BIBLE BITS: Luke 18

In the Gospel according to St. Luke, he records an incident in which mothers bring their babies to Jesus so that he would bless them.  Luke, however, does not actually use the word "bless" in his account.  The blessing is implied.  St. Luke wrote: "Now they were bringing even infants to him that he might touch them" (Luke 18:15).

The touch of Jesus is significant.  Jesus could certainly have spoken a word of blessing upon the children.  Or the mothers could have sung a psalm for their children which proclaims God's blessings upon his people.  But the touch of Jesus was important to them.  They made the effort to go to Jesus and to deliver their children to him.

This is significant for us today, too.  While we can take comfort in the word of God which delivers God's blessings to us (i.e., forgiveness of sins, new life, and salvation), the Lord knows that we need his touch.  God did not merely declare from heaven that he loves us and forgives us.  He became a man to connect himself to us, in fact, to unite himself to us.  In doing so, he exalts our humanity and, by his death and resurrection, will restore us to what God had created us to be.  He does not merely save our souls.  He saves us completely--body and soul, which is what God has created us to be.

When Jesus wants to connect with us today, he goes beyond his bare word to do so.  He could have issued Bibles to everyone and told us to read his word and said, "That is sufficient.  You need nothing more."  Instead, he chooses to touch us in physical ways.

He established the office of the holy ministry and sends out pastors who proclaim God's blessings, preach God's word, absolve God's people, and touch their lives.  When he brings us into his kingdom, he tells us to use water in connection with God's word to cleanse us of all sin.  Through the waters of holy baptism, he gives us his Holy Spirit.  When he strengthens and keeps us in the one, true faith, he gives us his body and blood in, with, and under the bread and the wine in holy communion.  

And even more, he connects us with each other.  We are all flesh-and-blood, body-and-soul people who get to support one another.  We do so not only with prayers, but also with human touch.  God designed us to have fellowship with one another.  We greet one another with handshakes and hugs.  In the early church where the culture called for it, they greeted one another with a holy kiss.  

Like those mothers who loved their babies and wanted Jesus to touch them and bless them, we also want to make the effort to come where Jesus touches us with his blessing.  In this way, we don't have to rely on how well we hear and understand God's word for our comfort.  We can have Jesus apply his blessings to us through things we can touch, taste, see, and smell.  

The blessings of Jesus came through his touch.  They still do.  

NOTE: The picture above is a painting by Lucas Cranach, the elder (1472 - 1553), on display in Frankfurt, Germany. (Source: Christ Blessing the Children by CRANACH, Lucas the Elder (wga.hu))

Sermon -- 1st Sunday after Epiphany: Baptism of our Lord (January 8, 2023)

ISAIAH 42:1-7

THE MESSIAH IS MEEK IN HIS MANNER AND MINDFUL OF HIS MISSION.

In the name + of Jesus.

     When you read about Jesus’ life, perhaps you are disappointed at how little is recorded about Jesus’ first thirty years.  We hear some about his infancy.  We get a glimpse of him at age twelve when he attended the Passover and remained in the temple.  But we have almost nothing about his life until he was thirty years old.  St. Luke summed up the first thirty years of Jesus’ life this way: “Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52).

     The reason the Bible does not cover the first thirty years of Jesus’ life is because he did not begin his public work until he was baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan.  On that day, Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit and shown to be the Lord’s Anointed.  Only then did Jesus begin his work of preaching, teaching, healing, and performing other miraculous signs.  Already at twelve years old Jesus knew he was the Christ, but he did not presume to claim or act in this office until he was anointed by the Holy Spirit. 

     Isaiah foretold the anointing of Jesus in our lesson.  He wrote, “Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him” (Isaiah 42:1).  These words were paraphrased by the heavenly Father at Jesus’ baptism.  St. Matthew records it: “When Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, ‘This is my beloved Son—not merely “my Servant,” but “my Son”—with whom I am well pleased’” (Matthew 3:16-17).  Those who were the Bible scholars may have remembered the rest of Isaiah’s words which tell us what the Christ would be like.  The Messiah is meek in his manner and mindful of his mission.

     The mission of the Christ, as Isaiah records it, is this: “He will bring forth justice to the nations” (Isaiah 42:1).  We might expect the Christ would crush people with an iron fist or breathe out threats to scare people straight.  John the Baptist seems to have expected that.  But Isaiah goes on: “He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street” (Isaiah 42:2).  Jesus did not engage in shouting matches with his enemies.  He is neither an antagonist nor a rebel.  John the Baptist was a voice crying in the wilderness, but Jesus was a meek-mannered voice in the synagogues and homes of the people.  The Messiah is meek in his manner and mindful of his mission.

     Isaiah wrote: “A bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench” (Isaiah 42:2).  Many of the people Jesus encountered were bruised reeds and smoldering wicks.  Jesus interacted with prostitutes, tax collectors, people of low morals, and others who were haunted by their sins.  It would have been easy to condemn them according to God’s Law; and he would not have been wrong.  It would have been easy to rub their faces in their sins.  The Pharisees did that.  But Jesus treated all people as worthy of his time and attention.  They were not smoldering wicks to be snuffed out.  Rather, they were people to whom Jesus showed mercy.  He sought to fan into flame a faith that clings to divine promises of forgiveness.  Even though they were bruised reeds—broken and crushed by guilt and shame—Jesus sought to bind up what was broken and to bring healing to those who were hurting. 

     Jesus still does this.  We all have sins that haunt us.  If you have a checkered past or if you are struggling to overcome your sins right now, you will find your Messiah to be meek in manner.  He longs to cover your shame and to change your guilt into innocence.  The reason he is meek in his manner is so that we would not hide from him in fear, but rather flee to him in hope.  Jesus could get better behavior out of people with threats of hellfire and damnation.  Society would probably be safer, and people would probably be more polite.  But there would be no joy in life.  We would live in constant fear, trying to do what God desires.  If we celebrated the happy occasions of life, we would be afraid that we may have done something to make God angry.  Our obedience would be given grudgingly, and we would not love God at all—which would only incur more wrath.

     The Messiah does not come to snuff out those who struggle or to snap off those who are broken.  He is meek in his manner.  He is merciful to those who fear.  He “(brings) out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness” (Isaiah 42:7).  Those who are released from the captivity they have deserved may cower with fear, supposing it is not real.  They are waiting for their captors to change their mind and make their suffering worse.  What a joy to have a God who is meek and merciful!  He sets us free from darkness, despair, and damnation.  And he longs to keep us free, so he speaks tenderly to us because he knows that we still struggle and are fearful.  He inspires loving obedience to him—not by issuing threats but by his redeeming love.  He has set us free from the curse of sin, and in the end he will set us free from the consequences of sin—from everything that is broken, deceptive, or cruel. 

     He remains meek in his manner, but do not confuse meekness with being weak-willed.  The Messiah is mindful of his mission.  He is committed to upholding and fulfilling the word of God.  Isaiah had said, “He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth” (Isaiah 42:4).  He remained committed to your salvation.  He did not shrink from those who opposed him.  He did not back away from the word of God when it offended people.  The failure of his friends, the slander of his enemies, the unjust sentencing of both church and state, and the bitter sufferings and death did not discourage him from going to the cross.  He was mindful of his mission and fulfilled it. 

