Sermon -- 3rd Sunday of Advent (December 14, 2025)

THE ONE WITH QUESTIONS FINDS ANSWERS IN DIVINE WORDS.

MATTHEW 11:2-11.

In the name + of Jesus.

    “While John was in prison, he heard about the things Christ was doing.  He sent two of his disciples to ask him, ‘Are you the Coming One or should we wait for someone else’” (Matthew 11:2-3)?  There is a debate among theologians over who was asking the question.  Was the question from John the Baptist who was languishing in prison?  Or was the question for the benefit of John’s disciples?  There are compelling arguments for both.

     John had preached a message of repentance and warned of the judgment that would come through the Christ.  But Jesus was not breathing fire or cutting down sinners.  He performed acts of healing, not judgment.  For this, Jesus was wildly popular.  John’s reward for faithful preaching was a prison sentence.  Was Jesus, perhaps, a second forerunner and the Christ was still coming?  On the other hand, John had seen the Holy Spirit descend upon Jesus in the form of a dove at Jesus’ baptism.  John had declared, “I saw this myself and have testified that this is the Son of God” (John 1:34).  How could John ever forget or question that? 

     If John knew that his death was imminent, his disciples needed to follow the one who is the way, not the one who prepares the way.  Perhaps John was getting his disciples ready to transfer their allegiance to Jesus.  They needed to be sure that Jesus is, indeed, the Messiah.  In either case, the disciples of John came to Jesus with a sincere question: “Are you the Coming One or should we wait for someone else” (Matthew 11:3)?  The ones with questions would find their answer in divine words. 

     When they asked Jesus if he were the Christ, Jesus could have simply answered, “Yes.  I am.”  But a fraud would answer the exact same way.  Jesus warned his Church, “If anyone tells you, ‘Look, here is the Christ,’ or ‘There he is,’ do not believe it.  For false Christs and false prophets will arise and will perform great signs and wonders so as to deceive even the elect, if it were possible” (Matthew 24:23-24).  If Jesus had simply claimed to be the Coming One, he could have been a deceiver.

     The one with questions finds his answers in divine words.  “Jesus answered them, ‘Go, report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the gospel is preached to the poor’” (Matthew 11:4-5).  If false Christs can perform miraculous signs, why did Jesus refer to his miracles as proof?  Actually, he didn’t just point to his miracles.  He referred to the prophet Isaiah who had said: “Tell those who have a fearful heart: Be strong.  Do not be afraid.  Look!  Your God will come with vengeance.  With God’s own retribution, he will come and save you.  Then the eyes of the blind will be opened, and the ears of the deaf will be unplugged.  The crippled will leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute will sing for joy” (Isaiah 35:4-6).  Jesus was telling John’s disciples, “What the Lord had foretold is being fulfilled right before your eyes.  Do not believe it just because I claim to be the Coming One.  Do not believe it just because you see miraculous signs.  Believe it because divine words are being fulfilled.”  The one with questions finds his answers in divine words.

     Perhaps the most compelling sign that Isaiah had foretold is this: “Then the eyes of the blind will be opened…” (Isaiah 35:5).  Jesus had restored sight to a number of blind people.  This was predicted by Isaiah, but it was unprecedented until Jesus.  There are no records in the Old Testament of a blind person having his sight restored.  So, when Jesus said, “Go, report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight…” (Matthew 11:4-5), he is emphatically stating that the divine words are finding their fulfillment in him.  The one with questions finds his answers in divine words.

     After John’s disciples departed to report what Jesus had said and what he was doing, Jesus asked the crowds about him.  “What did you go out into the wilderness to see?  A reed shaken by the wind” (Matthew 11:7)?  The answer was a clear, “No.”  John did not bend his message based on his audience.  He held firm to the divine words he had been given.  John told people what was needed, not what was popular opinion or common practice. 

     Our world continues to change its mind about what is right and true.  There is a temptation for pastors and people alike to change with the world.  Only a few generations ago, couples who lived together outside of marriage were told that they were living in sin.  Today, most couples consider it unthinkable that they wouldn’t live together before marriage.  They want to try each other out to see if it would work.  But anyone who enters a relationship with the idea, “I can always walk away if I want,” is likely to feel the same way when marriage gets hard.  You shouldn’t be surprised that couples who live together before marriage are more likely to divorce than those who do not. 

     But this has become common practice in our society.  So, what should the church do?  Do we change the message so that we don’t turn people away?  Many churches have opted for that.  Like reeds blown by the wind, pastors adopt the spirit of the day.  In doing so, they reject the divine words.  In essence, they call God a liar.  They fill people with a false confidence, telling them that they are good Christians when the Bible says they are defying Christ.  Hellfire burns hot for those who defy Christ, and it burns hotter for the pastors who will not sound the warning to those who do. 

     Our Lord does not command his Church to be liked by the world.  He commands us to be faithful to his word.  Now, regarding those who usurped the blessing of a marriage bed apart from marriage, we proclaim God’s mercy to those who repent.  We urge them to rectify their situation—either move to separate places or get married.  We cannot comply to those who want us to bless what God does not bless.  We cannot be reeds blown by the wind.  Since the divine words do not bend, neither shall we.

     Again, Jesus spoke of John the Baptist.  “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? … A man dressed in soft clothing?  No, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses” (Matthew 11:7-8).  John did not preach to flatter anyone.  John did not preach to win a soft life in the king’s home.  For holding firm to God’s words he ended up in the king’s prison.  Eventually, he lost his life for it.  But he did not lose his place in God’s kingdom.  If John the Baptist had any doubts about Jesus being the Messiah or any fears that God had abandoned him, he found his answers in divine words.  These words apply to him: “Do not fear anything that you are about to suffer.  Look, the Devil is about to throw some of you into prison so that you will be tested, and you will suffer…. Be faithful until death, and I will give you the crown of life.  …He who is victorious will not be hurt at all by the second death” (Revelation 2:10-11).  

