Sermon -- Advent Vespers (December 2024)

This sermon was preached at Good Shepherd Lutheran Church in Novi on December 4, at St. John's Lutheran Church in Westland on December 11, and at Our Saviour Lutheran Church in Westland on December 18.

LUKE 1:26-38

THE SAVIOR IS ANNOUNCED:

An Announcement Met With Faith.

In the name + of Jesus.

     Faith is a gift from God.  It is God’s work, both created and sustained by God.  It has to be.  If the teachings of the Bible were so obvious and full of common sense, then everyone would believe it.  No one would fight against it.  But that is not the case.  Sin has blinded people.  Many argue that the Bible is full of contradictions, errors, and lies.  St. Paul noted that “the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God” (1 Corinthians 1:18).  What unbelievers deem to be foolish, we boldly confess and cherish.  This is to God’s credit, not ours.  Faith is God’s power, God’s working, and God’s gift.

     Our Lord was at work in the heart and mind of the Virgin Mary when the angel Gabriel came to her.  He announced, “Listen, you will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to name him Jesus.  He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High.  The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David.   He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will never end” (Luke 1:31-33).  You and I are familiar with the fulfillment of this announcement.  If you’ve been a Christian all your life, there is nothing either shocking or surprising about it.  “He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary.”  We confess it every week probably without a measure of doubt, and probably without a measure of wonder.  God has granted you the faith to believe it, but it deserves to be pondered because it is so marvelous and miraculous.

     The Savior was announced, and it was an announcement met with faith.  Mary did not reject Gabriel’s words, but she was certainly confused by them.  For centuries, God’s people had waited for the Messiah to come.  Suddenly, Mary had an angel appear to her to tell her that the time is now, and that the way the Messiah would come into the world is through her.  I wonder how many questions went racing through Mary’s mind as she was trying to absorb this announcement.  “Why now?  Why me?  Why Nazareth?  Why to a young maiden who is betrothed but not yet married?”  Of all the questions that Mary could have asked, St. Luke records only one.  “Mary said to the angel, ‘How will this be’” (Luke 1:34)? 

     It was an announcement met with faith.  Besides all the questions Mary could have thought, she must have also thought about the ramifications of Gabriel’s announcement.  She would be pregnant outside of marriage.  People do not even bat an eye at such things anymore.  God’s order of marriage and then cohabitation and intimacy has been cast off.  Many, even Christians, find it antiquated and see no reason to follow it.  But for Mary and Joseph and the Jewish population in 1^st century Galilee, this pregnancy would have been scandalous.  What would Mary’s parents think?  Or the townsfolk?  Or Joseph, her betrothed?  The rumors and the gossip would follow her for the rest of her life.  If Mary had thought, “I don’t need this!”, she did not say it.  Mary had just one question: “How will this be” (Luke 1:34)?  She accepted the angel’s word, and she accepted God’s plan for her in bringing the Messiah into the world. 

     But Mary also knew how biology works.  She was betrothed to a man, but she had not been intimate with a man.  Now, in the past, the Lord had produced some births that were miraculous.  The most prominent example is with Abraham and Sarah.  Both were old, and Sarah had been barren her whole life.  Yet, God caused an 89-year-old woman to conceive from her 99-year-old husband.  God also duplicated that miracle with Mary’s elderly relatives, Zechariah and Elizabeth.  In both cases—Abraham and Sarah, Zechariah and Elizabeth—God had not acted apart from the marital union.  But for Mary, this was unprecedented.  How does a woman get pregnant without any union with a man?  Mary was confused.  Mary did not ask in defiance, “How can this be?”  Rather, she asked in faith “How will this be” (Luke 1:34)? 

     People have often wondered why the Virgin Mary was chosen to be the one through whom the Messiah would come into the world.  Ultimately, the answer is: By God’s grace.  This was not a reward for holiness.  The Lord had worked in Mary’s life so that she would be the appropriate choice for this honor.  Mary believed in God’s promises.  God had worked that in her.  Mary lived a chaste life, remaining virgin pure as she awaited marriage.  God worked that faithfulness in her, too.  Mary was betrothed to a man of faith.  So, when the angel appeared to Joseph in a dream and informed him what was going on with Mary, Joseph, too, met that announcement with faith.  He took Mary as his wife but was not intimate with her so that there was no doubt the child was from God and not from Joseph.  That was all God’s work.  Despite the scandal of her pregnancy, despite the townspeople whispering and gossiping, despite her reputation taking a hit, Mary humbly accepted the role that the angel announced to her.  “Mary said, ‘See, I am the Lord’s servant.  May it happen to me as you have said’” (Luke 1:38).  From beginning to end, God was at work through Mary and Joseph to bring his Son into the world. 

     Mary had asked the angel, “How will this be…” (Luke 1:34)?  The angel answered her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.  So the holy one to be born will be called the Son of God’” (Luke 1:35).  Once again, this was met with faith.  We don’t hear Mary respond to the angel’s words with, “Well, that sounds reasonable.”  Who would?  This is a miracle.  That means that God was acting outside the natural order.  Miracles are surprising; they are not normal.  Normal is that a man and a woman become intimate and that produces a baby.  If you heard that a young lady was pregnant, you would not wonder if the Holy Spirit was at work again.  And no one assumed that about Mary, either.  This was a miracle that had to be revealed.  Mary and Joseph amazingly met the announcement with faith.  They took God at his word even when it defied reason and experience.

