made Himself, but now Moses had to cut the rock and engrave it on his own. The Lord made His glory pass before Moses and proclaimed His Name before him. Moses and the Lord spoke on Mt. Sinai, again, for 40 days. Then, our text begins, 

When Moses came down from Mount Sinai, with the two tablets of the testimony in his hand as he came down from the mountain, Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God. Aaron and all the people of Israel saw Moses, and behold, the skin of his face shone, and they were afraid to come near him. But Moses called to them, and Aaron and all the leaders of the congregation returned to him, and Moses talked with them.

Exodus 34:29-31, English Standard Version.

Apparently, Moses’ face did shine for a while. He would speak with God and then bring His Word to the people. When he finished speaking, Moses would put a veil over his face until he spoke with God again.

II.

So, Moses had a shining face; this we have heard. Now, let’s ask the Lutheran question: What does this mean? The Holy Spirit answers that question for us right in the text. He tells both why Moses’ face shone and what it means. Verse 29, “Moses did not know that the skin of his face shone because he had been talking with God.” Moses’ face also shone when he spoke God’s Word to the people. Moses’ face was made to shine from the glory of God’s presence and the wonders of His Word. His face shone as a sign to the people that, when Moses came to speak to them, it was not his word but God’s. In some ways this was necessary because even Moses’ own siblings, Aaron and Miriam, played the role of false prophets at some points and tried to lead the people in a different direction. Their faces didn’t shine, though. Moses’ face shined because he had been speaking with God and was the one to speak His Word to the people.

There are a couple other spots in the Bible where someone’s face shines. You might remember St. Stephen from the book of Acts. He, as you know, was the first Christian martyr in the New Testament (if we count The Baptist as part of the Old Testament). Stephen was an eloquent and wise preacher of Christ. Some enemies of our Lord dragged him before the Jewish council, where he, unafraid, offered a beautiful sermon demonstrating that God keeps His promises; and he called the people to repent. Unfortunately, the people did not listen to Stephen but, instead, stoned him. St. Paul, before he was a Christian, held the coats of the people doing the stoning. St. Luke tells us, though, that the people who sat in the council and heard St. Stephen saw that, “his face was like the face of an angel;” that is, shining. (Acts 6:15) Stephen’s face shone because he was speaking God’s Word to the people. Somebody else’s face shines in the Bible, too. It’s what we celebrate today. At the Transfiguration, Jesus’ face shined like the sun.

III.

Let’s carry the same thought. The Holy Spirit tells us that Moses’ face shined because he had been speaking with God. Moses was God’s representative, bringing His Word to the people. Jesus’ face shined for the same reason. The Father Himself said, as we heard in the Gospel, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.” (Mt. 17:5) Jesus’ appearance changed so that we might receive a glimpse of His eternal glory, and so that we might recognize that He brings us the true Word from the Father. Now, when the Father says that we should listen to Jesus, that is a reference to something that Jesus has said. Just before the Transfiguration, St. Matthew wrote that, “Jesus began to show His disciples that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.” (Mt. 16:21) Just after the Transfiguration, Jesus said, “The Son of Man is about to be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and they will kill Him, and He will be raised on the third day.” (17:22-23)

Moses’ face shone because He spoke God’s Word to the people. Jesus’ face shone because He was speaking the Word to us. More specifically, it is God’s Word to us that Jesus is our Passover lamb. He is the one upon whom our sins have been laid. Though we were dead in our sins, God the Father turned toward us a loving heart. He sent His Son into the flesh to die and rise for us. St. Simeon knew this, it’s why he took the baby Jesus into his arms and sang. He knew that, in Christ, God’s salvation has come and we can be at peace. Let this be our confidence, then. The Transfiguration marks the beginning of our Lord’s walk to the cross on Good Friday. The change in Moses’ appearance benefited God’s people by showing them Moses was His true representative. Our Lord’s appearance changed so that we might be assured that He truly speaks God’s Word to us, particularly that we, by His death and resurrection, have the free and full forgiveness of our sins. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Servants in Sound Doctrine