     Through the prophet Isaiah, the Lord foretold what the mission of the Messiah would be.  “I will give you as a covenant for the people” (Isaiah 42:6).  Notice that it is not that the Messiah would make a covenant; he would BE the covenant.

     In the Old Testament, kings would make covenants with one another.  The covenant was always a two-sided agreement.  “I will do this for you, and you will do that for me.”  The Hebrew expression is literally “to cut” a covenant.  That’s because the kings would take a bull or some other animal and cut it in half.  Then, to ratify their covenant, the two kings would walk through the blood trail of the severed animal, as if to say, “May I be slaughtered like this animal if I fail to live up to my end of the covenant.”

     The Old Testament covenant between God and Israel was basically this: If you, Israel, will follow my commands, then I will be your God and bless you richly.  But Israel was not faithful to the word of God.  We would not fare any better, either.  The Bible reminds us of this terrible truth: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).  We continue to fall short of the glory of God because we continue to sin.  Even as God’s people, we fail to live up to God’s word.  Trying to do what is right to earn God’s favor sounds noble, but it is impossible.  No one who is a sinner has ever stopped being a sinner.  You may curb your behavior, but you cannot change your fallen nature.  That is God’s work alone.

     The Messiah is the covenant.  Thus, Jesus was baptized to fulfill all righteousness.  Through his incarnation Jesus united himself to humanity, but at his baptism he united himself to sinners.  He absorbed all the guilt and shame of every sinner.  He has become the guilty one for you.  Jesus was slain as one who violated the covenant.  He went to the cross to suffer the punishment that sinners deserve.  The righteous one died for the unrighteous to bring you to God.  That was the mission.

     The Messiah is mindful of his mission, and he has completed it.  Jesus has done all the work to secure your salvation and your forgiveness.  He fulfilled all righteousness by his obedient life.  He diverted God’s wrath from you by his sacrificial death.  He destroyed the power of death by his resurrection.  He opens heaven to you.  He is your comfort in life, your hope in the face of death, and your advocate at the final judgment. 

     The Messiah is meek in his manner and mindful of his mission.  That mission includes this: “I will give you as a … light for the nations” (Isaiah 42:6).  Jesus enlightens all people to know that you have a merciful God.  It is not that God eliminates any part of his commandments so that we can dabble in our sins.  Nor is it the case that God’s threats are empty so that we can ignore both his commands and his judgment.  While Jesus spoke freely with the prostitutes, he called them to cease their immorality.  While Jesus feasted with tax collectors, he expected them to do their job without stealing.  When the Pharisees held others in contempt because of their sins, Jesus urged them to see their own sins rather than observe the sins of others.  All people were called to repent and to flee to Jesus for healing and hope.

     The Messiah is meek in his manner, but he remains firm in God’s word.  The Messiah is mindful of his mission, and he always remembers that his mission is to save sinners from death and disgrace.  So, God the Father sent Jesus to be a light for the nations.  Jesus enlightens you to see that he is the only hope for sinners, and the hope he gives is sure.  This is what he promises: “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved” (Mark 16:16). 

     Just as Jesus united himself to you in his baptism, so he unites you to himself through your baptism.  He has taken away your sin, and he in turn has given you his righteousness and innocence.  This is your confidence because the Messiah is your covenant.  You are not saved by your sincerity, your purity, or your tenacity.  You are saved by Jesus.  The Messiah has done everything to secure your place in God’s kingdom.  Through holy baptism, he presents you as holy and blameless to his Father.  And if that were not enough, here is the new covenant in his blood by which he forgives your sins and gives eternal life.

     “Behold my servant, …in whom my soul delights” (Isaiah 42:1), says the Lord.  Behold!  “This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17), says the Lord.  The Messiah is meek in his manner and mindful of his mission.  You are the mission.  So, thanks to Jesus, the Father is well pleased with you, too.

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

YouTube -- 1st Sunday after Epiphany (January 10, 2021)

 Here is the service from Sunday, January 10, 2021.

Sermon -- 1st Sunday after Epiphany (January 10, 2021)

MARK 1:9-11

SEE WHAT GOD MANIFESTS BY BAPTISM.

 In the name + of Jesus.

      On the night of Jesus’ birth, the angel said to the shepherds, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” (Luke 2:11)  What was spoken so succinctly on Christmas eve is driven home throughout the season of Epiphany.  The word epiphany has to do with a revelation, an appearing, or something that is made manifest.  Throughout the Epiphany season, we hear lessons which reveal that this Jesus of Nazareth is, indeed, the Christ, the Son of God, and the promised Savior.  In fact, today, God the Father makes it as clear as he can.  From the heavens, God the Father declares, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:11)  See what God makes manifest by baptism.

     St. Mark’s Gospel begins with Jesus’ public ministry.  Although Jesus had lived for 30 years prior to this, St. Mark wants to get to all that Jesus said and did as the Christ.  If Jesus is the Christ, then he is the Anointed one.  At Jesus’ baptism, he was marked for God’s special purpose.  To be sure, Jesus had always been marked for this purpose, but now it was publicly manifested.  This is the one.  This is the Christ.  See what God manifests by Jesus’ baptism. 

     “When he came up out of the water, immediately … the Spirit [was] descending on him like a dove.” (Mark 1:10)  Anointed by the Spirit, Jesus began to make use of the divine power he had always possessed.  From this point on, we hear of miraculous healings and signs.  Each of these declares: “This is the one.  This is the Christ.  Behold, the Son of God who has come for sinners.”  See what God manifests by Jesus’ baptism.

     “When he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open.” (Mark 1:10)  This is a staggering observation.  John the Baptist had performed countless baptisms by this time, but never had anyone seen anything like this.  When the heavens are torn open, this tells us that there is something different about Jesus.  And then the Holy Spirit descends upon him.  And then God the Father testifies about him and speaks directly to him: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:11)  “This is the one.  This is the Christ.  Behold, the Son of God who has come for sinners.”  See what God manifests by Jesus’ baptism.

     It is no small matter to have God’s pleasure upon you.  If God is pleased with you, that means you are good in his sight.  It means that you are free from fear of judgment.  It means that you are welcome in God’s presence and will partake in eternal peace and joy.  Outside of God’s pleasure is death.  It is punishment for sins, and rejection for now and for all eternity.  Some might view freedom from God as a relief, but it is not.  It is shame, bitterness, and endless suffering and regret.  Jesus heard from the Father: “With you I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:11)  We all need to hear it and to know it.  It is not enough to guess or assume or hope God is pleased with you.  That is no comfort at all.