     Faith is a gift of God; it takes God at his word.  It has to be God’s work in us because we do not naturally believe what God says.  In some cases, God’s word reveals what we could not know—such as Mary’s child being conceived by the Holy Spirit and so entering this world without sin.  Faith accepts this not because it is reasonable, but because the Holy Spirit works in our hearts to assent to God’s word.  Faith accepts the mysteries that have been revealed by God.  In other cases, God’s will does not need special revelation.  It is evident to all people because God has written it in our hearts.  Our consciences testify what is good and what is evil.  And even though such things are evident, only by faith do we agree with them.  Only by faith do we confess them.  Only by faith do we acknowledge that they are good and strive to live according to them.

     Sin causes us to reject God’s word and God’s will.  Sin regards what is spiritual or miraculous as absurdity.  Even believers struggle to honor God’s will.  That is why not even Christians bat an eye when a man and woman live together before they are married.  That is why Christians will seek a divorce instead of sacrificing to make their marriage work.  Finding happiness trumps God’s commands.  It is why Christians defend their sins rather than confess them and repent of them.  It’s not that we don’t know God’s will; it is that we don’t like God’s will.  We want to do what is easy, what gratifies our desires, and what makes sense to us.  Because of our sinfulness, we consider the right thing to be repulsive.  But beware; for this is what the Lord says: “That servant who knew his master’s will and did not … act according to what his master wanted, will be punished severely” (Luke 12:47).  Repent.

     The Savior was announced to Mary, and it was met with faith.  Faith willingly did the hard thing because it was God’s will.  Do you think it was easy for Mary to carry this child?  Do you think it was convenient to have her plans altered like this?  It did not matter.  In faith, Mary accepted God’s plans for her.  Faith recognizes that everything God says and does is good, whether it is miraculous or mundane, whether it is a promise or a command, whether it means a bounty or a burden.  Faith always responds to God’s word with, “I am the Lord’s servant.  May it happen to me as you have said” (Luke 1:38).  Faith takes God at his word, even when it means having to do the hard thing because it is the right thing.

     The Lord Jesus Christ came into this world to bear the cross for us.  He did the hard thing because it was God’s will.  It was God’s will that Jesus bear a curse he did not deserve.  It was God’s will that Jesus endure a hellish torment he had not earned.  And yet, Jesus did it because God sent him to do it.  It was a payment he was pleased to make in order to redeem us.  He is the Lord’s servant who has come to do the work to save you.

     Faith responds to God’s word as Mary did: “I am the Lord’s servant.  May it happen to me as you have said” (Luke 1:38).  Faith clings to God’s word even when that word challenges us to trust God or offends our senses.  We might still feel the weight of our sins.  We see the reality of the grave, but we know that Jesus has redeemed us and has overcome the grave.  He lives and reigns to assure us of a resurrection to life everlasting.  And when you hear the absolution announced to you, it is an announcement met with faith.  Although the words come from the mouth of the minister, you know that it is the voice of Jesus who announces, “I forgive you.”

     Faith clings to all of God’s word.  His promises announce divine peace and proclaim eternal salvation.  His commands announce what a godly life is.  His Holy Spirit works in us not only a love for the promises, but also a love for the commands.  We are eager to honor our Lord with loving obedience even if it is strange to the world.  Sin may argue, “Why bother refraining from sin?  Everyone is doing it, and they aren’t hurting for it.”  Faith retorts, “I am a child of God, and I am going to live like it, even if I have to do the hard thing, even if I have to suffer for it.”  Sin may be repulsed by God’s word, but faith delights in it even if it is a cross to bear.  Faith never despises a cross.

     The Lord Jesus Christ continues to guide us to a godly life and to preserve us unto eternal life.  In faith, each of us responds to God’s word as Mary did: “I am the Lord’s servant.  May it happen to me as you have said” (Luke 1:38). 

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Advent Vespers -- Wednesdays in December

Advent Vespers 2024

THE SAVIOR IS ANNOUNCED.

December 4
An Annunciation Met with Faith.
(Luke 1:26-38)
Rev. Thomas Schroeder
from Good Shepherd Lutheran Church, Novi

December 11
An Annunciation in Prophecy.
(Isaiah 9:2-7)
Rev. Craig Birsching
from St. John's Lutheran Church, Westland

December 18
An Annunciation Met with Unbelief. 

(Luke 1:5-25)
Rev. Guy Purdue

from Our Saviour Lutheran Church, Westland

Advent Vespers are Wednesdays at 7:00 PM.

A supper will be served at 6:00 PM.

Sermon -- Mid-week Advent, Week 3 (December 20, 2023)

MALACHI 3:1

OLD TESTAMENT PROMISES OF THE MESSIAH:

ADVENT AT HAND.

In the name + of Jesus.

     St. Peter wrote, “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness” (2 Peter 3:9).  Peter’s comment is regarding Jesus’ second coming.  It has been almost 2,000 years since Jesus promised, “Surely I am coming soon” (Revelation 22:20).  Jesus has long passed our definition of “soon.”  But time is a relative matter.

     We experience the relativity of time, too.  For children who are anticipating Christmas, the days are dragging.  The school days last forever.  Adults may feel that there is not enough time between now and the weekend to finish up everything you want to.  The days go fast.  As you get older, the years go faster.  Christmas will be here soon.  Parents are haunted by the word “soon” because it is coming so fast.  Children would argue, “Not soon enough.”

