Sermon for the Baptism of Our Lord

LISTEN

Jesu Juva

“Come Hell or High Water . . .”

Text: Isaiah 43:1-7; Romans 6:1-11; Luke 3:15-22; Psalm 29:11

 

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

It is impossible to turn on the TV or go on the computer without hearing of the wildfires in California and seeing the sad and devastating pictures. People who hadn’t even put away their Christmas decorations now have no decorations to put away. There are gifts that never got to be used, and maybe some still in their packages that will now never be opened. Men and women who have just returned to work now have no home to return to anymore, and children who didn’t want to go back to school have now no school to go back to. And it’s not over yet. The winds are still feeding the flames that are still raging and consuming.

It’s sad and it’s shocking, but the truth is, we’ve seen this before. Many times actually. And not all that long ago. It was just a few months back that hurricanes and floods wiped out islands and communities in Florida and North Carolina. Tornados do the same thing in Tornado Alley, taking out everything in their path. Earthquakes reduce cities to rubble, tsunamis wipe out entire islands . . . Maybe this one is different because of its duration, maybe because of its extent, maybe because many think it was preventable - unlike many natural disasters. Perhaps. That judgment is above my pay grade.

But I do know that some people will turn away from God because of this. They will accuse Him of wrong. How could He do this? How could He allow this? Why didn’t He stop it? Others will point an accusing finger at the victims - that this is God’s payback for their sins. Well, no. People tried that at the time of Jesus, too, when Pilate slaughtered some worshipers and when the Tower of Siloam fell on some Jews - but Jesus squashed that argument pretty quickly (Luke 13:1-5). 

Truth is, we don’t know why this happened. Oh, maybe we’ll find out earthly causes and factors. There will be investigations, as there should be. But all the “why” questions directed towards God . . . God doesn’t tell us the answers to all those questions. And He doesn’t have to. Which is frustrating, maybe. Wouldn’t you like to file a Freedom of Information Act request with the divine council and get the answers we want! But maybe it’s good that we don’t get to do that. Maybe there are some things we are better off not knowing. For instance, there are things our government knows that we don’t, things that are happening all over the world, that maybe if we knew would keep us up at night!

But instead of turning away from God at such a time as this, let us turn toward Him, and hear what He does have to say, like the words we heard today from the prophet Isaiah:

Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.
When you pass through the waters, I will be with you;
and through the rivers, they shall not overwhelm you;
when you walk through fire you shall not be burned,
and the flame shall not consume you.
For I am the Lord your God,
the Holy One of Israel, your Savior.

And maybe our first reaction to hearing those words in our ears while seeing what we are seeing with our eyes is really? ‘Cause it sure doesn’t seem like it! Like You, God, are with us through the wind and water, the fire and flame. It feels like You couldn’t be farther away . . .

Isaiah wrote those words to the people of Israel whose nation, cities, and homes had been plundered, trampled, and reduced to rubble by the Babylonians, and some of them taken into slavery. And we know why God did that, at that time. Because He told us. It was because of the idolatry, unfaithfulness, and wickedness of His people. 

But with these words, God makes them promises. He hasn’t utterly abandoned them. Instead, He says, through all this, as bad as it may get, I will be with you. Because I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. That’s who He is, and who He will be. No. Matter. What. No matter what disaster or tragedy strikes on a state scale, a national scale, an earthly scale, or to you personally, in your life. That’s who He is, and who He will be. 

And notice what He doesn’t say: that the wind and water, the fire and flame would not destroy or consume our homes or property - they very well might. But they will not consume YOU. Our life and hope are not in the things of this world - or shouldn’t be. Our life and hope are with God our Saviour. Our home, too. And even when not just Los Angeles or California, but this entire world is destroyed, that will still be true. WE will not be destroyed. Because we belong to the one who redeemed us, who called us by His name, who died for us and rose for us, and promised us a home and life beyond the reach of all sin, evil, and even death. A home and life that nothing can take away.

And that gift is given you in Baptism. That’s when you passed through the waters, dying and rising with Christ, as Paul said today in the reading from Romans. That water that did not consume you, but saved you and gave you a new and eternal life. And John today spoke of being baptized not just with water, but with the Holy Spirit and fire. Cleansing fire, that. And he speaks of the unquenchable fire that Jesus will bring - which seems like the images we’ve been seeing, doesn’t it? But it’s not. It’ll be worse. When on the Last Day, the chaff will be burned up. All who are not in Christ. 

