YouTube -- 4th Sunday of Advent (December 22, 2024)

Here is the Divine Service from Sunday, December 22, 2024.

Sermon -- 4th Sunday of Advent (December 22, 2024)

MICAH 5:2-5a

THIS ONE WILL BE THEIR PEACE.

In the name + of Jesus.

     When the Lord first promised a Savior, he was pretty vague about how we would know him.  The Lord spoke of the seed of the woman, which could have been anyone.  He narrowed the scope just a little bit when the Lord referred to the seed of the woman as “he.”  But that only limited the possibilities to a male child.  The Savior could come from anyone in half of the world’s population.  But this one, whoever he might be, would be their peace.  As time went by, the Lord continued to narrow the scope.  The Lord promised Abraham that the Savior would come through him.  The scope was further refined when it was revealed that the Savior would be the Son of David.  Later, the prophet Micah limited the scope even more. 

     Micah declared this word from the Lord: “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, from you, will go out the one who will be the ruler for me in Israel” (Micah 5:2).  Since Bethlehem is a small town, that limits significantly the number of people who would qualify as the Savior of the world—a boy, from the line of David, born in Bethlehem.  Still unnamed to the people of the Old Testament, this one would be their peace.

     The Savior would have a birthday and a birthplace.  However, Micah also declared, “His goings forth are from the beginning, from the days of eternity” (Micah 5:2).  Micah prophesied about 700 BC, seven centuries before the Christ would be born in Bethlehem.  Yet, Micah tells us that this ruler who would come to Israel had his origins long before Micah was born.  He goes back to the beginning of all things, in fact, into eternity.  Therefore, the baby to be born in Bethlehem is eternal.  And if he is eternal, he is God.  The eternal God would enter our world at a specific time and place.  And this one would be their peace.

     Micah told us where the Savior would enter the world.  He also gave us a hint at the timing of his coming.  He said, “The Lord will give them up, until the time when the woman who is in labor bears a child” (Micah 5:3).  And who does the Lord give up?  The rulers from Judah.  God would allow their reign to come to an end.  This happened when Herod the Great assumed power as King of the Jews.  Up to that point in time, the people of Israel were always ruled by a fellow Israelite.  His power may have been insignificant, but it was always an Israelite who ruled over Israel.  Herod the Great was no Israelite.  He was from the nation of Edom.  Jacob’s yoke had finally been broken off of Esau’s neck (cf. Genesis 27:40).  The throne of David, powerless as it was, had finally expired.  But at that time, the woman who was in labor would bear a child, the Savior.  This birth would take place in Bethlehem.  Despite the small size of Bethlehem, someone great would come forth from there.  This one would be their peace.

     Micah helps us identify the Savior.  And when you consider all the other Old Testament prophecies, Jesus is the only one who could be the Savior.  Only Jesus has fulfilled every prophecy foretold and every promise sworn.  Besides identifying where and when he will enter the world, Micah also tells us what he will do.  “He will stand and shepherd with the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.  They will dwell securely, for at that time he will be great to the ends of the earth.  This one will be their peace” (Micah 5:3-5).  

     It is no small thing when Micah says that the Savior will allow his people to dwell securely.  The Promised Land has always been a hotbed of conflict.  The Promised Land was a crossroads between Asia, Africa, and Europe.  Besides traders, many armies travelled the roads through Israel.  Sometimes they passed through, although not without helping themselves to materials and supplies.  Other times, they came to kill, to conquer, and to make Israel a source of revenue for themselves.  In the days of Micah, the Assyrian nation came and took into exile the tribes of the north.  The people of Judea also suffered at the hands of the Assyrians until the Lord provided a miraculous deliverance.  But the violence and warfare have never stopped.  To this day, this plot of land in the Middle East remains a land of blood, currently with Israel and Lebanon and Gaza battling each other.  A ruler who would ensure peace would be welcomed and celebrated when he came.

     And wouldn’t such a ruler be welcomed and celebrated now, too?  The entire world is in chaos.  Jesus warned us it would be this way until his return.  He alerted us, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars.  See that you are not alarmed, because all these things must happen; but that is not yet the end.  Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.  There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.  But all these things are only the beginning of birth pains.  … Then many will fall away from faith.  They will betray each other and hate each other.  Many false prophets will appear and deceive many people.  Because lawlessness will increase, the love of many will grow cold” (Matthew 24:6-8,10-12).  It isn’t a rosy picture, is it?  But we see it unfold in front of us day by day, year after year.  The pundits may sing, “All we are saying is give peace a chance,” but according to Jesus, you won’t find it here.  It is not that we favor war and chaos; it is that we should not be surprised by it.