     The prophet Malachi foretold the first Advent of the Lord.  “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me.  And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts” (Malachi 3:1).  It would be soon.  It would come suddenly.  But then the people waited some more, as if they had not already been waiting long enough.  Advent had been announced.  Advent had been awaited.  Malachi said that Advent was at hand.  “Soon” proved to be a relative term.

     If our focus is on the timing, we may begin to question the Lord’s faithfulness.  The comfort comes from the content of the promise rather than the timing of its fulfillment.  The promise was extended as soon as it was needed.  God did not let Adam and Eve twist in their fear and guilt for a good long time so that they really felt the consequences of their actions.  God’s presence in the Garden produced intense fear and guilt.  God also did not wait for Adam and Eve to muster up the courage to ask for mercy or hope.  They had become blind to God’s goodness as soon as they had rejected God’s command.  They had become hostile to God’s word, harboring anger against God for upholding the very judgment he said he would.  Why would they expect a better word from him?  But God, who is rich in mercy, issued a promise—a promise unforced, unasked, and unearned.  God promised a Savior to deliver all people out of sin, its curse, its penalty, and its consequences.  Advent was announced.  The Savior would come.

     And then time went by.  God repeated his promise, but the fulfillment remained a future event.  Advent was awaited—by Abraham, by Moses, by David, by Isaiah, by Zerubbabel.  The Lord seemed slow in keeping this promise, but “the Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness” (2 Peter 3:9).  The Lord reinforced his promise through the prophets.  Far from drawing back, he continued to add more details to his promise so that people could recognize its fulfillment. 

     The last prophet of the Old Testament to pen words for God’s people was Malachi.  Malachi preached to the Israelites who had returned from captivity in Babylon.  The Babylonian Captivity was God’s chastisement upon Israel for years of apostasy and rebellion.  After seventy years, the Persian king, Cyrus, issued a decree that the Jews could return to their homeland.  The returning remnant had been refined as God’s people and were refocused on God’s covenant.  They came back to rebuild Jerusalem and the temple.  The temple they rebuilt paled in comparison to the magnificence of Solomon’s temple.  The old people who remembered that glory wept when they saw the new temple.  But this temple would be greater than Solomon’s.  Solomon’s temple is where the Lord dwelt with his people in a cloud above the ark of the covenant.  Zerubbabel’s temple would receive God in the flesh. 

     Malachi was sent to these people to issue one final promise from God.  Malachi said, “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me.  And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts” (Malachi 3:1).  The Lord was not slow in fulfilling his word as some understand slowness.  The Lord was faithful to his word.  Advent had been announced.  Advent had been awaited.  Now, Advent was at hand.  The Lord was coming soon, suddenly.

     I suppose Malachi’s words stirred up anticipation.  The coming of the forerunner was announced with, “Behold!”  Surely, he would come soon.  Then the Messiah would come suddenly.  For faithful Israel, “soon” could not come soon enough.  It is like the children who still have two days of school left and for the first time all year cannot wait for a Monday to get here (Christmas Day).

     But Malachi’s words would hang in the air for 400 years.  “Soon” proved to be a relative term.  The Lord seemed slow to act.  But he did act.  John the Baptist came just as the Lord foretold.  On the heels of John came the Messiah.  Malachi pointed to the Messiah, and his words begged for their fulfillment.  John the Baptist pointed to the Messiah—literally.  Malachi’s words stretched out into the future.  John’s finger stretched out to a man.  John pointed to Jesus and declared, “There is your Christ.  There is the Lamb of God.”  When the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son.  “Soon” found its time.  Advent was at hand.  Suddenly, the Messiah had come.

     We are at the forefront of another presidential campaign season, as if they ever really go away.  The parties will have a convention when they will formally adopt and introduce their candidate for president.  People will go into a frenzy at the candidate’s introduction, even though that candidate has not yet done anything.  They will make promises.  They will find reasons to blame the opposing party for every unfulfilled promise.  “They made such a mess of things that it will take way too long to fix.  They are opposing all our good ideas so we cannot get anything done.”  You know the rhetoric.

     Malachi foretold the coming of the Messiah.  Of course, the Lord’s promises were not merely for the Messiah’s arrival.  The promises included his work.  No one would be saved by Jesus’ birth.  It would be Jesus’ death and resurrection that would secure our salvation.  But his birth marked the beginning of every fulfillment.  Advent was at hand.

     The birth of the Christ is reason to rejoice.  But after Jesus’ birth, there was more waiting—thirty years until Jesus began his work as the Messiah.  Then, for three years, Jesus taught and preached about the kingdom of God.  He summoned people to himself, claiming that he would fulfill all the promises and that he would win salvation for all people.  All the sacrifices—centuries upon centuries of bloody sacrifices—would culminate in one pure, innocent, bloody death on a cross.  And then Jesus claimed that he would rise from the dead, that he is the refuge for all the dying, and that he is the source of everlasting life for all who take refuge in him.