But even now, perhaps there is chaff in our lives that needs to be consumed . . . Everything we think will last, everything we’ve built for ourselves in this world, everything in this world we rely on and turn to for meaning, security, and life. Things that do not last and cannot give us what we need. The people in California are not worse sinners than us, but what we are seeing should remind us of how fragile this world and our life is. To hold onto the things of this world a little more loosely, and hold onto Christ and His Word a lot more tightly. For everything HE builds will last. And that what matters is not a house on the beach, living in the most desirable neighborhood, or the number of commas in your net worth - it’s being a child of God.

It is the waters of Baptism that protect us from the floods of this world. It is the cleansing fire of the Spirit that protects us from the fires of this world. It is the forgiveness given us here that protects us from the sins that rage in us and in the world. It is the life given us here that will last, not the lives we make for ourselves. And our salvation and confidence is not in rescue workers, fire hydrants that have water, government officials who make good and wise decisions, or having the insurance to rebuild - our salvation and confidence is in the God who is with us. The God whose birth with us we just celebrated. The God who was baptized with us, as one of us. And the God who died on the cross - with us and for us. His I will be with you was no empty - or easy - promise. But one that cost Him everything. 

And so our salvation and confidence is in the one who passed through the waters of baptism with us, and took the fire of God’s wrath against our sin on the cross, and who was consumed! But who then rose from the ashes of death to life again. And that’s why we will rise from the ashes - the ashes of this world, or the ashes of our ruined lives, or ultimately the ashes of death. Rising not like a Phoenix, but as children of God. Children of the God who is with us.

When Isaiah wrote those words, the people of Israel still remembered when they had lost everything while slaves in Egypt, but also how God bought them through the waters - the waters of the Red Sea and then the Jordan - and saved them. They were not consumed. And now, they had lost everything to the Babylonians, but God promised to bring them through this, too - the flames of this persecution and destruction. They would not be consumed. 

And now, the beloved Son of God, with whom the Father is well pleased, makes the same promise to you. No matter what waters or fires are threatening you, what sins are eating you up, what persecution or trouble is weighing heavy upon you . . . you will not be consumed.

Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.

And now He who called you by name in Baptism, now calls you by name to His Supper, where He continues to be with us, His Body and Blood to feed us, forgive us, strengthen us, and save us. And when everything else in this world is destroyed - everything! - it will be His Body and Blood - His very same Body and Blood! - that will call us from the grave and take us home to life. To a heaven that is as open to us as the heavens were opened when Jesus was baptized.

The psalm that is assigned for this day, Psalm 29, we didn’t sing it today, but it concludes with these lines, appropriate also to conclude this sermon with:

May the Lord give strength to his people!
May the Lord bless his people with peace!

May the Lord give us strength - in the face of all that we see, when beset with sin and evil and fear, the strength to repent and the strength to believe. And may He bless us with peace - when the waters come, when the fires come. The peace that comes only by faith and the forgiveness of our sins. The peace of knowing that come hell or high water, 

Fear not, for I have redeemed you;
I have called you by name, you are mine.

In these gray and latter and uncertain days, may the Lord give us such strength, and such peace. In Him. The God who is with us. The Prince of Peace. The King of creation. The Lord of life. Your Father and Saviour.

In the Name of the Father, and of the (+) Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The Congregation at Prayer

For the Week of the Baptism of Our Lord (January 13-18, 2025)

Invocation: In the Name of the Father and of the (+) Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Speak the Apostles’ Creed. 

Verse: Isaiah 62:5 – ”For as a young man marries a young woman, so shall your sons marry you, and as the bridegroom rejoices over the bride, so shall your God rejoice over you.”

Hymn of the Week:  Lutheran Service Book #408 “Come, Join in Cana’s Feast”

Hymns for Sunday: 394, 408, 637, 954, 399, 822

Readings for the Week: [The readings for Thursday-Saturday are the Scriptures for this coming Sunday.]

Monday: Psalm 128

How are husbands and wives and children gifts from God? Do we see them that way? How does this apply to Jesus and the Church?

Tuesday: Amos 9:11-15

What has sin done to our lives? What does God promise to do? How will He do it? For whom?

Wednesday: Ephesians 5:22-33

What marriage should all Christian marriages strive to emulate? Why is this so hard? Why is this good?

Thursday: Isaiah 62:1–5

Why is Isaiah so filled with joy? What great reversal does he foresee? How will that happen? Who else will be filled with joy?!

