Christmas Eve Readings, Meditations, and Carols

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Christmas Eve Readings, Meditation, and Carols

Saint Athanasius Lutheran Church

December 24, 2013

The pages that follow contain the Scriptures, meditations, and hymns that were heard and sung this Christmas Eve. The meditations take into account the readings and use the words of the hymns that are sung with them, thus bringing together all into a cohesive whole to unite the message into the hearts of all who hear and sing. For truly, the hymns we sing are the church’s sung confession of the faith, and this service seeks to utilize that to proclaim the message of this night.

A reading from Second Samuel, chapter 7.

“Go and tell my servant David, ‘Thus says the Lord: I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’”

Meditation on 2 Samuel 7:5a, 11b-14, 16 and 

Hymns 379 (O Come, All Ye Faithful) and 376 (Once in Royal David’s City)

You have come to adore Him, Christ the Lord. Son of the Father, Word of the Father, now in flesh appearing.

But even more than that, you have come tonight to receive from Him. For that is why He came down to earth from heaven, in royal David’s city. He came to live with the poor and mean and lowly, with folks like you and me, that we be poor and mean and lowly no more. To be the king we need, the promised son of David who will sit on his throne forever and rule in holiness, righteousness, and love. 

But before ascending to that throne in heaven, He must lie in a manger-throne and hang on a cross-throne. And in between He is our childhood’s pattern - a pattern we cannot follow or keep. For He lives perfectly, we do not. He keeps all the Law completely, we do not. He loves at all times, we do not. So even more than our pattern, our eyes see Him as our Saviour in His redeeming love. For that child, that man, so dear and gentle, that condemned criminal on the cross is our Lord in heaven above, who is establishing His kingdom and building His house, His Church, through the forgiveness of sins He won for us. 

And now He leads us on to the where He has gone, that He who came to be with us might take us to be with Him forever. When we, His children, crowned, like stars, all in white, His praise will sound. When we will adore Him not just for a night, but forever.

A reading from Micah, chapter 5.

But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah,
    who are too little to be among the clans of Judah,
from you shall come forth for me
    one who is to be ruler in Israel,
whose coming forth is from of old,
    from ancient days.

Therefore he shall give them up until the time
    when she who is in labor has given birth;
then the rest of his brothers shall return
    to the people of Israel.

And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord,
    in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great
    to the ends of the earth.

And he shall be their peace.

Meditation on Micah 5:2-5a and Hymn 361 (O Little Town of Bethlehem)

Bethlehem. No one would have guessed there. It was too little, too insignificant, too ordinary. The Wise Men went to Jerusalem, for that’s where a king should be born, right?

Well not if you’re the everlasting light. He chooses differently than we do. He comes not with fanfare, but how silently, how silently, the wondrous gift is given. So many didn’t know. So many slept right through it. So many didn’t care. No ear may have heard his coming, but they would hear Him later, when He spoke God’s Word, God’s truth, to a world in need.

And God is speaking still, for ours is a world still in need. Of Him. And so the holy child of Bethlehem is still descending to us today in His Word, and His Word in Baptism, and His Word in the Supper, to cast out sin and enter in, that being born in us we be born in Him, born from above. A wondrous gift still given. The gift of peace. The gift of being in the flock of this Good Shepherd. 

So maybe Bethlehem was still that night, its streets dark, many in deep and dreamless sleep as the silent stars went by. But as the angels’ great glad tidings told, so we tonight will not keep silent. And we will not only sing out these same great glad tidings, we will repent of our sins. For truly in repenting and receiving the forgiveness of our Lord Immanuel, we praise Him for who He truly is, and who He came to be: our Saviour.

A reading from Isaiah, chapter 9.

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
    on them has light shone.

You have multiplied the nation;
    you have increased its joy;
they rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest,
    as they are glad when they divide the spoil.

For the yoke of his burden, and the staff for his shoulder,
    the rod of his oppressor, you have broken as on the day of Midian.

For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult
    and every garment rolled in blood will be burned as fuel for the fire.

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
    and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Of the increase of his government and of peace
    there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
    to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness
    from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

Meditation on Isaiah 9:2-7 and Hymn 412 (The People That in Darkness Sat)

The people who sat in darkness. Deep darkness, Isaiah said. That’s not only the people back then, it’s you and I tonight. For we sit not in the darkness of night, but the darkness of sin. If it doesn’t seem too dark to you, that’s just because your eyes - and hearts - have gotten used to it. But the darkness is no less now. Everyone doing was is right in his own eyes. Death descending on more and more every day. Death natural and unnatural. And God’s perfect plan and design for us seeming to grow dimmer and dimmer.

But in this darkness a great light shines. The light of truth. The light of life. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given. To break the darkness of sin with His forgiveness. To break the darkness of death with His resurrection. To break the darkness of a lost and wandering world with His Word - His Word which is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path (Ps 119:105). For tonight, the Word is made flesh.

So there is joy tonight. A joy higher and deeper and wider and broader than just the bountiful harvest of gifts we receive, the spoils of the season - but the joy of war over, the joy of oppression lifted, the joy of a promised future that can never be taken away from us. For the light of the Word reveals that the gift we receive tonight is the Wonderful, the Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. He gives Himself to us to make us His alone. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this, for He is zealous, in love, for you.

A reading from Luke, chapter 2.

And it came to pass in those days, that there went out a decree from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be taxed.(And this taxing was first made when Cyrenius was governor of Syria.) And all went to be taxed, every one into his own city. And Joseph also went up from Galilee, out of the city of Nazareth, into Judaea, unto the city of David, which is called Bethlehem; (because he was of the house and lineage of David:) To be taxed with Mary his espoused wife, being great with child. And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn.

Meditation on Luke 2:1-7 and Hymn 370 (What Child Is This)

What child is this on Mary’s lap, sleeping? Mary knew. It was the child the angel Gabriel had told her about. The child conceived in her by the Holy Spirit. The Christ. The King. The Saviour. Son of God now also son of Mary. Now and foerever God and man in one person.