     Perhaps your tragedies are more personal.  Sin makes itself evident in many ways.  Sometimes it is family strife.  This is the time of year when families are supposed to get together and to enjoy one another’s company.  But sin produces feuds, divisions, and divorces.  Often, the problems are self-inflicted.  Perhaps you are the one who caused the rift with some poorly chosen words.  Or you are the one who bears the grudge, preferring your pride to forgiveness.  The holidays accentuate these family problems and underscore loneliness.  We use words like “dysfunctional” and “blended” and “broken” to describe families and homes.  This is not what God has intended, but it is what sin has produced. 

     Sin also makes itself evident from the anxiety we endure.  We get anxious about our health, the economy, job security, politics, elections, our popularity, and the expectations of other people.  We even get anxious about scenarios that we dream up in our minds which never happen.  And why the anxiety?  Because nothing in this world is secure.  As a result, people become depressed or angry or even suicidal.  Some choose to cope with life’s problems with intoxication.  But the problems don’t go away.  For as much as people talk about peace during the Christmas season, it is often elusive.  Life remains chaotic.  The world is still broken.  And people still seek hope and peace.

     The prophet Micah preached to troubled people at a troubled time.  His words still bring comfort to us today.  Micah promised us a Savior.  He said, “He will stand and shepherd with the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.  They will dwell securely, for at that time he will be great to the ends of the earth.  This one will be their peace” (Micah 5:3-5).  

     Listen carefully to Micah’s words.  He does not promise that the world will be at peace.  He said, “This one will be their peace” (Micah 5:5, emphasis added).  Jesus himself is the peace that you long for.  He delivers what nothing in the world will bring you.  The everlasting God comes into the world to bring everlasting hope and peace to people.  It’s not necessarily that he will make your world better.  It is that he will deliver you to a better world.  Only in the kingdom of heaven will you get life without war and crime, without pain and loss, without mental and emotional distress.  If this is what you long for, then cling to Jesus.  This one will be your peace.

     Jesus Christ makes promises that he has backed up with his very life.  He has taken care of the sins that have plagued you.  Jesus assures you that all your sins have been wiped out.  The Bible declares, “As distant as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our rebellious acts from us” (Psalm 103:12).  When the eternal God removes sins from you, they are taken away forever.  Therefore, you do not need to live with guilt or regret.  And this is nothing you have to wait for.  The payment for your sins has been made at Jesus’ crucifixion.  In his word and sacraments, Jesus delivers you this forgiveness now.  So, if you want your conscience to be at rest, this one will be your peace.

     Jesus also puts you at ease regarding your death.  Death will come; that is the wages of sin.  But Jesus delivers you from the terrors of death.  He went into death for you.  The flesh-and-blood Savior who came from Bethlehem had his body placed in a grave after he died to pay for your sins.  But the grave could not hold him.  Your flesh-and-blood Savior departed from the grave.  He rose with a glorified body, and assures you that, since you are his, you too will rise with a glorified body.  These bodies suffer all kinds of health problems.  We see that with the need for glasses, hearing aids, prescription medication, and intensive care units.  As you get older, the problems will increase in frequency and intensity.  All of that will be done forever.  Death will be undone.  The frailty of this flesh will be rectified.  No matter what difficulties you have now Jesus will fix.  You will be renewed and robust forever.  This one will be your peace.

     The world is still a troubled and troubling place.  Even after Micah declared that the ruler from the little town of Bethlehem would enable his people to live securely, Israel was invaded.  Its temple was destroyed.  Its people were taken into exile.  Life in the world was not any easier.  You should not expect it to be any different for you.  Wars and rumors of wars will not cease.  Natural disasters will not subside.  The world will still deceive and discourage you.  There is no peace, not in a world that has been marred by sin. 

     But Jesus Christ allows you to dwell securely in the knowledge that your eternal salvation is set.  That is the goal, and Jesus secures it.  This one, Jesus Christ, will be your peace.  The struggles in this world may be painful, but they are temporary.  The glories of heaven are eternal.  Nothing in this world can compare with them, and nothing in this world can take them from you.  All who believe in Jesus are safely preserved unto eternal life.  This peace stands in the midst of distress, disease, and death.  Our God is eternal.  His kingdom endures.  His love is steadfast.  And his peace is unending.