     Just ask the jailer in Philippi.  He was a family man with a wife and children.  Perhaps he was even well off enough to have household servants and their families under his charge.  As a resident of Philippi, he was almost certainly a Roman soldier.  Roman soldiers who served faithfully were often offered a retirement plan in Philippi.  For a Roman soldier, it would have been a pretty nice life.  However, when an earthquake jarred open the cells, he assumed his prisoners had escaped.  The penalty for the jailer would be his life.  In an effort to die with some degree of honor, he was about to run himself through with his own sword.  The Apostle Paul cried out to prevent this and to assure the jailer that all the prisoners were still present.  There was no reason for his death.  However, coming that close to death—to standing before God and to have to give an answer for his life—the jailer was petrified.  Would God delight in him?  Should he?  This is a moment when “I hope so” is a useless comfort and when one’s best works are reduced to a charade.  The jailer knew he was a sinner.  The jailer recognized that he was without God’s favor, but Paul and Silas knew something he did not.  So “trembling with fear he fell down before Paul and Silas … and said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’” (Acts 16:29-30)   

     Now I suppose we could attribute the jailer’s fears to crimes he had committed against humanity.  Perhaps the years of brutal and bloody service as a Roman soldier came back to haunt him.  Perhaps.  But perhaps he was bothered that he was not as good to his wife as he should have been.  Maybe he had regrets that he had found more interest in wine than in his children.  Maybe he had a sharp tongue and belittled people with it.  Maybe he had developed a hatred for people who had different political opinions.  Maybe he finally recognized that being okay with his own sins was not going to be okay when he had to answer to God for them.  He knew he was doomed.  He yearned to be saved, and he did not know how that could happen.  This is what caused his trembling and fear.  It was not enough to assume, guess, or hope that God was pleased with him.  He needed to know.  What must I do to know God wants me, that God accepts me, that God loves me?

     See what God manifests in baptism!  For this is what Paul and Silas brought to the jailer and his family.  They told him about Jesus with whom God was pleased because of his holy life.  They told him about Jesus with whom God is pleased because he rescued us from God’s fair judgment and fierce anger over our sins.  Jesus had accepted a sentence of condemnation even though he was not guilty.  Jesus submitted to God’s fierce anger on behalf of sinners, no matter who that sinner is or what that sinner has done.  God proved he was pleased with Jesus by raising him from the dead and by giving him the highest authority and glory in heaven and on earth.  This Jesus, whom Paul and Silas revealed, has secured for us God’s favor and pleasure.  He has taken away your sins.  Therefore, God has no reason to be angry with you, much less to condemn you. 

     But more than just tell the jailer and his household about Jesus, Paul and Silas applied all of Jesus’ gifts to them.  It was not that the jailer and his household had to do something to be saved.  Jesus has done the work of salvation.  The benefits have already been won; they just needed to be given.  God’s salvation, God’s mercy, God’s favor, and God’s pleasure are given and sealed to all who are baptized.  This is why the jailer needed to be baptized.  This is why you needed to be baptized.  See what God manifests by baptism!

     When we come back to St. Mark’s gospel, we might wonder: “Why did Jesus need to be baptized?  Was the Father not already pleased with him?  If baptism delivers the forgiveness of sins and Jesus had no sin, what was the point?”  By his baptism, Jesus has united himself to you and to all mankind.  And at his baptism, he was anointed to publicly begin the work to save you.  This pleased God the Father who sent Jesus for this very purpose.  For God does not delight in banishing people to hell, but would rather they be saved.  So, to save all mankind, the Father sent his Son.  At Jesus’ baptism, the Father manifested him to us: “This is the one.  This is the Christ.  Listen to what he has to say.  Pay attention to what he does.  Because all he says and does is for your eternal good.  Behold, God the Father has manifested his Son who has come for sinners.” 

     See what God manifests by baptism.  What God has manifested at Jesus’ baptism is amazing.  Your baptism did not appear to be glorious at all.  You may have been dressed in a white gown.  Some of your relatives were probably there.  Pictures were taken, and a certificate was handed to your parents.  But there was no voice from heaven.  No dove descended.  The heavens were not torn apart.  While it may have been memorable to your parents, chances are it is not remembered by you.  Since it was not spectacular, you may wonder if it was even significant. 

     Just as Jesus united himself to you in his baptism, so also he has united you to himself through your baptism.  Jesus has taken from you all that is yours and he has given to you all that is his.  By his baptism, Jesus accepted your sin; at your baptism, Jesus put upon you a robe of righteousness.  While it may not be manifest to the world, God has made it manifest by his promises.  Therefore, everything the Father manifested at Jesus’ baptism also applies to you. 

     See what God manifests by baptism.  “Jesus … was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open…” (Mark 1:9-10)  And what is it that opens up heaven to the jailer in Philippi, to his family, and to you?  It is that God finds pleasure in you and sees no fault in you.  Since sins are washed away in baptism, baptism opens up heaven to you so that you can dwell with God without fear.

     See what God manifests by baptism.  “Jesus … was baptized by John...  And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw … the Spirit descending on him like a dove.” (Mark 1:9-10)  In baptism, the Holy Spirit has come to you, as St. Paul wrote to Titus: “he saved us … by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior.” (Titus 3:5-6)  The Holy Spirit plus water results in a new creation.  It did in Genesis 1, and it does in your baptism.  You are renewed and redeemed and reconciled to God the Father who is surely pleased with you.

     See what God manifests by baptism.  “Jesus … was baptized...  And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:9,11)  Jesus is THE Son of God.  We are not.  Yet, the Bible declares: “In Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.  For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.” (Galatians 3:26-27)  If you are sons of God, then you are all heirs of his heavenly kingdom.  And what is manifested now by promises will finally be manifested publicly at the resurrection of all flesh on the Last Day.

     See what God manifests by baptism.  Jesus was manifested as the Christ, the Son of God, and the Savior of mankind.  And by your baptism, God has manifested that you are God’s family, God’s redeemed, and God’s beloved.  God has done all of this so that you can know you are wanted, accepted, and saved. 

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

 

Sermon -- For the Baptism of Alexander Silva (November 7, 2020)

This devotion was preached and holy baptism administered at Zion Evangelical Lutheran Church in  Monroe, Michigan.

1 SAMUEL 1:25-28

THIS CHILD IS THE LORD'S.

In the name + of Jesus.

     Elkanah had two wives, which is not God’s design and not a good idea.  As you might have guessed, a rivalry developed between the two women.  Actually, it was pretty one-sided.  One of Elkanah’s wives, Peninnah, was providing him with children.  The other wife, Hannah, was not.  Peninnah held it over Hannah’s head that she was the mother of Elkanah’s children but that Hannah was not.  It is certainly a difficult situation when a mother pesters a woman who longs to have children but can’t.  I am guessing you might know what that is like.

     Hannah’s solution, besides weeping, was to take it to the Lord in prayer.  Prayer is not a place to bargain with God, as if God is interested in striking deals with us.  Prayer is where we cry out to God with matters that grieve us and plead for his mercy.  How God chooses to answer that is entirely up to him.  Since he is our good and merciful Father in heaven, whatever God decides is for our good—even if it is disappointing to us.

     The Lord heard Hannah’s cry.  He blessed her so that she conceived and gave birth to a son, Samuel.  Even though God does not make deals with us, Hannah was faithful to the vow she had made if God granted her a son.  She returned to the tabernacle with her family and Samuel.  When she saw Eli the priest, she declared, “Oh, my lord!  As you live, my lord, I am the woman who was standing here in your presence, praying to the LORD.  For this child I prayed, and the LORD has granted me my petition that I made to him.  Therefore I have lent him to the LORD.  As long as he lives, he is lent to the LORD.” (1 Samuel 1:26-28)

     Today, you bring Xander to be baptized, which means that this child is the Lord's.  He is baptized into God’s family.  He is marked as a child of God and an heir of eternal life.  He will be cleansed of his sin and clothed in the righteousness of Christ.  This is God’s work and God’s promise.  It is not a deal that we strike with God.  It is a gracious act of salvation which the Lord gives to us.  With the water is the word of God.  With the baptism is a promise: “Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved.” (Mark 16:16)

     When Hannah came to the tabernacle with Samuel, she dedicated him: This child is the Lord's.  Samuel came from God's goodness, and Samuel would be set apart for God's glory.  Your prayers have been answered similarly.  This child is the Lord's.  Xander was granted to you by God's goodness, and he is set apart through holy baptism for God's glory.  