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Text: Titus 1:1-9

Today we celebrate the Feast of St. Titus. A feast day is a day set aside by the Church to remember and give thanks to God for a particular blessing. Most often, feast days are celebrated on events in our Lord’s life; for example: His conception, His birth, His Baptism, the Transfiguration, His Resurrection and Ascension. In Christian freedom, we also celebrate the blessings of God we have received through certain people. In Lutheranism, and specifically in the LCMS, we limit these celebrations to those directly connected to Christ and who were mentioned in the Bible. We do not celebrate these days for the benefit of those who have passed before us, nor because we are required to do so. We celebrate them so that we might learn from and be encouraged by the faith and life of those who’ve gone ahead of us and, perhaps, follow their example. It says in Hebrews, “Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the Word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.” (Hebrews 13:7, English Standard Version)

Today, January 26th, is the day that the Church considers St. Titus. In the history of the Church, there have been other days set aside for this purpose. In the 60s, however, when the Roman Catholic made some changes, this change was among them: the date of St. Titus was moved to today, so that one could celebrate St. Timothy on January 24th, the conversion of St. Paul on the 25th, then today. You can find this in the front of our hymnal. Now, since we are talking about St. Titus, we should answer the question: Who is he? If you look in the front of the hymnal, you’ll find him listed as “Pastor and Confessor.” (pg. xi, Lutheran Service Book). A confessor is one who physically suffers for the faith, yet does not die. This is why we are in white today, while the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul in June is red.

A.

Our text today is from the Epistle of Titus. He was the one who received the letter and not the one who wrote it. That would be St. Paul. Paul wrote to him, “To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior. This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you.” (Titus 1:4-5) From this we can learn a few things about Titus. Firstly, he was acquainted with St. Paul and, in fact, near to him; St. Paul called him his “true child in a common faith.” We also learn why this letter was written, as instruction and encouragement for Titus as he carried out his work of putting things in order and training pastors on the island of Crete. Titus, as both Scripture and tradition indicate, was the first bishop of Crete. However, he didn’t start that way.

Titus was born a Gentile unbeliever. We don’t exactly know where, but perhaps in Corinth or Antioch, he came into contact with St. Paul. He heard the Gospel preached by Paul and was brought to the Christian faith through the Holy Spirit. He became a traveling companion of St. Paul. They went to Jerusalem in Acts 15, where it was recognized from Scripture that the Gentiles were, indeed, heirs of the same eternal life in Christ as those who had come out of the Jewish faith. Later, Titus became St. Paul’s representative to the Corinthians. The Corinthian congregation had many areas in which they were unfaithful to God’s Word. St. Paul wrote them a severe letter, which remains lost to us. Paul feared that they would not receive his preaching of the Law well and sent Titus to them. Titus wrote back to Paul that they did receive the letter well, repented of their sins, and expected to receive Paul again lovingly. It is because of this that the Church remembers Titus for his churchmanship, his compassion, and his steadfastness in the Gospel.

This is also why St. Paul left him in Crete. The island of Crete was a difficult one; the culture was especially hostile to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Yet, where the Word is preached, there the Holy Spirit creates faith. And He did, though it was initially a small flock. And, no sooner than the true Gospel spread did false teachers also come. Titus’ job in short: raise up men in every town to serve as pastors. In Scripture, the words “elder” and “overseer” are interchangeable, and both describe what we know as the pastoral office. This was the end goal of Titus’ work, that these men, “hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that [they] may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it.” (v. 9) We confess, we know little about St. Titus outside of the epistles of Paul and the book of Acts. Early Church tradition is that Titus remained in Crete for his entire ministry, dying there as an old man in about 96 A.D. He was placed into a hotbed of paganism and unbelief, but he did not waver. The Lord worked through him and the Word spread, even unto us.

B.

