Sermon -- TRIDUUM: Easter Dawn (April 5, 2026)

BAPTISM NOW SAVES YOU.

1 PETER 3:17-22

In the name + of Jesus.

M:       Alleluia!  Christ is risen!

C:        He is risen indeed!  Alleluia!

     “He descended into hell.  On the third day he rose again from the dead” (Apostles’ Creed).  The Apostles’ Creed seems to reverse the order of events.  St. Peter wrote that Jesus “was put to death in flesh but was made alive in spirit, in which he also went and made an announcement to the spirits in prison” (1 Peter 3:18-19).  So, the descent into hell occurred after Jesus had risen from the dead.  If he were still dead, how could he proclaim victory?  But Jesus Christ is risen.  He is the conqueror, the one who holds authority over death and hell. 

     Jesus descended into hell before he appeared to anyone on Easter day—and that seems to be the point of the Apostles’ Creeds order of events.  His suffering was finished on Good Friday.  He had taken his Sabbath rest in the grave.  He rose and descended into hell.  He went to the devil’s home turf.  He preached to the spirits and proved himself the victor.  Then he departed since neither death nor hell nor the devil has any hold on him.

     Although the spirits in prison include all who have despised and denied God’s promises, St. Peter focused only on those from the days of Noah.  Those who had rejected God’s word and dismissed it with mockery were forced to acknowledge that their condemnation was deserved.  By contrast, Noah took God’s word seriously and built the ark in which he and his family were saved.  The Flood destroyed all the wicked.  The same waters scrubbed the world clean and produced a new creation—not yet perfected, but renewed.  The Flood also up lifted Noah and his family above that destruction so that they were saved. 

     St. Peter, then, draws this analogy: “Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you—not the removal of dirt from the body but the guarantee of a good conscience before God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 3:21).  Just as the Flood drowned the wicked and lifted up the ark above the destruction, so the waters of baptism have done for you.  Baptism now saves you.  It wipes out all unrighteousness.  It purifies you from sin.  Through baptism, you have been brought into the ark of the Holy Christian Church.  That is why this part of the church building is called the nave.  “Nave” comes from the Latin word for boat or ark.  It is where you find the deliverance from a damning judgment.  Baptism extinguishes the hellfire that awaits the guilty. 

     Some Christians protest that baptism does not save.  They want to correct you and say, “Baptism does not save; Jesus does.”  But that is like saying, “Food does not sustain you; nutrition does.”  But how does God provide that nutrition to you?  Through food.  Likewise, St. Peter connects baptism to Jesus’ resurrection.  Jesus’ resurrection bestows new life.  How does the Lord deliver that new life to you?  Through holy baptism.  Baptism now saves you—not a symbolic washing, but “the guarantee of a good conscience before God through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 3:21).  Baptism is “the washing of rebirth and the renewal by the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:5).  It makes you a new creation—not yet perfect, but renewed.  The resurrection and perfection and glory will come at the resurrection of all flesh.  Death will be done.  The Church will be delivered.  For, Jesus lives.

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

Sermon -- TRIDUUM: Maundy Thursday (April 2, 2026)

A CLEANSING FOUNTAIN.

ZECHARIAH 13:1

In the name + of Jesus.

     The first record of public worship in the Old Testament has to do with Cain and Abel.  “Abel tended sheep, but Cain worked the ground.  As time passed, one day Cain brought an offering to the LORD from the fruit of the soil.  Abel also brought some of the firstborn of his flock and their fat portions.  The LORD looked favorably on Abel and his offering” (Genesis 4:2-4).  Those who are familiar with Old Testament worship probably don’t bat an eye at these verses.  Of course they brought sacrifices to the Lord!  But what gets overlooked is this: There are no instructions recorded about how the Lord is to be worshiped.  But the Lord must have said something.  Why else would Abel take pains to build an altar and slaughter a lamb from his flock?  And not just a lamb, but the firstborn?