Why lies He in such mean estate - wrapped in swaddling clothes - and where ox and ass are feeding - in a manger? Because He has come to be like us and to live with us. Our cashmere sweaters and designer clothes like dirty rags compared to the glorious dress of heaven. Our palaces and mansions like stables compared with the kingdom of heaven. So those things He leaves to be with us in ours. Higher than none, that He be for all. Peasant, king, or anywhere in between.

But even more than that: nails, spear, shall pierce Him through, the cross be borne for me, for you. This firstborn son will be given to redeem the world. The Father spared all the firstborn sons in Egypt, but He would not spare His own Son. The Father spared all the firstborn sons in Egypt covered by the blood of the passover Lamb, but He would give His Son to be that Lamb whose blood will cover us, so that death pass us over. The King of kings salvation brings - through His death and resurrection.

And so it was, that, while they were there, the days were accomplished that she should be delivered. And so it is, that, while HE was HERE, the days were accomplished that WE should be delivered. So joy to all the world, for Christ is born, the babe, the son of Mary!

A reading from Luke, chapter 2.

And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid. And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

Meditation on Luke 2:8-15 and Hymn 380 (Hark! The Herald Angels Sing)

The Scriptures tell us that the angels of God surround Him always and never cease their song of praise. So it should be no surprise to us that when the Son of God comes down to earth and is born a man, there the angels are too. And they sing their song of praise to some shepherds, abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. They sing to shepherds, quite naturally, because they are singing of the Lamb, the Lamb of God in the manger.

But though they sing to shepherds, their good tidings of great joy are for all people of all time, everywhere. For you and me. For mild He lays His glory by to be born that man no more may die, born to raise the sons of earth, born to give them second birth. Yes, glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. For this child is born to bring peace between God and man in the forgiveness of our sins.

Up until this time, the angels have been at work, but quietly, announcing this good news to Mary, to Joseph. But now that He has come, these messengers of God cannot contain themselves, so great their rejoicing! They herald this good news of the newborn king. That light and life to all He brings, risen with healing in his wings. Here is God with us. Here is God for us. The incarnate Deity, the godhead veiled in flesh, come for you. 

So hear again the angels’ eternal song, for they sing for you.

A reading from Titus, chapter 3.

But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he 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, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

Meditation on Titus 3:4-7 and Hymn 362 (O Sing of Christ)

In the beginning, when God created all things, it was good. Very good. But it did not stay so long. The first Adam and his wife, Eve, lost this good God had created and given to them, choosing the lie over the truth, choosing sin instead of life. And they could not get it back. Now, Paradise was barred to them and they would live a life of hardship, labor, and strife. Such is the fruit of sin. 

But God was not done with His good. The goodness and loving kindness of God our Saviour appeared in the world again, this time in a manger. The eternal Word was made flesh and bone. Upon our frail humanity, the icon of God’s grace was traced. There was once again a perfect man on the earth, a second Adam, and they named Him Jesus.

He came to mend what sin had marred. He came to reclaim us as His own. He came to open Paradise again. And so as we heard, the angels are no longer barring the way with their flashing swords - they are singing of heaven open again. For soon, the grave would be opened by this one, and by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Saviour, Holy Baptism opens the grave for us too. Adam’s sin is overcome by Jesus’ forgiveness, Adam’s death is conquered by Jesus life, Adam’s defeat is reversed by Jesus’ victory, given to us with water and the Word. And so by His grace we became heirs of eternal life, sharing His wealth and His name for all eternity. 

Which makes Christmas more than just the birth of one son - it the birth of many. Because of His birth here below are we born from above, and so saved not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His mercy. 

A reading from Luke, chapter 2.

And [the shepherds] came with haste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger. And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child. And all they that heard it wondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds. But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them.

Meditation on Luke 2:16-20 and Hymns 386 (O Sing We, Now Rejoice), 363 (Silent Night), and 387 (Joy to the World)

The angels had to sing, they couldn’t contain themselves. The shepherds, too, returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them. And so now do we, taking this joy of a Saviour out into a world filled with sadness and gloom and need. For even as many sing Joy to the World this night, what their hearts feel is quite different than their words say. For many, joy and peace seem only a dream. 

So we rejoice, not in a fleeting joy, but in joy anchored in the Word, in the one who came from on high to us, for we could not rise to Him. The one who has come to cheer our wearied spirits, wearied under the loads of sin, vanity, and death. And if that’s you tonight, if you are here but feel no joy, if you sing but wonder where is your hope, if you see the lights but find only darkness in your heart, there is good news for you. For in this world where sins and sorrows grow, and thorns infest the ground of your heart, He comes to make His blessings flow. He comes to bless you with His forgiveness. That you have hope in Him. That if your heart and mind are raging this silent night, He quiet them with His love for you. For yes, He loves you. The proof is in the manger and on the cross. The proof is in these words: I forgive you all your sins. All He does, He does for you, for this. That you may know the wonders of His love, even in the midst of a world of sin and hate.

That is where joy is found - in Him. The holy ground where He puts Himself for you. A manger, a font. A cross, an altar. A mountain, a pulpit. Until a cloud, when we will be there with Him. The misery and sadness and strife of this world make us only long that we were there. Now! United with all His saints in praise. But not yet. Now He is here, with us, to bring Joy to the World. To you. I pray this night that it may be so for you. That whatever is happening in you or around you or to you, this be a silent night, a holy night, for you. That the tumult of your heart be calmed by the light of His love and the dawn of His redeeming grace. 

For Christ, the Saviour - your Saviour - is born! 

Advent 3 Midweek Sermon

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Jesu Juva

“The Lord Has Mercy”

Text: Luke 1:67-79; Zephaniah 3:14-20

Zechariah had a lot of reasons to rejoice. He now held in his arms the gift of a son, he now had received the gift of his voice back, and after nine months of silence and meditation on the Word of God, he now knew - better than ever - the merciful plan of God that was now being fulfilled. How do we know that? He said so. In the words he spoke that we heard tonight. 