     Those are magnificent claims for anyone to make.  But Jesus proved that his claims are not like campaign promises which sound great but then go unfulfilled.  Jesus was true to his word.  The promises found their fulfillment.  And this time, “soon” came quickly.  Jesus submitted to the sinister plots of his enemies who unwittingly brought to fulfillment the atoning sacrifice which had been promised.  Again, “soon” came quickly.  In three days, so many promises found their fulfillment.  On a Friday, Jesus paid the price for all your sins by his death on the cross.  Salvation was purchased and won.  On the third day, Jesus rose from the dead to verify that the payment for sins has been made in full and that the grave can, therefore, no longer keep its dead.  Everything was fulfilled, just as God had promised and just as Jesus foretold it. 

     Just as God has proven faithful in sending the Messiah, so he proves faithful with every promise.  When God makes a promise, it is not merely announcing his intentions.  He is firmly putting his plans in place and setting future events.  So, when Advent was announced, it was a certainty.  As Advent was awaited, people were confident that God would bring it about.  The Lord was not slow as some understand slowness.  God is always faithful to his word. 

     We have not learned the lesson.  We grow impatient with the Lord.  We are not good at waiting on God to fulfill his promises.  When God’s timing is not according to our liking, we doubt the content of his promises.  We challenge God’s love and wisdom when sufferings linger or when things go badly.  We call out in pain, in anger, or in helplessness, “God, why don’t you fix my life and heal everything that’s broken?”  Isn’t that the promise?  Jesus has, indeed, promised to make all things new and to restore all things to purity and perfection.  But when?  How long, O Lord?  The answer: Soon.  When Jesus comes again, he will put an end to all evil.  As it was with Jesus, so it will be with us—the glory comes after the resurrection.  Meanwhile, Jesus forgives us for our impatience and our outbursts against him.  He speaks tenderly to us, extends his mercy, and repeats his promises.  For he is not slow to comfort.

     The prophet Malachi had the final word in the Old Testament.  His promise hung in the air: “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me.  And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts” (Malachi 3:1).  And, of course, the Lord fulfilled his word.  The New Testament has a similar ending.  This is the final word: “He who testifies to these things says, ‘Surely I am coming soon’” (Revelation 22:20).  As it was with Malachi, so also this promise just hangs out there, waiting for its fulfillment.  And as the final word of the Old Testament saw its fulfillment, so with the final word in the New Testament. 

     The Advent of Jesus’ second coming has been announced.  The Advent of Jesus’ second coming is awaited.  And it is at hand.  The Lord will come soon, and those who wait for him will not be put to shame.

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Sermon -- Mid-week Advent, Week 2 (December 13, 2023)

PSALM 14:7

OLD TESTAMENT PROMISES OF THE MESSIAH:

ADVENT AWAITED.

In the name + of Jesus.

     King David wrote a number of Psalms which corresponded to events in his life.  Psalms 32 and 51 were both written after he was absolved of his sin of the adulterous affair with Bathsheba and the murderous plot against her husband, Uriah.  David praised God for the comfort that came from divine mercy and forgiveness.  Other Psalms include the event in the heading.  For example, the heading of Psalm 18 states that David “addressed the words of this song to the LORD on the day when the LORD delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul.”  Although Psalm 14 was written by King David, he did not indicate what events led up to him writing it. 

     David’s plea was spoken in the final verse: “Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!  When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad” (Psalm 14:7).  This plea suggests that something was wrong among God’s people.  Someone or something was oppressing them and making life miserable.

     Zion is synonymous with Jerusalem and, particularly, with God’s temple.  This is where David wanted to see someone come forward to restore the fortunes of Israel.  However, David was the King.  If someone out of Zion were going to rescue Israel from oppression, it was to be him.  He was the Lord’s anointed.  He was the leader of God’s people.  As King, David was entrusted with the oversight and protection of the people.

     But if you know David’s story, you also know that the city of David was the source of trouble as much as it was a source of hope.  There was trouble in David’s household.  Having multiple wives resulted in having sons act as heated rivals.  They plotted against each other as they vied for the throne.  Most notably, there was David’s son, Absalom.  Absalom not only sought the throne, he staged a coup against his own father.  There was no salvation out of Zion as David and his royal house fled for their lives.  At another time, David took a census of the people so he could know what kind of army was at his disposal.  The Lord had forbidden this census.  Israel was to trust in God’s promise and protection, not in military might.  David’s pride resulted in the angel of the Lord striking Israel with a plague which killed tens of thousands.  King David did not restore the fortunes of his people; rather, he was the cause of their troubles.

     Although David had established Jerusalem as the city of David, and although David had purchased Mt. Zion for the future site of the temple, David did not bring salvation for God’s people.  The fortunes of Israel may have improved under David, but they did not endure.  David’s prayer confessed as much: “Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!  When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad” (Psalm 14:7). 

     Neither a tumultuous life nor daily problems are unique to King David.  Everyone suffers from troubles.  Your problems don’t rise to the level of national security issues.  Your problems are not that big, but they are plenty big when they are yours and you are forced to struggle with them.  Maybe your prayer mirrors King David’s—that the Lord would restore your fortunes, that he would recalibrate your circumstances so that you do not have to contend with failing health, aching joints, endless debt, a fractured family, or anxiety and the pressures of deadlines and quotas.  When all our problems mount up—whether struggles in our heads, in our homes, or in the world around us—we long for God to step in and do something about it.  The lament arises from Christians, agnostics, and is said in derision by atheists: “Why doesn’t God put a stop to tragedies?  Why won’t God strike down those who cause trouble for others?”  Atheists don’t believe there is a God who saves; we often wonder if he will.  Either way, everyone longs for deliverance from problems. 

