Sexagesima (60 Days until Easter)

Preached on January 31, 2016

St. Luke 8:4–15

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

On the Mount of Transfiguration, the Father said, “This is My beloved Son. Listen to Him.” And once again we are gathered to listen to Jesus. Once again He tells a parable. And once again, the thing we should notice in the parable is how God is NOT like us. What kind of farmer throws his seed on the blacktop? Who would let it fall on rocky ground or toss it into a thicket of weeds and thorns? And yet Jesus’ sower sows His seed anywhere. What does this mean? “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” Listen to Him. The ear that you need is faith. And faith comes by hearing the Word of God. Last week’s parable was about Grace Alone. This week’s parable is about the Word of God Alone.

The parable of the sower is a unique one. It’s one of the few parables where Jesus actually gives the meaning. Jesus interprets the parable for His disciples, and for you. He gives the meaning to those with “ears to hear.” Those are His disciples. Those are the ones with faith. And that includes you too. “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God.” You – the believing ones, the hearing ones, the disciples of Jesus – you get the meaning. For those who do not believe, the kingdom of God stays a secret. It stays hidden. Unbelievers, or we could call them “un-hearers,” they strive to understand what Jesus is saying but they always end up with the wrong conclusion. They think they are like God and so they get the parable wrong. They think there is something for them to do. Unbelievers think they need to contribute something to their salvation. They are too important, too good, to just sit back and let God do the work. That would mean that they are powerless. That there’s nothing they can do. And they don’t like that.

Those who cannot understand the meaning of the parable are focused on what they’re doing: “I’m a good person. I have morals. I’m a member of a church. I’m an American. I serve in the community…” The list can go on and on. But when they are focused on themselves, they are not looking for God in the parable, they are looking for themselves. What is this parable telling me I need to do? And here’s the interpretation they come up with: I’m the soil. But which soil? The path, the dry soil, the thorny soil, or the good soil? Which soil are you? Better examine your life, see what you’re doing wrong, and fix it. Because if you’re not the good soil, then you’ve got work to do: There’s plowing to be done. Rocks to be removed. We need irrigation and weed-killer. Don’t forget to scare the birds away. Make yourself into the good soil and then you will bear fruit.

Do you see where that interpretation goes wrong? It’s all about you! As if God is just sitting there, waiting for you to prepare yourself. Waiting for you to make yourself good. And yet, no matter how good the soil is, it still needs the seed. The soil is not the point of the parable. The seed is the point. “A sower went out to sow his seed.” Who is doing the action? The sower! And the seed! – the seed is working too. In each case the seed grows despite the soil. It is good seed and it always works. In certain soils it does not bear fruit, but the point of the parable is still what the seed is doing. The soil does nothing. It can do nothing. The soil is passive – it lies there, like soil does. God the sower is the active one and He is active with His Word.

“The seed is the Word of God.” The sower is Jesus Himself, spreading His Word everywhere and anywhere. He is not stingy or careful. He is reckless in His grace, what we might even call wasteful. He sows His Word on bad and good alike. That is the generosity of Christ: Love for sinners who could never be worthy of Him. Furthermore, it’s not up to us to make sure that Jesus’ Word succeeds. He isn’t relying on us to get the job done, to save souls, to make sure that the Word of God works. He is God and it is His Word and it will work as He wants it to. The Lord said to Isaiah: “For as the rain and snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my Word be that goes out from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” The Word works. And in hearing the Word, God gives us faith, and faith bears fruit.

Now be sure of this: without the seed of the Word, there is nothing. If our faith is based on anything other than the Word of God then our faith is wrong and empty. The Word of God alone tells us of our Savior, the crucified and risen God in whom we believe and by whom we are saved. If our faith is not nourished by the Word and sacraments, it will wither and die. The Word can be snatched away if we ignore it. Faith can grow weak and doubt God, when it is not fed by the sacraments. The Word of the Gospel and the Lord’s Supper is food that strengthens the Christian and makes him grow. And our faith can also get choked with all the other things in this world. The Word of God can get pushed aside by the thorns and weeds. I’ll admit it, there are a hundred other things you could be doing right now this morning, and they’re all probably more fun than coming to church. But what happens when we let the Word get snatched away or crowded out by everything that we like more? We die.

This parable is full of warnings, and they are true. Very true. You can lose the Word of God. Your faith can die. He who has ears to hear, let him hear! But the warnings don’t save you. Working on your soil does not save you. You cannot make yourself good soil. It is the Word of God that makes you good. He declares to you what is true of Jesus: you are holy and righteous, perfect and forgiven. You did nothing to deserve this. And yet He throws His seed out into the sinful thorns anyway. All for you. God’s Word will accomplish what He wants it to. It will perform miracles. God’s Word can transform bad soil into good. Listen to Him.

If your life is full of thorns and briars, and you are choked by the cares or pleasures of this world, listen to Jesus. His Word is true bread that gives better and longer-lasting life than anything you could work for or worry about on this earth. His Word gives greater joy and gladness than any of the sinful pleasures we so quickly turn to. If your life is full of stones and you’re parched, running into one obstacle after another, listen to Jesus. His Word is living water that cleanses and renews the soul. If you’re surrounded by demonic birds that try to snatch away your certainty of salvation and peace, listen to Jesus. His Word cannot be shaken or made untrue. As long as God is true, His Word is true, and He speaks it for you.