Friday: 1 Corinthians 12:1–11

“Misinformation” is an oft used word nowadays. What misinformation was Paul combatting? What does the Spirit enable us to confess? Why are He and His gifts given?

Saturday: John 2:1-11

John says this miracle was the first of Jesus’ signs. What’s a sign? What is this a sign of? What was Jesus “hour?” How does this sign point to Jesus’ hour and what He would do then?

The Catechism - The Commandments, the First Commandment: You shall have no other gods. What does this mean? We should fear, love, and trust in God above all things.

Collect for the Week: Almighty and everlasting God, who governs all things in heaven and on earth, mercifully hear the prayers of Your people and grant us Your peace through all our days; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord. Amen

The Prayers:  Please pray for . . .

+ yourself and for all in need (remembering especially those on our prayer list).

+ God’s blessing, wisdom, and guidance for our congregation’s keyboardists and musicians.

+ the Lutheran Church-Hong Kong Synod, for God’s wisdom, blessing, guidance, and provision.

+ God’s blessing, guidance, and provision for the Lutheran Heritage Foundation.

Conclude with the Lord’s Prayer and Luther’s Morning or Evening Prayer from the Catechism.

Now joyfully go about your day (or to bed) in good cheer, child of God!

Collect for the Week © 2018 Concordia Publishing House.

Lutheran Service Book Hymn License: 110019268

Sermon for the Epiphany of Our Lord

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Jesu Juva

“Not Separate, and More than Equal - One”

Text: Ephesians 3:1-12; Matthew 2:1-12; Isaiah 60:1-6

 

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

I don’t know what things were like where you were, but on Friday afternoon the weather changed quite suddenly, dramatically, and unexpectedly at my house. One moment things were calm, and the next a high wind came from out of nowhere and the snow was so heavy it seemed to be coming down in sheets being blown down the street. Almost like a winter derecho blowing through my neighborhood.

Which I think is how the Jewish Christians must have felt when they heard the message of St. Paul that we heard today. And specifically when he said to the Ephesians, that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel. Now we’re used to hearing words like that and teaching like that, so it probably doesn’t have the impact on us now as it did back then. But those words and that teaching was like a derecho blowing through the Jewish Christian community. For to say fellow heirs, same body, partakers of the promise, this was a teaching above and beyond anything they had heard before.

Not that the Jewish Christians didn’t know that Jesus died for all people. They did. But it was more like, to borrow a phrase from our own history, separate but equal. In the Old Testament, Gentiles could become Jews if they wanted, be circumcised and follow the laws of Moses. But they still weren’t descended from Abraham. These Gentile believers could worship at the Temple in Jerusalem, but only so far - only to the Court of the Gentiles. And yes, Jesus had gone among the Samaritans just as He had among the Jews, and at least they were part Jewish . . . but they were still Samaritans. But being of Jewish origin, being descended from Abraham, was still a big deal, still mattered to them. 

So when Paul writes to the Ephesians what he had been preaching in all his missionary journeys, this mystery of Christ that he was making known, he’s saying: Fellas, it’s not separate but equal! The Gentiles (and by that he means anyone not descended from Abraham), the Gentiles are fellow heirs, which means they get the same inheritance that we do. Nothing different; no distinction! And members of the same body, which means not just unity, but oneness; not with different blood but with the same blood flowing through us. And partakers of the promise, that although not descended from Abraham, the promise made to Abraham and passed down through the generations they get a share of too! Those words, that teaching, was mind blowing. 

But don’t just imagine the violent reaction the Jews who didn’t believe that Jesus was the promised Messiah must have had to those words! Or the shock the Jewish Christians must have felt. Imagine the joy of the Gentiles! To hear not only of a Saviour, but that separate but equal was not a thing with Him! That His inheritance, His kingdom, is for all people. That His blood was not only shed for all people, but all would together receive it in the Sacrament, standing or kneeling not separately, but side-by-side. And that all the promises, all the gifts, all the grace, is for them, too.

You can imagine the derecho this was blowing through the early church!

And we see it already with the story of the Wise Men. They are such an treasured part of the Christmas story, and our nativity scenes would be missing something without them. But maybe we need to appreciate them and what they add to our nativity scenes even more, and not just lump them together with the shepherds as visitors to see Jesus, but realize how important it was to God that they be there. As witnesses and testimony to this truth of St. Paul and all that Jesus had come to do.