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.

YouTube -- 2nd Sunday of Advent (December 8, 2024)

Here is the Divine Service from Sunday, December 8, 2024.

Sermon -- 2nd Sunday of Advent (December 8, 2024)

LUKE 3:1-6

THE LORD SENDS REAL HOPE FOR REAL SINNERS.

In the name + of Jesus.

     There are many religions throughout the world.  They generally have two things in common.  The first is this: They all acknowledge that there is a God.  They don’t agree on who God is, what he is like, or what he wants.  But all the religions acknowledge that there is a God.  The second thing all religions agree on is that we should be good.  Exactly how one defines “good” may vary from religion to religion.  But this emphasis on being good is a reflection upon who God is.  God himself is good, and he expects us to be as well.  Because of these two points, many conclude that all religions are the same.

     One of the places Christianity differs from other religions is that the Bible is firmly placed within the events of human history.  Works of fiction are often placed in fabricated worlds.  Superman comes from the planet Krypton.  Star Trek has encounters with Vulcans, Klingons, and Romulans.  Even if the settings are real places, the people and events are made up.  They come with a disclaimer: Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.  

     The Bible is not fiction.  It records the names of real people, many of whom are well known.  It is set in real places, most of which can be found on a map or visited in person.  It records real events, many of which can be corroborated in secular histories.  And it often establishes a date for the people and events it records.  Other religions are more philosophies rather than histories.  The Bible is a record of history, but it is more.  It is the record of God working in history to bring salvation to a world of problems.  The Lord sends real hope for real sinners.

     Today’s Gospel might seem like a boring introduction to the ministry of John the Baptist.  But it is actually the precise work of a historian.  St. Luke pinpoints the life and ministry of John the Baptist to a specific time and place—during the reign of a world leader, of regional governors, and of local dignitaries. 

     “In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—while Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene—during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zechariah, in the wilderness” (Luke 3:1-2).  A tetrarch was one of four rulers who governed his assigned territory.  If you count it up, Luke only mentions three.  Secular history informs us that Herod Archelaus, the son of Herod the Great, had been tetrarch of Judea.  But he proved to be a poor leader, so the Romans came in and took over.  That’s what puts the Roman governor Pontius Pilate over Judea.  Luke did not record that for us, but his original audience would have known the story.  Luke did not waste paragraphs of Scripture explaining what everyone knew.  Luke is remarkably detailed and accurate about these things.  So, why should you care?  Because he is remarkably detailed and accurate about matters of your salvation.  John the Baptist is not a fictional character.  He is a real man who lived in a real world.  And he urged sinners to deal with the reality of their sins.  The Lord sends real hope for real sinners.

     While Luke plants John the Baptist in history, he is more interested in the message of John than in the politics of the day.  “The word of God came to John … in the wilderness.  He went into the whole region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Luke 3:2-3).  The Lord sent John to prepare the way for the Savior.  In order for people to be eager to receive the Savior, they must recognize their need for that Savior.

     John declared, “Prepare the way of the Lord” (Luke 3:3)!  The Lord was coming.  The only question is whether he would come in wrath or in mercy, to destroy or to save.  If the Lord were coming to judge and to destroy, they would want to set up barricades and strengthen their defenses.  But Isaiah foretold that when the Lord came, “Everyone will see the salvation of God” (Luke 3:6).  Therefore, John preached: “Prepare the way of the Lord!  Make his paths straight.  Every valley will be filled, and every mountain and hill will be made low.  The crooked will become straight, and the rough ways smooth” (Luke 3:4-5).  If the Lord was going to save his people, the people would not want anything to suggest he was not welcome.  To welcome the Savior, they should be sure that nothing would hinder his coming. 

     But the Lord is not usually welcomed by sinners.  Sinners are convinced that God’s Law is bad because it makes us feel bad.  It restricts beliefs and behaviors.  It threatens punishment on all who transgress it.  We might even think that the Law brings death.  But the Law of God is good.  Yes, it threatens punishment on wickedness, but that’s because disobedience to God’s Law is a rejection of God who is good, and it is destructive to your neighbor and to yourself.  Yes, God’s Law is restrictive, but that is to maintain good order.  It is like traffic laws.  Complete freedom would mean you could drive your car wherever you want and however you want.  But laws restrict driving to roads and direct you to obey stop signs and speed limits.  This is for the good of drivers and pedestrians.  And yes, God’s Law limits your beliefs and judges your behavior.  The government does not care if you hate your neighbor as long as you don’t beat him.  God cares if you harbor hatred in your heart for anyone who is created in God’s image.  And God cares if you give the honor due him to anything else.