     All the problems we know happen because we are sinners living in a sinful world.  We long for rescue from both conditions—both our sinfulness and from this broken world.  But neither we nor the world can produce the rescue we want.  This is why David cries out, “Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion” (Psalm 14:7)! 

     Advent was awaited by the Old Testament people.  The prayers were answered when Jesus came.  He comes from Zion, the presence of God.  Zion is the Lord’s temple.  It is where God dwells with his people.  Jesus is the true temple of God.  He is God who dwells with his people—not in a building, but in the flesh.  Jesus has come to deliver us out of our wretched condition.  There is salvation from Zion.  There is peace from God.  The fortunes of God’s people will be restored.

     Jesus left the glories of heaven to come to this broken world.  The Bible says, “You know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9).  Jesus came into our world to seek his fortune.  The fortune that Jesus sought and found is you.  You are the prize that Jesus came to win.  He did not despise you in your sinful condition, but embraced you and spent everything to obtain you.  To restore your fortune, Jesus exchanged his righteousness for your wickedness, his innocence for your guilt.  In doing so, he also exchanged his life for your death.  He exchanged God’s favor for your curse—dying the sinner’s death for you.  Jesus has rescued you from the squalor of your sinful condition.  He has enriched you with divine favor and enduring peace. 

     David uttered his plea: “Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!  When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad” (Psalm 14:7).  Not those exact words, but that sentiment was expressed by God’s people throughout the Old Testament.  Advent was announced in the Garden of Eden.  And then Advent was awaited for centuries.  The people trusted that the Messiah would come because God had promised it, and God does not lie.  But the waiting went on, and on, and on.   Who could have guessed that from David’s prayer in Psalm 14 there would be another 1,000 years before salvation would come?  God’s people would remember the promises, and God’s people would repeat David’s prayer while they waited. 

     Advent was awaited for so long, but God proved true to his word.  Advent arrived with Jesus, and the promises were fulfilled by Jesus’ sufferings, death, and resurrection.  “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).  So the fortunes of God’s people have been restored.  The sinful condition has been rectified.  We are pardoned of all guilt and free from all the charges.

     Yet, we still live in that broken world.  The troubles still mount up.  The sorrows continue.  Health still fails.  Joints still ache.  Debts mount.  Families are fractured.  Wickedness still abounds.  Therefore, David’s prayer is still prayed, “Oh, that salvation for Israel would come out of Zion!  When the Lord restores the fortunes of his people, let Jacob rejoice, let Israel be glad” (Psalm 14:7).  Or, that prayer may come out as we had suggested earlier:  Why doesn’t God put a stop to tragedies?  Why won’t God strike down those who cause trouble for others? 

     We are still awaiting an Advent.  Jesus is coming again, and he will rescue us from every evil there is.  Rather than leave us to dwell in a broke-down world, Jesus will deliver us to heavenly mansions.  Jesus promises to restore all things and to return the world to its perfect condition.  As St. John described it in Revelation: “(The Lord) will wipe away every tear from (our) eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away” (Revelation 21:4).  There will be nothing to go to ruin, nothing to cause frustration, nothing to inflict pain.  All the wickedness that we pray God would stop will cease to exist.  So, the Lord will indeed answer our prayer, even better than we can imagine it. 

     David prayed for salvation out of Zion and for the fortunes of the people to be restored.  The plea was earnest because the wait had been so long.  And yet, he did not know how much longer he or his people would have to wait.  So also, we have been waiting for about 2,000 years for our Lord to return.  The Church still yearns for his coming so that we will be forever free from sorrow, grief, and sadness.  Who knows how much longer we will have to wait for our Lord’s return?

     Just as God’s people in the Old Testament patiently waited for the Advent of the Messiah, so also we will wait patiently.  And just as God was faithful in sending the Messiah as he had promised, so we can be sure that God will faithfully his promise to return, to gather up his people, and to bestow upon us the fortunes of Paradise.

     Jacob rejoiced at Jesus’ first coming.  Israel was glad to receive her Savior.  We do, too.  And we look forward to singing endless praises when he comes again in glory to deliver us to glory.  The Lord is faithful, and he will do it.

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Sermon -- Mid-week Advent, Week 1 (December 6, 2023)

GENESIS 3:15

OLD TESTAMENT PROMISES OF THE MESSIAH:

ADVENT ANNOUNCED.

In the name + of Jesus.

     The Apostle John wrote, “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8).  We live on the fulfillment end of that statement.  The Lord Jesus Christ has come and has rescued us from the devil’s claims and power.  By his death and resurrection, he has crushed Satan underfoot.  And if the devil’s work has been destroyed, we are free from everything he has done to corrupt us and the world.

     Adam and Eve did not live to see the fulfillment, but they were the first to hear the promise.  The promise must have been astounding to them.  They did not ask for it.  They did not seek from God mercy or understanding or tolerance or anything.  They were good at excuses and blame casting.  They chose to engage in cover-ups, not confession.  They were terrified of God, and for good reason.

     Adam and Eve had been given everything they needed to live in joy and peace.  God withheld nothing from them.  The command regarding the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil was not given to withhold anything from them.  It was to be a blessing.  By not eating from the tree, they would honor the Lord’s word.  By honoring the Lord’s command, they would demonstrate their loving obedience to God, and they would be strengthened in their holiness.  The tree and the word attached to it were an opportunity to worship. 