     From the very first worship, the principle recorded in the letter to the Hebrews is on display: “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22).  That principle continued with all the patriarchs.  After the Flood, “Noah built an altar to the LORD and took from every clean animal and every clean bird and offered burnt offerings on the altar.  The LORD smelled the pleasant aroma” (Genesis 8:20-21).  There had been no specific instruction about which animals were clean or unclean.  Yet, Noah knew.  So, again, the Lord must have said something.  Blood sacrifices continued with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  It was not until Moses climbed to the top of Mt. Sinai that the Lord spelled out in detail how his people were to worship him.  And what did the Lord desire?  Blood sacrifices of clean animals because “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22). 

     Blood sacrifices continued as the tabernacle moved throughout the wilderness for forty years.  Eventually, Solomon constructed a temple in Jerusalem.  The Lord’s altar finally had a fixed location.  There, the blood sacrifices continued.  The Lord had also instructed the Israelites that they were not free to set up altars just anywhere.  The Lord had put his name on the altar at the temple.  It was only from that one place that the Lord accepted sacrifices which atoned for sin and celebrated the restored fellowship with the Lord.

     Day after day, the sacrifices were offered.  Day after day, blood was shed and splashed against the sides of the altar.  Year after year, the high priest bathed in a ceremonial washing before he entered the Holy of Holies.  He carried blood into the Holy of Holies to atone for his own sin and for the sin of the people.  He even made atonement for the altar on which the sacrifices were made.  All this had to be repeated, which showed that no blood sacrifice had made a complete and satisfying atonement for the people. 

     Obviously, our worship has changed since Old Testament days.  There is no blood shed, no animals slaughtered, and no bodies consumed in fire on the altar.  The prophet Zechariah foretold that the days would come when this change would take place.  He declared, “On that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness” (Zechariah 13:1). 

     The final chapters of Zechariah speak repeatedly about the days when the Messiah would come.  A day would come when the sacrifices would no longer need to be repeated.  They would no longer be necessary because they would find their fulfillment, and that fulfillment would be all-sufficient for all people of all time.  The Lord would open a fountain which completely cleanses all who are bathed and covered by it.

     It should not surprise you to learn that “that day” would be the day on which our Lord Jesus Christ was slain at the cross.  He is the fulfillment of every blood sacrifice which had been offered up to that day.  Jesus is the propitiation for our sins.  While “propitiation” is a valid word, it is almost useless unless we understand what it means. 

     When a worshiper brought a bull or a sheep to the temple for a sin offering, he would place his hand on the head of that animal to designate it: “This one dies for me.”  The wrath of God would be transferred from the worship to the sacrificial victim.  Then it would be slaughtered and its blood shed.  Its body would be consumed in fire on the altar.  The worshiper would be pardoned and sent home justified, based on God’s promise.  That is what Jesus Christ is for you.  He presented himself as the sacrificial victim.  God’s wrath was transferred from you to him.  This one dies for you.  He is the perfect Lamb, spotless and clean.  His blood was shed and his body was consumed in God’s holy wrath.  You are sent home justified, based on God’s promises.

     That sacrifice was made for you twenty centuries ago.  That was the payment for your sins.  But now, how does God deliver that payment to you?  And what is the fountain that Zechariah was talking about which was “opened … for sin and for uncleanness” (Zechariah 13:1)? 

     St. John stood at the foot of the cross and witnessed Jesus’ death.  John wrote, “One of the soldiers pierced (Jesus’) side with a spear.  Immediately blood and water came out” (John 19:24).  This not only confirmed the death of Jesus, it also illustrated the way that Jesus provides cleansing for your sins.  St. John wrote in his first epistle, “This is the one who came by water and blood: Jesus Christ.  He did not come by the water alone but by the water and by the blood. The Spirit is the one who testifies, because the Spirit is the truth.  In fact, there are three that testify: the Spirit, the water, and the blood, and these three are one” (1 John 5:6-8).

     “On that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness” (Zechariah 13:1).  The fountain that was opened was Jesus’ side.  Water and blood came forth to provide life to his Church.  First, it is by holy baptism that our Lord cleanses you from all sin.  The payment for your sins was made by Jesus through his death on the cross.  The benefits of that payment are given to you in Holy Baptism. 

     The Lord himself tells you what is given in Holy Baptism.  When appeared to Saul who was on his way to Damascus, he snatched Saul from death to life.  But the Lord did not leave Saul to trust his experience, as miraculous as it was.  The risen Savior told him, “Now what are you waiting for?  Get up, be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on his name” (Acts 22:16).  The cleansing fountain which was opened and poured out water from Jesus’ side is applied in Holy Baptism.  It is there that the Lord washes away sin and all uncleanness.