     The Lord takes an honest look at your heart, and he sees the sin that dwells there.  The Lord declares, “The heart is more deceitful than anything.  It is beyond cure.  Who can understand it?  I, the Lord, am the one who searches the heart and examines the mind, to reward a man according to what he has done, according to what his deeds deserve” (Jeremiah 17:9-10).  If you take an honest look at your heart and compare it to God’s Law, you will see that it is not a good heart.  It harbors bitterness, jealousy, lust, and greed.  It resents God because he holds you accountable.  Repent.

     God’s Law reflects God’s goodness.  Our failure to keep the Law reveals our sinfulness.  To insist that we are good enough and nice enough for heaven is to believe fiction.  God’s Law shows our reality—we are guilty before the Lord.  We have earned God’s wrath.  God’s Law can make us feel bad.  It might even make us commit to doing better.  But God’s Law does not change what we are.  And feeling bad about our sins does not take them away.  The Lord, therefore, sends real hope for real sinners. 

     Giving careful attention to God’s commandments allows us to make an honest assessment about ourselves, and there is a blessed relief to that.  Rather than come up with reasons why our sins are not that bad, we can be honest and confess reality: “I am a poor, miserable sinner.  Lord, have mercy upon me.”  The Lord sends real hope for real sinners. 

     John came “preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Luke 3:3).  God works repentance in us when his Law crushes our hearts.  But “a broken and crushed heart, O God, you will not despise.” (Psalm 51:17).  Those with broken hearts seek relief from guilt.  They will rejoice in John the Baptist’s message.  John prepares the way.  Jesus comes for sinners.  And “everyone will see the salvation of God” (Luke 3:6).  The Lord sends real hope for real sinners.

     The Lord does not ignore your sins.  He pays for them.  Jesus Christ does not suspend the punishment for your sins.  He suffered the punishment for you.  Jesus’ torturous and cursed death was no fiction.  Real Roman nails pierced his true flesh to a real wooden cross.  He bore a real curse on behalf of real sinners.  Therefore, the wrath of God and penalty for sins have been dealt with in the death of Jesus Christ.  You receive a full pardon for every offense.  So, you can freely confess that you are a real sinner.  For, you have been given a real hope—forgiveness of sins, new life in God’s kingdom and under God’s tender care, and eternal salvation.  Your guilt has really been removed.  Your death has really been overcome.  Your Savior is really risen and lives.

     When John proclaimed baptism, he was pointing you away from yourself.  John could have declared, “You need to do better.  Prepare the way.  Stop your sinning.  Strive for more decent behavior.  Be kinder to people.”  He wouldn’t have been wrong.  Everyone can admit that they should be better.  And, in fact, all religions teach this.  But where is your hope?  Where is your peace if you try harder and still aren’t any better?  Where is your comfort when God’s Law still shows you are failing to do the good God demands?  John points you away from yourself.  He proclaims a baptism for the forgiveness of sins. 

     The Lord sends real hope for real sinners.  And there is real hope for you in your baptism.  Your hope is not found in what you are doing for God.  It is found in what God has done for you and gives to you.  Jesus Christ has won your salvation, and he gives you the benefits of this salvation in Holy Baptism.  There, he washes away your sins and purifies you from all unrighteousness.  There he cloaks you in his own innocence.  There he creates in you a clean heart and renews in you a right spirit. 

     This right spirit is strengthened by God’s word.  The Holy Spirit causes you to love God’s Law, having convinced you that it is good, right, and beneficial to others.  The Lord continues to sustain you in the true faith and guides you to live according to it.  He continues to foster in you a penitential spirit which puts away sin and strives for holiness.  The Holy Spirit also directs you to rely on Jesus alone for hope and salvation.  He is the only real hope sinners have.

     The Lord sent John the Baptist to preach in a real world of real problems among real sinners.  The Lord did not pretend that things weren’t that bad.  He knows they are.  So, he acted to bring a real rescue from sin and all the problems that come with it.  Jesus Christ has supplied that.  No one else has, will, or can.  Other religions may tell you to be good.  Jesus Christ provides his holiness to you.  He bestows God’s favor upon you.  He opens heaven to you.  There is real hope for real sinners—a real Savior who brings a real salvation, real comfort, and real peace.