     The Bible reminds us that every child is a gift of God.  He does not owe us these precious blessings; he gives them as he chooses.  Xander's place in your home is not the usual way a child comes into a home.  But God granted him all the same.  And he is not less a member of your home because he is not biologically yours.  This child has been entrusted to you by God to raise.  You will feed him, bathe him, clothe him, discipline him, and instruct him.  It will be dedicated work on your behalf, and often it will seem thankless.  You will do all things for his good.  That doesn't mean you will give him everything he asks for.  It means that you will give him everything that he needs.  You will do the giving, and he will benefit from it.

     And is this not how the Lord is with us, his redeemed children?  The Lord provides all that we need for body and life.  He is so generous and consistent with his blessings that we often forget to be grateful for them.  God does not give us everything we ask for.  In his grace, he provides all we need.  God the Father always does what is best for us.  The Lord gives, and we benefit as we receive.

     This is not true just for material goods.  This is especially true regarding our salvation.  God the Father gave his one and only Son for us.  Jesus lived for us to give us credit for his holy obedience.  Jesus also took our sins away from us and put them on himself.  This is why he suffered and died; he was condemned so that we would be pardoned.  Then he rose from the dead to conquer death and the grave for us.  He opens heaven and gives us a life without sin, shame, sorrow, and without end.  All this God promises and seals to us through baptism.  We are adopted into the family of God.  And if we are children of God, then we are heirs of the heavenly kingdom.

     This is what it means to be a child of God.  We receive God's favor, and God gladly gives it.  Today, Xander is given these gifts.  And just as being a member of your family means you will continue to love and care for him, so also you will continue to remind him that he is the Lord's.  You get to teach him God's word, bring him to church, and pray with him so that he will grow in God's favor until he enters God's glory.  This child is the Lord's.  And by God's grace, he will be forever.

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

Sermon -- 1st Sunday after Epiphany (Baptism of our Lord)

LUKE 3:15-17,21-22

JESUS IS THE LORD'S ANOINTED 

WHO SERVES YOU.

In the name + of Jesus.

     We have entered the Epiphany season.  Epiphany means “appearing, or revealing.”  If you have ever said, “I had an epiphany,” you meant that something had been revealed to you or that you finally got it.  During the Sundays of Epiphany season, the Gospel reveal that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ, the Son of God, and the Savior of the world.
     On the night Jesus was born, the angel revealed to the shepherds, “Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ....” (Luke 2:11)  Jesus was called the Christ, but for the next thirty years Jesus did not act as the Christ.  He did not do miracles.  He did not preach sermons.  Even though Jesus is Lord and was sent to be the Christ, he did not usurp an office which would be bestowed upon him by the Father.  He did not act as the Messiah in his teen years because he felt called or because God had laid it upon his heart.  Jesus began his ministry only after he had been anointed to serve as the Lord's Anointed. 
     After Jesus' birth, the word “Christ” does not show up in Scripture until Jesus was about 30 years old.  When it did get brought up again, it was in connection with John.  The people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ... (Luke 3:15)  John is not the Christ.  John was appointed to be the Lord's prophet, but he was not the Anointed of the Lord.  John was the Baptizer; the Christ was to come soon. 
     When Jesus came to the Jordan, he was baptized by John and anointed to take up his office as the Christ.  St. Luke records it in two brief verses: Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:21-22)  Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit to take up the work which he was sent to do.  Jesus is the Lord's anointed who serves you. 
     Throughout the Old Testament, men were anointed into a particular office.  Aaron was anointed by Moses to serve as the high priest.  David was anointed by Samuel to serve as king of Israel.  Elisha was anointed by Elijah to be the prophet of the Lord.  At each anointing, God designated that particular man and gave him a measure of his Holy Spirit to carry out the duties of his appointed office.  When Jesus was baptized, he was anointed by the Holy Spirit to be the Christ.  And as the Lord's anointed, Jesus serves you as the fulfillment of all three offices—prophet, high priest, and king.
     John the Baptist had described what Jesus would do as the Christ.  He said, “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.  His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” (Luke 3:16-17)  In other words, Jesus came to gather in a harvest.  The good will be brought in; but the bad will be delivered into unquenchable fire—that is, a fire that never goes out; eternal hellfire.  Of course, you and I want to consider ourselves among the good because the alternative is terrifying.
     Jesus has come as the Prophet to proclaim the word of the Lord to us.  He defines what is good and what is wicked.  Among the many things he teaches is, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Mark 12:31)  Now, we all tend to credit ourselves as being obedient to that.  But Jesus also teaches God's demand is greater than what we credit ourselves with.  He declared, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you...  If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you?  For even sinners love those who love them.  And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you?  For even sinners do the same. (Luke 6:27,32-33)  Jesus shows us that we are not as good as we like to think.  We are good at loving our friends, but our enemies?!  We don't like people who annoy us; why would we love people who hate us?  They are our enemies for a reason, right?  This shows that our love is limited, selective, and selfish.  We are not as good as we think.  Repent.
     Although Jesus shows us that we are not good, he proclaims a heavenly Father who is.  For God sent his Son to serve and to save sinners.  By being baptized, Jesus has taken up the cause of sinners.  That means he takes up your sin and guilt.  He suffered what sinners deserve.  He was consumed in God's fiery wrath when he hung from the cross so that you will be delivered from unquenchable fire.  Your holy prophet reveals the divine mercy which forgives sins, and he proclaims the grace that opens heaven.
     Jesus is the Lord's Anointed who serves you.  He fulfills the office of high priest.  As high priest, Aaron represented God before the people, and he represented the people before God.  Israel's high priest made sacrifices to atone for the sins of the people, and then he declared God's peace upon the people.  Jesus is your great high priest.  He comes in the name of the Lord to declare salvation to you.  But he also comes before the Lord for you to secure that salvation.  He serves not only as your high priest, he is also the sacrifice which was given up for you.  Jesus shed his innocent blood for the guilty.  And through your baptism, he has covered you with his innocence.  Through your baptism, you have been clothed with Christ.  This is how Jesus declares God's peace upon you; for God will not despise that which is holy.  His favor rests upon you.  And Jesus lives to intercede for you to assure you of God's favor and God's peace.
     Jesus is the Lord's Anointed who serves you.  Jesus was anointed as king, just as David was.  When Samuel anointed David as king, Saul was still on the throne.  David did not stage a coup.  He waited for the Lord to give him the throne as God's timing.  But what David did do immediately after he was made the Lord's Anointed was to go out and battle the giant, Goliath.  David single-handedly faced the enemy of God's people and slew him.  In the same way, Jesus single-handedly went forth and slew your enemies.  Your sins no longer condemn you;  you are forgiven.  Death and the grave do not own you.  Just as Jesus rose from the grave, so also you and I look for the resurrection of the dead and the life of the world to come.  And Satan lies crushed under Jesus' feet.  The devil may try to dredge up the past and remind you of your sins.  But he is a liar.  He has no claim on you, no matter how convincing his arguments are.  Jesus has taken your sins from you.  Jesus has rescued you from the devil's grasp and has brought you into a kingdom of grace.  Jesus lives and continually reigns over you for your eternal good.
     Jesus is the Lord's Anointed who serves you.  Just as Jesus was baptized to unite himself to you, so you were baptized into Jesus to be united to him.  All that Jesus has won is now yours.  When Jesus was baptized, the Father was pleased to identify Jesus as his very own.  And so also, the Father is pleased to identify you as his beloved children.  When Jesus was baptized, the heavens were ripped open.  And when you were baptized into Jesus, heaven was opened up to you, too.  You are heirs of God's heavenly kingdom, just as you live under God's gracious rule now. 
     Jesus is the Lord's Anointed who serves you.  He was baptized to take up your cause, and so also you were baptized into Jesus to take up his cause.  The Holy Spirit was poured out upon Jesus at his baptism to anoint him for his office as the Christ.  The Holy Spirit was also given to you at your baptism.  He has made you a new creation—creating in you a clean heart and renewing in you a right spirit.  That is why you desire to continue in a pure and decent life.  The Lord Jesus has used his winnowing fork to deliver you out of the fiery judgment and to bring you into his kingdom. 
     How we long to remain under his grace and to enter his glory!  For, we have had an epiphany.  We see that all that God declares is good, and that God does all good for us.  Therefore, we strive to honor our Lord with our lives—loving our neighbor, and even our enemy.  For, we are the Lord's.  He continues to work in us and to work for us.  Jesus is the Christ; and we are his—baptized into his name, and beneficiaries of his grace.