Titus’ job was to train and equip men for service to the Church, men who were able to both teach pure doctrine and protect their flocks from false doctrine. This same work is necessary today. None of us came into this world as Christians. We confess with King David in Psalm 51 that we were both conceived and born in sin. That sin was washed away through Holy Baptism, where we each received the forgiveness of our sins through the gift of faith. Throughout our lives we’ve learned and grown in our knowledge of God’s Word, most often not from our own efforts, but through the teaching and prayers of our pastors, our Sunday school teachers, and others who assisted the pastor in teaching us the faith. So that the spread of the Gospel might continue and increase, the Lord continues to call men to serve us, His Church.

Who should be considered for the pastoral office? St. Paul writes he should be considered who is, “above reproach, the husband of one wife,” and who, if so blessed by God, has children faithful to Christ. (v. 6) The pastor, St. Paul says, “as God’s steward…must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.” (vv. 7-8) This is a formidable list, and humbling one for one who serves as pastor, as pastors too are sinful men. We would do well to recognize, though, that these things are fruits of the Spirit, which He works in us through our Baptism into Christ. The Holy Spirit works clean hearts in us continually to love what is good and be self-controlled, to live an upright, holy, and disciplined life in Christ. For this reason, all Christian men should at least consider whether the Lord is calling them to serve, and we as a congregation should encourage the same among our young men.

C.

I said way back at the beginning of this sermon that we celebrate feast days not because we have to, but we get to, and because we can learn something from those who’ve gone before us. What is something we can take away today? Look at the middle of verse 2. St. Paul praises God, who ”never lies.” In particular, God cannot lie about the salvation He has provided for us in Christ. God the Father set forth His own Son as the payment for our sin and freely – completely – forgives our sins and gives us eternal life through Jesus. Though the whole world falls apart, and though it will be burned up and dissolved as Peter says, this thing remains eternally: the salvation we have in Christ. This is what caused St. Paul to speak and labor. It is why St. Titus worked tirelessly to raise up and train pastors – so that more and more and more would hear the Gospel of Christ and receive the free forgiveness that we have in Him.

This work isn’t limited to pastors, mind you, but it also happens in each of our lives according to our vocations. Some of us are parents, some grandparents, some a step beyond that. We are workers, we are retirees; we are students. It is the Lord who places us where we are, and it is He who works through us to share His love in both word and deed. I happen to serve as pastor, and I pray that the Lord would continue to raise up ever more pastors. Let us all, though, hear St. Paul’s encouragement to Titus, that we also hold fast to the Word we’ve been taught and cling wholeheartedly to the God who does not lie. May the Lord work through each of us according to our vocation, that we – like Titus – would teach the Word truthfully and live faithfully. Amen.

The Lord Manifests His Glory

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Text: Exodus 33:12-23

Today in the Gospel reading we heard about the first miracle of Jesus. At a wedding in Cana, Jesus changed water into wine. As a sign of His good will and His support for marriage, Jesus made it so that the celebration need not stop. In fact, the master of the feast commented that the best wine had been saved until then. The Holy Spirit tells us through St. John why this particular account is included in the Gospel. He says, “This, the first of His signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested His glory. And His disciples believed in Him.” (John 2:11, English Standard Version) In St. John’s Gospel, the miracles are called “signs,” because they point to the truth about who Jesus is and are, in themselves, little manifestations of His glory.

The manifestation of the Lord’s glory is what we celebrate in the Epiphany Season. The Lord manifested (He showed) His glory to the Gentiles by way of His star and Word. The glory of the Triune God was both seen and heard when Jesus was baptized; the Holy Spirit descended from heaven and the Father Himself spoke. Today, Jesus manifested His glory and gave us a picture of the wedding feast in heaven, where there will be no end to the celebration. In the Old Testament reading, which serves as our sermon text, when Moses was filled with doubt, the Lord made His glory be seen by him to comfort and strengthen him. Today we confess that, as the Lord manifested His glory before Moses, so is God’s glory shown to us in Christ.