He who has ears to hear, let him hear. He who believes, receive what Jesus has to give. He transforms bad soil into good. He declares sinners to be saints. His Word is powerful. It gives you what you need: forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. The Word of God gives you Jesus Himself. It plants Him in you, and makes your heart a rich and fertile soil, where the Word grows, and faith grows, and produces fruit, a hundredfold. The Word is God’s great gift to us. Through His Word He speaks, comforts, forgives, and loves us. Hear it. Hold it. That is where our faith comes from. The Word of God Alone! Jesus has done it all. By His cross He paid the price for our sins. By His Word He forgives you all your sins. The Lord speaks. He does the work. He sows the seed. Listen to Him.

Stay with us, Lord, and keep us true;

Preserve our faith our whole life through –

            Your Word Alone is our heart’s defense,

            The Church’s glorious confidence. (LSB 585:6)

In the Holy + Name of Jesus – Amen

Septuagesima (70 Days until Easter)

Preached on January 24, 2016

St. Matthew 20:1–16

In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit –

The main point of our Lord’s parable is Grace Alone. The last workers received a full day’s wage for not doing a full day’s work. They were given what they did not deserve. We call that grace. But Grace Alone has a darker side. Grace Alone excludes our works completely from the equation. Anything you contribute or think you contribute towards salvation is counted as nothing. In fact your contributions often get in the way of salvation. Grace Alone shoves all that aside. And makes room for Jesus Alone.

And I say this is the “darker side” of Grace Alone because this is what the first workers hated. They had agreed to work for a day’s wage and they had dutifully done their work. They had borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat. And yet the Master gave the same wage to the lazy last workers as he did to the first. The last workers didn’t get their pay docked and the first workers didn’t get a bonus. The Master was good to all, and the first workers hated him for it. They thought they should get some kind of extra reward for the extra work. They thought that salvation was based on works of the Law. They are the people who think the Ten Commandments are something we have to do in order to be saved. Our great Lutheran Hymn of the Day calls that what it is: a lie.

It was a false, misleading dream

That God His Law had given

That sinners could themselves redeem

And by their works gain heaven.

The Law is but a mirror bright

To bring the inbred sin to light

That lurks within our nature. (LSB 555:3)

Only God’s Grace Alone can give us salvation.

Grace Alone – a Lutheran doctrine if ever there was one. It is at the heart of Christianity. But I’m afraid we have grown numb to it. We have come to expect it. God’s salvation by grace is no longer a happy surprise. It doesn’t shock us. Grace is assumed. Salvation is a foregone conclusion: We think, of course God will forgive me! But why should He? We might reply, “Because I said, ‘I’m sorry.’” Really? Just because you are sorry for your sins you think God must now forgive you? Maybe that worked with mom and dad, but not with God. Because that is not Grace Alone. That’s still sticking yourself – sticking your “I’m sorry’s” into the mix, as if God forgives us because of something we do, because of our tears and regret.

Even worse, grace is not only assumed but it is demanded. We might claim we are saved because we deserve it. And we offer various reasons: “I’m a member of the church. I pray every day. I help out with the church suppers. I give back to the community. God will forgive me. He has to.” Obviously, that’s not Grace Alone either.

Or finally, we demand grace for all: “If God were really as nice as He claims, then everyone should go to heaven. Sins shouldn’t matter.” But that is still demanding something from God, still sticking ourselves into the equation, shaking our little fists in His face and demanding fairness.

The Lord owes us nothing. Nothing except death and hell. That’s fairness for you. That’s what we deserve. The wages of sin is death. That’s the payment you should get. But even this earthly life is an example of grace. For no life on earth is as bad as what we deserve in hell. And as wonderful as that is, it should also cause us to fear Him. The Lord owes us nothing. And yet He gives us life, and even more, He gives eternal life – by grace. It’s a free gift. It is NOT fair. But it is good because the Lord is good.

He is not like us. He doesn’t measure your worth. He isn’t frugal. He is generous, even wasteful with His love, loving even those who do not love Him. He absorbs the cost. Because even though salvation is free for us, it was not free for Him. Nothing is truly free. There is always a cost. When a shopkeeper gives away his candy to the children he is paying for it. And when the Father gave up His only Son to death so that we might live, He was paying the price we owe.

As the Law must be fulfilled

Or we would die despairing,

Christ came and has God’s anger stilled,

Our human nature sharing.

He has for us the Law obeyed

And thus the Father’s vengeance stayed

Which over us impended. (LSB 555:5)

Salvation is free for us but costly for God. It cost the price of Christ’s blood. The Father saw His Son hang on a cross with nails and spear stuck through His flesh, so that He could see you in His kingdom. He poured out all His wrath and punishment on His perfect Son as if Christ were the worst sinner of all time, so that you could be God’s beloved children. And if that doesn’t shock you… If the love of God in the cross of Jesus doesn’t smack you in the face and wake you up, or at least send a shiver of joy down your spine… Well, then shame on you. Repent. And know that the blood of Jesus forgives all your sins, and even heals your numb, cold heart.