     That fountain also poured out blood from Jesus’ side.  The shedding of Jesus’ blood was necessary, for “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness” (Hebrews 9:22).  But our Lord does not leave us to merely ponder the shedding of Jesus’ blood, as if forgiveness is determined by how deep or how focused our meditation is.  Rather, our Lord crafted a way to deliver that blood to us.

     Our Lord Jesus Christ, on the night he was betrayed, “took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to the disciples.  He said, ‘Take, eat, this is my body.’  Then he took the cup, gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, ‘Drink from it all of you, for this is my blood of the new testament, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins’” (Matthew 26:26-28).  That which he gave into death for you is given here to you.  The blood which was poured forth from Jesus’ side as the payment for your sins is given to you in the cup for the forgiveness of your sins.  The body upon which your sins were laid and which then was consumed in the fire of God’s wrath is given to you under the bread.  Jesus is the propitiation for your sins; for God’s wrath was poured out upon Jesus.  But now, God’s favor is poured out upon you—in fact, into you.

     This new testament is far superior to the old testament.  For, the sacrifices do not need to be repeated day after day, year after year.  Rather, Jesus, the eternal Son of God, made one sacrifice—once for all—to atone for your sins.  The benefits of this sacrifice are eternal.  As often as we eat this bread and drink this cup, we proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes.  We do not repeat the Lord’s death, but we proclaim it.  And we eat and drink to receive the benefits of it.

     There is always a tendency to think that we still have to add something to what Jesus did for us.  In the Old Testament, the sacrifices were not cheap.  To slaughter a bull or a ram involved expense and commitment from the worshiper.  We might also think that there is some sacrifice or some work on our part that should be done to prove that we are worthy of such grace. 

     If sinners could perform the works that appease God’s wrath, then he would have left it in our hands, and those who enter heaven could boast that they earned it.  But no one can earn it.  Even our best works are stained, corrupted, and warped.  Therefore, Jesus established a new testament: He removes your guilt and purifies you from all unrighteousness.  This relieves you of the pressure of endless works, of convincing yourself that you have done enough to please God, and of suffering dread and doubt on your deathbed.  You do not have to question if you will be welcomed into heavenly dwellings.  Jesus removes all debts, drudgery, doubt, and dread.  Zechariah foretold why: “On that day a fountain will be opened for the house of David and for the inhabitants of Jerusalem, for sin and for uncleanness” (Zechariah 13:1).

     The patriarchs had built altars on which they made their atoning sacrifices.  They followed God’s directions to attain forgiveness.  The blood of an innocent victim was shed.  The body was roasted in the fire on the altar.  And God’s wrath was diverted from the worshiper to the sacrifice.  That was a shadow of the things to come.  The reality is found in Christ.  And it is found here, according to our Lord’s own instruction.

     For here, we have an altar.  On this altar is both body and blood.  It comes from the innocent victim who was slain for you.  God’s wrath was diverted from you to him.  He, in turn, feeds you with the food that provides forgiveness, cleansing, strength, and salvation.  God’s grace still flows from Jesus’ side.  The fountain that was opened never runs dry.  

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

Sermon -- 1st Sunday after Epiphany (January 11, 2026)

JESUS WAS ANOINTED TO DO GOOD.

ACTS 10:34-38

In the name + of Jesus.

    The consecration of the Lord’s Supper begins with the words, “Our Lord Jesus Christ…”  We know that his name is not “Lord.”  Lord is a title.  By it, we confess that Jesus is the second person of the Trinity.  He is God in the flesh.  All authority in heaven and on earth belong to him, and he lives and reigns for the good of his Church.  But people often get the impression that Jesus’ last name is “Christ.”  You and I are accustomed to last names, so we expect the same from the ancient world.  But the Jews did not have last names.  Just as “Lord” is a title, so is “Christ.”  It is the same word as “Messiah”—Christ being from the Greek; Messiah being from the Hebrew.  The name given to our Savior is Jesus, and if more information was needed, he would be known as Jesus of Nazareth.