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

YouTube -- 1st Sunday of Advent (December 1, 2024)

Here is the Divine Service from Sunday, December 1, 2024.

Sermon -- 1st Sunday of Advent (December 1, 2024)

LUKE 19:28-40

BLESSED IS THE KING WHO COMES IN THE NAME OF THE LORD.

In the name + of Jesus.

      The Gospel for the first Sunday of the Church Year has historically been the account of Jesus riding into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday.  He entered Jerusalem as a king, and that is how the crowds received him.  “The whole crowd of disciples began to praise God joyfully, with a loud voice, for all the miracles they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!  Peace in heaven and glory in the highest’” (Luke 1:37-38)!  The Psalm of the Day encouraged people to receive this king willingly and gladly.  “Lift up your heads, you gates.  Lift yourselves up, you ancient doors, and the King of Glory will come in.  Who is this King of Glory?  The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle” (Psalm 24:7-8).   

     In times of war, a city would close its gates.  They would deny entrance to an approaching army while the citizens would stay inside for refuge.  The plan was to outlast the enemy, hoping that they would run out of supplies and then withdraw.  When Alexander the Great marched on cities, some kings knew that their cities could not overcome or outlast his army.  So, they opened their city gates to let him in.  They surrendered and willingly subjected themselves, hoping that Alexander the Great would treat them favorably.

     The Psalmist urged the citizens of Jerusalem to open the gates, to lift up those ancient doors, so that the King of Glory would come in.  This King is Jesus.  He came not to subject the people to cruelty and slavery, but to liberate them from their enemy.  He came to establish a kingdom of peace.  The people of Jerusalem were urged to welcome this king and receive him because he is good and because he saves.  And this, they did.  They sang his praises and thanked God for his coming.  Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord.

     This is where the Psalm and Jesus’ appearance seem to be at odds with one another.  When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the crowds cheered him enthusiastically.  They escorted him right into Jerusalem.  But Pontius Pilate did not call upon any forces to confront him.  That’s because Jesus came into Jerusalem riding on a donkey.  He came in humility, without any military force or weaponry.  That’s not how the Psalm describes him: “Who is this King of Glory?  The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle.  …Who is he, this King of Glory?  The Lord of Armies—he is the King of Glory” (Psalm 24:8,10).  The Psalm says that this king has come to do battle, and that he is the Lord of Armies. 

     So, what kind of battle is this king engaging in?  Who is his enemy?  What does he hope to gain?  And how does he hope to conquer when all he has is a donkey, and a borrowed donkey at that?

     The Passover crowd was partly right in what they hoped for from Jesus.  St. Luke said, “The whole crowd of disciples began to praise God joyfully, with a loud voice, for all the miracles they had seen” (Luke 19:37).  Part of the havoc that sin wreaks on this world are the illnesses, disabilities, and diseases that we face.  St. Luke was a physician.  He had tended to people with various ailments over his lifetime.  He did not dismiss every problem as demon-possession.  The good doctor was acquainted with the various ailments that Jesus encountered, and he identified them accordingly.  Luke recorded Jesus healing a fever (Luke 4:38-39), leprosy (Luke 5:13), paralysis (Luke 5:24-25), a withered hand (Luke 6:10), and even restoring the dead back to life (Luke 7:14-15 and Luke 8:54-55).  The crowds had seen these miraculous healings and rejoiced that the Lord had sent such great relief from suffering.  That in itself was all the reason they needed to praise him.  Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!

     But the Psalm does not praise Jesus for healing.  It identifies Jesus as a warrior who goes out to battle.  He did not ride forth on his donkey to bind wounds, but to inflict them.  He came to trample the enemy under his feet and to put the enemy to death.  “Who is this King of Glory?  The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle” (Psalm 24:8). 

     The King came to destroy the enemy who had taken his creation captive.  Satan claimed the whole world for himself when he seduced Adam and Eve into sin.  Once they had eaten the forbidden fruit, Adam and Eve were controlled by sin.  Sin influenced all their motives and emotions, words and works.  And nothing has changed.  Psalm 24 asks, “Who may stand in [the Lord’s] holy place?  He who has clean hands and a pure heart, whose soul is not set on what is false, who does not swear deceitfully.” (Psalm 24:3-4).  We all have dirt on our hands.  Our hearts are unclean and uncharitable.  How much of what you do is determined by your own self interests?  If you are generous and hope to get recognition for it, is that not done for yourself?  If you are polite in order to receive special treatment in return, is that not done for yourself?  If you do good works expecting God to notice and to reward you for it, aren’t those good works done for your good?  Even our good works are not good.  Sin also produces evil thoughts, insulting words, and petty, vengeful acts in us.  The devil may plant the ideas in your head, but you are the one who willingly does them—just as Adam and Eve willingly rebelled against God.  In this way, you were held captive by the devil.  And just like the snake that he is, he wraps you up in his coils to drag you down to death.