Since Christ has full atonement made

And brought to us salvation,

            Each Christian therefore may be glad

And build on this foundation.

Your GRACE ALONE, dear Lord, I plead,

Your death is now my life indeed,

For You have paid my ransom. (LSB 555:6)

The Lord is good. His cross and death and blood are good. He gives them for you. By His Word and Spirit in your ears, by His body and blood in your mouth, by His Grace Alone, He gives you a new heart, and a home in His kingdom, and a place at His family table. He gives what is not deserved. He gives more than is even imagined.

The workers who did not do a full day’s work didn’t know what they would receive for payment. The Master had told them, “Go into the vineyard and whatever is right I will give you.” Not whatever is fair. But whatever the Master sees as right. Whatever the Master sees as good – that is what He gives. And so the workers went into the vineyard on the basis of the Master’s promise. They didn’t hammer out a deal. They didn’t demand their rights. They trusted the Master’s promise. They trusted that He is good. So it is for all who believe in the Lord. They believe His promise. They do not assume forgiveness. They know their sin – they are terrified by their sin – And so they confess their sin. And then they hear the gracious promise, the free absolution from the pastor as from God Himself: “I forgive you all your sins.”

All blessing, honor, thanks, and praise

To Father, Son, and Spirit,

The God who saved us by His grace;

All glory to His merit.

O triune God in heaven above,

You have revealed Your saving love;

Your blessed name we hallow. (LSB 555:10)

In the Holy + Name of Jesus –

The Transfiguration of Our Lord

Preached on January 17, 2016

St. Matthew 17:1–9

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit –

Last week we recognized the restless searching of sinful humans – how so much of our lives are spent looking for something, grasping for something that is not ours, that we think will make us the people we want to be. But we also recognized the futility of this search. We don’t even know what we’re looking for, and really that’s because we’re not even sure who we are. At the bottom of our restless hearts, in the darkness of sleepless nights, hidden behind all the worries of everyday life, is the question we struggle to answer: “Who am I?” It’s a challenge that comes from within and from without. “Who am I? Who are you? What right do you have to exist? And what are you doing with this existence?” And our whole lives are full of justifications, excuses, explanations, attempts to answer these questions. We attempt to justify ourselves, giving ourselves reasons for who we are and what we do. We can sense that we’re accountable, that we must respond to these challenges. The fact that we exist and that we did not create ourselves, drives our need to justify, to explain ourselves, to give our existence meaning. And inevitably, these questions spill over into our relationships with others. Questioning, judging, investigating them. And ultimately, the questions are thrown at God. Who are You, God?

In our frustration and arrogance we expect God to explain Himself, to justify Himself, to open the heavens and answer. And in His grace He has done just that. In the Gospels, God the Father spoke from heaven three times. The first time was at Christ’s baptism. After Jesus was baptized, the heavens were opened and the Spirit of God descended like a dove, coming to rest on Him, and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” (Matt. 3:16–17) This Jesus is the eternal Son of the Father, and He pleases His Father by coming to be the sacrifice for the sins of the world. The second time was on the mount of Transfiguration. Jesus’ face shone like the sun, and behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.” (Matt. 17:2, 5) Again, Jesus is the Son of God, the pleasing sacrifice for sin, and we must listen to Him, for it is in Him and in His Word that the Father’s love is revealed to us. The third time was during the final days of Christ’s earthly life. Jesus said, “Now is My soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save Me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” (John 12:27–28) The Father had glorified His name through His Son’s baptism and ministry on earth. Now He would glorify it again in His Son’s death and resurrection. The name of God is glorified by the Son of God dying to save sinners.

Isn’t it striking that the three times God the Father speaks from heaven, He is talking about His Son and the cross? Each time He speaks, His Word is Christ-centered, for it is in Christ that God answers us and reveals Himself to us. Each time He speaks, His Word is cross-focused, for the cross is how God reconciles the world to Himself and makes us His own. Each time the Father speaks from heaven His Word is Christ-centered and cross focused, because that is how God wants to show His glory. That is how God wants to be known. “Who are You, God?” we ask. “Look at Jesus,” He answers. “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to Him.”

Listen to Jesus. He is the Word, the answer to all the questions, all the challenges from man, devil, and God Himself. In Jesus we really have the heart of Christianity: Listening to God’s answer, His answer for sin, His answer for death, His answer for relationship, life, and love. It should come as no surprise that Christianity is Christ-centered and cross-focused. What’s more, the universe, our existence is Christ-centered and cross-focused. This is how God has made Himself known and it is how He knows you – in Christ.

This is also why we have the Bible. It is the Word written – Jesus written down. If the Father’s answers spoken from heaven were all about His Son and the cross, then the answers written down in Scripture are likewise all about the Son and the cross. Listen to Jesus, said the Father. And Peter did, and the Apostle bids us to do so as well. Peter wrote, We have something more sure than the glorious mountain or the thundering voice from heaven. We have the prophetic Word, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place. (2 Peter 1:19) We have the spoken Word, the preached Word, the written Word, the Word that comes from outside our dark hearts that are so full of unanswered questions and self-made justifications and excuses. We have the Word, the answer that comes from God Himself, for no prophecy, no preaching, was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:21) The Bible is God’s Word written down by the inspiration of the Spirit so we have a clear and certain answer from God on who He is and who we are.