For Luke told us that Zechariah was filled with the Holy Spirit. That happens through the Word. The Holy Spirit comes to us through the Word and works through the Word and Zechariah’s nine months in the Word of God had filled him with the Holy Spirit. And thus filled, he spoke. He prophesied, which is to say, he spoke the Word of God. By looking back in meditation, Zechariah could look forward in expectation.

And at the center of his words, and the center of their meaning, was this: the Lord was now showing the mercy promised to our fathers; He was remembering His holy covenant. Now was the appointed time. Now was the time of fulfillment. Now was the time when, as Zephaniah had said: The Lord would take away His judgments against His people, when He would clear away their enemies, when He would be in their midst, and they would fear no more.

It had been a long time coming. This was the promise first spoken to Adam and Eve in the Garden, and then repeated down through the years to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David, and Solomon. They only saw it from afar, but now it was coming to completion. God had now visited and redeemed His people. He had raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of His servant David. Yes, the promised son of David who would sit on his throne forever was now coming. Because in John, Zechariah’s son, the forerunner was here. The one to go before the Lord and prepare His way. To get the people ready. The sun was coming up on the darkness of sin, and that sin would soon be scattered in the light of His forgiveness.

And so old Zechariah cannot contain his joy. He too fulfills what Zephaniah said: Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel! Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem! Yes, that was Zechariah. Filled with the Spirit. Filled with the joy of the Lord.

And it is you too. For this mercy, this joy, is for you too. Not just the passing joy of opening a few gifts on Christmas morning - however great they might be - but the joy, as Zechariah said, of being delivered from our enemies, that we might serve our Lord without fear, in holiness and righteousness all our days. For in Jesus, God has visited and redeemed His people. In Jesus, our enemies of sin, death, and the devil have been defeated. In Jesus, we no longer serve the Lord in fear but in freedom. And in Jesus, we are holy and righteous. Zechariah had a lot of reasons to rejoice, but so do we!

For the Lord has not just visited His people, He has visited you. The angel Gabriel came to Zechariah, but God came to you in Holy Baptism and filled you there with His Spirit. And there you became an heir of the covenant, the next in the long line of salvation. Salvation from your enemy sin, now forgiven. Salvation from your enemy death, now not a dead end but the door to life everlasting. And salvation from your enemy the devil, who now has no claim on you. For you have been redeemed and belong to the One who bought you not with gold or silver but with His holy precious blood and His innocent suffering and death. 

This is our anchor, that keeps us from drifting aimlessly through this world and life. Our anchor which enables us to look forward in faith and hope. Knowing that the Lord is merciful still, and that the light of His Word continues to rise upon us, scattering the darkness of sin and death, that we live in His light and life as He guides our feet in the way of peace.

So whatever is going on in your life, follow Zechariah’s example and look back. Look back on how God acted for His people. How He cared for them and provided for them. How He rescued them and led them. How He forgave them and was with them. Whatever is going on in your life, look back and you will see a God who is faithful and merciful and knows how to care for you. For as He has done in the past, so He will do in the future. And this is the knowledge that will bring you peace. The knowledge that you are not alone, but have a God who has visited and redeemed you, and is with you still, filling you with His Spirit and His life. Yes, the Lord is near.

And so as we draw closer to the end of this Advent season and to the joy of Christmas, leave tonight with this thought too: we are not the only ones for whom this season brings joy. As Zephaniah said: the Lord rejoices over you. That’s how much He loves you. That’s how much you matter to Him. That’s why He came for you, and comes for you still. You are His joy, and there is nothing your Lord wants more than to have you with Him. Think about that for a bit, like Zechariah did, and see if that does not fill you with wonder and joy, too.

Lord God, heavenly Father, we thank You for Your great mercy and love for us that while we were still sinners, You sent Your Son in mercy and love to die for us. Give us the joy of Zechariah this Christmas season, help us remember that You also delight and rejoice over us, Your dear children, and enable us to look forward to Your second advent with confidence. Grant us, Lord, to not be too busy to remember and meditate on the past, rejoice in the future, and give thanks for the present - and for Your presence with us always, in mercy, for our salvation; through Jesus Christ, You Son, we pray, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Advent 3 Sermon

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Jesu Juva

“Great, Greater, and Greatest”

Text: Matthew 11:2-15

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

Unless you have been living under a rock, you have heard the news that Nelson Mandela died. His funeral was earlier this morning and coverage of all the events remembering him has been all over the news. He is being remembered and celebrated for all that he did to advance the cause of human rights and equality. He had spent some 18 years as a political prisoner in an awful prison for speaking out. And when he was eventually released, he went on to do a number of significant things. He died at home after 95 years of life, surrounded by family. And this week, presidents and other dignitaries cancelled events, changed their schedules, and flew half-way around the world to be at his memorial. He is, we are being told, one of the greatest, if not the greatest man of our times.

But today we heard of someone even greater. Jesus said: among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. John the Baptist was a political prisoner too, having been thrown into King Herod’s dungeon for his message. John the Baptist was also all about equality, for he told all people - no matter who they were or what their place in life: Repent! For the kingdom of heaven is at hand. No favoritism for John! All are sinners and in need of repentance and forgiveness. 

But unlike Nelson Mandela, John was never released; he was beheaded by Herod in prison. He didn’t get to die a peaceful death, surrounded by family; his life and career were cut short. And he didn’t have any dignitaries at his funeral - just a few of his disciples who came and took his headless body and buried it. Somewhere. We don’t even know where. No memorial. No honor. And this one, Jesus said, is the greatest.

Now, you’d get an argument about that from many people today, and I’ll bet it was not an uncontroversial statement when Jesus said it either. For think about that for a moment; think about all men who had been born up to that point. There were the men we know about from the Bible: men like Noah, Abraham, Joseph, David, and Solomon, just to name a few. There were also the great men of political fame, who had built great kingdoms and advanced science and culture. And John surpasses all these? John, who eats locusts and wild honey? John, who lives out in the desert? John, who wears a coat of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist? John, the eccentric prophet who makes you uncomfortable to be around, yet who you can’t help but go out to see? 

And then what about all the people, all the men and women who have been born and done great things in the two thousand years since John? Would Jesus say the same thing about John today, that he is the greatest? Well, if John surpassed all those others, then yes, he is greater than these too. Among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. 