Now, we don’t know much about these Wise Men; they come and go quickly. But God worked pretty hard to get them there! First, the seed of His Word was planted among them some time before this, maybe during the time of His people’s exile in Babylon. Then the star - to signal them and lead them to Jesus, that, as Isaiah said, they Arise [and] shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. Then the prophecy of Micah, and the testimony of the Chief Priests and Scribes to direct the Wise Men to Bethlehem. And then the appearance of the star again . . . No wonder that when they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy! And the Greek there actually says with extreme mega joy! What would be the equivalent of that kind of joy today? I’m not sure. A joy that just can’t be contained. A joy that makes nothing else matter.

No wonder they not only brought but gave Him such costly gifts.

So Jewish shepherds, Gentile Wise Men, fellow heirs, members of the same body, and both alike partakers of the promise. That’s an epiphany! A revelation of how great and comprehensive this child and His work is. Like nothing ever seen or done before.

And now you are part of it, too. As I said before, we’re used to hearing this, so maybe the impact on us isn’t so great as it should be. But think about all the places you can’t go in this world, places you are barred from. Think about all the people who think you less than them, somehow below them, and that you will always be. Think about all the divisions and separations and rankings in our world - not all of which are bad - but that exist. And realize that in Jesus, there is none of that. All of us alike are baptized because all of us need to be. In the Old Testament it was the flesh that was cut OFF that mattered. But now with Jesus it is the flesh that is put ON that matters. That He put on our flesh to redeem us, and that in baptism we now put ON Christ. And now all of us together are fellow heirs, members of the same body, all alike partakers of the promise. No matter who you are or where you are from or what you have done in the past. Jesus’ birth and death and resurrection has overcome all that.

Which also means that when you come up to the altar to receive that same Body and Blood that the Son of God put on and the Wise Men fell down before and worshipped, you do so not as individuals, all separate, all on your own, but together. As one. Rich and poor, men and women, old and young, white collar or blue collar, black, brown, white, red, or yellow skin, all of us standing side-by-side, no one better than another, and all receiving the same gift - the same Body and Blood, the same forgiveness and life, the same inheritance and salvation. It is a marvelous thing to witness, something that happens in very few, if any, other places in the world. This is the Gospel of the Lord.

Which, you know, I say every week after reading the words of the Gospel. To which you respond, as you did this morning, Praise be to Thee, O Lord. But why? Why do you say that? Is it for the words just heard? Certainly. But even more, for the Gospel Jesus has done. That all of us are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and all alike partakers of the promise.

So let’s treat each other that way. I think we do sometimes. I think we don’t sometimes as well. There are distinctions that are meet, right, and salutary, but others that aren’t. There are things that need to be pointed out and dealt with, like false teaching and unholy living, but we shouldn’t delight in the faults and failings of others. Are we as free and generous with the forgiveness we give as we are with the forgiveness we expect? Are we quick to criticize and slow to reconcile? Do we ignore instead of pay attention, and disregard instead of spending time with or for someone? And what else do we need to repent of? How else we do not see and treat each other as fellow heirs, member of the same body, and partakers of the promise?

God wanted the Wise Men there with His Son, and in the same way He wants all of you here today with His Son. He has brought you here, and for some of you, worked very hard to do so! Just like He did with the Wise Men. Because He wants to give you gifts! He wants you to hear those words of forgiveness. He wants you to hear all that He has done for you. And He wants you to receive the Body and Blood of His Son. All of you! That like the Wise Men, you rejoice with extreme mega joy! And not just at Christmas, but all year round and all your life. 

So the story of the Wise Men is not just an important part of the Christmas story, but an important part of our salvation story. And a perfect way to transition from the Christmas season now ending, to the Epiphany season now beginning. And just as the appearance of the Wise Men and Paul’s teaching about the Gentiles was like a derecho blowing through the early Church, maybe it can be for us again as well. Not just blowing OUT the sin that has settled into our hearts and lives, in the distinctions and separations we make, and how we treat each other, but also blowing IN the gifts and grace of God, and a renewed appreciation of Christmas, of Epiphany, and all that Jesus has done for us. And that’s the kind of thing that can change a family, a church, a world. It did in the early Church. And it still can. And so be an epiphany not just within these walls, or for a day or a season, but an epiphany for the world, for life, and for all. 

In the Name of the Father, and of the (+) Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Meditation on the Eve of the Circumcision and Name of Jesus

LISTEN

Jesu Juva

“Your Name on Him”

Text: Numbers 6:22-27; Luke 2:21; Galatians 3:23-29

 

In the Name of (+) Jesus. Amen.