I.

Now remember, one of the most important rules for interpreting and understanding a Scripture passage is to look at it in context. If something in Scripture is difficult to follow, the surrounding passages often shed some light. Let’s put our Old Testament reading in context. 1446 B.C. is about when God led the children of Israel up out of slavery in Egypt. He led them through the Red Sea on dry ground and then through the wilderness for about three months, until they came to the base of Mt. Sinai. He led them with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. It was there, at Mt. Sinai, that God revealed through Moses the Ten Commandments. As Moses was delayed coming down from the mountain – God and he were speaking for 40 days – Aaron built for the people a golden calf, which they then worshiped as the true god who led them out of Egypt. These are the things that happened in the chapter before today’s reading. This is what God said to Moses just before the start of our text, “Depart; go up from here, you and the people whom you have brought up out of the land of Egypt, to the land of which I swore to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob…I will send an angel before you…but I will not go up among you, lest I consume you on the way, for you are a stiff-necked people.” (Ex. 33:1-3)

Essentially, the Lord was telling Moses that they had to leave His mountain and head toward the Promised Land and, though He would lead them with an angel, God Himself would no longer travel with His people – lest He punish them for their sinfulness. Of course, hearing this, Moses and the people were greatly saddened. This is where Moses is coming from when he said, in verse 15, “If Your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. For how shall it be known that I have found favor in Your sight, I and Your people? Is it not in Your going with us…?” (33:15-16) Up to this point, the Lord had been with His people. He called them and set them apart from all the nations of the earth. The nation of Israel alone among all the nations had their God actually show Himself to them – for He is the only one that exists. But, now, because of their sinfulness, God was taking that away. Moses, for his part and on behalf of the people, received this preaching of the Law and repented. 

The Lord then had mercy on Moses. He said, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in My sight, and I know you by name.” (v. 17) In order to comfort Moses and strengthen his (and Israel’s) faith, the Lord would cause His glory to be seen. The Lord told Moses stand on a rock. Then, as He drew near, He would put Moses in a cleft of the rock and cover him with His hand. When the Lord had passed by Moses, He would remove His hand and Moses would see His back. Moses would see the Lord’s back because, as He said, “man shall not see Me and live.” (v. 20) What the Lord told Moses He would do did happen in chapter 34. In order to comfort Moses and strengthen his faith, the Lord manifested His glory before him.

II.

When we put the text in context, we can see the reason behind Moses’ desire to see the Lord’s glory. He and the people now had to come down from the mountain and wander through the wilderness to a place which they had never known nor seen. What’s more, as a discipline, the Lord would lead them by an angel and no longer by His direct presence. It must’ve felt like the rug was pulled out from under them. Maybe God was no longer with them, maybe they were on their own. But, if they could just get a glimpse of His glory, all would be okay. If they could just have some indication that God is with them, they could draw strength and have a good conscience before Him. I dare say, when we consider the reading like this, we at times feel very similar things to Moses and the people. We also wander through the wilderness of life. We live in a different time and place, but it’s a wilderness the same. Sometimes in our wandering, even as Christians, we feel like a ship out on the ocean with no rudder. But, just as the Lord comforted and forgave Moses by manifesting His glory to him, so He has done the same for us.

God has made His glory known to us in the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the eternally-begotten Son of the Father, who was appointed and sent to take on flesh for us. In Christ, we see the glory of the eternal God, for in Him the fullness of deity dwells bodily, as St. Paul says. In Christ, the fullness of God’s glory is made manifest for the forgiveness of sins. He came and dwelt among us not in judgement, but in grace. He came to take our sins upon Himself and to make payment for them in His death. By His resurrection, He opened the gates of the Promised Land and He brings us into this eternal kingdom by faith. Not only has He done this great and glorious thing, but He – even now – continues to make His glory shown to us. We see the glory of Christ in His Means of Grace.