Moses also had questions for God, along with his own justifications and excuses. Not only did he challenge God by asking, “Who am I that I should go to Pharaoh?” But he asked, “Who are you? What is your name, God?” And God answered Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” (Exodus 3:11, 13–14) That’s God’s name for Himself: Yahweh – I AM. He is the One Who Is – the One Who determines what is. He is the One Who created all things out of nothing by His Word. “Let there be,” He said… and there was. Solely by I AM’s speaking all things have come from non-existence into existence.

And He is the One Who has re-created all things by His Word made flesh. Including you. Out of the nothing of the sinner, He creates the saint. He declares the ungodly to be righteous. He speaks the righteousness of Christ over you, giving you a new identity, telling you who you are in Christ. In the nothingness of your sin, God challenges you, “Who are you?” And none of our justifications, no excuses, no feelings or plans from our hearts can stand up under His scrutiny. But in Christ, God answers the question for us. He tells us who He is and who we are – that He is for us. He justifies us. That righteous life of Christ counts for us. The death of Christ is the death of our sin. The resurrection of Christ is our life. This is how God wants to be known and how He wants to glorify His name: In Christ, in the cross, in justifying sinners. This is why we listen to Jesus, because that is where we hear the answers.

So when your heart asks, “Who am I?” Here’s how you answer: I am the one addressed by God in love, through Christ, by the power of the Spirit. I am the one to whom it is said, “I am the Lord your God.” I am the one who is created by this Word from God my Savior. I am the one to whom it is said, “I forgive you all your sins.” I am the one to whom it is said, “This is My beloved child, with whom I am well pleased.”

In the Holy + Name of Jesus – 

The First Sunday after the Epiphany

St. Luke 2:41–52

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit –

“Epiphany” means “manifestation” or “revelation.” This idea is central to the Christian faith because our religion is not made up by men. It has been made known by God Himself. We have not discovered anything about Him. He has revealed Himself to us. We have not peered into the secrets of God’s mind. He has made Himself manifest to us in the flesh. In His Word He tells us who He is. Christianity is no scavenger hunt and no second hand knowledge. The Lord God Himself comes to us and tells us who He is.

The Gospel reading today is unique in our Lord’s earthly life. At His conception He was made known by the angel Gabriel. At Christmas, His birth, He was revealed by more angels and made known to others by shepherds. At Epiphany, His splendor was made manifest by the star and He was revealed by the Scriptures to wise men. But here in the Temple, at twelve years old, He manifests Himself. Along with His first recorded words in the Bible, we have His first self-epiphany, first self-revelation. The boy Jesus, God in the flesh, tells us who He is with His own lips. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers.

But before we get to the Epiphany of His wisdom in the Temple, we hear that Joseph and Mary lost the boy and started searching for Him. And in a way, this is familiar to us. Everyone’s searching for something, right? They’re dissatisfied, disappointed, distraught, and they’re looking for that one thing that’s going to make all the difference. But as the U2 song says, “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.” Here’s the thing, you don’t even know what you’re looking for. The solutions we come up with never last. There’s always a catch or it doesn’t work the way we want. So we don’t stick with it, we move on, searching for something else, telling ourselves this time I’ll find the answer. At the root of this endless questing is a heart of sin – always grasping and groping for something we don’t have. Eve got it into her head that the fruit of the tree was to be desired to make one wise. And so rather than trust in the wisdom of God which said, “Don’t eat that,” she searched for something better, she grasped, she took of the fruit and ate, and Adam did it with her. And sinners have been casting around, looking for their own good ever since.

Mary and Joseph searched for Jesus, not realizing how obvious it is to find Him in the Temple. When his parents saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” She who had accepted the Word from Gabriel with such simple faith, is now confused. In her frantic worry she has forgotten the answer that has been there from God all along. This boy’s father is not Joseph. And this boy’s name is Jesus because He will save His people from their sins. He said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father's house?” And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. They found Him… but they don’t understand. Then they haven’t really found Him. Why were you even searching? You know where He should be. Look around you, Mary! He’s in the Temple, in His Father’s House, among His Father’s things, about His Father’s business. He’s busy with the Word of God, surrounded by the sacrifices that make atonement. He is Jesus – the One who saves His people from their sins.

What Mary and Joseph don’t understand is that Jesus is predicting His passion and death. They had just been to Jerusalem for the Passover. Jesus is the Passover Lamb to be sacrificed. They are in the Temple courts where the smoke from the burnt offerings can be seen and smelt. Jesus is the sacrifice to be burned in the Father’s wrath on the cross. The Temple altars are covered and cleansed by the sprinkling of blood. The blood of Jesus will be sprinkled on His people to cleanse them from all sin. When Jesus says, “It is necessary that I am among the things of My Father,” He is telling them why He is on this earth with us at all. He will return to Jerusalem one day, years later. He will come to do His Father’s will and He will offer the sacrifice to end all sacrifices. Not only will He come to that Temple, but He will make a place for all of us in His Father’s House. Although St. Mary does end up doing the right thing (she treasured up all these things in her heart), they don’t understand what it all means. Like the disciples themselves, who hear Christ predict His passion, death, and resurrection in even more straightforward terms, they don’t understand until after it happens. In the light of the resurrection the life, the death, and all the sayings of Jesus, and all the Scriptures, are made clear and illuminating. Thanks be to God, we now have all that. We have the benefit of seeing and hearing it all together. We are able to bask in the enlightenment of our Lord’s revelation.