     But see!  Your king comes to you.  The Passover crowds greeted him rightly: “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord!  Peace in heaven and glory in the highest’” (Luke 1:38)!  The king has come to wage the war we could not win.  He has come to conquer our foe and to set us free from this terrible captivity to sin, death, and the devil.  He has come to restore peace between God and mankind by taking away everything offensive in you.  If he takes away your sin, then the Father has no reason to be angry with you.  And you have no reason to fear or flee from the Father.  There is peace in heaven and peace on earth.  It has been secured by Jesus who has come to restore you to life, to pardon you of all guilt, and to grant you peace.  Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.

     Of course, you know how the Lord Jesus has delivered you from your enemy.  He entered Jerusalem without weaponry or military support.  He came to conquer by being slain.  He set you free by giving himself in exchange for you.  He who had clean hands had them nailed to the cross for you.  He who had a pure heart had it pierced with a spear for you.  He who did not swear by what is false silently died for every sinful syllable you have uttered.  Jesus exchanged his innocence for your guilt.  Jesus exchanged the Father’s love for his divine wrath.  Jesus gave up his life and cast himself into death. 

     Satan thought he could possess the entire human race if he put the Son of God to death.  But in doing so, Satan produced his own defeat.  Jesus’ death paid for the sins of all mankind.  The Father’s wrath was emptied out upon Jesus.  But because he suffered and died in innocence, the perfectly obedient Son who did the will of his Father, death was not able to keep him.  Jesus burst forth out of the grave.  Jesus left the battlefield alive and victorious over sin, death, and the devil.  Satan is as powerless as a corpse on the field of battle.  The devil’s reign of terror has ended.  Jesus has established a kingdom of peace. 

     Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.  Jesus came in the name of the Lord to win back all the people who were taken captive by Satan.  The Lord strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle has won you for himself.  You are now his prize, his cherished possession, the object of his affection.  Your Lord, Jesus Christ, lives and reigns for you.  Jesus has established a kingdom in which he gives new life to all who believe in him—a life of peace with God, a life of peace in a world of strife, and a peace that will go on into eternal life. 

     Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord.  He still comes to you as God’s word is preached and his sacraments are administered.  We come with our hearts flung wide open to gratefully receive our Savior-King and the blessings he brings to us.  We still sing the song of the Passover pilgrims when our Lord is about to give us his body and blood.  “Hosanna in the highest.  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”  Our King comes to us humbly veiled in bread and wine.  He comes to save us.  He makes us participants in his death and resurrection.  The sinful self is put to death, and the new creation is raised up to live before God in righteousness, innocence, and blessedness.  Jesus has revealed his salvation which allows us to go through life and even to depart from this life in peace.

     Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord.  He comes and gives us his words of truth so that we remain faithful to him.  Our King guides us so that we are no longer seduced by the devil’s cunning lies.  Our King corrects us so that we flee from the sins which would take us captive again.  Our King consoles us so that we are not overcome by the sorrows of this world.  Our King encourages us to continue in good works even when they are not acknowledged or appreciated.  Even though we appear humble and weak—just as Jesus appeared riding on a donkey—our King leads us triumphantly through life.  For our King reigns, and our glory will be revealed in the kingdom to come.  Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord. 

     The King of Glory came into this world as a humble servant who lived and died to win us for himself.  The King of Glory comes to us regularly when we gather in his name to receive his good gifts.  The King of Glory will come again to judge the living and the dead.  Then, his glory will be evident to all.  And when all people see him, they will have no choice but to bend the knee to King Jesus.  Not only will this be our choice, it will be our delight to bend the knee before King Jesus.  After all, it is our joy to do it now.  Our King will open the gates to his heavenly kingdom so that we may come in and dwell with him forever.  We will forever declare him blessed; and to our endless joy, he will call us blessed, too.

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

YouTube -- 4th Sunday of Advent (December 24, 2023)

Here is the Divine Service from Sunday, December 24 (10:00 AM -- still Advent!).