     When St. Peter spoke about Jesus of Nazareth, he made a distinction between the name Jesus and the title Christ.  He said, “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power” (Acts 10:38).  This sounds rather bizarre to us.  We think of Jesus only as the Messiah, that is, as the Lord’s anointed.  One reason is that when Jesus was born, the angel told the shepherds, “Today in the town of David, a Savior was born for you.  He is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:11).  But Peter says there was a time when Jesus was not anointed.  He said that “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth” (Acts 10:38). 

     Prior to his baptism, Jesus performed no miracles.  He grew up in the home of Joseph and Mary in Nazareth.  There was nothing extraordinary to note about him, at least nothing that the Bible notes.  With one exception, the only details we have about Jesus from his infancy until he was thirty is this: “Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and with people” (Luke 2:52). 

     At age thirty, Jesus came to the Jordan River to be baptized by John.  “After Jesus was baptized, he immediately went up out of the water.  Suddenly, the heavens were opened for him!  (John) saw the Spirit of God, descending like a dove and landing on him” (Matthew 3:17).  Jesus was anointed with the Holy Spirit at his baptism.  Anointing is like an inauguration or an ordination.  It is how someone was installed into his particular office.  Aaron, Moses’ brother, was anointed to be the high priest of Israel.  Prior to his anointing, he did not hold that office or carry out its functions.  At his baptism, Jesus took up the office of the Christ.  He began to perform miraculous signs.  He publicly preached and taught the people about the kingdom of God.  And, as St. Peter described it, “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power.  He went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the Devil” (Acts 10:38).  Jesus was anointed to do good.

     I suppose anyone could argue that you do not need to be anointed with the Holy Spirit to do good.  Most people know how to behave and to be decent.  At the same time, no one is perfect.  Some embrace sin.  They are “full of envy, murder, quarreling, deceit, and malice.  They are gossipers, slanderers, God-haters, insolent mockers, arrogant boasters, and loudmouths” (Romans 1:29-30).  They revel in it, and they find people who join them in it and who encourage it.  As God’s people, you don’t embrace sins.  You want to flee from them.  Nevertheless, your sinful nature gets the better of you.  We all do things we need to apologize for.  We all say things we wish we could take back.  Jesus, on the other hand, was pure in heart, kind in words, and merciful in deeds.  Jesus was morally and ethically perfect.

     The prophet Isaiah described Jesus’ goodness.  Isaiah wrote, “A bent reed he will not break, and a dimly burning wick he will not snuff out” (Isaiah 42:3).  In other words, Jesus did not treat anyone like he or she was a lost cause.  Jesus’ enemies noted that Jesus ate with prostitutes and sinners; and they were right.  No little girl aspires to be a prostitute.  There must have been extreme desperation which would have led a woman to believe that this was her best option.  Jesus did not excuse their fornication, but he did have compassion on them.  A bruised reed would not be found useful by anyone, but Jesus considered it worth binding up instead of snapping off.  So, he sought to bind up those who were broken by life rather than snap them off and cast them away.

     While some people are desperate enough to turn to illegal activity, many face desperation differently.  People are so desperate to fit in that they will abandon their morals to belong.  They will do wicked things to be liked.  A young girl might give herself up to her boyfriend, thinking it is better to be used by him than to lose him.  Maybe you’ve been in a conversation where people slander a woman.  They share stories to alienate others from her.  If you defend her, you might find yourself the next target.  You might think it is better to alienate her than to be alienated with her.  Peer pressure is enough for people to cave in and get drunk, shoplift, gossip, play with a Ouija board, or drive recklessly.  All for the sake of fitting in, we will give into wickedness.  Repent.

     Day after day, we encounter sinful people.  It would be easy to say, “They made a mess of their lives.  I must cut them off.  They’re not worth the grief or the patience.”  If you do this, you will have to cut yourself off from the whole world.  Everyone is broken.  And yet, Jesus would not break off a bruised reed.  Jesus would not snuff out those whose faith was down to smoldering embers.  Jesus did not regard anyone as a lost cause.  Jesus was anointed to do good to all people.

     At Jesus’ baptism, “the Spirit of God (descended) like a dove and (landed) on him” (Matthew 3:16).  Here, Jesus was marked as the Christ.  He took up the work as God’s anointed.  That meant he united himself to us in his baptism.  Jesus did not need to be baptized for any sins of his own.  Rather, he took up ours. 