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

Sermon -- Easter Dawn (April 16, 2017)

EXODUS 14:10 – 15:1

VICTORY COMES THROUGH WATER.

In the name + of Jesus.

     Exodus chapter 15 consists mainly of a song of praise by the Israelites.  We heard the first line in the song earlier: “I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.” (Exodus 15:1)  Israel rejoiced and put their praise to music.  They sang of the Lord's deliverance, and the conquering of their enemies.
     I suppose some might consider it morbid to sing so jubilantly about the mass death of people and animals.  To appreciate why Israel sang with such jubilation, understand who was delivered and why.  Israel was the Lord's chosen people—chosen to be the people through whom the Savior would come into the world.  To brutally oppress and to put to death this nation was to attack God's promise, God's Christ, and salvation.  Therefore, the Lord commanded the powers of Egypt to let his chosen people go.
     But Pharaoh was stubborn.  He did not heed the word of the Lord.  He would not give up his conquered prize.  After a series of plagues capped by the death of the firstborn, Pharaoh ordered the Israelites to leave Egypt.  However, stubborn Pharaoh changed his mind.  He was not willing to let his conquered prize go free.  He mounted his armies and chased them down.  He penned them in—Egypt's army behind and the Red Sea in front.
     The Lord commanded Moses to hold up his staff so that the Red Sea would be divided.  Israel, then, escaped their enemy by walking on dry ground through walls of water.  Stubborn Pharaoh ordered his armies to pursue Israel, only to see them buried in the waters that returned to their place.  In this way, Israel won a battle which they did not even fight.  Their enemy was destroyed.  Israel was forever free from them.  The promise, the work, and the victory were the Lord's.  The benefits he gave to his chosen people, Israel.  Victory came through water.
     Thus, God's promise remained firm.  The Lord's Christ would come.  The enemies of God's people were destroyed.  They could not thwart God's salvation and mercy.  This was worthy of singing and jubilant praise.  “The horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.” (Exodus 15:1)  Victory comes through water.
     This victory at the Red Sea foreshadows all that Jesus has done for you.  Your enemies—sin, death, and the devil—are stubborn.  They do not want to let you go, and you cannot set yourself free from them.  You were Satan's conquered prize.  Therefore, Jesus acts for you.  He has paid for your sins.  He has given himself into death.  He has even let Satan strike his heal.  But today, we celebrate that Jesus is risen.  Sin and death have been left for dead.  Satan is crushed underfoot.  You have been liberated by a battle which you did not fight.
     The benefits of Jesus' sufferings, death, and resurrection have been given to you in your baptism.  Victory comes through water which drowns the sinner and raises you anew as a saint.  The devil's grip on you is released.  The grave cannot keep you, for you are God's chosen people—set apart from a dying world, set apart for eternal life, set apart for godly living, and set apart as evidence of God's mercy.
     The death of your enemies means your eternal life.  Therefore, it is right to sing and rejoice and to celebrate a victory that you did nothing to win, but which Jesus gives you gladly and freely.  “I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously.” (Exodus 15:1)  The enemies of God have been drowned.  Victory comes through water.  God's people are forever free.

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

Sermon --1st Sunday after Epiphany: Baptism of our Lord (January 8, 2017)

MATTHEW 3:13-17

THIS ONE IS THE LORD'S ANOINTED.

In the name + of Jesus.