     Jesus continued: “So what did you go out to see?  A prophet?  Yes, I tell you!  And he is much more than a prophet.  Amen I tell you: Among those born of women there has not appeared anyone greater than John the Baptist.  Yet whoever is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he” (Matthew 11:9,11).  John the Baptist did the work of a prophet.  He proclaimed the divine words which pointed people to Jesus.  While many prophets of the past pointed ahead to Jesus, only John, when he pointed, had a person at the end of his finger.  This made John the greatest prophet of the Old Testament.  To any who wondered if the Christ would ever come, John proclaimed divine words to give answer to those who questioned. 

     And yet, Jesus says that you are greater than John the Baptist.  The kingdom of heaven is the kingdom over which Jesus reigns.  To secure that kingdom, Jesus had to fulfill what God the Father had sent him to do—to pay for the sins of the world.  So, Jesus took up the sins of us all.  All the divine words find their fulfillment in Jesus.  The divine words which command us to do good are fulfilled in Jesus who has done only good in perfect obedience to his Father and in perfect love for his fellow man.  The divine words which expose our sin and condemn us in them have their fulfillment in Jesus.  He hung exposed on the cross and was condemned there in our place, bearing our guilt. 

     John the Baptist said this would be the case.  When he pointed to Jesus as the Coming One, he did not say, “Watch him.  He is a good man,” or “Listen to him.  He preaches interesting sermons.”  He said, “Look!  The Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (John 1:29).  These divine words from the mouth of the prophet declare, “Look!  Here is the one God sent to be slain for sins so that you will not be slain for them.”  John did not get to see his words fulfilled.  You and I live on the other side of his words.  We have the words of the prophets made more certain.  We are baptized into it, covered by the holy blood of Jesus.  We get to feast on the living body and blood of our Lord. 

     So the Church sings, “Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and blessing” (Revelation 5:12)—the Lamb who was slain.  For, Jesus is risen.  All authority in heaven and on earth belong to him.  He has taken up his throne and reigns over all things.  And he has brought you under his reign.  For you, the salvation from Jesus is not a promise to be fulfilled.  It is a completed act.  If you have wondered if your sins could be forgiven, Jesus lives to declare a full pardon.  If you are a repeat offender against God’s law and question your place in his kingdom, the blood of Jesus purifies you of all sin.  It doesn’t even matter if you are the least in the kingdom of heaven.  Even the least in the kingdom of heaven receives the full benefits of the kingdom.  You don’t need to question God’s grace and mercy.  The one with questions finds answers in divine words. 

     If John the Baptist’s faith was wavering as he sat in prison, I wouldn’t blame him.  When we suffer, especially if we suffer for being faithful to the Lord, we can begin to wonder if it is worth it.  In the case of John or of his disciples, they were even wondering if they were mistaken.  When your life is on the line, you want to be sure that you are trusting in the right things.  If you have such doubts, look where Jesus directs you.  The one with questions finds answers in divine words.  The word of the Lord “revives the soul, …gives joy to the heart, and …stands forever” (Psalm 19:7,8,9).  In his promises, our Lord assures you of his love and faithfulness.  He assures you of your place in his kingdom and under his care.  And what he promises, he brings to fulfillment. 

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

YouTube -- 3rd Sunday of Advent (December 15, 2024)

Here is the Divine Service from Sunday, December 15, 2024.

Sermon -- 3rd Sunday of Advent (December 15, 2024)

LUKE 3:7-18

PRODUCE FRUITS IN KEEPING WITH REPENTANCE.

In the name + of Jesus.

     What role do good works have in salvation?  That question plagued the Lutheran Church shortly after Martin Luther died.  One Lutheran pastor was teaching that good works are necessary for salvation.  This could be understood in the right way.  As St. James said in his epistle: “Faith, if it is alone and has no works, is dead” (James 2:17).  A dead faith cannot produce good works and is not a saving faith.  But the pastor pushed the point too far.  He insisted that good works are a necessary contribution to your salvation.  If you need to contribute to your salvation, that means that Jesus’ work of redemption was not enough.  But my problem in the first place is that I cannot do the works God’s Law demands.  So, any contribution I have to make would fail.  At best, I could only wonder if I were saved.  At worst, I would know I am not.

     To counter this teaching, another Lutheran pastor taught that good works are harmful to salvation.  If his point was that our good works do not contribute to our salvation, he would have stood on solid ground.  Unfortunately, he also pushed his point too far.  He insisted that your good works hurt your chance to be saved.  This controversy was addressed in the Formula of Concord.  Our confession remains that our good works do not save us, but that faith will produce good works if it is a living and saving faith. 

     John the Baptist never heard of the Formula of Concord, but his message was consistent with that confession.  John declared, “Produce fruits in keeping with repentance” (Luke 3:8)!  Repentance is not merely sorrow over your sins.  Think of Cain.  God had been pleased with Cain’s brother, Abel, but not with Cain.  Cain’s solution was to murder Abel.  When the Lord confronted Cain and banished him for his sin, Cain was unhappy about his punishment.  So, there was sorrow, but not repentance.  Think also of Pharaoh.  When Moses called on him to let the Israelites leave Egypt, Pharaoh refused to listen to the Lord.  Therefore, the Lord sent in a series of plagues.  After the seventh plague, Pharaoh said, “I have sinned this time.  The Lord is the one who is in the right, and I and my people are in the wrong.  … I will let you go” (Exodus 9:27-28).  But as soon as he got relief, Pharaoh refused to let Israel go.  He wanted only to escape punishment.  There was no change in Pharaoh’s heart.  He did not believe God’s word.  He did not repent.

     John the Baptist was preparing the people for the Savior who would deliver the people from their sins, but that also meant people should not continue in their sins.  John declared, “Produce fruits in keeping with repentance” (Luke 3:8)!  Repentance is not merely regret over sins; it is also a desire to flee from them.  It is a change of heart.  It is a change in behavior.  Instead of giving oneself over to acts of wickedness, we strive for acts of righteousness. 