Yet, what we still don’t understand is that our highest good, our ultimate meaning, our true purpose doesn’t have to be searched for. It is found already. It is in Christ. But everyone keeps searching for something. St. Augustine realized this and he shows us the solution in his famous line: “O Lord, You have made us for Yourself, and our hearts are restless until we rest in You.” We are made for life with God. Nothing else is going to satisfy. Nothing else will give the identity, security, meaning, or purpose you’re looking for.

So here’s the Lord’s Epiphany for you: Your search is over! Not because you found whatever it is you think you’re looking for. But your search is over because He found you. You haven’t lost God. And He doesn’t make it hard to find Him. “Why were you looking for Me?” says Jesus. “Did you not know that I must be in My Father’s House?” Our Lord reveals Himself. He pins Himself down in His Father’s House, among His Father’s things: in His Word, in His Baptism, and in His Supper. These are His epiphanies for you, and the gifts of His goodness for you. He promises to be there and so you can be sure He is. He doesn’t send you on long and winding or broken roads. He comes to you in the here and now, in water and words, bread and wine. He asks nothing of you, save that you trust what He says and receive what He gives. So come into His presence with singing! Know that the Lord, He is God! It is He who made us, and we are His. Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise! For the Lord is good; His steadfast love endures forever, and His faithfulness to all generations. (Introit: Psalm 100)

In the Holy + Name of Jesus –

The Epiphany of Our Lord

Preached on January 6, 2016

St. Matthew 2:1–12

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit –

Epiphany is sometimes called the Gentile Christmas. On this day we hear about the visit of the wise men, or Magi, to be precise. These magi, magicians or astrologers, are clearly Gentiles, even if they are interested in a Jewish King. Although the Shepherds of Bethlehem were lowly, unlikely people to be among the first greeters of the Messiah, they were still Jews, children of Israel. But with the visit of the Magi, the Christ is recognized and worshiped for the first time by Gentile sinners, outsiders according to the Old Testament Law.

But Epiphany is more than just a Gentile Christmas. While it’s closely connected to the Christmas season, it also starts its own. Epiphany has its own focus and theme it wants to impress upon us. We might even be wondering why we’re hearing about the Magi now. It seems out of order. This past Sunday, we heard what happened after the Magi left. Now we’re going backwards, to when the Magi came? But the Church Year is not interested in simply giving a chronology of Christ’s life. The Church Year with its seasons and feasts is not just rehearsing a timeline, a list of historical facts. It is also meant to teach the meaning and Truth in those facts. And so, Epiphany is slightly different from Christmas and has a different theme – something more to teach us about Christ.

The word “Epiphany” means “manifestation” or “revelation.” Epiphany, the day and the season following it, focuses on the epiphanies, the manifestations, the revelations of God in Christ. While Christmas focused on the coming of God in the flesh, Epiphany shifts our focus to the revelation of this God in this flesh. God reveals Himself to us. We can’t find Him on our own. God shows Himself, manifests Himself, epiphanies Himself, not in visions of His ultimate glory and power, but in the person of Christ, the Babe of Bethlehem. Epiphany teaches us that God shows Himself to be here, on earth. Our God shows Himself to be the Man, Christ Jesus. And He shows, He reveals, that salvation is found only in this same Man and Son of God.

In our Gospel from Matthew 2 there are actually two epiphanies – two manifestations or revelations from God: The first, and also more obvious and spectacular, is the Star. By the star, God reveals His coming into the world to the Magi. However, while this beautiful star must have been a marvelous sight to behold with the eye, it is not an entirely clear epiphany. The rising of the star seems to raise more questions for the Magi and for us. What does it mean? How do the Magi know it signifies the birth of a King of the Jews? And what kind of King is He?

Actually, it seems that the Magi must have known some of the Old Testament Scriptures which helped explain this star. In Numbers 24, the Gentile Balaam is forced to prophecy of the Christ: I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel. In Isaiah 60, our reading tonight, the prophet sees a glorious future for Israel, where the Gentile nations come to bow down before the Lord: Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you… And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising. And even Psalm 72, sung in our Introit, tells of Gentiles from the East bringing gifts to the King of Israel: may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts! But still, the Magi must not have had the entirety of the Scriptures – at least they must not have read Micah, because they do not know where the King is to be born. Even though it is a marvelous epiphany, the star does not tell the Magi everything. It is not clear and it is not complete. They do not follow the star, at least not at first. They see the star, recognize it as a revelation that the King of the Jews has been born, and they go to Jerusalem, that is, they go their own way looking for this King.