God told Aaron to put His Name on the people of Israel. Because that’s what you do when something’s important to you - you put your name on it. These people belonged to Him. He would bless them. His face would shine upon them - He wasn’t going to turn His back on them. He would be gracious to them and give them peace. They would have rest in a home of their own. They would have peace and security from their enemies. And God promised all this to them because from this people would come the human flesh of His Son, come to be the Saviour of the world. And so He put His Name on them. 

An when the fullness of time came, God sent His Son (Galatians 4:4), which we remembered and celebrated six days ago now. Christmas is one of the most joyous times of the year - which it should be. For God keeping His promise, God sending His Son, the Son of God being born into this world - is a big deal. So we should make a big deal of it. 

But we heard of something else God did tonight, that maybe doesn’t always get the attention it deserves. And that is what happened on the eighth day of Christmas, the eighth day after Jesus’ birth - and that is His circumcision. Luke records it for us in just one verse. No big narrative like Joseph and Mary going to Bethlehem, or like we heard Sunday with Simeon in the Temple. And maybe that’s why we overlook it. For if it wasn’t worth Luke’s time and effort, then . . . 

But that would be a mistake. Circumcision was a big deal to the Jewish people. It connected them to Abraham and the promise of God made to him. A physical sign that yes, they were a part of the covenant. Failure to have that skin cut off meant that YOU were cut off - cut off from the covenant, because you had rejected God and His promise. So to be a real Jew, you had to be circumcised. 

But just that doesn’t solve the confusion of why JESUS was circumcised, and why HIS circumcision is such big deal. So maybe this is a good way to think about it and help us understand: it is the counterpart to what God commanded Aaron to do. For if Aaron was to put God’s Name on the people, when Jesus is circumcised is when God puts YOUR name on HIMSELF.

Which means Jesus is now doing everything in your name, on your behalf. What you don’t do, won’t do, and can’t do, He does for you. So all the commandments you break, He keeps in your name. All the things you should do but fail to do, He does in your name. When He ascends the cross, He dies the death you deserve, receives the condemnation of God you deserve. It is as if YOU are hanging there. And then when He rises from the dead, that’s in your name, too. For you, too. 

So all He does . . . it’s like . . . in a big trust fund. That’s what wealthy people often do - they put their wealth into a trust fund for their children so they are provided for. And when the children turn a certain age, they receive that gift. It was there all along, but then it becomes theirs. 

So it is now with us. Except we don’t receive all that Jesus did for us, in our name, when we reach a certain age, but when we are baptized. That’s what St. Paul was talking about in the reading from Galatians tonight. Before baptism, all the wealth and riches of God are there, like with a trust fund, before the children reach a certain age and are still under a guardian. But when you are baptized, it’s all yours. And it doesn’t matter whether you are Jew or Greek, slave or free, male or female - whoever you are, that trust fund is for you. The riches Jesus won for you - the forgiveness of sins, eternal life, and the kingdom of God. 

Now I don’t know about you, but to me, that’s a pretty big deal! And so Jesus’ circumcision is a pretty big deal.

The other thing that happened that day goes along with this, too. This son born to Mary is given a human name: Jesus. It is, as Luke tells us, the name given by the angel - or we could really say, the name given by this Son’s true Father, for the angel Gabriel simply spoke God’s Word to Mary - it is the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. And this name was given because fits with what this Son would do: save us.

But as I said, this ties in with what is happening here with Jesus’ circumcision. Yes, He receives His human name, but with that knife and His blood shed for the very first time, He receives all of our names. YOUR name is given to Him. And He bears it for you. And He fulfills HIS name FOR YOU - He saves YOU. For your sin, forgiveness. For your brokenness, healing. For your death, life. For your condemnation, salvation. All you need, He has done. All you need, He gives. 

Which means that as we enter a New Year tonight, we rejoice in the gifts we have received from our Lord this past year, and look forward to the gifts we will receive from Him this coming year. And know that with God’s Name on us, and with our name on Jesus, we are His and He is ours. So like Israel of old, we have peace and rest, no matter what the future holds; no matter what happens in 2025, or beyond. 

For this you know:

The Lord will bless you and keep you;
the Lord will make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you;
the Lord will lift up his countenance upon you 

and [He will] give you peace.

In the Name of the Father, and of the (+) Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.