     John warned of God’s judgment against those who do not repent.  He assured people that God’s judgment would be just, but it would also be harsh.  He said, “Even now the ax is ready to strike the root of the trees.  So every tree that does not produce good fruit is going to be cut down and thrown into the fire” (Luke 3:9).  If you have a fruit tree in your yard, you expect it to produce fruit for you.  If it does not, it has lost its purpose.  A fruit tree that does not bear fruit is as good as dead, and the only thing left to do with it is to cut it down.  In the same way, the Lord created people to be good, and he looks for good works in us.  He seeks evidence of repentance.  This evidence is that we stop producing bad fruit and instead produce good fruit, or good works.  It is just as St. James said in his epistle: “Faith, if it is alone and has no works, is dead” (James 2:17).  Those who fail to produce good works will be cut down.  The ax will fall.  God’s wrath will strike.

     The Pharisees did not take John’s words to heart.  They boasted that they were the children of Abraham, God’s chosen people.  This was their confidence and their refuge.  John destroyed this reasoning.  He told them, “Produce fruits in keeping with repentance!  Do not even think of saying to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ because I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones” (Luke 3:8). 

     The Pharisees trusted in what seemed like good and godly things.  Was there an advantage in living under God’s covenant?  Yes!  They had been entrusted with God’s word, but it would not save them if they did not follow it.  And the covenant would be useless if they did not seek the Messiah which it promised.  Likewise, we can place our confidence in what seems good and godly.  But we are not saved by church attendance.  We are not saved because we have a confirmation certificate.  We are not saved because we are model citizens or friendly neighbors or enjoy a solid marriage.  Without a doubt, there is a benefit to all these things, but they do not save you.  If your faith relies on these things, then your faith is in yourself and in your works.

     In contrast, the crowds who came to John were cut to the heart.  They asked what repentance would look like in practical terms.  “The crowds began to ask him, ‘What should we do then?’  He answered them, ‘Whoever has two shirts should share with the person who has none, and whoever has food should do the same’” (Luke 3:10-11).  John did not tell them to invent elaborate schemes to impress God.  The good works they were to do were right in front of them.  They would fulfill them by serving in their daily vocations.  They would demonstrate their love for God by loving their neighbor.  This is how they would produce fruit in keeping with repentance.

     The next groups to speak to John are rather shocking.  “Tax collectors also came to be baptized.  They said, ‘Teacher, what should we do?’”  We might have expected John to tell them that they had no place in God’s kingdom because they were a bunch of traitorous thieves.  But John did not dismiss them.  He did not even tell them to quit their jobs.  He instructed them to do their jobs faithfully.  “To them he said, “Collect no more than what you were authorized to’” (Luke 3:12-13).  They were not to overcharge to get rich at the expense of others.  Yes, they could collect taxes because taxes are a reality of life.  Thievery, on the other hand, is inexcusable.  To produce fruits in keeping with repentance, they would do their jobs honestly and honorably.

     Then the soldiers came, presumably Roman soldiers.  They could be thugs, making life miserable for the people.  They might falsely accuse in hopes of getting bribes.  They might treat people brutally just because they could.  Power can turn anyone into a bully.  John did not expel them from his audience.  Rather, he said, “Do not extort money from anyone by force or false accusation. Be satisfied with your wages” (Luke 3:14).  Although their position could be used to threaten, to terrorize, and to flaunt their power, it was rightly used to maintain good order.  This would be a good work which would benefit the people.  They did not need to abandon their vocation.  A soldier can fulfill his vocation both honestly and honorably.  This would be producing fruits in keeping with repentance.

     John’s description of Jesus’ coming would strike fear into anyone.  John warned, “His winnowing shovel is in his hand, and he will thoroughly clean out his threshing floor.  He will gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire” (Luke 3:17).  The Lord Jesus desires what is good and will take it to himself.  But the chaff is not good.  It is like the popcorn husks that get stuck in your teeth.  It is useless.  It is designated for unquenchable fire, that is, everlasting damnation. 

     Now, Jesus could declare that all people have failed to produce the good works he is looking for.  He could judge us all as worthless as chaff and send us into unquenchable fire.  If he did, his judgment would not be wrong.  But before Jesus comes on the Last Day for this final judgment, he came in order to deliver us from it.  Jesus’ vocation was to save us.  So first, he lived the perfect life we have not lived.  Jesus performed only good works—continually loving his fellow man and even his enemy. 

     Then, Jesus made a great exchange.  “God made him, who did not know sin, to become sin for us, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him” (2 Corinthians 5:21).  Jesus exchanged his perfect obedience for our sin.  Although Jesus had no sin, he paid the price for us in his bitter sufferings and death.  In turn, he has given you the credit for his perfect life.  His life was lived for you.  His death was died for you.  Jesus has done the good work which saves you.  Jesus is the good fruit which hung on the tree of the cross, and whoever partakes of this good fruit will live forever. 

     Repentance means that we no longer put our hopes in ourselves.  We rest our faith completely on Jesus Christ for our salvation.  There is no need to make any contribution to this salvation because Jesus Christ has done all the work for us.  The work for your salvation is complete.  So, when Jesus comes again, you will be judged according to Jesus’ merits rather than your own.

     Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.  As God’s people, you are now set apart from sin and death.  And you are set apart for good works and godliness.  The very God who has worked faith and repentance in you will continue to work in you to produce the good works he seeks.  Jesus promises you: “I am the Vine; you are the branches.  The one who remains in me and I in him is the one who bears much fruit” (John 15:5).  He who has created in you new life produces in you a godly life.  He brings forth the fruits of repentance.  For, “it is God who is working in you, both to will and to work, for the sake of his good pleasure” (Philippians 2:13). 

     John the Baptist urged people to produce fruit in keeping with repentance.  “Then with many other words, he appealed to them and was preaching good news to the people” (Luke 3:18).  The good news is that Jesus’ works atone for our works.  He has set you apart from sin, death, and the devil, and he has set you apart for God’s honor and for good works.  So, what role do those good works have in salvation?  They do not save, but those who are saved will produce good works.  A heart that repents over what is sinful will also rejoice in what is good.  Just as Jesus has made you God’s people, so he also makes you into godly people.