So listen to him today, to this great one. He sends his disciples to Jesus with a question. Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another? It was not a question just for himself, but for them, and for you today, and for all people of all time. All are included in that “we.” Is Jesus the one? The one for you in the darkness of depression. The one for you in the sadness of death. The one for you in the pain of sickness and disease. The one for you in the isolation of loneliness. The one for you under the burdens of life. The one for you locked in struggles of worry and doubt. The one for you when life takes a turn you didn’t expect and your world come crumbling down. Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another? 

John asks so the world may know. The one who came to prepare the way for the Messiah and point to Him is pointing to Him still, even from prison, even still today from the grave. That we may know that Jesus is the coming one, the promised one, the one who will save us from our sins, our sinful world, and our sin-caused death.

And so Jesus answers that question by pointing to the signs of all that. Jesus is fulfilling what the prophet Isaiah had spoken, and that is important. Jesus is the subject and the fulfillment of all the Scriptures. But what these signs show is sin coming undone before the one who has come to cut the knot of sin. All who tried before Him just made the knot tighter and tighter. But with Jesus, what sin has caused is coming undone. The blind, the lame, the deaf, the lepers, the dead - all is cured, cleansed, and raised to life again. Signs of an even greater deliverance coming through Jesus’ death and resurrection. When Jesus would have our noose of sin tied around Him on the cross and snuff out His life, so that in His resurrection that knot be cut for us once and for all. 

But in that list of things Jesus has come to do something about, where are you? As I look around today, none of you is blind, lame, deaf, leperous, or dead, though many of you wear glasses, have hearing aides, and some have trouble walking. But here you are: the poor have good news preached to them. You may not be poor by worldly standards, but you were by the heavenly one. The only standard that really matters, in fact. For just as many today would argue about the greatness of John, so many today would argue about our spiritual poverty. Clearly, God measures things differently than we do. For born in sin, you are born poor, with no eternal inheritance, no eternal life, nothing that will last beyond the few years and few things you are given in this life. And when you add to that your sin, you not only have nothing, you increase a debt you cannot pay, with the only thing waiting for you the debtors prison of hell. 

But you, you have the good news preached to you! That this is not your inevitable destiny, but there is more, there is hope, there is life for you. And not just a life eternal, but a new life that starts even now. A new life just as real as if you had been blind and could now see, if you had been deaf and could now hear, if you had been lame and could now walk, if you had been a leper and were now cleansed, and if you had been dead and were now alive. For all that is what happens to you here, when the coming one comes to you in the water of His Baptism, in the words of His Gospel, and in His Body and Blood. He comes to you that you now see His glory that is hidden here in these gifts. He comes to you that you now hear His words of peace. He comes to you that you now be cleansed of your sins. He comes to you that you now be raised to a new life. A new life not limited by the events and changes of this world, but which surpasses them. That wherever you are and however you are, you have hope.

That is the new life John is pointing to and Jesus is providing. New life through the Word of God. For, Jesus goes on to ask the people, what did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? Or in other words, did you go out to see all the nice scenery and the soft wind blowing through the rushes on the banks of the Jordan? No! What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Or in other words, a successful man dressed in a designer suit, with the finest Italian leather shoes, and perfect hair? No! You don’t dress like that out in the wilderness. What then did you go out to see? A prophet. Yes. Someone who speaks the Word of God. To hear the Word of God. The Word of God that gives new life.

So too for you today: what did you come to church to see? An impressive building, beautiful music, a successful man? No! None of those things are here. You came still today to hear the Word of God. The Word that is truth. The Word that still points to Jesus as the coming one, as the answer to our questions, and the life for our death. You have come to receive what you did not have, and what you need. For you have been told what here you hear and see: the sinful are forgiven, the hungry are fed, and the poor have the good news preached to them. And blessed are you who are not offended by Him, by His Law, by His seeming weakness, but who repent and are blessed by Him, receiving from Him gifts that the world judges weak and useless, but which give a treasure that will never pass away. A treasure that gives life.

So while you may never be a Nelson Mandela, God will use you to do great things - things that are great in His sight, though things that are maybe despised by the world. But no worries: the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than all the great ones of this world. And that’s you. For in Christ, you are in the kingdom the heaven. The world strives for greatness by achievement, or even by force and violence, Jesus says - force and violence that may one day come upon you. If it does, do not worry. Christ took that force and violence on the cross and broke it, making it a means not to break you down but raise you up to life. To make you great.

So John’s question is a good one for us to hear, especially now, in these last days before Christmas, and in these last days period. That we rejoice in His first coming - His birth - rightly, that we look for His second coming - in glory - rightly, and that we know and receive His coming now - here! - rightly. For Jesus really is the coming one. For He is always coming, and working, for you.

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

Advent 2 Midweek Sermon

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Jesu Juva

“The Lord Speaks”

Text: Psalm 62; Isaiah 62:1-7; Luke 1:57-64

We sang in the Psalm earlier: For God alone my soul waits in silence (Psalm 62:1, 5). That was Zechariah. Struck mute by the Lord because of his unbelief, for over nine months he waited in silence. Maybe it was kind of a “divine time out” for Zechariah, to give him time to think about what he had heard, what he had done, and what God was doing. 

For over nine months he had time to ponder the Word of the Lord - not just the Word spoken directly to him by the angel Gabriel, telling him the good news of the gift of a son to him and Elizabeth - but all the Word of God. The Word that came through Moses. The Word that came through all the prophets God had sent to His people. Telling of a Saviour. Telling of God’s plan. That plan that was now being fulfilled in both Zechariah’s son John and in the Son coming after him, the one who would be named Jesus.