However, there is another, better epiphany here than the star – an epiphany that even makes the star itself better. The second manifestation or revelation from God here is His Word, handed down in the Holy Scriptures, inspired by the Spirit, through the pen of the Prophet Micah. Where is the Christ, the King of the Jews, to be born? The answer from the priests and scribes is immediate and without hesitation or uncertainty, because while stars can be tricky, the Scriptures are clear: “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: “‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’” The Gentile Magi’s knowledge of stars could only get them so far. They needed the Holy Scriptures to even get a clue as to what the star could signify. And they needed the Word of God to show them where to find the Christ. This epiphany, this revelation from God through the mouths and pens of His prophets is better than the star for it shines its own light upon the star itself. The light of the star truly pales in comparison to the bright light of God’s Word.

And once the Magi hear this Word, they can set off once more, this time following the star. Now with Scripture in their ears, the light of the star in their eyes does guide them to the place where the Christ Child was. Joined to God’s clear Word, the epiphany of the star could now serve as a sure sign and revelation to these Gentiles. And for you Gentiles too.

The glorious star of Bethlehem is no longer shining in the night sky. You no longer follow a miraculous light guiding you to where the Christ Child is. The Christ is no longer a Child either. The Child grew to be a man. He revealed God’s will for Himself and for us. And this man suffered, died, was buried, rose again, and ascended into heaven. His star is no longer shining and He is no longer in Bethlehem. Don’t seek Him there. But you still have the Word – the Holy Scriptures. The Word of God is your Bethlehem – your House of Bread which feeds you with the Word of life. The Holy Gospel, the Good News of Jesus Christ, is your bright, shining star – drawing you to the mercy and forgiveness in His blood.

Following the light of the Gospel brings you to the Christ your King.

Scriptures and Star – Word and Sign – they go together. The water in the font is just plain water, but with the Word of God it is a life-giving water, rich in grace, and a washing of the new birth in the Holy Spirit. The bread and wine on the altar is just plain bread and wine, but with the Word of God it is the true body and blood of our Lord Jesus Christ for us Christians to eat and to drink. Without the Word of God, a star is a poor sign. Without the Word of God, water, bread, and wine are quite ordinary things. But with the Word of God they are true signs, true sacraments, delivering to you the Word made flesh for the forgiveness of all your sins.

And that is what we need after all. That is what a Gentile Christmas teaches us – that by nature we are Gentile sinners, like those Magi. Not wise men, not kings, but unlearned and superstitious, unworthy and selfish. There is no way we could find this King on our own. And that’s also the point of the Gentile Christmas – it’s not so much about us seeking Him. In the darkness of our sinful hearts we don’t even know what we’re looking for or what we truly need. The Epiphany of God shows us what we need – forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God. We unworthy Gentile sinners need to be brought back and reunited with our Lord. The Epiphany of God is that He seeks us! He comes and finds us, shedding the light of His grace and truth into our darkness and making a way for us. We aren’t seeking Him. We are following – following Scripture and star, Word and Sacrament, to the place where the Christ is. Rejoice exceedingly with great joy! Come, enter the house and see Christ the King, the Son of Mary. Fall down and worship Him.

In the Holy + Name of Jesus –

Second Sunday after Christmas

Preached on January 3, 2016

St. Matthew 2:13–23

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit –

The post-Christmas Let-Down: The presents are all unwrapped, maybe already spent or exchanged. Some of them were probably disappointing. The hopeful “All I want for Christmas” is warped into a regretful “All I wanted for Christmas” and I didn't get it, or it didn’t turn out to be what I thought. We work so hard to make it magical and so often our efforts fall flat.

But these doldrums are nothing compared to the dark days after that first Christmas. A ruthless king is after the Christ Child. The poor family is forced to flee into a foreign country. And in the meantime, little boys are massacred and their mothers are inconsolable. Where are the angels now? One angel shows up in a dream with a last-minute warning, but where’s the army to defend the Holy Family? Where’s the glory of God that was once sung over Bethlehem’s fields? The only song now heard in the little town is the song of weeping and loud lamentation. Where’s the angelic promise of peace on earth?

Yet, we are Christians, and we know the dark road to the cross that this Baby will walk. It was for this reason He was born. And we need not be surprised to see evil so riled up against the Gospel. The news of a Savior had surely spread from the shepherds. The arrival of the Wise Men didn’t help much either, but greatly troubled Herod and all Jerusalem with him. They could not bear the coming of another King, one who threatened to topple their power with His truth and justice. A tyrant is always insecure and always fearful of a stronger man coming to take his place. So it no surprise really that after a multitude of angels bursting in and a divinely appointed star beaming down, after shepherds glorifying and praising God and wise men worshiping a little baby, declaring Him to be God and the true King, it’s no wonder that the cosmic powers over this present darkness, the spiritual forces of evil (Eph. 6:12), the Devil, this world’s tyrant, and all his subjects would rise up and attack. Do not be surprised at the fiery trial when it comes upon you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. With His birth, the Lord declared war on Satan and sin. Bethlehem was only the first battlefield. Our God is a man, the true King on earth, and He came to defeat His enemies and ours, to win us back, to deliver us from the domain of darkness and to transfer us to the kingdom of God.