Sermon -- 4th Sunday in Advent (December 24, 2023)

LUKE 1:26-38

HOW WILL THIS BE?

In the name + of Jesus.

     The angel Gabriel told Mary many amazing things about the baby whom she would birth.  Here is a brief summary.  His name would be Jesus.  That is the Greek version of his name.  It means Savior.  The Aramaic version of his name, which is almost certainly what Gabriel said to her, is Yeshua.  That means “the Lord saves.”  It would be both his identity and his job description.  He is the Lord who saves.  Gabriel also said that he would be the Son of the Most High.  Gabriel did not suggest that this child would be something less than God.  God is one, and there is no other.  Therefore, this child is God—God the Son, but now also Mary’s Son.  Gabriel added this: He would be given the throne of David.  So, he would be a king.  More than that, Gabriel said that he would reign forever.  This child would be an everlasting king who reigns for the glory and for the good of God’s people.

     Several times, St. Luke mentioned that Mary pondered all these things in her heart.  I am sure that she pondered Gabriel’s words for a long time.  It’s a lot to ponder.  Mary did not doubt the angel’s words, nor did she resist what Gabriel gave her to do—which, by the way, was no small matter.  Mary would be the mother of God.  The Lord became flesh in her womb.  She would nurse him, change him, and bathe him.  She would teach him to walk, to speak, and to feed himself.  She would have to endure people scoffing at the idea that her child was special—aren’t they all?  But hers is divine!  Her child is God.  Don’t mess up raising him.  No pressure, right?

     It is amazing, therefore, that Mary had only one question for Gabriel.  That question had nothing to do with what responsibilities she bore in raising him so that he would fulfill what Gabriel said he would be.  But she was confused about one issue: “Mary said to the angel, ‘How will this be, since I am a virgin’” (Luke 1:34)?  And note how she asked.  When Zechariah was told that his aged wife, Elizabeth, would conceive and give birth to John the Baptist, he thought the word from the Lord was foolish.  In essence, Zechariah said, “Elizabeth?!  She’s too old.  How can this be?”  Mary asked, “How will this be” (Luke 1:34, emphasis added)?  She did not doubt that God could do this, but she was curious how.

     This was not the first miraculous conception and birth in the Bible.  Abraham was told that his elderly, barren wife, Sarah, would give birth to a son.  And she did.  Isaac’s wife, Rebekah, had infertility issues.  So did Jacob’s wife, Rachel.  Hannah was barren, but later gave birth to Samuel.  And we heard about Zechariah.  But the difference, and Mary knew it, was this: All these women had husbands.  They may have been old.  They may have been barren.  But they all had husbands.  Mary did not.  “Mary said to the angel, ‘How will this be, since I am a virgin’” (Luke 1:34). 

     In all of human history, there has never been a birth like this.  But that’s because in all of human history, there has never been a child like this.  Mary asked, “How will this be?”  The angel Gabriel gave her an answer.  Despite his answer, it still remains a mystery to us.  Gabriel said, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God” (Luke 1:35). 

     The Holy Spirit comes through the word of God.  He does not zap people into the kingdom of God.  The Bible reminds us, “‘What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him’—these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit” (1 Corinthians 2:9-10).  The Holy Spirit inspired the words of the Scriptures, and he comes through those words to create and to sustain faith.  The Holy Spirit never works apart from the word.  So, as the angel Gabriel spoke the word of the Lord to Mary, the Holy Spirit came to her.  The Son of God was conceived in her.  He is and remains God; for God does not change.  But then God takes the humanity into himself through the Virgin Mary.  Being conceived by the Holy Spirit, he remains sinless.  Being conceived in the Virgin Mary, he becomes a man to make himself one with us.

     Now, all of this is deep theology.  And maybe it seems like there is nothing practical here.  But if you have mourned the loss of a loved one, if you have ever been cheated, if you have been haunted by regrets, if you have ever felt helpless or hopeless or lonely, then you may have wondered, “Does God understand what I am going through?  Does God care about me and my problems and my tears?  Does God know what it is like to feel pain, to suffer mockery, to bury loved ones, to have stress, or to be the victim of injustice?  Does God understand my plight?  Does he care?  Will he help?