That Word came through prophets like Isaiah, whose 66 chapters contain more about the Saviour and who He would be and what He would do than any other book in the Old Testament. Earning Isaiah the well-deserved title of the fifth evangelist. Isaiah tells us of the virgin birth (7:14); of Jesus’ descent from David (11:1-10). Isaiah penned the words: to us a child is born, to us a son is given (9:6). Isaiah told us of the suffering servant who would bear our sin and shame (52:13-53:12), and told us that though our sins be as scarlet, they will be as white as snow (1:18). Isaiah seems to be the living embodiment of God’s own words that we heard tonight: For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not be quiet, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a burning torch. Or in other words, until the one who is our righteousness and salvation, Jesus, comes. For all God’s Word is about Jesus.

And old Zechariah and Elizabeth were now part of that plan. Amazing. 

So for over nine months, Zechariah got to think about that. Once God has spoken; twice have I heard, the psalmist wrote. Once God had spoken to Zechariah, but those words wouldn’t leave his head. He kept hearing them over and over again, pondering them, meditating on them, and being blessed by them. Yes, for the Word of God is always living and active and Spirit-filled. So these nine months weren’t a punishment for Zechariah, but a blessing. God had to make him mute so that he could listen. Listen to God. Listen to the good news God was speaking to him. 

And at the end of those nine plus months, when their child was born and they named Him John, in accordance with the Word they had received from God, then Zechariah’s mouth was opened and he praised and blessed God. He had nine months of praise and blessing stored up! And we’ll look at those words next week.

But for tonight, we can learn a thing or two from Zechariah, for God would speak to you too. Not through a voice from heaven, or the voice of an angel, or even a voice in your heart - no, He has given us a Word more sure than all that: His Word, His Holy Scriptures. His Word once spoken but which still speaks. His Word which is still living and active and Spirit-filled. His Word through which the Holy Spirit is working in you, to give you faith and hope and love.

And what is the Holy Spirit speaking to you in this Word? Well, not that you are going to have a son, but that you are a son. His son! No matter how old or young, no matter how sinful or lost. As Zechariah found out, you’re never too old or too far gone for the miracle of God’s birth. You’re never too old for God’s gifts.

But maybe like Zechariah, you don’t always listen to or believe that Word. Because your head is too full of doubt, your heart too full of worry, your mind too full of fear, your life too full of the things of this world, and God’s Word is drowned out. Or maybe we are too busy telling God what He should be doing, or complaining about what He is or is not doing that we think He should be. And so maybe like Zechariah, we need to be made mute too, so that we can listen.

That’s one of the reasons for this Advent season. That we have a time out and stop and listen to the voice of our God and Saviour who wants to tell us of all that He has done for us. His voice in baptism which says you are my beloved son. His voice in the Gospel and in absolution which says your sins are forgiven. His voice in the Supper which says that by eating His Body and drinking His Blood you have His life and salvation. His voice which calls us to repentance and faith. Believe this! That God sent His Son not to be born from you, but born for you. That, as Isaiah said, you be not forsaken or desolate, for you are the delight of the Lord, the Bridegroom who is coming for His Bride. For you.

That is the Word God wants you to hear - a Word even more wondrous than that spoken to Zechariah so long ago. It truly is a “thrilling voice” that is sounding (LSB #345), telling us that Christ is near - as near as the pulpit, the font, and the altar; showing us the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world; and assuring us that soon, soon this Son will come again in glory, to take us sons of God to that glory, His glory, bestowed upon us.

Old Zechariah did finally hear that Word. He spoke it, too, when he said: His name is John. In Hebrew, John is Jochanan and means: the Lord has shown favor. And truly the Lord did - to Zechariah and Elizabeth, and to you and me. So may our tongues, too, be loosed to proclaim and bless the Lord, who has done such great things for us.

Lord God, heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word, Your voice to us still today. When our doubts and fears and busyness make us deaf to Your voice, make us mute that we may listen to You, hear Your love, and believe. Help us to treasure Your Word and drive all fear from us, that we may live in You alone, and rightly celebrate the birth of Your Son; through the same Jesus Christ we pray, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Advent 2 Sermon

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Jesu Juva

“The Coming One: A Saviour From Sin”

Text: Matthew 3:1-12; Isaiah 11:1-10

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

Some of you are old enough to remember the Emergency Broadcast System. Every once in a while, on your radio or TV, whatever you were listening to or watching (and it was usually your favorite show) would be interrupted by the Emergency Broadcast System. I don’t remember there ever actually being a real emergency that it was used for - instead there would always be these words: This is a test of the Emergency Broadcast System. This is only a test. And then a loud, sharp, shrill tone would sound for approximately 30 seconds. It was really annoying but, we were told, important. 

Today it’s still around, but it’s been changed. It’s now called the Emergency Alert System, and it’s been toned down greatly. Now, instead of that long, loud, shrill tone, there is only a series of short bursts. It doesn’t last as long, it’s not nearly as annoying, and it’s easier to ignore.

Well, think of John the Baptist as the first century Emergency Broadcast System. For he came on the scene to interrupt people’s lives and announce to them something of great importance: The kingdom of heaven is at hand! So repent! And it was not a test, it was the real thing. And he was loud and sharp and shrill and would not be ignored. And evidently people paid attention, because as we heard Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

But just like the Emergency Broadcast System changed and was toned down, so it seems has been John and his message. Oh, we still have Advent and John still shows up on this week every year, but he’s been toned down a bit, hasn’t he? And I wonder if he’s been toned down too much. His call for repentance doesn’t sound so loud and sharp and shrilly in our world anymore, and so he’s not as annoying and easy to ignore. Maybe too easy. Maybe we need to crank him back up a bit . . .

Because we need his message, as much of an interruption as it is into many people’s favorite season, this season of excitement and joy, as much of an interruption as it is into your lives. Because it’s important. Because living in this world is like being the proverbial frog in the kettle. The water gradually heats up and cooks him without his even knowing it, and in the same way the sin in the world all around us gradually cooks us without our even knowing it. We grow accustomed to the sin in the world and the sin in us and maybe don’t even notice it anymore. What used to shock us no longer does. What used to alarm us we’ve become resigned to. What used to be matters for correction are now simply called indiscretion, youth, mistakes, goofs, choice, freedom. We think it doesn’t matter when we do these things. We think it doesn’t matter when we don’t do what we should - for someone else will, right?