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

Sermon -- 3rd Sunday in Advent (December 17, 2023)

JOHN 1:6-8,19-28

WHAT DO YOU SAY ABOUT YOURSELF?

In the name + of Jesus.

     Every year, Jewish men travelled from Galilee down to Jerusalem for three religious festivals as the Law required.  Avoiding Samaria, they followed a road along the Jordan River down to Jericho.  From Jericho, they turned west to trek up the steep trail that led to Jerusalem.  As they got to the area around Jericho, they encountered a strange, poorly dressed man.  It was hard to ignore him.  He spoke forcefully, confronting the people and exposing their sins.  He called them to repent of their negligence of God’s Law.  As it is now, so it was then.  People identify as God’s people but don’t listen much to God’s word.  When John the Baptist showed that the lives of the people did not measure up to God’s word, they could not deny it.  They may not have liked it, but God’s Law exposed their guilt.  Their consciences confirmed it and inflicted a proper fear.  John’s message was clear: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2). 

     Although John remained in the wilderness, word about him reached Jerusalem.  The priests and rabbis learned that there was a voice in the wilderness preaching about the kingdom of God and calling people to repent.  Maybe they would not have cared if the crowds dismissed John as a nutjob.  But the crowds were listening.  They took his message to heart.  They confessed their sins and were baptized by John in the Jordan River.  This could not be ignored, so the religious leaders sent a delegation to the wilderness to get information.  “They said to him, ‘Who are you?  We need to give an answer to those who sent us.  What do you say about yourself’” (John 1:22)?

     The question is significant.  One’s identity is a precious thing.  Just ask anyone who has had to spend hours on the phone because his identity was stolen and his bank account was depleted.  But identity is more than name, address, and security passwords.  People who want to get to know you start with your name, but they will ask for more.  Where did you grow up?  What’s your family like?  What kind of work do you do?  What’s your favorite restaurant?  What do you do for fun?  What do you think of the Barbie movie?  All these things tell people who you are.

     Many people today are confused about their identity.  We hear about people who go on journeys to find themselves.  I don’t know how successful those journeys are if you need to forsake responsibilities to do it.  Some people’s identity is linked to their job.  But if they lose their job, their identity is shaken.  Some find their identity in their talent.  But a car accident can take that away.  Then that person feels useless and worthless because he is no longer what his talent was.  What is most tragic today is that some don’t have their identity founded on anything.  Some deny basic biology and claim to be what they are not—men identifying as women, women identifying as men, and even children identifying as cats.  These invented identities ignore reality.  God created people to be male or female.  Confused feelings do not change those realities.  The devil’s lies are rarely so blatant, but many are buying it and demanding that everyone else does too. 

     What do you say about yourself?  What is your identity?  What matters?  John the Baptist had shaken people to their core by exposing their sins and their guilt.  We don’t want that to be part of our identity, but we cannot escape it, either.  We are sinners.  We bear guilt.  We have been thoughtless toward our spouses.  We have been harsh with our children.  We have held unfair expectations of coworkers.  We have formed unkind judgments about strangers.  We have considered ourselves superior to everyone and have treated them accordingly.  Our love is selfish, and our treatment of others is determined by whether they love us as much as we do. 

     What do you say about yourself?  We can lie to justify our unloving assessments or our unkind treatment of others, but God does not buy our lies.  God’s Law exposes our sins.  Our sins may be reactions to the sins of others, but they are still sins.  John the Baptist enables us to be honest about ourselves.  Rather than invent excuses, we make confession.  We are sinners.  Any hope we have for God’s approval must come from outside of ourselves.  John the Baptist assures you that it does.

     Initially, the authorities thought that, perhaps, John was the Messiah.  They wanted to know, “What do you say about yourself” (John 1:22)?  “He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, ‘I am not the Christ.’  And they asked him, ‘What then?  Are you Elijah?’  He said, ‘I am not.’  ‘Are you the Prophet?’  And he answered, ‘No’” (John 1:20-21).  There was no identity crisis with John.  He knew who he was, and he was devoted to what God had given him to do.  “John came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.  He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light” (John 1:7-8).  John was not the Christ.  But there is a Christ.  There is a Savior.  John prepared the way for the Christ, and then he pointed the people to him. 

     What do you say about yourself?  John was given divine charge to be the forerunner of Jesus Christ, but he still knew who he was—a man who needed that Savior as much as anyone else.  John said the Christ is “he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie” (John 1:27).  John did not pretend to be anyone other than who he was—an unworthy sinner in need of divine mercy.

     John was not the Christ, but the Christ had come.  John pointed people to the Lamb of God who would be slain to pay for the sins of the world.  The man John pointed to was Jesus of Nazareth.  Scripture reveals the ID of Jesus.  He is the true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, but he is also true man, born of the Virgin Mary.  As man, he suffered and died as all mankind deserves.  As God, his sufferings and death count for everyone.  When God pays the price for your sins, the payment is sufficient for every sin.  When God is slain for the sins of the world, the payment is sufficient for every sinner.  Therefore, God became a man to die for all mankind.  That man, then, conquered death.  When a man conquers death, he shows that the grave must give back all mankind.  When that man ascends into heaven, he proves that he is the way for you to enter the gates and to dwell in the Paradise of God.  What does Jesus say about himself?  He declares emphatically, “Everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day” (John 6:40).  Jesus’ identity is not based on outlandish words; it is backed by his life, death, and resurrection.  Jesus is the Christ.  He is the Savior of the world.  He is your Redeemer from sin and death. 

     So, what do you say about yourself?  The reason you confess that you are a sinner is because God has shown that to you.  You are acknowledging that God’s word is true.  But now, you can say that you are a child of the Most High God.  Why?  Because that is what God says.  You have heard me say it many times before, “How great is the love that the Father has lavished upon us that we are the children of God.  And that is what we are” (1 John 3:1).  “In Christ Jesus, you are all sons of God, through faith” (Galatians 3:26).