In the Word, Christ makes Himself known to us. He reveals to us His saving acts throughout history and brings us into them by the Holy Spirit. In Baptism, though we see only a simple action with our eyes, yet the glory of Christ is manifest in it. It isn’t the pastor’s hands who Baptize, but they are truly Christ’s hands that wash us with pure water and unite to Himself. In Holy Absolution, it isn’t the forgiveness of the pastor we receive, but the glory of Christ’s forgiveness. In the Sacrament of the Altar, though with our eyes we see only bread and wine, yet with the eyes of faith we perceive that it is the true body and blood of Christ given to us for the forgiveness of our sins and the strengthening of our faith.

Moses feared that he and the people were being sent out into the wilderness to drift and that, without the Lord’s presence among them in the same way as before, they would be overrun. To strengthen and comfort him, the Lord made His glory known to Moses. He has also manifested His glory to us in the Incarnation of Jesus Christ. As with Moses, He doesn’t send us out adrift; He continues to reveal His glory to us and be with us in His Holy Word and Sacrament. When we seek Christ and the assurance of His presence and goodness, let us ever learn to find Him here and, having been refreshed by His presence, go forth in peace and joy. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

The One For Us

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Text: Isaiah 42:1-7

The “chosen one” is a common idea in popular media. Whether it’s in movies, books, television shows, operas, whatever, the idea of a chosen one is probably familiar to us. It’s hard to give an example that everyone’s going to know, so you’ll have to supply your own if these make no sense. Star Wars is in the theaters now. In the original trilogy, Luke Skywalker was the one chosen to bring balance to the Force. When I was in high school, Lord of the Rings was popular. The hobbit Frodo Baggins was chosen to throw the One Ring into the fires of Mount Doom. Last one: the young boy Charlie was chosen to take over for Willy Wonka upon his retirement from the candy business. Whether representing only himself or all people, the function of the chosen one is to do what no one else can. We can see something like this in our readings today.

At the beginning of His ministry, our Lord was baptized by John in the Jordan River. John’s job, as we’ve spoken about before, was to prepare the way of the Lord. He was to preach and teach ahead of Jesus, and to baptize, so that what we heard happen in the Gospel reading today might be revealed to us. When Jesus came up from the water, God the Father Himself spoke from heaven that Jesus is His beloved Son, in whom He is well pleased. This event is a fulfillment of our Old Testament text. At His Baptism, God the Father proclaimed that Jesus is the chosen one for us. 

I.

I mentioned last week in the sermon that Epiphany is one of the oldest Church holidays. Originally, it celebrated both Jesus’ birth and His Baptism. Sometimes, other items were talked about on the same day, too, such as the changing of water into wine and the Transfiguration. What’s happened over time is that we’ve spaced these things out so that, now, we can give thought to each of these things in place every year. Today is Jesus’ Baptism, next week the changing of water into wine, next month the Transfiguration. So, let’s talk about the Baptism of our Lord. St. Matthew records for us, by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the facts of the matter. The Gospel says,

Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented Him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?’ But Jesus answered him, ‘Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then he consented.

Matthew 3:13-15, English Standard Version

John the Baptist, the prophet greater than all the rest, would have kept Jesus from being baptized. After all, if Baptism is for the forgiveness of sins, why would He who is without sin need to be baptized? Yet, upon Jesus’ Word, John agreed. Then, as soon as Jesus came up from the water, the heavens were opened. The Holy Spirit descended in the form of a dove and rested upon Jesus. “And behold,” St. Matthew writes, “a voice from heaven said, ‘This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.’” (v. 17) Here we see all three members of the Trinity. As they were united in purpose at the creation of the world, so now. As the Father spoke then, so now. But, why?

II.