So we need John to come along and interrupt our comfortable lives - maybe especially at this time of the year - and sound his loud, sharp, shrill repent! For the kingdom of heaven is at hand! For your sin is dangerous. Or as we prayed in the collect last Sunday, we need deliverance from the threatening perils of our sins. But we don’t see sin that way anymore, do we? We don’t see the peril of living this way because, for the most part, everything looks okay, and I feel okay . . .

Well there were some in John’s day who thought that too. Those who were not among the crowd that went out to John to be baptized, to be forgiven, to confess their sins. John called them a brood of vipers, those who were comfortable with the way things were and didn’t think they needed to repent. He sounded the alarm to them too. Don’t be so sure. Don’t assume that just because you look okay and feel okay that you are okay. The water temperature in your kettle may be pretty high. 

And I wonder if that’s not really the danger for us today . . . that the brood of vipers isn’t more how you and I act today. We who so gorge ourselves on Christmas treats but starve our souls of the Word. We who send so many Christmas cards but so few prayers. We who like to decorate our houses but not our lives with good works. We who put so much time and thought into shopping but so little into confession. If John were here today, what do you think he would say to you?

Well he is here today, and his message is the same: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

And quite literally was the kingdom of heaven at hand when John said those words, for it was imminent that the King of heaven would be at the end of and under John’s hand in the Jordan as John baptized Him. And you know the rest of that story, as after Jesus was baptized He was anointed by and filled with the Holy Spirit, as Isaiah described for us today. For Jesus was that shoot which would come up from the stump of Jesse. The stump of Jesse which means the remnants of what once was a great and glorious kingdom until it got cooked - or chopped down, in this case - in the kettle of its sin. But from this stump, this sawed-off, lifeless looking lump, life and hope would come. A branch would begin to grow. From Jesse, David’s father, and then David, the Messiah would come. Who would have a spirit not of this world, but the Spirit of the Lord, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 

The Spirit we need. 

And the Spirit, John says, that He will give to you, for the one coming after John, the one John has come to point to, will baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. To cleanse and purify you, to give to you and work in you exactly what you need. That you be filled with His Spirit. That you may delight in the Lord, not in sin. That you may have His peace, not worry. That you may be led by this shoot, this branch, this little child who, Isaiah says, restores paradise.

The people listened, repented, and were baptized by John. But since we cannot go to John or to the Jordan, but the message is the same for us today, God has brought them here to you. The Jesus who was baptized in the Jordan by John for you, now baptizes you with His Holy Spirit and the purifying fire of His forgiveness, to rescue you from the threatening peril of your sins, from the kettle that keeps getting hotter and hotter. For you see, we don’t need to become better swimmers, we need to be rescued. 

And so when Jesus entered the Jordan and was baptized, He was jumping into the kettle with you. And that was not just a man jumping into the kettle with you, but your God. For Jesus was not only the shoot or branch from the stump of Jesse, but also, Isaiah says, the root of Jesse - the source, the One from whom Jesse and David and his kingdom came: God Himself. And so the root becomes a branch, God becomes man, and is born for you, baptized for you, and then goes to the cross for you, where the fire of sin is turned up to full blast against Him, that dying with us in our sin, we might rise with Him in His resurrection. And that’s exacrtly what happens in your baptism - it is the hand of your resurrected Saviour pulling you out of the kettle of sin and back to life again with Him. That you not die but live, and live forever. 

So what John is saying to you today is: don’t jump back into the kettle! For some do. And even we do. Sometimes doing a cannonball back in, sometimes dipping our toe in and going back in gradually. And it’s so easy because satan’s always there trying to convince us to c’mon in! The water’s just fine. 

But he lies. Always. And so we need John, we need our Emergency Broadcast System to sound that loud, sharp, shrill tone again for us and say no! Repent! Remember that you are baptized. You may not remember the water hitting your head or the day it happened, but your Saviour does. He remembers that day He made you His child and gave you His Spirit and forgave you your sins. He remembers, and those promises once given to you are still good - He will not renege on them. So repent, or in other words, come back to that day and receive again His loving care, His forgiveness, and His life.

And then, John adds, bear fruit in keeping with repentance. Which perhaps we could say really means this: live knowing the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Live not in sin but as the child of God you are, and live as the child of God you are for others. Which means celebrate Christmas, enjoy all that this season brings, but at the same time knowing that Christmas may not actually come in the way that you expect. For just as Jesus came as that babe in the manger, so He will come again for you, and that at any time now. The kingdom of heaven is still at hand. And when it comes - or better to say, when HE comes - John wants you to be ready. He’s not here to be a sourpuss or a killjoy in the midst of a joyous season, but to be that loud, sharp, shrill sound that grabs your attention, that you may celebrate and rejoice rightly this season. That Christmas not be just a holiday, but a holy day. That you celebrate not just a birth, but an incarnation. That you rejoice not just in a child, but in a Saviour. That we both sing and sing of HIM. That we both rejoice and rejoice in HIM. And that now we both feast and feast on HIM, His Body and Blood that is now prepared for us. That as we prayed today, our hearts be stirred up -that we be prepared and ready for when He comes again in glory.

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

Advent 1 Midweek Sermon

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Jesu Juva

“The Lord Interrupts”

Text: Isaiah 64:1-12; Like 1:8-23

This was a big time in Zechariah’s life. It was the time for his priestly division to serve at the Temple in Jerusalem and on top of that, his name had been selected to offer incense in the Temple. That was something some priests never got to do. But Zechariah did. When he heard his name, chills of excitement must have run up and down his spine. Yes, this was a special time for Zechariah . . . and the Lord picks this time to interrupt! Right when Zechariah is in the holy place, going through the ritual, placing the incense on the fire, an angel appears and things come to a screeching halt while a conversation takes place. A message to Zechariah from God.

Now, I don’t know about you, but I don’t like being interrupted! You’ve got your day all planned out, or maybe even bigger than that, you’ve got your holiday all planned out or maybe even your life all planned out, and all of a sudden you’re interrupted. Something gets in the way, someone steps in, events change things, and all of a sudden everything is messed up and comes to a screeching halt. 