But look at the Christ Child. He is the Creator and Master of all, yet He acts like any ordinary baby – helpless, defenseless, completely dependent on His parents. Why didn’t He make use of His divine omnipotence? Or why not call upon the protection and assistance of the angels, who could easily have disposed of Herod? Surely He could have raised His infant hand and repulsed Herod’s soldiers, just as He had once drowned Pharaoh’s host in the Red Sea. But our God is a man. As a real, ordinary man the Lord did not always or completely use His divine power. This is what we call the humiliation of Christ, which He suffered willingly, by His own choice, for He was determined to be like us in all things, except without sin.

Christ allowed Himself to be treated like any other child. He did not want something more extraordinary than others, but because He was determined to be an ordinary human, he lived and behaved like a human, allowing Himself to be wrapped in swaddling clothes and nursed at his mother’s breast. He learned to pull himself up on chairs and benches. He grew and learned His Aleph, Bet, Gimel’s – that’s the Hebrew ABC’s. In short, this central doctrine of the Christian faith is that the Son of the Father is by nature true man, born of a virgin, and He experienced life on earth as any other man – including suffering. Especially including suffering. For this sinless man, our Lord Jesus Christ, came into this world to suffer and die for us. Though He came to defeat sin, death, and Satan, He did not come to destroy the world or to defend Himself with the sword. Instead, He innocently suffered wrong in order to bring about our good. He died so that we might live.

The Devil’s raging and Herod’s violence accomplish nothing in the face of such a Christ. The evil they inflict is all taken into the cross of Christ and God our faithful and loving Father works it for good. Even as Herod killed the boys of Bethlehem, they were taken out of this world and his kingdom, and brought into heaven. If Caesar Augustus himself had wanted to give these boys his whole empire, he would not have served them so well as Herod did by his butchery. Herod wanted to do evil but he sent them to heaven, making them nothing less than martyrs, whose blood is precious in the sight of God! For the parents it was a terribly painful thing, but the Lord worked it for the good of the children. They felt no anguish in their souls. And we should note with joy, that while those Bethlehem mothers lost maybe 40 or 50 years of life with their boys on earth, they have now enjoyed 2000 years with them in the perfect bliss of heaven.

Whether it’s in contrast to the tinsel and lights, or a it’s realization of a deeper truth about sin, our suffering seems to strike deep at Christmas. The pain of loss is felt more keenly. No wonder Charles Dickens used ghosts in his Christmas story. We all have ghosts visiting us, whether it's the memory of loved ones no longer with us, or the ongoing struggle with alcoholism, the family member who won’t talk to us, or the ones we can’t stand. Christmas has a way of highlighting the sins and sorrows we try to sweep under the rug for the rest of the year. And rather than ignore it, we must confess it.

Now, in a sense, we can say some of our suffering is innocent of any wrong committed by us, like the mothers of Bethlehem. But much more often our suffering comes from the temporal consequences of our sinful thoughts, words, and actions. Where is the glory and where is the peace on earth? Not in our efforts or desires. Look at the Christ Child clutched in His mother’s arms as Joseph leads them into the night. Repent of your anger and fears, your self-pity and grudges. Take comfort in the cross of Christ. He suffered for you, for your good. His promise of glory and peace for you is found in the forgiveness of your sins. And rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when His glory is revealed… If anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, nor despairing, nor without hope, but let him glorify God in that name – the name Christian.

This is the mystery of Christmas: the mystery and the reality of suffering in the Christian life. It is the mystery that our Lord does not save us without suffering or from suffering, but He saves us through suffering. Through Christ’s suffering we are made whole and delivered. It is a mystery that by faith you share in Christ’s suffering, and in this lowly, humble, and often painful way, sin is put to death in you, and the goodness of God is given to you. So often we want a miraculous rescue and a magical Christmas. We want something out of the ordinary and something without a cross. There are many who do not go to church or make use of the means of grace which God has given, because they think they can find something better. But God gave you worldly rulers and parents to protect you and teach you. He gave you pastors, the Word, Baptism, and the Lord’s Supper to nurture and sustain you by His grace. He gives you everything that belongs to physical and spiritual life. If you insist on some special innovation, some divine intervention that not even the Christ Child took for Himself, then you act contrary to God’s will and command. But by ordering your life according to God’s ways, His instituted offices in church, family, and government, His commanded sacraments and preaching, then you will not go wrong. In these ways God works His good. It’s a rather earthy answer, but the God of Christmas and Good Friday is a rather earthy God.

Therefore let those who suffer according to God's will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good. For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. (Rom. 8:18) And then we will share in the full peace and glory once sung by angels.

Merry 10^th Day of Christmas!

In the Holy + Name of Jesus –

A few paragraphs were drawn from Martin Luther’s sermon, “The Day of the Holy Innocents,” The Complete Sermons of Martin Luther, Vol. 7, pp.260–4.