     Your identification is found in the Lord Jesus Christ.  He uses many phrases to tell you who you are, and they are all true.  You are children of the Most High God.  You are sons and daughters of the resurrection.  You are brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ.  You are saints.  You are the apple of God’s eye.  You are heirs of the kingdom of glory.  And you have been baptized into God’s name to be assured that this is your true identity.  God has put his name upon you; therefore, you are his.  His blessings and benefits are yours. 

     What do you say about yourself?  No matter how you introduce yourself, no matter what you write in your biography, above all things you are a Christian.  You are a child of the Most High God.  Now, you may wear many hats and serve in many vocations—married or single, employer or employee, student, professional, or unemployed, rich or poor, Republican or Democrat, Spartan, Wolverine, or even Buckeye.  But you do all of these as God’s people.  Everything you do is done in the name of the Lord.  Everything you do is an act of worship through which your neighbor is served, and the Lord is glorified. 

     You are like Daniel who served in both the Babylonian and Persian governments.  I doubt Daniel was obnoxious or in-your-face about his faith, but his faithfulness to the Lord was known by all.  He took God’s word seriously in his religious practice and in his vocations.  Even his enemies had to admit that.  Daniel was a servant of the Lord no matter what—whether rightly carrying out official duties or wrongly sentenced to die in the lions’ den (in which the Lord miraculously preserved his life).  So it is with you.  You are God’s people whether you are asleep or awake, whether at home, at work, or at church, whether living or dying. 

     What do you say about yourself?  That may change over time.  Married people may find themselves divorced or widowed.  Children may find themselves without their parents.  Athletes will lose their strength and speed.  The elderly may lose their eyesight, their hearing, or their balance.  The economy may take away your money.  A job transfer may take away your hometown.  You live and serve in these vocations as God grants them to you, but God may also relieve you of them.  These are your vocations; your identity is found in Jesus Christ.  Vocations are temporary.  Your place in the family of God is eternal.  If you haven’t figured out your place in life or in the world, you do know this: Your place in the kingdom of God is certain.  Whoever is loved and redeemed by Jesus Christ can find their peace in this blessed identity.

     “What do you say about yourself” (John 1:22)?  The Pharisees and priests demanded to know this from John the Baptist.  John answered honestly and intentionally: “I am not the Christ” (John 1:20).  But there is a Christ, and John proclaimed him to all because all need him.  Jesus is the Christ, sent to rescue you from death, decay, and disappointment.  Jesus is the Christ, sent to bring you to eternal glory and everlasting joys.  Although the glory is still to come, your place in his kingdom is already set.  And no matter what happens to you in your life, your identity is certain: You are the redeemed of the Lord and heirs of eternal life.

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

YouTube -- 3rd Sunday of Advent (December 11, 2022)

Here is the service from Sunday, December 11, 2022.

Sermon -- 3rd Sunday of Advent (December 11, 2022)

JAMES 5:7-11

WE WAIT WITH PATIENCE.

In the name + of Jesus.

     John the Baptist preached the word of the Lord to Herod Antipas.  He had taken the wife of his brother, Herod Philip, for himself.  It did not matter if this marriage made both of them happy or if Herod Antipas claimed, “But we belong together.  She’s my soul-mate.  You can’t control whom you love.”  His marriage was against God’s word, and John told him so.  For upholding the word of God, John was imprisoned by Herod.

     While John sat in prison for preaching the word of God faithfully, Jesus continued to gain in popularity among the people.  John had foretold concerning the Christ: “The axe is laid to the root of the trees.  …He who is coming after me is mightier than I…  His winnowing fork is in his hand…” (Matthew 3:10-12).  But John was not hearing stories about the axe falling or sifting out the wicked from the righteous.  Jesus was acting meekly and mercifully.  John sat in prison with time to think, and he thought about Jesus.  Is he really the Christ?  It seems John expected more immediate and definitive action from Jesus.  As John sat in prison by the command of a wicked man, John’s level of patience for judgment seems to have grown short.

     St. James encourages all of God’s people, “Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord” (James 5:7).  That is much easier said than done.  We don’t face the same kind of persecution that John the Baptist did, but we know the frustrations of seeing wicked people who seem to get away with everything.  We would like to see that axe John spoke of to drop.  We would like the Lord to sift out of this world the evil that goes on in it.  We might rally behind someone who claims that he can make the world a safer, happier, and cleaner place.  But man-made solutions are met with man-made schemes to get around those solutions.  And the world remains wicked.

     We all get frustrated by all this wicked world.  Who wouldn’t?  Do you think that God is not grieved by the wickedness he sees?  When people do not listen to the word of the Lord, his patience gets abused.  His wrath is fired up.  In the past, God’s punishment included the banishment of Cain, the Plagues in Egypt, the oppression of Israel by the Philistines, the captivity of Israel by the Babylonians, and the Flood which destroyed the world.  All these judgments came for the same reason: People did not listen to the Lord.

     It’s not like we are innocent in this, either.  In Psalm 46 God urges us, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).  Psalm 27 says, “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord” (Psalm 27:14)!  And of course, our reading from St. James calls for the same: “Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord” (James 5:7).  But we are not patient for the Lord to act in his time and as he knows best.  We complain that God does not act with immediate, harsh judgment, snuffing out the wicked.  We become just as frustrated with God as we do about the wickedness we see.  Some have even abandoned the Christian faith because of this impatience.

     We know that God can do something about every evil and yet does not.  God can put an end to violence.  God can cut down crooked rulers and violent nations.  God can nullify crime and COVID and car accidents and cold and flu season.  If God can do these things, and if God loves us, why does he let us suffer through these things?  These things go on and on, and the Lord directs us: Wait with patience.

     Part of the problem is that we fail to recognize that we are part of the problem.  Yes, God can stop people from making threats and being bullies.  Should he also cause your throat to swell shut when you speak ill of your in-laws?  Yes, God can remove the sickness that makes you cry by your child’s bedside.  Should he also remove the husband who made you cry with an insensitive remark?  Yes, God can assure you that you will not be affected by road rage.  Shall he take your car away?  We have a very selfish view of what needs to be done to make the world a better place.  We fail to recognize that our selfish works and sarcastic words cause problems for others.  Repent.  For, the axe is ready to fall.  Or, as St. James states is, “The coming of the Lord is at hand.  Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door” (James 5:9-10). 