     For Jesus, baptism had the opposite effect that it has upon us.  Jesus’ baptism made him filthy.  He soaked up all our sin and guilt, marking him as the guilty one.  Nevertheless, the Father still declared, “This is my Son, whom I love.  I am well pleased with him” (Matthew 3:17).  The Father was well-pleased with his Son when he covered himself in our sin because that is what he sent his Son to do. 

     Jesus was anointed as the Christ to make a sin offering for all people.  As our great high priest, Jesus makes this sacrifice for us.  And he IS the sacrifice.  He is the spotless Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.  Bearing our guilt, Jesus went to the cross.  There, he was cast away by the Father in heaven.  Jesus was forsaken and cursed and cut off; for this is what sins deserve.  Jesus was a snuffed out wick.  His life was extinguished; for the wages of sin is death.  Jesus endured this for your good because the Father is not content for any of his creatures to be lost.  None are a lost cause to him. 

     Jesus was anointed to do good.  Just as Jesus united himself to us in his baptism, so he has united you to himself through yours.  Jesus’ baptism has taken up all your sin so that your baptism washes you clean of all your sin.  Jesus took up all your guilt in your baptism so that he could clothe you in his righteousness in your baptism.  Jesus was anointed as the one who would be the sin offering for you in his baptism so that his blood would purify you of all unrighteousness in your baptism.  Jesus was anointed to do good.

     Therefore, you do not need to be desperate for other people to like you or to include you in their inner circle.  If your friends would cast you off because you do not fall in line with warped opinions and wicked behavior, how good of friends are they really?  But Jesus’ love for you is steadfast, and his commitment to you is sure.  Even when you come back to God’s house with sins to confess—And who doesn’t have sins to confess?—he will not snuff you out like a smoldering wick.  Rather, he continues to pour out his forgiveness upon you.  He will fan your faith into flame so that you can serve him joyfully.  He speaks tenderly to those who are bruised.  He binds up the broken-hearted.  He supplies hope to the desperate.

     The Lord Jesus Christ has brought you into the family of God.  Rather than snapping you off like a broken reed, Jesus has grafted you in.  He bestows his blessings upon you.  He sees to it that his blood courses through you so that you desire and do what is God-pleasing.  He sends his Holy Spirit to dwell in you to make you God’s temple.  Therefore, your identity is not tied to how other people think of you or talk about you or treat you.  Your identity is found in your baptism.  You have been made a child of the Most High God.  He has opened heaven to you, and he declares, “This is my beloved child, whom I love.  With you I am well pleased.”

     “You know what happened throughout Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John preached.  God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power.  He went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the Devil, because God was with him” (Acts 10:37-38).  The devil will still try to oppress you.  He will tempt you to abandon the Lord to find your happiness from someone else.  He will dig up the past to rub your nose in it.  But the devil lies to you, because Jesus absolves you of what you’ve been and reminds you of who you are—a redeemed and beloved saint in his kingdom. 

     If you ever find yourself wondering if you can be forgiven by God or if you are desperate to know that God really loves you, then remember this statement: “I am baptized.”  For, that is where God has marked you as his own.  That is where God has washed away your sins.  That is where you have been clothed with Christ.  That is where Jesus has done good to you.  For he is good, and his mercy endures forever.

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

BIBLE BITS: Luke 18

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

ISAIAH 42:1-7

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

In the name + of Jesus.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

MARK 1:9-11

SEE WHAT GOD MANIFESTS BY BAPTISM.

 In the name + of Jesus.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

 

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

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

1 SAMUEL 1:25-28

THIS CHILD IS THE LORD'S.

In the name + of Jesus.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

LUKE 3:15-17,21-22

JESUS IS THE LORD'S ANOINTED 

WHO SERVES YOU.

In the name + of Jesus.

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

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

Sermon -- Easter Dawn (April 16, 2017)

EXODUS 14:10 – 15:1

VICTORY COMES THROUGH WATER.

In the name + of Jesus.

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

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

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

MATTHEW 3:13-17

THIS ONE IS THE LORD'S ANOINTED.

In the name + of Jesus.

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

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