     We have entered Epiphany.  Epiphany means appearing or revelation.  When something becomes apparent to you, you say that you had an epiphany.  During Epiphany season, we hear how Jesus of Nazareth is revealed as the Christ.  Through his words and works, Jesus makes it manifest that he is the Son of God.
     Perhaps you feel that this already occurred at Christmas.  But the reason we marvel at Christmas is not because Jesus entered the world in some spectacular way.  What was apparent at Christmas is that a peasant woman from Nazareth gave birth to her firstborn son.  What had to be revealed came through the angels' word: “He is Christ, the Lord.” (Luke 2:10)  The Magi needed a star to reveal what Herod and the priests did not know, that “the King of the Jews” (Matthew 2:2) was born.  Anyone who was at the manger scene would have observed nothing out of the ordinary.  That’s because Jesus was born and grew up in a most ordinary way.
     The Gospel writers record next to nothing about Jesus’ life from his infancy until he was 30 years old.  St. Luke sums up Jesus’ childhood in this way: “And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom.  And the favor of God was upon him.” (Luke 2:40) That extraordinary silence reflects a most ordinary existence.  But now things change at Epiphany.  Jesus manifests that he is the Lord's anointed.
     Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. (Matthew 3:13)  God the Father had commissioned Jesus to come into the world to do the work of the Savior.  Jesus was not volunteering; he was reporting for duty.  Jesus was the only one qualified to do this work; for Jesus alone had the favor of God upon him.  Jesus had no need to be baptized.  Jesus is innocent in words and deeds.  Jesus is pure of heart.  John the Baptist recognized that.  John said, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”  But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.”  (Matthew 3:14-15)  
     It was fitting for Jesus to be baptized so that he would save us.  As I said before, Jesus did not need to be baptized.  Baptism is for cleansing.  We baptize our babies because they are sinful.  That is not apparent,  That, too, God needs to reveal to us, although by the time they are toddlers it is apparent to us.  We are baptized because we are not pure—although we like to think that we are.  We like to think that our intentions are enough to excuse us for our lies.  We recognize that giving to charity, praying, and giving our mothers a phone call are good things.  We also think that we should get credit for recognizing it even if we don't do these things as we should.  We like to think that our dreams and musings are how God speaks to us, and we assume we have God's approval on our plans and schemes.  We are convinced that, because we are convinced about something, that it must be from God.
     Thus, we rob ourselves of any assurance that God's favor actually does rest upon us and our lives.  Unless we have a clear word from God, we can never be sure that God blesses us or our actions.  Even worse, without a clear word from God, we can never be sure that God is pleased with us.  And when our consciences remind us that we are impure and unclean, no inventive thoughts of ours can put an end to that accusing voice.  Our hearts are deceptive.  Our thoughts are impure.  Our lives are unclean.  We are not innocent, and we are not even neutral.  We are sinners.  We need to be cleansed and purified.  We need to have forgiveness and salvation revealed to us.  We need an epiphany, and our Lord gives us one.
     When Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matthew 3:16-17)  And here is part of the Epiphany.  It is God the Father revealing, “This one.  This one is my Son.  This one has my favor.  This one is the Christ.  He is anointed not with oil, but with the Holy Spirit to do the work of salvation for you.  This one is my anointed who will save you.”  Here you do not need to assume.  You have God's own word: This one is the Lord's Anointed.
     Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit at his baptism.  This anointing marks the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry.  This is where Jesus is revealed as the Christ.  He begins the office into which he is commissioned.  In the Old Testament, people were anointed into their various offices.  Aaron was anointed to be Israel’s high priest.  David was anointed to be Israel’s king.  Elisha was anointed to be Israel’s prophet.  The Lord put them into their respective offices and gave them the authority and responsibility that came along with it.  Throughout Epiphany, it is revealed about Jesus: This one is the Lord’s Anointed.
     Just as offices were conferred on prophets, high priests, and kings in the Old Testament, so these offices were conferred upon Jesus.  At his baptism, Jesus was anointed not with oil, but with the Holy Spirit.  This one is the Lord's Anointed, and he is anointed to carry out the work of all the Old Testament offices—of prophet, high priest, and king.  This one will perfectly fulfill their work.
     This one is the Lord's anointed, anointed to be the prophet who proclaims the Lord's favor, who declares salvation, and who forgives sins.  Jesus does not merely talk about these blessings, he delivers them.  Your sins are, therefore, forgiven because you have God's word on it.  You don't have to assume you are forgiven.  You are assured of it.  It is not your inventive thought; it is God's gracious declaration.
     This one is the Lord's anointed, anointed to be our great high priest.  As our high priest, Jesus makes the atoning sacrifice for our sins.  It is Jesus who enters the very presence of God the Father with holy, precious blood offered up to pay for our sins.  But Jesus is not only the high priest.  He is also the Lamb of God who is slain for our sins.  Jesus sheds his own blood for us.  He has taken our sin from us in order to be the sin offering for us.  He gives his holy life for sinners, and pours out his innocent blood for the guilty.  The blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin. (1 John 1:7)  
     This one is the Lord's anointed, anointed to be your king.  He is not a tyrant who taxes and terrorizes you.  He is not a king who sends you into battle to win a glorious victory for him.  He is the king who goes into battle to win a glorious victory for you.  He goes forth alone to take on your enemies of sin, death, and the devil for you.  Your sins he covers.  Your death he overthrows.  And the devil he destroys.  Therefore, you are pardoned of your guilt.  You are heirs of the resurrection.  And you are delivered from the torments of hell to the joys of heaven.
     Jesus does all this for you because he is the Lord's Anointed.  He is not your Savior because you say it is so.  Jesus is not even the Savior because he says so, even though he does.  Here is your Epiphany:  The words and the works of Jesus reveal your Savior to you.  God the Holy Spirit anoints Jesus for the work, and God the Father gives you his word: “This one.  This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. (Matthew 3:17)  This one has my favor.  This one is the Christ.  He is anointed with the Holy Spirit to do the work of salvation for you.  This one is my anointed who will save you.”  Here you have God's epiphany: This one is the Lord's Anointed.  He is baptized to unite himself to you.  Through baptism, you are united to him.  He takes away your sin.  He bestows on you his righteousness.  Through your baptism, he opens heaven to you.  He puts God's favor upon you.  You are his beloved, and with you he is well pleased.

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

Sermon -- 1st Sunday after Epiphany / Baptism of our Lord (January 10, 2015)

LUKE 3:15-17,21-22

BAPTISM MEANS 

UNITY WITH JESUS.

In the name + of Jesus.

     At the beginning of every service, we invoke the name of our Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.  It is that name into which we were baptized.  It is in that name that our lives as Christians began.  At our baptisms, God washed us clean of our sins and adopted us into his family.  So, we now bear the family name—Christian.  It is by holy baptism that the Lord Jesus Christ has united us to himself.  If we are united to Jesus, then all that is his he gives to us—everlasting righteousness, victory over sin and Satan, deliverance from death and the grave, and a glorious resurrection to eternal life.  Baptism means unity with Jesus.
     In Luther's Small Catechism, we are instructed to make remembrance of our baptism every day.  The Catechism states, “In the morning, when you rise, you shall bless yourself with the sign of the holy cross and say: In the name of the Father, Son +, and Holy Spirit.  Amen.”  Making the sign of the cross accentuates your connection to Jesus and his cross.  While you don't have to make the sign of the cross on yourself, you certainly should not despise it.  That sign was first made upon you when you were baptized and when you were marked with the Triune name.  Making the sign of the cross is a worthy reminder that you are baptized and, therefore, are united to Jesus and a recipient of all his gifts.  This daily remembrance of your baptism is a tremendous comfort.  It reminds you of whose you are, and it is a proper motivation to remember for whom you live as you are about to get on with the tasks of the day.  Baptism means unity with Jesus in every aspect of your life.
     Today, our Gospel has us remember not our baptism, but Jesus' baptism.  Perhaps we don't give as much attention to Jesus' baptism because it doesn't make sense to us that Jesus should be baptized.  Jesus is righteous.  One who is holy does not need cleansing.  Jesus not only kept the Law, he has also been entrusted with enforcing it and judging us according to it.  John the Baptist testified that Jesus was coming in fiery judgment: “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.  He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.  His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” (Luke 3:16-17)  The fact that the holy Messiah was about to break into their world should have struck fear into them so that they would repent.  That's why John the Baptist was preaching and baptizing—so that they would not fall under his judgment.
     John was not wrong to preach repentance and judgment.  The coming of Jesus indeed comes with judgment.  Whoever does not repent will be lost forever.  When Jesus comes again, he will judge the living and the dead.  Our creed confesses this correctly, and we do well to take it to heart.  We, too, fall under God's judgment.  Baptism does not excuse us from good works.  On the contrary, it sets us apart for good works.  We cannot live as though what we do does not matter because we are Christians.  In fact, the Bible declares: “It is time for judgment to begin with the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?  And 'If the righteous is scarcely saved, what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?'” (1 Peter 4:17-18)
     When Jesus came to be baptized by John, he was anything but fiery or vengeful.  He even seemed to fly in the face of John's warnings.  He did not excoriate people for their sins; rather, he joined with them in being baptized.  When we were baptized, Jesus united us to him.  But when Jesus was baptized, he united himself to us.  Baptism means unity with Jesus.
     Dear Christians, you have been united with Jesus in your baptism.  This is how you escape the fiery judgment that is to come.  For, the waters of baptism douse the fires of hell and quench the burning wrath of God.  This is all because Jesus has united himself to you in his baptism.  By submitting himself to a sinner's baptism, Jesus put himself in the place of sinners.  Jesus united himself to all mankind.
     Baptism means unity with Jesus.  He has made himself one with us to take up our cause.  The man, Jesus Christ, has done the work which God commands every man to do—perfect obedience to the Law.  At Jesus' baptism, the Father in heaven declared that Jesus had done exactly that.  God cannot be pleased with anything that is short of his own holiness.  God is not pleased with anything that is evil, corrupt, or crooked.  Therefore, his verdict on Jesus is significant: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:22)  Though the first man did not obey God's commands, and no man has since, this man has.  Jesus of Nazareth had earned God's favor by his perfect obedience to him.
     That perfect obedience continued in Jesus all the way to the cross.  There, he selflessly laid down his life for sinners.  Jesus put himself under God's fiery judgment and was scorched in the heat of divine wrath.  He suffered for sinners because he had united himself to sinners and stood in our place.  The man, Jesus, bled and died for us.  But since Jesus is also God, his sufferings and death count for us all.  It is Jesus' blood which has satisfied God's anger and have lifted God's curse.
     What Jesus did at the cross is a historical event from almost 2,000 years ago.  But the way God delivers that payment to you now is through his word and sacraments.  You were united with Jesus in holy baptism.  In holy baptism you were cleansed by the blood of Jesus Christ.  Holy Baptism is, as St. Paul describes it, the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit. (Titus 3:5)  It is your new birth into the family of God.  It is how the Lord has given you new life, that is, regeneration, so that you are no longer dead in sin, enslaved to Satan, and bound to death and the grave.  Now you are free.  If Satan every accuses you of your sins, you can flee to your baptism for refuge.  If you ever fear death, you can flee to baptism for your refuge.  You can boast, “I am baptized.  I am united with Jesus.  Where he has victory, I have victory.  My sins have been paid for.  My death has been undone.  My place is with Jesus who lives and reigns in heaven.  Therefore, nothing can condemn me; for I am a child of God.”  And if you are in the family of God, then you also bear the family traits—you are holy and blameless in the sight of God.  You love what is good and right, and you abhor whatever perverts God's good gifts.  And since baptism unites you with Jesus, you also have received the same verdict as Jesus: “You are my beloved children; with you I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:22, paraphrased)  
     Baptism means unity with Jesus—who for us men and for our salvation Jesus Christ became man (Nicene Creed), and who for us men and for our salvation, this man was baptized.  He has taken up all our sin in his baptism so that he could bestow all his righteousness on us in our baptisms.
     And this is why the Catechism urges you to make daily remembrance of your own baptism.  It is where God has set you apart from the death and destruction that is coming upon the world.  It is where Jesus has delivered you from the curse and condemnation which sinners deserve.  It is where Jesus has set you apart for godly living, and it is how Jesus enables you to serve the Lord without fear.  Yes, you were set apart for godly living, but you are not trying to earn the Lord's favor through your godly lives.  Rather, you have the Lord's favor because you are now his children.  Baptism unites you with Jesus, so, when you were baptized, the heavens were opened, the Holy Spirit descended on you, and the Father is well pleased with you.