     Our complaints and impatience show that we fail to remember that the Lord has dealt with the world, its wickedness, and its problems.  When John the Baptist asked Jesus if he were the one to come, Jesus replied, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them” (Matthew 11:4-5).  By his miracles, Jesus began his reversal of all the misery that sin has brought into the world.  Jesus was doing just what the prophets foretold, proving that he is the Christ.  This is the one who will save us from evil and restore all things.

     But it is not enough that Jesus merely cures diseases.  Even if the whole world is healthy, we still face stress, poverty, earthquakes, and terrorism.  Even when we enjoy times of peace and prosperity, wickedness still goes on.  So, Jesus has come to address all of this.  He has taken the sin which corrupts this world, which corrupts our hearts, which affects our bodies, which wounds our consciences, which marks us for death and hell—he has taken all of it and rescued us from it. 

     Jesus delivered us from our sins by dying for every wicked thought, word, or work that stains our record.  Because we have faulted God for not doing more to make our lives better, Jesus was faulted for our impatience and complaints.  Because we complain about God’s failure to judge others, Jesus was put to death without complaint, judged for our failures.  Jesus was slain in humility to pay for our arrogance.  Thanks to Jesus, all is forgiven.  He has secured full pardon for our false judgment of God’s wisdom and love.  In fact, Jesus died for the wickedness of all people so that no one should have to be condemned. 

     So, now you are free—free from all guilt, free from every accusation, free to live without fear of God’s judgment, and free to live in peace.  You have the joy of knowing that Jesus will come again to deliver you out of this wicked world to the everlasting peace of Paradise.  There is an end to war and violence, of sickness and disease, of pain and sorrow, and of shame and regret.  We wait in patience for the full deliverance from these things, but we do not wait in vain.  As St James wrote, “You also, be patient.  Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand” (James 5:8).

     We must wait with patience because we have not been delivered from this sinful world yet.  We still struggle with temptations.  We still are burdened by guilt and shame.  We lose sleep because we have hurt other people.  And that is just what we have done to ourselves.  We also have sins done against us.  People lie and cheat and defraud and deceive us.  Even our loved ones fail us and wound us.  And then the world adds stress and fear.  Jesus warned us what we can expect as long as the world endures: “wars and rumors of wars … nation … against nation, kingdom against kingdom, and famines and earthquakes in various places” (Matthew 24:6-8).  And if that is not bad enough, we have this warning too: “You will be hated by all nations for my name's sake.  And then many will fall away and betray one another and hate one another.  And many false prophets will arise and lead many astray.  And because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold” (Matthew 24:9-12).  Oh, how we long to be delivered from all of this!  But we wait in patience.  Even though it is hard, even though we struggle, even if we suffer, we wait in patience.  For, “The one who endures to the end will be saved” (Matthew 24:13).

     St. James, then, offers his encouragement to you while you wait with patience.  “As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.  Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast.  You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful” (James 5:10-11). 

     The prophets and Job both suffered, but in different ways.  The prophets preached the word of the Lord, like John the Baptist did.  People despised their preaching.  They would not repent of their sins.  They not only persisted in them, they also attacked the prophets who condemned them.  Cancel culture is nothing new.  To this point, we have not experienced that kind of intentional persecution.  Will that change?  Will we be oppressed or canceled for hate speech?  It seems to be trending that way, but only God knows for sure.  Nevertheless, “we consider those (prophets) blessed who remained steadfast” (James 5:10).  Although their sufferings were intense, even leading to death, they are forever free from all suffering now.  If we must suffer, we will call upon our God in prayer.  We will remain committed to each other.  And we will wait with patience.  The Lord does not forget his own.

     On the other hand, Job’s sufferings were not persecution.  He endured painful losses—friends, children, wealth, reputation, and health.  Job was reduced to a pathetic shell of his former self.  He felt like God abandoned him or that God’s curse was on him.  Even his friends who came to comfort him suggested to Job that he was getting what he deserved from God.  What else could Job do but wait in patience? 

     But Job did not wait without hope, and neither do you.  We wait with patience.  We trust that God is true to his word and steadfast in his love.  If we lived for this world, it would make sense that we would be discouraged.  If we only live for this life, we might be overcome by misery and despair.  But “our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ” (Philippians 3:20). 

     We are eager to be forever freed from all our problems, pains, and pressures.  Fear not, “for the coming of the Lord is at hand” (James 5:8).  God remembers his promises, and he remembers us.  Meanwhile, we trust that God knows what he is doing while we wait.  And we trust that whatever God is doing, he is doing it for our eternal good.  Therefore, we can be still and know that he is God, he rules all things, and he is our Savior.  Jesus is coming soon.  We wait with patience.

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

YouTube -- 3rd Sunday in Advent (December 12, 2021)

Here is the service from Sunday, December 12.  It features the Michigan Lutheran Seminary Choir of Saginaw, Michigan.

Sermon -- 3rd Sunday in Advent

LUKE 3:7-18

BEAR FRUITS IN KEEPING WITH REPENTANCE.

In the name + of Jesus.

     John the Baptist was sent to prepare the way for the Lord.  But John’s message was not warm and fuzzy.  “You brood of vipers!  Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?” (Luke 3:7) does not show up in Christmas cards.  But that is not the coming of the Lord John wants you to be ready for.  The Lord will come to judge the living and the dead.  THAT is the coming John wants to prepare you for.  So John’s message was, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matthew 3:2).

     “Repent” is much more than, “I am sorry for my sins.”  Everyone has regrets over certain words and actions.  But regret is not repentance.  Repentance means to change one’s mind.  It recognizes that God’s word is true.  It acknowledges that God’s judgment is right.  It is not just words we say only to return to the very sins we said we were sorry for.  It is a God-given determination to flee from our sins and to uproot them from our lives.  John the Baptist teaches you that repentance is more than words when he said, “Bear fruits in keeping with repentance” (Luke 3:8).  Then he offered specific examples of what that would look like.