When we heard these texts last year, we looked at what it meant for Jesus to be baptized. It meant that He was becoming united with us in our sin and death, so that we might be united with Him – through our Baptism – in life. Today I want us to ponder the Father’s words: “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” This should make us think of the Lord’s words in the reading from Isaiah 42. This is how our Old Testament reading started, “Behold My servant, whom I uphold, My chosen, in whom My soul delights; I have put My Spirit upon Him.” (Is. 42:1) They sound familiar because one is the fulfillment of the other. The Isaiah text is the promise, the Baptism of Jesus (and His ministry after) is the fulfillment. Some 700 years before Jesus’ conception and birth, God promised to send a “chosen one.” This chosen one would be anointed with the Spirit of God to bring His Word to the nations. 

Not only would He bring God’s Word to the nations, but, the Lord said through Isaiah (in words addressed to Jesus), “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.” (v. 6) The chosen one of God would be a sign of His good will toward mankind, His desire to love and forgive. This chosen one would open the eyes of the blind and bring the prisoners out of the dark dungeons. At Jesus’ Baptism, God the Father speaks and shows us that His chosen one is Jesus. Jesus is the promised offspring of Abraham, the son from David’s own body. He was given as a sign of God’s grace and favor, to be His chosen one for us.

III.

What good news this is! You see, apart from Christ we were (and are) eternally lost. We were given to all kinds of sin and evil; we were blind to all the goodness of the Lord. God revealed to us on Sinai what is good and right, He even wrote it on our hearts. These things, however, we did not desire to do by nature. Left to our own devices, we fully merited God’s wrath and were subject to the eternal condemnation of hell – which is the darkest of all dungeons. But, God had mercy so that we might be saved eternally. He promised to send a chosen one who would save us from the Fall, open our eyes and lead us out of prison. This is what Jesus has done for us. He was born for us and lived for us. He perfectly kept God’s Law in our place and, for our benefit, bore the punishment of our sins Himself on the cross. By His resurrection, He broke the bars of death; He leads us out of the dungeon by faith.

By faith in Jesus we receive all His benefits. By our Baptism into Him, we are united with Him. Jesus is God’s chosen one to redeem us from sin. By our Baptism, we become God’s chosen in Christ. In Confirmation class this last week, we started the Lord’s Prayer. We learned that, with the words “Our Father,” God calls us His own children so that we might have boldness and confidence before Him. This is not because of anything in us; we only call ourselves His children by His grace and love toward us in Christ. We see this, this week in our Lord’s Baptism. God the Father put forth His own Son as the chosen one for us so that, by His life and death, we might be redeemed and led out from the dark dungeon of death. Thanks be to God. Amen.

How Men are Made Wise

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Text: Matthew 2:1-12

“We did not follow cleverly devised myths,” go the familiar words of St. Peter, “when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of His majesty…for we were with Him on the holy mountain. And we have something more sure, the prophetic Word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place.” (2 Peter 1:16, 18-19; English Standard Version) With these words (which we’ll hear again next month), St. Peter reminded his hearers to hold fast to the sacred Scriptures, which are the very Words of God. They alone are able to make us wise for salvation, as St. Paul would say, for they are the instrument by which the Holy Spirit works. Through the Word, the Holy Spirit reveals Christ to us. Through the Word, He creates and strengthens faith.

We see this, this week in the visit of the Magi to the child Jesus. Though the star went before them, it was actually the Word that revealed and pointed out Christ to them. The star led them to the Word. It only moved to exactly where Jesus was after they heard from the prophet. By the Word, these men were made wise. As the Magi were led by God’s Word to Christ, so also are we led by the Word to worship our newborn king. But, first, the history.

I.

The Church holiday we celebrate today is Epiphany. Epiphany comes from a Greek word that means “appearance,” or maybe “manifestation.” Epiphany, which falls every year on January 6th, is one of the earliest Church holidays and originally celebrated both Christ’s birth and His baptism. In the Western Church, of which Lutheranism is a part, Epiphany celebrates the visit of the Magi to Jesus about 2 years after His birth. We’ll celebrate Jesus’ Baptism next week; today we’ll focus on the visit of the Magi. You’ll notice that I keep saying the word Magi and not wisemen. That’s because in the Greek, the visitors to Jesus are called Magi, which is where we get the word magician from. The visitors to Jesus in Matthew 2 were not kings, they were court officials who were likely well-versed in science and witchcraft. Seems like unusual candidates to come worship Jesus but, then again, so are we; maybe that’s the point.