So it was for Zechariah. For not only was his Temple service interrupted but, the angel Gabriel tells him, his life is about to be interrupted. 

Because even though he and his wife Elizabeth were old and past the normal age for children, they were going to have a child. And not just any child, but one who would have a special, God-given job; the one who would be the forerunner of the promised Messiah. So they would have to raise him special and with great care. And when Zechariah doubted that this was real and true and would actually happen to old fogies like them - which, we might say, is pretty logical - he is interrupted again. He will not be able to speak until the child is born. Over nine months. He will not be able to speak the priestly Temple ritual and prayers. He will not be able to speak to his wife. He will not be able to utter any words at all.

This was not the first time God had interrupted the life of His people. The Old Testament is filled with such stories, one of which we heard about tonight from the prophet Isaiah. In Isaiah’s day, Israel was a kingdom divided, and were doing much to displease the Lord. They wouldn’t listen to the prophets the Lord sent them, so the Lord, in mercy, stepped in and interrupted them with the armies of Babylon and Assyria to conquer them and take many of them off as prisoners of war. No small interruption, that. And no short one either. Their 70 years in exile makes Zechariah’s nine months or so seem like small potatoes.

All these interruptions, though, are for the same reason: for God to work salvation and eternal life for His people.

And God got the attention of the people in Isaiah’s day! Isaiah prayed for Him to rend the heavens and come down and save them. To tear open the heavens and come down with some mighty and awesome and spectacular deeds, like He had done in the past, like He had done in the exodus, like He had done to get the people through the wilderness and into the promised land. Do that again!

But just as God does not always abide by our plans, so also God interrupts in His own ways and in His own time. And while He did answer the prayers of His people and come down to save them, it wasn’t in the way they wanted or asked for - it was rather that day in the Temple, to an old priest no one had really heard of until then, and with a child. Awesome in its own way, in God’s way. 

So too, then, for you and me today. God interrupts our lives for no other reason than for our salvation and eternal life. Maybe you don’t think you need the interruption, and maybe you don’t want it and aren’t particularly thrilled by it. But like Israel, and Zechariah and Elizabeth, and even Mary and Joseph, God knows you need it. To shake you out of your boredom and complacency, or to interrupt your anger and bitterness, and work in you. Work in you as Isaiah pictured for us, as the potter works on his clay. God forming you, shaping you, carefully, individually, to make you His own precious work of art.

Here is how one author put it: This is the great conversion in our life: to recognize and believe that the many unexpected events in our lives are not just disturbing interruptions of our projects, but the ways in which God molds our hearts and prepares us for His return. Our great temptions are boredom and bitterness. When our good plans are interrupted by poor weather or poor health, our peace of mind by inner turmoil, our hope for peace by a new war, our desire for stability by constant change, and our desire for immortality by real death, we are tempted to give in to a paralyzing boredom or to strike back in destructive bitterness. But when we believe that patience can make our expectation and hope grow, then fate can be converted into vocation, wounds into a call for deeper understanding, and sadness into a birthplace of joy (Henri Nouwen, slightly edited).

Or in other words, all those interruptions we really don’t want and really don’t like, perhaps they are divine interruptions, for God to bring us to repentance and faith, for Him to bring us His forgiveness and mercy, to bring us to love and good works for others instead of self-absorption, for Him to bring us joy and work in us all that is pleasing in His sight. To see interruptions in this way is to see them not as unwelcomed intrusions into our well-ordered lives, but as wonderful, God-given opportunities and as the loving hand of your heavenly Father in your life. 

I don’t know if Zechariah saw it that way right away, but after nine months of silence perhaps he began to understand. So for you too. Interruptions will come. Of that you can be sure. But when they do, how do you react and respond? Perhaps after tonight, you can think of Zechariah and think a bit differently. And instead of seeing these interruptions as distractions from your true work, to see them as your true work. Fulfilling a vocation that perhaps you’ve been neglecting. An opportunity to receive from another. A chance to love and forgive and care. A time to realize that God is working in you and molding you, and that He cares enough to interrupt to do so. For after all, one of the greatest interruption of all produced the greatest gift of all - the gift of His Son, our Saviour. For when God interrupts, it is to give. To give to you. To give you what you need.

So repent of your sin, receive His forgiveness, and rejoice in His interruptions, as He prepares your heart for the next greatest interruption of all: when our Lord will rend the heavens and come down - when He comes again in glory.

Lord God, heavenly Father, thank You for Your divine interruptions in our lives. Enable us to see Your hand at work in our lives, help us to repent and turn to You, and fill us with trust that even when unwelcomed interruptions come, that in these too You are working for our good, now and forever, through Your Son Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

Advent 1 Sermon

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Jesu Juva

“Your Coming King”

Text: Matthew 21:1-11; Romans 13:11-14

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

Donkeys are not the preferred mode of transportation this weekend - that would be planes, trains, and automobiles, as folks try to get home as quickly as possible, and avoid trouble spots along the way. So donkeys are not preferred . . . unless you’re Jesus. He’s going home too, you see. But He’s not going as fast as He can, and He’s not trying to avoid all the trouble spots along the way. No, Jesus is going home through the cross. And He’s going home that way so that we can go home too.

So a new Church Year begins as it always begins - with a view to the end. We consider the end of the story, the destination - Jerusalem and the cross - so we will understand the beginning. So we will understand why Jesus comes. So we will understand why Jesus does what He does and says what He says. For ultimately, only one thing matters for Him: you. So He goes to the cross, and nothing will stop Him. He goes to the cross, for you.

So to help us consider this today, we heard some words from Matthew, who gives us some words from the prophet Zechariah, who said: Say to the daughter of Zion, - that’s you - ‘Behold, your king is coming to you . . .’ Jesus really is the King of the Jews, as Pilate would put over His head on the cross. Quite right. It wasn’t really Saul or David or Solomon or all the rest. They were the kings during the time Israel had rejected her true king, which was God Himself. They were the place holder kings until the real king would return. 