     In general, he said, “Do not be selfish; be compassionate and share your abundance with those who have nothing.”  To the tax collectors, he said, “Do not cheat or scam your fellow man.  Be honest in your trade.”  Even burly soldiers heeded John’s warning.  They “asked him, ‘And we, what shall we do?’  And he said to them, ‘Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages’ (Luke 3:14).  Repentance is not mere words.  It is revealed in one’s actions.  Bear fruits in keeping with repentance.

     The air waves play the song that urges us, “You better be good for goodness’ sake.”  There is some value in that.  If you improve your behavior, people will like you and respect you.  The song implies that better behavior will result in gifts.  Many children can be coaxed into better behavior for that reason.  While better behavior might gain you some reward, it will not save you.  If you cling to sins, however, that will condemn you.  Therefore, John warns not to let your repentance be phony.  He illustrates that with vivid pictures of an axe at the root of an unproductive tree and of a baptism with fire.  Bear fruits in keeping with repentance.

     Repentance is a change of mind about one’s sins.  It seeks to put to death every tempting desire.  It pays attention to the word of the Lord and directs your life according to it.  If it is hard, do not be surprised.  If you fail, do not quit.  Struggling against temptation is not a sign that you are not a real Christian.  On the contrary, your struggle demonstrates that you are trying to do what is right.  It is when you no longer struggle that shows you have chosen to be swept away by your sins.  Better behavior will not save you, but refusing to forsake your sins will condemn you. 

     John the Apostle also calls you to forsake your sin.  But he extends comfort for everyone who is struggling.  He wrote, “My children, I write these things to you so that you will not sin.  If anyone does sin, we have an Advocate before the Father: Jesus Christ, the Righteous One” (1 John 2:1).  Turn to the Lord for mercy.  Find comfort in his forgiveness.  Amend your ways and recommit yourself to a godly life.  Bear fruits in keeping with repentance.

     While John the Baptist wants to prepare you for Jesus’ second coming, you will only be prepared for that day because of Jesus’ first coming to save sinners.  John’s message, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” is still spoken to us.  The kingdom of heaven comes through Jesus.  His kingdom is not some time down the road; it comes to you now.  Forgiveness comes to you now.  Peace comes now.  Salvation is given now.  Jesus has come to bring you into his kingdom so that you do not need to fear his coming to judge the living and the dead.

     In order to receive the benefits of his kingdom, Jesus connects you to himself.  In baptism, you were united with Jesus.  He takes what is yours and makes it his own.  He takes away all your fruits that are rotten, diseased, and spoiled.  Before the axe would strike at the root of the unfruitful trees, Jesus was nailed to his own tree, a cross.  There, Jesus bore the curse for your sins.  He has taken what is yours and made it his.  He endured your curse, died your death, and paid for all your guilt.  Then he took what is his and gave it to you.  Jesus credits you with his pure and perfect works.  He bestows God’s favor, promises life everlasting, and brings you into the kingdom of righteousness.  Jesus earned your salvation and gives it to you for free. 

     Jesus also makes you fruitful with actions that glorify God and benefit your neighbor.  You have been grafted into the true vine, Jesus.  He instills new life into you and works the very change he seeks.  He has converted your heart and transformed your mind.  This is why you acknowledge that your sins are wicked and should be rooted out.  It is why you order your life to God’s good ways.  Our Lord not only looks for fruits of faith, he produces them in you.  Jesus takes his Holy Spirit and gives him to you.  For “it is God who is working in you, both to will and to work, for the sake of his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13).  

     Our Lord is pleased with the fruits of your faith not because your works are more dazzling or impressive than others’.  He is pleased with your works because Jesus has made you pleasing to the Lord.  He regards your works as pure because Jesus has purified you.  You are give what is his—Jesus’ innocence, Jesus’ merits, and Jesus’ mercies.   

     John the Baptist urges you to bear fruits in keeping with repentance.  Those who have been grafted into Jesus, the true vine, bear the fruit he seeks.  Those who have been baptized into Jesus have been forgiven of every rotten thing.  Those who delight in Jesus will also be eager for him to come again.

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

Sermon -- 3rd Sunday in Advent (December 13, 2020)

JOHN 1:6-8,18-29

A VOICE SPEAKS SO THAT YOU MIGHT KNOW THE CHRIST.

In the name + of Jesus.

       There is a great blessing in being familiar with the accounts about the coming of Jesus at Christmas and of John, the forerunner.  Even though you will come to church for Christmas knowing that you will hear the same story, you will still come because you love it.  You come because you know you need it.  Some may reduce the story of Jesus' birth to a young mother who snuggles with her newborn baby, but faith knows what is really going on.  It is this: God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)  If you long to know that God loves you and if you want to see God’s mercy and salvation, then you will always delight in the account of Christmas.  And you will follow the Christ each Sunday from Bethlehem, to Galilee, to Jerusalem, to Calvary, to the vacated tomb, and to Bethany where he ascends into heaven to prepare a place for you.

     But if there is a drawback to knowing this story, it is that your familiarity with it might mean you gloss over it and don’t ponder it like you should.  St. John wrote about John the Baptist: “There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.  He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him.  He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.” (John 1:6-8)  John was a voice so that you might come to know the Christ.

     Now, for you, this message is not new.  But it was startling to those who were on the scene in Judea at the time.  For four hundred years, the Lord had not sent a prophet to his people.  They had the words of the prophets to hear, to study, and to ponder, but since Malachi no one had arisen to declare anew, “Thus saith the Lord.”  And then came John. 

     John preached repentance and baptized the penitent.  He not only caught the ears of the citizens of Judea and Jerusalem, he also got the attention of the religious establishment.  Who is this who preaches so boldly?  Could he be a prophet?  Could he be Elijah who prepares the way for the Christ?  Could he be the Christ?! 