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

Sermon -- 1st Sunday after the Epiphany (January 11, 2015)

LUKE 3:15-17,21-22

JESUS IS IDENTIFIED AS THE LORD’S ANOINTED.

In the name + of Jesus.

     We have entered the Epiphany season.  The word “Epiphany” means appearing, or revealing.  The only way you can ever get to know about someone is if that person reveals information about himself to you.  A boy will ask a girl out on a date so that he can get to know what she is like, what she likes, and what she hates.  By what the girl reveals about herself, the boy finds out if he is compatible with her.  Likewise, the girl will only learn if she really likes the boy by what he reveals about himself.  Of course, people are usually on their best behavior on their first dates, so the couple will end up dating for quite a while before they really get to know one another.  If the boy tries to project on his girlfriend qualities or interests that she does not have, she will become agitated and he will become disappointed.  And if the girl tries to make her boyfriend what he is not, they will break up.  Through good times and bad times, each will reveal their interests, their personalities, and their quirks.  That is how a boy and girl will learn if they can commit to being husband and wife.

     In the same way, we do not get to project onto God what he is like.  When we tell people, “I think what God wants is….”, we are treading into idolatrous territory, presuming to speak for God and presuming to know what God thinks.  If we want to know who God is, what he wants, and what he hates, then God has to be the one to reveal that to us.

     John the Baptist came preaching fiery sermons and baptizing.  For that reason, the people were wondering if John might be the Lord’s Christ.  John confessed, “I am not the Lord’s Christ.  He who is mightier than I is coming.” (Luke 3:16)  No man can create his own Christ.  The Lord would reveal and identify his Anointed.

     When Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:21-22)  Here, Jesus was identified as the Lord’s Christ.  God the Father declared three significant things about Jesus.  “You are my Son.  You are my beloved.  And with you I am well-pleased.”  Here we have word from the Father himself.  This man is God’s Son.  The Father loves him because he is his Son.  And the Father is well-pleased with Jesus because he is an obedient Son.

     Jesus was identified as the Lord’s Christ.  He was anointed by the Holy Spirit.  Whenever someone or something was anointed in the Old Testament, it was set apart for God’s holy purpose.  David, for example, was anointed by Samuel to be the king of Israel.  David did not take this position upon himself.  He did not even campaign for it.  God chose David and had him anointed to serve God and to serve God’s people as their king.  

     Jesus was identified as the Lord’s Christ at his baptism.  Not even Jesus demanded to be known as the Christ.  He was content to let his Father identify him as such.  Jesus was anointed by the Holy Spirit and, thus, entered his office as the Lord’s Christ.  This is where Jesus began his public work to serve as our Savior.  Jesus was anointed to deliver us from our sins.

     Jesus was identified as the Lord’s Anointed, and Jesus has given you a new identity, too.  Through Jesus, you have become children of God.  Through your baptism, you were anointed, set apart for God and for service to him.  St. Paul wrote, “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope…” (Titus 2:11-13)  You are children of the Lord by faith in God and his promises.  You have been set apart for living chaste, honest, and holy lives in a world that is still ruled by sin.  But here is where you come into an identity crisis.

     Listen again to what St. Paul says you have been set apart for: “…to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope…” (Titus 2:12-13)  But what have you revealed about yourself in the way you live?  You can be just as petty, bitter, sarcastic, and corrupt as anyone else on earth.  You have felt the hatred for others bubble up in your heart.  You have uttered perverted and provocative words to friend and foe alike.  Even if your friends excuses you for your sins, others take great pride in noting that you, a Christian, look and sound like anything but a Christian. 

     Denying that this is true does not change it or fix it.  Confessing your sins and repenting of them is how you are honest in dealing with your sins.  When you confess your sins, you are acknowledging that God’s assessment of you and of all the world is right: “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23)  All are sinners.  All are guilty.  Whether you deny it or confess it, it is true.

     But God was pleased to grant us a new identity.  Jesus was identified as the Lord’s Anointed at his baptism.  Jesus was baptized in order to unite himself with us.  He has taken up our cause.  He has taken up our sins.  He has taken on our curse, and he has paid the price for us.  If you want to see the judgment for your sins, then look to Jesus Christ who has suffered and died for you.  There is where the curse has been put.

     You, then, have been baptized into Jesus Christ.  Through baptism, you were united to Jesus.  All that is his has become yours.  In your baptism, Jesus has washed away all of your sins.  In turn, Jesus has clothed you with his righteous obedience.  The words which were spoken over Jesus now the Father speaks over you.  You are his beloved children.  God reveals his love for you in the Christ who was sent for you.  The Father loves you, and therefore has made you his children. 