In any case, our text takes place about 2 years after our Lord’s birth, during the reign of Herod the Great. It happened that some Magi from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw His star when it rose and came to worship Him.” (Matt. 2:2) By God’s gracious activity, a star was made to appear to these Magi. They followed it and came to Jerusalem. After all, wouldn’t the newborn king of the Jews be born in a palace in the capital of the Jews, Jerusalem? They did not yet know whom they were truly seeking; but neither did King Herod. By this point, Herod had ruled for a long time. He himself was not an Israelite, but an Edomite – a descendant of Esau. Edom and Israel were enemies, and that made Herod paranoid. He ruled with an iron fist and would not abide challengers to his throne. Which is why he was troubled. Suffice it to say, when the Magi got to Jerusalem, they did not find the king they were looking for. They had not yet been made wise.

II.

Herod called together the chief priests and scribes of the people, and they consulted the Scriptures to see where the Christ was to be born. They found these words: “And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd My people Israel.” (v. 6) Having heard these words, and after receiving instructions under false pretenses from Herod, the Magi – now wise – left for Bethlehem. St. Matthew records for us, “And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was.” (v. 9) You see, the star led them to the Word of God. Only after they heard from Scripture that Jesus was in Bethlehem did it lead them to the exact house in Bethlehem where He was.

As smart as these men were, and as well-versed in various topics as they may have been, they were not yet wise. Two Sundays ago we spoke Psalm 111 together. Part of it went, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding.” (111:10) The fear of the Lord, the knowledge of Him and of His ways, how He feels toward us, is worked only through the external Word. Because of the Fall into Sin and the corruption that ensued, mankind is unable by nature to know or love God. We are unable to know or love God by nature; we must be led to Him. The Magi show us this. They went to Jerusalem seeking an earthly king in a palace. The Scriptures revealed to them that the true king was in Bethlehem. Filled with this good news and seeing the star, the Holy Spirit tells us, “They rejoiced exceedingly with great joy…they fell down and worshipped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered Him gifts, gold, frankincense and myrrh.” (vv. 10-11)

III.

I read from St. Peter, at the beginning of the sermon, these words: “We have something more sure, the prophetic Word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place.” The Scriptures were the lamp to the Magi’s feet, it’s what made them wise men – if we can call them that. The star brought them to Jerusalem, but the Word first showed them Jesus. The Word is what points us to Jesus, too. We, also, were born subject to the Fall. We were born dead in sin, lost in trespasses, blind to all of God’s goodness. What’s worse, we didn’t even know it. But God, in loving kindness, sent forth His Son into the world. He was conceived and born for us, so that He might also die and rise for us. Christ, by His Holy Spirit, sent His Word out into the world so that we might hear all this. He caused the prophets and apostles to preach and write; He gave them the words. He has caused the Word to spread to us, that we also might be wise.

When we were yet unborn and our mothers attend Divine Service, where the Word was read and preached, the Spirit was at work. Then, when by God’s grace we were baptized, the Holy Spirit worked again through the washing of renewal and rebirth of the water and the Word to create faith in our hearts. Throughout our lives, and even now in this hour, the Holy Spirit is at work: reminding us of all the Lord has done for us, strengthening our faith in the forgiveness we have in Him, making us bold witnesses to the same. In short, the same way the Magi became wise men, so have we. Though by nature we knew nothing about God or His love, He has made us wise unto salvation through the Word we’ve heard, read, sung, and received.

This is why we celebrate Epiphany. The Epiphany means that the Savior of God is revealed to the world. He was revealed to the Magi through the Word and the leading of the star; He is revealed to us through the same Word. Since we are also made wise, let us also offer Christ our gifts of thanksgiving and praise.