The Feast of the Circumcision & Name of Jesus (New Year's Eve)

Preached on December 31, 2015

St. Luke 2:21

In the name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit –

When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. (Gal. 4:4–5) His circumcision was the first time Jesus was put under the Law. He is the God of the Law – the Lord who gave the Law to Moses on Sinai. And yet He is a man, born of woman, and places Himself under the demand of His Law, in order to be like us. And so according to the Law, on the eighth day of His life, He was circumcised, and His holy infant blood was shed, just as blood is shed in every circumcision – a reminder of the Law’s demand – the wages of sin is death. (Rom. 6:23)

But circumcision was not originally given in the Law on Sinai. It was first commanded by God to Abraham, hundreds of years before Moses and the tablets of stone. And this command for circumcision was given to Abraham only after he had first been counted by God as righteous by faith. Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness. (Gal. 3:6) That means Abraham’s faith, not his good deeds or his commitment to God, but his faith was counted for his righteousness. Abraham was justified by grace alone through faith alone.

What’s circumcision then? It was God’s sign that He gave to Abraham and his descendents. It was the sign that went with God’s promise of a Savior to come: Abraham received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe… so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, and to make him the father of… those who walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised. (Romans 4:11–12) The whole point of circumcision for the family of Abraham was to be a sign, a seal, a reminder of God’s promises. It was in God’s promises that Abraham believed – the promised Savior, the promised offspring or Seed. The promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “to Abraham’s offspring,” who is Christ. (Gal. 3:16)

It was for both of these reasons then that Jesus was circumcised. First, He subjected Himself to the Law. He became like every sinner, under the obligations and accusations of the Law, yet He was not a sinner. Throughout Jesus’ life He kept His own Law perfectly, in our place, satisfying all its demands. And second, Jesus was marked as the Seed, the one Offspring of Abraham – promised by grace, given to Abraham and to all nations of the earth by grace – without any merit or worthiness in us. God’s covenant, His testament, His promise to Abraham is kept in Christ – all the nations of the earth are blessed through Him. In this sense, Jesus’ circumcision was the last circumcision. All of the Old Testament gets funneled into Him and finds its purpose in Him. He makes all things new. And in Him the New Testament, God’s promise of forgiveness in the blood of this Offspring is finally realized. It is also for this reason that along with His circumcision, this Child is given the name “Jesus.” It was the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb. It is the name that means “Yahweh saves” – “the Lord saves.” “You shall call his name Jesus,” said the angel, “for he will save his people from their sins.”

Not only is this child Jesus for Abraham and his descendants – He is Jesus for you. Not only is He born and circumcised for Israel, but for every nation of the earth, including you. We need His birth – our old sinful birth in the flesh cannot save. We need His keeping of the Law perfectly  – no cutting of the flesh and no works of the flesh can cleanse us from our sin. We need His death – without His innocent death ours would still mean eternal punishment. We need His resurrection – without His everlasting life we would have no life at all. In Christ you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. (Col. 2:11–12) Jesus gives Himself to you in the waters and Word of Baptism. He joins you to His Holy Name and so He gives you a new birth, a new circumcision, a new death, so that you may share a new life. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to promise. (Gal. 3:27, 29)

Now what’s all this to do with the New Year? Aside from the fact that the Circumcision of Jesus and New Year’s Day share January 1, is there any connection here? Well, we might pay attention to why the circumcision of Jesus is celebrated on January 1. At the end of eight days, when He was circumcised, He was called Jesus. Circumcision always happened on the eighth day of life for an Israelite baby boy. And tomorrow makes eight days from Christmas. But perhaps the meaning goes deeper. While the Old Testament had circumcision on the eighth day, the early Christians recognized that the New Testament has a new eighth day – the resurrection of Jesus. Jesus died and finished His redeeming work on Friday, the sixth day of the week. He kept the Sabbath by His rest in the tomb on Saturday, the seventh day of the week. And then He rose from the dead, on the eighth day, Sunday. It’s the first day of the week, but the Resurrection doesn’t start yet another week, like its just back to business as usual. It’s the eighth day, the first day of eternity, the final day. The Lord’s eighth day of resurrection is the dawning of a new day after which no day will be numbered.

What’s New Year’s got to do with Jesus’ circumcision? Well, eight days after the celebration of our Lord’s birth, a new Day, a new Year of our Lord is begun in Jesus’ holy name and with His blessing. All our times are in His hands (Ps. 31:15) – the hands of Jesus, Mary’s Son. He is God with us and God for us. So who can be against us? If God has given His own Son, how will He not also with Him graciously give us all things? Who is there to condemn us for the passing year? Christ has died, is risen, and intercedes for us! What distress or danger could the new year bring? Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord! (Rom. 8:31–39)

Christmas and the New Year go together. I don’t know if that’s just a calendar coincidence or not, but it works. With the birth of Jesus, with His circumcision and His name, with His blood and His promise, we are given a new beginning. A new year and a new life with years unnumbered. This new beginning doesn’t come under the Law – it comes in faith: The law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. (Gal. 3:24–26) For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation in Christ. (Gal. 6:15) Christmas is the coming of faith for us New Testament Christians. Christmas is the beginning of God’s new creation – a new year, a new and bright eternity in Christ. And Luther captured this in the last stanza of his Christmas hymn:

                        Glory to God in highest heav’n,

                        Who unto us His Son has giv’n!

                        While angels sing in pious mirth

                        A glad new year to all the earth. (LSB 358:15)

A Happy New Year to you in the Holy + Name of Jesus –