The real king, Jesus, the Son of God, who now enters Jerusalem, the capital, in royal procession, to claim His throne. Only it doesn’t look like a throne. To the human eye it looks like a cross. But it is a throne. For from the cross is where Jesus will rule His people - in the power of His forgiveness, mercy, and love. For He is the King of the Jews but not only the Jews, but of all people. And He is a king who rules by service, which is how it was always meant to be. A king who does what is best for His people, not for Himself.

But Zechariah tells us more about our King who is coming. He says: ‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey . . .’ Or in other words, now is not the time for glory for Jesus. That time will come, in its appointed time, with the glory of Jesus’ resurrection and the glory of Jesus’ return, when He comes to you riding on the clouds of heaven with all His angels around Him. But not yet. The humble must come before the glory - not because He needs it, but because we do. We need to see how great the love of God for us, that the Creator would become a humble man. We need to see the love of God for us, that He would set aside His glory and come to us in humility. We need to see the love of God for us that before He comes in judgment, first He comes to take that judgment upon Himself - to take our place, that we can have His place. He comes to die with us, that we live with Him.

So Jesus comes humble, riding on a donkey. It’s not even His own donkey. Or is it? Does it not by right belong to Him who created it and gave it to man to use for a while? But He would not claim that right. He claims no rights. He comes to serve. He comes to die. 

“Say to the daughter of Zion,‘Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’” A beast of burden. You know, Zechariah didn’t really need to add that little detail. Everybody knows that’s what a donkey is. But with these words, Zechariah wants you to know, as He knew, that the real beast of burden here is the one on the donkey - the Lamb of God, come to carry His cross. The Lamb of God come to carry your sins. The Lamb of God come to carry you through death to life again.

All this is the reason for Christmas. The reason for Jesus’ birth. The reason why we will spend the next four weeks preparing to celebrate that day. It’s a big deal, as it should be. 

But it’s not Christmas yet, so today we’re in the crowd, watching Jesus enter Jerusalem, standing side by side with folks like Zacchaeus, Lazarus, Jairus, and all those unnamed folks that Jesus helped. Standing side by side with the lepers cleansed by Him, the blind given sight by Him, the deaf made hearing by Him, the sick healed by Him, the lame given strength by Him, the sinners forgiven and accepted by Him. All of them crying out “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” They welcome this king who had already established His rule in their lives, His rule of mercy and love. For how could they not cry out? How could they not welcome Him who had done such great things for them?

And today we’re in the crowd, watching Jesus enter . . . here. For still today He comes humbly to us too, riding not a donkey, but words and water and bread and wine. Coming to serve and to save through these; to come to us with His forgiveness using these vehicles which are as unlikely as a donkey and cross. To the human eye these look like nothing, or even less - utter foolishness. But no less than the cross, these are His thrones today, the places He puts Himself for you. 

So we too today, as part of the crowd, will cry out these words. We’ll join the angels and archangels and - yes - all the company of heaven, crying out: Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! For your king comes to you today, into your heart, there to rule, there to reign.

But as you know, that’s not the end of the story. As you know, soon there were other voices in Jerusalem, that cried out not Hosanna! and Blessed! but Crucify! How quickly everything changed. Jesus knew that it would, that the shouts welcoming Him would soon turn against Him. As I’ve said, that’s why He came. 

And it’s why He is still coming to you today. Because how quickly your shouts change, and your hearts - like mine - change. We welcome Him here, and then we leave and what happens? Another ruler rears its ugly head. And instead of being ruled by love, we’re ruled by sin. For the Christians in Rome that St. Paul was writing to, it was orgies and drunkenness, sexual immorality and sensuality, quarreling and jealousy. Why would they bow before Christ their King one moment and then bend their knees to these the next?

But before you start feeling all superior, what is it for you? What sins turn your hearts and capture your thoughts? Is it these or other sins? These, or maybe for you its anger and bitterness, or pride and selfishness, or greed or covetousness, or even despair and self-pity. Do you close the gates to your heart against Him who would enter there, not wanting to let go of your sin, your pleasures, your control? Or are you too busy to welcome Him when He comes to you - too busy to pray, to read His Word, to repent? Or are you too busy telling Him what to do and not listening to what He has done for you, or looking for a different kind of king, and a different kingdom, one of this world. What is it for you? How do you crucify your king?

However it is for you, know this: your crucified king did not stay dead. And He comes again for you - not for vengeance, but to forgive. To dethrone those tyrants of sin that would rule you, and be your real king, a good and kind king, a serving and giving king. And so St. Paul told the Christians in Rome, now is the time to wake up from sleep, from sin. Now is the time to live in the light, not in the dark. Now is the time to cast out the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Now is the time to repent and welcome your king who comes with forgiveness, for salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed.

Nearer, closer, with every passing day. We see that with the stores, counting down the shopping days ’til Christmas, and with our Advent wreaths and calendars as we count down the days and weeks ’til Christmas, which is going to come before you know it! So too our salvation; our Saviour, Paul says. For our King is counting down, too. Counting down the days ’til He comes again in glory, to take home His bride, His Church. You.

For many, these days before Christmas are so filled with activity and all the preparations that need to be made. One pastor I read said that these days are filled with Marthazillas - people so busy and so filled with concern. If that’s you, this season of Advent says stop and sit for a moment. For your King comes to you today humbly, to help and give you peace, to embrace you with His love, to forgive your sins, to serve you and feed you and take care of you. For in fact He’s made all the preparations; He’s done all that needs to be done for you. And it’s here for you. He’s here for you. 

So as we begin this new Church Year, as we begin this season of Advent, as we prepare to welcome our King who comes to us, consider again the words we just sang - traditional words we sing on this Sunday every year - that they be not just words you sing, but words that form you this season, and all your life. For we sang:

Savior of the nations, come, 

Virgin’s Son, make here - our Church, and here our hearts - your home!

Marvel now, O heav’n and earth - and you, dear Christians - 

That the Lord chose such a birth - that He was born here below, that you be born from above. So that you too, both now and forever, may:

Glory to the Father, sing,

and Glory to the Son, our king,

and Glory to the Spirit be

Now and through eternity (LSB #332, vs. 1, 8).

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