     Jesus was identified as the Lord’s Anointed.  And through Jesus, you have received a new identity: You are children of God.  This is not something you chose.  You did not even campaign for it.  God chose you.  Jesus saved you.  Through your baptism, God gave you a new birth into his family.  Therefore, you are his beloved children.  With you he is well pleased. 

     Jesus was identified as the Lord’s Anointed.  Jesus was anointed to give you comfort, consolation, and confidence regarding your place in his kingdom.  Jesus’ promises remain strong even when you are weak, or even when you are disgusted or disappointed in yourself.  Jesus identifies you as a baptized child of God.  Jesus’ words and washing give you an unshakable confidence; for they rest upon Jesus’ words and works, not on yours.  Your baptism, therefore, wipes away all doubt and staves off even despair.  Through your baptism, Jesus has cleansed you of all sin, and therefore God is well pleased with you.  Through your baptism, Jesus has marked you as a child of God, and therefore, you are an heir of his everlasting kingdom.  Through your baptism, Jesus has made you a new creation, which is eager to turn from evil and to devote yourself to what is good. 

     Jesus was identified as the Lord’s Anointed.  Jesus was revealed to you as your Savior, and he reveals to you your true identity:  Jesus has made you children of the heavenly Father.  Since you are God’s children, the Father in heaven loves you.  Since you are God’s children, He is well-pleased with you.  Since you are God’s children, you are heirs of his heavenly kingdom.

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

Sermon -- 1st Sunday after the Epiphany (January 13, 2013)

LUKE 3:15-17,21-22

JESUS OPENS HEAVEN THROUGH BAPTISM.

In the name + of Jesus.

     There is no doubt that people want to be accepted.  They want to belong.  Some people have contests about who has more Facebook friends.  And there is something disturbing when someone “unfriends” you, even if you haven’t seen that person since high school or never comment to each other.  When you are unfriended, you feel rejected.  You feel like an outcast.  Of course, some forms of rejection hurt even more.  A man who loses his job feels useless.  A man or woman who is divorced feels belittled and betrayed.  Sadly, this desire to be wanted compels some girls give themselves away to alleged boyfriends who would rather use them than love them.  It often seems that we would rather be used than be rejected.

     It is perhaps the “why” which torments us when we are rejected.  Why did she leave me?  Why did he unfriend me?  Why don’t they like me?  Of course, there are times when we know the “why.”  If you’ve burned the bridge or betrayed a secret, you know why he turned his back on you.  So you know why, not that it helps.  You are still banished, forsaken, and rejected.  Even if you cause the break-up, severed and strained relationships still hurt.

     You and I are so eager to feel like we belong that we cozy up to worldly attitudes and adopt worldly ways.  We act out on our greed, our jealousies, our selfishness, our resentment, and our discontent.  Then we tell our stories to our friends, expecting them to approve of our actions.  No matter how wrong we are, our friends usually come through and tell us that we are right.  Our friends don’t care what God says.  They just want us to be happy.  And we just want to be accepted.  As long as we have that, we feel good.  As long as someone is pleased with us, we are pleased with ourselves and our actions. 

     John the Baptist warned that the Christ was coming.  He does not give tacit approval to whatever we do.  He judges whether or not we have obeyed God and loved our neighbor.  That is how we get God’s approval.  John declared, “He who is mightier than I is coming….  His winnowing fork is in his hand, to clear his threshing floor and to gather the wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” (Luke 3:15-17)  Whether you sinned on purpose or in weakness, you are guilty.  God’s anger rightly burns against you.  You should be rejected as chaff.  

     And yet, God does not unfriend you.  The Christ who comes does not come first with judgment, but with mercy.  He comes to reconcile you to his Father.  He comes to make you acceptable and to find a place for you in his kingdom. 

     When John the Baptist preached, he summoned the people to be baptized in repentance for their sins.  Jesus also came to the Jordan to be baptized.  Jesus, however, did not come in repentance, for he had no sins for which he needed to repent.  Jesus did not come for his sins, but for sinners.  He came for you.  In his baptism, Jesus united himself to you and to all sinners.  In those baptismal waters, he soaked up all of your sin and guilt, taking it upon himself.  In doing this, he also would take upon himself your judgment, your punishment, and your death.  Jesus, therefore, was banished by his Father.  He was rejected and forsaken upon the cross; for he was carrying the sins of the world.  He was punished and condemned in your place, so that you will not be punished or condemned. 

     When the priests served before the Lord throughout the Old Testament, they had a daily reminder that man has been cut off from God.  Each day, the priests would enter the temple to make the morning and evening sacrifices.  In front of the altar of incense was a huge curtain.  Behind the curtain were the Holy of Holies and the ark of the covenant.  It was the dwelling place of God.  The curtain, a hand-breadth thick, proclaimed loud and clear: “Your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God.” (Isaiah 59:2)  That which is sinful cannot enter the presence of God.  That which is corrupt cannot exist with him who is holy.  And at the moment Jesus died, that curtain was torn in two from top to bottom.  Your iniquities had separated you from your God, but your sins have been taken away.  You do have access to the Most Holy Place.  God is pleased with you.  You have been reconciled.  You belong in God’s kingdom.  God calls you his friend.

     What Jesus secured for you at the cross is applied to you in your baptism.  Just as Jesus united you to himself in baptism, so he also unites you to him through your baptism.  Jesus’ baptism, therefore, testifies as to what you have received in your own baptism.  When Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:21-22) 

     Jesus opens heaven through baptism.  Just as the curtain of the temple was torn open when Jesus died to pay for sins, so also heaven was opened up to you when you were baptized into Jesus’ name.  For sin had separated you from your God.  But when you were baptized, your sins were washed away.  Though you had been corrupt, you were purified from all unrighteousness.  And since you are clean and pure in God’s sight, you are accepted by him.  You belong in his kingdom.  He cannot reject you, for God does not despise that which is holy.

     Jesus opens heaven through baptism.  When Jesus had been baptized…, the Holy Spirit descended on him….” (Luke 3:21)  You, too, have received the gift of the Holy Spirit.  He has made his home in your heart and has given you a right spirit.  That is why you are eager to do what is good and right.  You can even love, forgiven, and have patience for people who are unlovable; for that is how God treats sinners.  You do not need to flee to find acceptance with the wicked.  You do not have to resort to worldly attitudes and actions to feel like you belong.  The Lord has made his dwelling within you.  You are acceptable to him.  You are his.

     Jesus opens heaven through baptism; for God’s favor is yours.  When Jesus  had been baptized…, a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:21-22)  Yes, God is pleased with you.  Since you have been united with Jesus who gives you his righteousness and takes away your sin, God can only be pleased with you.  What is more, he calls you his child!  You not only have a place in the kingdom, you are part of the family.  You are heirs of his kingdom.  You have a place at his table.  You own his blessings.

     The Lord had revealed Jesus as the Christ and the Son of God at his baptism.  Heaven itself opened up to declare it so.  And so it is through your baptism.  Jesus opens heaven through baptism.  The Holy Spirit comes to you through baptism.  The Father declares that you are his beloved child through baptism.  The Lord is pleased with you.  You have been accepted.  The Holy of Holies is your dwelling place.  And God is your friend.

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