     The priests and Levites came out to ask.  John confessed, “I am not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet.”  When someone wants to know about you, it is not very helpful to tell them who you are not.  Imagine a police officer asking for your ID, only to have you tell him, “Well, I can tell you that I am not Matthew Stafford, Miguel Cabrera, or Steve Yzerman.”  That would not end well.  But eventually, the priests and Levites asked a better question.  “They said to him, 'Who are you?  We need to give an answer to those who sent us.  What do you say about yourself?'” (John 1:22)  John answered: I am a voice speaking that you might know the Christ.

     You might wonder if that answer was any better.  John did not tell them his name, or his hometown, or who his parents were.  John said, “I am a voice.”  That's it.  But if John is a voice, that means you have to listen to what he has to say.  Voices declare words, and words reveal things.  John was like an announcer who gets a crowd ready for actors or musicians to take the stage.  The voice prepares the crowd.  It is time to stop looking at your cell phone.  It is time to end your conversations.  Turn your focus to the stage.  This is what matters.  This is what it is all about.  And this is who John is.  He is a voice speaking that you might know the Christ.

     John told the priests and the Levites, “Among you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me.” (John 1:26-27)  Chances are the priests and Levites had seen Jesus of Nazareth before.  He had been to the festivals in Jerusalem for years.  But they did not know his true identity.  It was not the priests and Levites who pointed to Jesus and declared, “There is the Christ, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”  It was John the Baptist who was doing that.  John was a voice speaking that they might know the Christ.  Though John's voice cried out, it sadly did not penetrate the hard hearts of these religious leaders.  Those leaders sure became familiar with Jesus, but they did not confess him as the Christ because they did not know him.

     There is only one way to know the Christ; it is through the word of God.  Familiarity always comes through words.  When a young couple wants to get to know each other, they don’t just stare at each other.  Even making out does not do much to get to know one’s date.  They have to talk to each other.  They learn about each other by communicating.  As they grow in their relationship, they keep on talking.  Even after years of marriage, they keep on talking—even retelling the same stories they have told each other for years.  The heartbreaking part of Alzheimer’s disease is not that the person looks different or is immobile, it is that the communication has pretty much stopped.  Our relationships are established and maintained through words.  So, to connect you to the Christ, John speaks words.  John is a voice speaking that you might know the Christ.  If you want to know the Christ, then you must listen attentively to his word. 

     Many like to boast that they are spiritual.  That sounds noble, but people who are spiritual cannot know the Christ.  Their communication with God is one-sided.  For spiritual people, God is limited to their own ruminations and imaginations.  God ends up being whoever they want him to be.  This is a made-up god.  It would be like me saying I am a good friend of Paul McCartney because I have made-up conversations with him in my head.  But unless he is actually having a conversation with me and telling me about himself, I can never really say I know him.  If my god is limited to what I think about him, what can such a god actually do—for or against anyone?  And how could that god actually help me in dark, dismal, or lonely days?

     John is a voice speaking that you might know the Christ.  Without the words of God, no one can know who God actually is.  Unless God gives you words to listen to, you can never know what God demands, what God promises, if God loves you, or if he even cares about you.  That is why God sent the prophets, and it is especially why he sent John.  John is not a miracle worker or a showman.  John is a voice.  He is the voice speaking so that you might know the Christ.  For, if you know the Christ, then you know God, his promises, his mercy, and his salvation.

     First, John preaches repentance so that you can know why you need the Christ.  Most people are pretty content about how they think and act.  If they really felt that they were wrong, they would change.  One of the main reasons people do not change their attitudes or their actions is that they don’t think they need to.  They like what they do.  They are convinced their motives are fair.  They are sure their opinions are right.  When God’s word reveals what actually is good, we discover just how self-centered our thoughts are.  When God tells us to always love our fellow man with patience, forgiveness, and generosity, then we recognize that our attitudes are not as loving and our actions are not as praiseworthy as we like to think.  And when God tells us that he holds us accountable for all that we think, say, and do, and that hell is a real place for the wicked, then we know that having thoughts about God or having an awareness of him is not enough to escape this judgment.  For all of their religious fervor, even the priests and Levites were called to repent.  For, there is no one who is righteous—whether religious, spiritual, agnostic, or atheist.  John proclaims all this so that you might know how much the Christ is needed.

     John is a voice, but John is not the focal point.  He pointed to the Christ.  John spoke about the forgiveness of sins and tells you about the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world, but it is the Christ who actually takes your sins from you.  The Christ is the Lamb who was slaughtered, was roasted in God’s wrath on the cross for you, and whose blood was shed to cleanse you of all guilt.  John spoke about the mercy of God, but Jesus actually has provided that divine mercy.  The Christ is the propitiation, that is, he is the one who diverts God’s wrath from you so that you instead receive his blessing.  John speaks to “turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers” (Malachi 4:6).  To do this, he shows you the Christ, and the Christ shows you the loving and merciful heart of your heavenly Father and produces in you a love for him and his words.

     John is a voice speaking that you might know the Christ.  And you have the full word of God recorded in the Scriptures so that you can know your God intimately.  God is not some impersonal force that balances the universe.  You have a personal God who knows you intimately and wants to be known intimately by you.  Therefore, he reveals his word to you.  That word even came in the flesh to have mercy upon you and to save you.  He is the Christ, and he continues to speak to you.  He admonishes you so that you do not slip into lazy habits and return to your sins.  He absolves you of your sins so that you are not overwhelmed by guilt.  He encourages you so that you continue to love your neighbor even when it is hard.  He strengthens you to stand firm in the faith even if you should suffer for his sake.  He summons you to the altar where he gives you the body and blood which have overcome death.  And even if he retells the stories you have heard so many times before, he tells you again to remind you how dearly he loves you.

     To make sure that you know the Christ, God sent John.  He is a voice.  He speaks so that you will know the Christ.  If you know the Christ, then you know the true God.  The God who created you and redeemed you knows you personally, and wants to be known by you personally.  This bond grows deeper through words—yours to him in your prayers, and his to you in the Scriptures.  Therefore, dear Christians, pay attention to that voice.  Hear the word of the Lord.  All that he says there is for your good—both for this life and for the life everlasting.

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