     All of God’s commandments are like that.  When God commands us to do something, it is because doing it is good—both for God’s honor and for the good of our neighbor, even if those things are hard or costly.  When God forbids us from doing something, it is because doing it is evil and harmful.  To do what God forbids is disrespectful to God and destructive to our neighbor, even if it seems to enrich us.  Every day presents multiple opportunities to worship God by observing the Ten Commandments God gave.  Adam and Eve were given just one.  To keep it would bring blessing and life.  To violate it would bring shame and death.

     In slithers the devil.  He convinced Adam and Eve that God’s commands were restrictive.  He claimed that God’s word prevented Adam and Eve from advancing in wisdom.  He deceived them into thinking that divine glory and knowledge could be stolen from the Lord, even though the Lord would have given them for free.  “So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate” (Genesis 3:6). 

     The devil’s kingdom had been established.  He conned Adam and Eve.  He overcame them through deception and outright lies.  Like an anaconda wraps itself around its prey and drags it beneath the surface of the Amazon River, the devil wrapped himself around their hearts, their minds, and their desires, and he dragged them down to death.  They were spiritually dead, having forfeited all the spiritual blessings and the favor of God.  They were bound to physical death.  Although the grave came much later, death infected their bodies which were now susceptible to weakness and sickness, aches and pains, toil and frustration.  Finally, they were destined for eternal death—total and endless separation from the God who is the source of life and blessing and peace. 

     This cursed condition has been passed down to us all.  As a result, the devil’s deceptions and distortions of God’s word influence our thinking and corrupt our wills.  The devil still persuades us to believe that God’s Commandments are restrictive and unreasonable.  Every motive is reduced to, “How does this benefit me?  What do I gain by this?”  We end up being like Adam and Eve as we tell God that our sins are someone else’s fault.  Either circumstances or other people forced us to do what was wicked because that’s what we had to do to preserve our comfort or our cash.  We are better at the cover-up than confession.  Repent.

     Adam and Eve had been made in the image of God.  But their perfection and love for God and neighbor were lost.  Now we all bear the image of Adam—sinful from birth, sinful from the time our mothers conceived us.  We even take advantage of our loved ones, hoping our laziness will force them to do what we are responsible for.  How have we become so self-centered as to con our loved ones?  Moses wrote down this account for us so that we can see how it can be that our minds and our motives have become so corrupted and so self-centered. 

     What Moses wrote down has been copied for centuries by scribes.  The scribes were very conscientious about copying these words so that we have not inherited a corrupted Bible.  When the scribes finished a column of Scripture, they would count the letters to make sure they had not added or omitted even one letter from the text.  (The Hebrew word “scribe” means “one who counts.”)  If they were off, they burned the scroll.  Then they had to start copying all over again with a blank sheet.  They refused to pass down a flawed copy of the word of God.  Perhaps it makes you wonder why God did not do the same thing.  Why not wipe out Adam and Eve and just start over like the scribes did?  Ezekiel answered that.  He wrote, “I have no pleasure in the death of anyone, declares the Lord God” (Ezekiel 18:32)—not even the two in the Garden who brought in ruin and death.

     Rather than kill off anyone, the Lord made a promise.  God’s mercy is astounding.  He did not wait for Adam and Eve to show remorse or beg for mercy.  Who knows if they ever would have?  Instead, God took the initiative.  God declared the promise.  The promise of the Messiah goes back to mere moments after he was needed.  Advent was announced.

     God spoke to Satan in the form of a serpent, although the promise is for all mankind: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15).  Adam and Eve knew that their innocence and righteousness had been destroyed because of the serpent.  Had they trusted God’s word, they would have retained their blessings and life.  But they had trusted the devil’s word, and it brought a curse and death.  There was no going back, either.  They were under the devil’s realm now.

     But Advent was announced.  The Messiah would come to rescue them from the devil’s grasp and from sin’s curse.  At this point, however, he was not called the Messiah.  He was called the Seed of the Woman.  The term is both a prophecy and a taunt.  The devil was taunted by the Savior being called “The Seed of the Woman.”  All that meant was that the Savior would be born into the world through a woman.  That is hardly specific, is it?  If the devil had hoped to destroy the Messiah, where would he begin to look?  Who was this child?  When would he come?  The devil could not know. 

     But it was also a prophecy.  “The Seed of the Woman” is strange terminology.  Adam fathered his children by implanting his seed into Eve.  They are the seed of Adam.  That is how all children are conceived—by the seed of the man.  But the Messiah would not be the seed of another man.  So, the Messiah would be born of a woman, but not fathered by a man.  The first promise of the Messiah, therefore, already suggests a virgin birth.  When Advent was announced, the Lord included more details than meets the eye.

     The child to be born would be a specific person.  The Lord declared, “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel” (Genesis 3:15).  The Messiah would be a “he.”  Since sin and death came into the world through a man, it would be a man who would bring remission of sins and deliverance from death.  He would do it by crushing the head of the serpent.