     Sometimes, people try to understand the plight of others by putting themselves in their shoes.  Some have taken a mission trip to Haiti and assist people who live in poverty and are trying to recover from a hurricane.  I remember hearing about a movie star who wanted to experience homelessness.  So, he went out to sleep on a street somewhere in a cardboard box.  After his night out on the street (and maybe it was a few nights, I don’t remember), he went back to his Beverly Hills home.  Did he really know what it was like to be homeless?  Does a visit to Haiti for a week really show you what it is like to live in poverty and squalor when you know there is a flight back home?  You may gain empathy, which is sorrow over someone else’s suffering.  But you cannot claim to really have sympathy, which is to suffer what they suffer—not when you know you can go right back to comfort and safety.

     The angel Gabriel told the Virgin Mary, and St. Luke has recorded it so that you will know it: God knows and understands and now feels exactly what all these things are like.  How will this be?  God becomes one of us.  God entered our world and took his place among sinners.  There was no escape clause.  There was no ejector button.  In fact, Jesus did not get out of the experience alive.  He experienced pain, sorrow, and loss.  He was a victim of mockery, betrayal, and injustice.  He witnessed sickness, disaster, and death.  He himself was beaten, spit upon, and lashed.  He was crucified, died, and was buried.  God has taken on humanity and invested himself in everything we know except for sin.  So, when you are pouring out your frustrations in prayer, God knows what you are going through.  He can sympathize because he has been there.

     But God’s sympathies go beyond sharing the human experience.  God chose to experience the curse of sin that all people deserve and to endure the torment of hell that you and I have earned.  God chose to die.  How will this be?  For, God cannot die.  God’s very nature is that he is immortal.  But man is mortal.  Therefore, God became a man to suffer the curse that we all have brought upon ourselves by our sins.  St. Paul wrote, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13).  How will this be?  How could this be?  God became a man so that he could suffer die for all. 

     How will this be?  The immortal one dies?  The almighty suffers in weakness?  The blessed one is cursed?  The holy one is guilty?  The heavenly one endures hell?  The angel Gabriel told Mary how it will be: “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son…  The child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God” (Luke 1:31,35).  So, in Jesus Christ, God dies.  In Jesus Christ, God pays for the sins of the world.  In Jesus Christ, a man rises from the grave to overpower death.  In Jesus Christ, a man enters heaven to dwell with God the Father forever.  And if you share the confusion of Zechariah and ask, “How can this be?” do not fear.  It is a mystery.  It is revealed by the Holy Spirit, but we still marvel at it.  It’s a lot to ponder.  But rest assured that the word of the Lord is true.  And it guarantees your redemption and your place in the heavenly kingdom.

     “Greetings, O favored ones, the Lord is with you” (Luke 1:28).  The Lord has become one with you.  He does not merely offer you sympathy and commiserate with you that life is hard and full of troubles.  The Lord Jesus Christ has acted to deliver you out of your troubles.  He may not take away your troubles right now.  After all, this is a sinful world and bad things are going to happen in it.  When you pray for an end to your troubles, God’s answer may be, “Dear child, have patience.”  But in the end, God’s answer will be, “Yes.  I will grant you relief completely and eternally.”  But no matter what, the Lord remains with you. 

     “Do not be afraid, for you have found favor with God” (Luke 1:30).  The favor of God has been revealed through the Son of Mary.  It comes from the God who became body and blood for you.  It comes through the body and blood which are given to you to eat and to drink.  The Holy Supper is also a mystery.  In Greek, it is called a mysterion / musteriwn (1 Corinthians 4:1); in Latin, it is called a sacramentum.  The mystery is that bread and wine conceal the body and blood which have won forgiveness of sins, new life, and salvation.  Some have scoffed at the sacrament and asked, “How can this be?  We see, feel, taste, and smell bread and wine.  How can the infinite God be contained by bread and wine?”  By trying to make the mystery logical, they have forfeited what it is.  Why not ask, “How can the infinite God be contained in a womb?”  But just as Mary did not try to unravel the mystery of the incarnation, we do not try to unravel the mystery of the sacrament.  We let Jesus’ words stand when he tells us, ‘This is my body.  This is my blood.”  Jesus gives us his crucified and risen body and blood.  Through it, he gives the gifts he won—forgiveness and eternal life.  Through it, he sustains us in his divine mercy until he will set us forever free from the evils that plague us.

     Mary did not contest God’s word.  She accepted what God had given her.  She responded to Gabriel, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).  We don’t know what cross the Lord may have us bear, but we do know the promises he has made.  Jesus has guaranteed his mercy to us all.  Therefore, each one of us can also pledge, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”  And—God be praised!—it will be.

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.