     The danger of a venomous serpent is in its mouth.  From its mouth, a viper inflicts pain and death.  This is the case for Satan, too.  He caused Adam and Eve to sin through his words.  He still inspires arguments which cause us to embrace temptations, to defend our sins, and to celebrate wickedness.  Such phrases as, “God just wants you to be happy.  Don’t get mad; get even.  All religions are the same and lead to the same place,” do not come from the Bible.  They are lies, but they are often repeated and believed by many.  All of them deny any need for Jesus.  Anyone who lives by such creeds will perish.  The devil’s lies kill.  If you would not stick your hand into a cobra’s nest, you should not grab onto the devil’s words, either.

     But the Messiah has come to crush the serpent’s head.  A serpent with a crushed head cannot harm anyone.  His power has been undone.  He does not even pose a threat.  But in crushing the serpent’s head, he would have his heel struck.  When a viper strikes, it inflicts pain and death.  So, the Messiah would suffer and die in order to deliver us from the devil’s grasp.

     For Adam and Eve, this was great news.  They knew that their life, their world, and their relationship with God had all been ruined by the serpent.  To hear that the serpent would be crushed meant that the Messiah would rescue them from their sinful condition, reconcile them to God, and restore all things to their pure and perfection condition.  The sin that coursed through their veins would be taken away.  The death that marked them would be undone.  The grave which taunted them would be rendered powerless.  The devil who had claimed them would be destroyed.  The blood of Jesus Christ is the antivenom which saves us.  The God who created us and saved us is now recognized as the source of love and life and blessing.  His word is confessed as true and good, and the lives of the redeemed are dedicated to keeping it once again—for the honor of God and for the good of our neighbor.

     Advent was announced to Adam and Eve.  From the very first promise, God’s plan was firm.  As time went by, details were added, but God was steadfast to his plan.  Advent was announced at the very beginning of the Bible.  Its results are recorded at the end of the Bible: “The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil” (1 John 3:8).  The Lord Jesus Christ has put away sin and death.  He has rescued us from the devil’s grasp.  He has reconciled us to the Father.  The kingdom of the devil is undone, and Eden shall be restored. 

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

Advent Vespers -- 2023

 2023 Advent Vespers

OLD TESTAMENT PROMISES 

OF THE MESSIAH.

 

December 6

Advent Announced. (Genesis 3:15)

December 13

Advent Awaited. (Psalm 14:7)

December 20

Advent At Hand. (Malachi 3:1)

 

Advent Vespers are Wednesdays at 7:00 PM.

A supper will be served at 6:00 PM.

Sermon -- Advent Vespers: Week 3 (December 14, 2022)

LUKE 1:57-80

THAT YOU MAY BE CERTAIN ABOUT THE THINGS YOU HAVE BEEN TAUGHT.

Certain That God Is Merciful.

In the name + of Jesus.

     The priest Zechariah was told that his elderly wife would conceive and give birth to a son.  It was a word from God and an answer to Zechariah’s and Elizabeth’s prayers.  Gabriel even told Zechariah what the name of his son was to be.  There was nothing vague or iffy about the announcement.  But the priest of God did not believe the word from God.  Therefore, the angel of God proclaimed a sentence of judgment upon Zechariah: “Behold, you will be silent and unable to speak until the day that these things take place” (Luke 1:20).

     Of course, the word of the Lord was fulfilled.  Elizabeth conceived and bore a son.  Still, Zechariah remained mute, for eight more days, anyway.  Then, on the eighth day, the boy was circumcised to mark him as a child of Abraham and a son of the covenant.  It was also the day for giving him his name.

     The relatives of Zechariah and Elizabeth followed the common practice of the day.  This custom helps to explain why so many names repeat in the Scriptures—Simon, Jacob (often translated James in the New Testament), and Mary.  The relatives reasoned that the only son of the aged priest would be named after him, right?  It makes perfect sense: Zechariah gets his namesake.  Bucking the trend, and perhaps giving the impression that she was disrespecting Zechariah, “his mother answered, ‘No; he shall be called John.’  And they said to her, ‘None of your relatives is called by this name’” (Luke 1:60-61).  Not the father, not a grandfather, not a cousin, or even some weird uncle would be honored or remembered?  That can’t be what Zechariah would want.  So, “they made signs to his father, inquiring what he wanted him to be called” (Luke 1:62). 

     Zechariah may have questioned the word of the Lord when he heard it in the temple, but he would not be skeptical when the word of the Lord was proven to be true.  Apparently, he had made known to Elizabeth what Gabriel had told him, including the boy’s assigned name.  Zechariah’s ego had been put in its proper place.  He did not need a name’s sake.  He listened to the word of the Lord and did as he was instructed.  “He asked for a writing tablet and wrote, ‘His name is John.’  … And immediately his mouth was opened and his tongue loosed, and he spoke, blessing God” (Luke 1:63-64).  The angel Gabriel had told Zechariah that he would not be able to speak until the word of the Lord was fulfilled.  Zechariah finally had fulfilled that word by naming his son.  Then God proved to be merciful by opening his mouth again.

     St. Luke has recorded all these things so that you can be certain about the things you have been taught, and so that you can be certain that God is merciful.  King David gave us an excellent definition for mercy in Psalm 103: “He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities” (Psalm 103:10).  What could Zechariah say before God?  He had been given a clear promise, but he did not believe it.  For his rejection of God’s word, Zechariah should have rejected by God.

     Is not this the case with every sin we commit?  God’s Commandments are not vague.  His word is not iffy.  God tells us what is good so that we may do it, and he tells us what is evil so that we may despise it and avoid it.  But we are skeptical of God’s word, and we doubt it can really be good.  Jesus taught how God’s people are supposed to live and act.  Unlike Gabriel’s message to Zechariah, Jesus’ instructions do not involve miraculous acts.  This is what Jesus said: “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you.  To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either.  Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back.  And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them” (Luke 6:27-31). 

     Perhaps that is harder to grasp than God’s word to Zechariah.  After all, Gabriel said what God would do; Jesus taught what God’s people should do.  Jesus’ words are not vague or iffy, so we can’t say we don’t understand it.  We might insist, “He can’t mean that,” but his words are clear.  Nevertheless, we can find all kinds of reasons why we won’t live as he directs us.  Other people will take advantage of me.  I don’t want to suffer abuse.  Those who hate me are not worthy of compassion; they deserve scorn, if not revenge.  I love my stuff too much to give it away.  In short, the Lord gives us his word and we say, “No.”  But if we say, “No,” then we also forfeit our right to say, “Lord.”  For a Lord and master is to be obeyed, not rejected.  Repent.

     What can we say before God?  What excuse can we give?  We cannot plead that we didn’t know his commands.  We cannot insist that we have obeyed his commands.  Like Zechariah, we deserve God to strike us in judgment.

     What a marvel, then, that “He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities” (Psalm 103:10)!  This is written so that you can be certain that God is merciful.  No wonder, then, when Zechariah begins to speak again, he praises God: “Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people and has raised up a horn of salvation for us in the house of his servant David” (Luke 1:68-69).  Zechariah sings of the Lord’s redemption.  If we are to be redeemed, then there is a price that has to be paid.  The horn of salvation—the one who is strong to save—makes that ransom payment.  In fact, he is the ransom payment.

     This is recorded so that you can be certain that God is merciful.  “(The Lord) does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities” (Psalm 103:10)!  Rather, the Lord dealt with Jesus according to our sins, and Jesus paid the price for our iniquities.  At best, we have been reluctant to follow the word of the Lord which Jesus had preached.  At worst, we have flat out refused to do it.  Jesus, however, gave himself willingly to do all that is commanded.  He does it to redeem us. 

     Jesus did love his enemies—whether it is us who have turned away from his word or it was those who were mocking him as he died for them.  He even prayed that God would forgive the ones killing him.  When they struck him in the face and spit upon him, Jesus did not strike back.  He gave himself willingly to his accusers and abusers.  Jesus let his enemies take his cloak and his seamless garment as he hung naked from the cross.  All this Jesus did to redeem us from sin and death.  All this Jesus did to secure the blessings from his heavenly Father for us.  Jesus was condemned for us so that the heavenly Father would not deal with us according to our sins or repay us according to our iniquities.  Jesus paid the full price; the ransom is complete.  You are redeemed from sin and reconciled to God.  This is all written so that you can be certain of the things you have been taught and certain that God is merciful.

     Zechariah praised God for the Savior who would come soon after John came.  He rejoiced that the Lord showed “the mercy promised to our fathers and to remember his holy covenant, the oath that he swore to our father Abraham, to grant us that we, being delivered from the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, in holiness and righteousness before him all our days” (Luke 1:72-75).  You also get to live in holiness and righteousness before him.  For the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.  He promises: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9).  This is written so that you will be certain that God is merciful.  He has promised to forgive all who turn to Jesus, and he cleanses you of any unrighteousness that would convict you.  That is why you can life without fear.  There is no fear of judgment for you; Jesus has forgiven all your sins.  There is no fear of death for you; Jesus gives you life everlasting.  These are not merely endearing stories we tell at Christmas time; they are the oaths and promises of a merciful God, and they have been fulfilled by Jesus.  So, you can be certain of these things you have been taught. 

     Only after Zechariah praised God for the Redeemer did he praise God for the son he was given.  As the angel had commanded, he was named John, which means, “The Lord is gracious.”  John would go forth to prepare the people for God’s grace.  Zechariah had prophesied, “And you, child, will be called the prophet of the Most High; for you will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people in the forgiveness of their sins” (Luke 1:76-77). 

     Although John prepared the people by calling them to repent of their sins, John did not just blast people for their faults and weaknesses.  That would be easy enough to do.  Everyone has faults.  And you can guilt people into behaving better.  At this time of year, parents might warn children that presents are on the line if the children don’t produce better behavior.  Threats work, at least for a little while.  After a while, threats produce either fear or resentment.  Threats may curb sins, but they don’t take sins away.  John alerted people of their sins so they would recognize their need for a Savior.  But then John pointed, quite literally, to Jesus: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29)!  John means, “The Lord is gracious,” and so John pointed to the gracious Lord.  Jesus is the one who takes away sin, who alleviates fears, and who removes any reason to resent God.  He shows you that God is motivated by mercy, not manipulation.

     John the Baptist grew up and proclaimed the mercy of God to sinners.  It is the same mercy that was shown to Zechariah even though he did not believe the word of the Lord.  It is the same mercy that is shown to you when you do not love your neighbor as you ought.  This mercy is the reason God does not treat us as our sins deserve.  That mercy, in turn, enlightens us to see that God’s word guides us in a pure and purposeful life.  And that mercy warms our hearts so that we are like Jesus in our dealings with other people.  This is written so that you are certain of God’s mercy, and so that you can make God’s mercy known by your words and your actions.

In the name of the Father and of the Son + and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.