Christmas Day – John 1:1-14

It has been a difficult year for some of us. Nearly half a dozen of our members have died since last Christmas. Others have lost spouses or other family members. Many among us have friends right now who are physically hurting in some way. Some have had family members with significant life changes. In some ways, this Christmas may be more of a blue Christmas than a white Christmas…and not in an Elvis Presley sort of way. The joy of Christmas seems to have been sucked out of any festivities due to so many sad circumstances. Maybe you feel like speeding through this time of year in order to skip all the merriment and get on with life.

Let’s strip away all the tinsel and all the gifts given and received. Let’s get to the heart of the matter: God’s only-begotten Son has become man. He is our Brother. He Who was present at the creation of the heavens and the earth now lays in a manger. He has an earthly mother and father. The true light, which enlightens everyone, has come into the world.

Now that this cosmic event has occurred, you may feel like it’s time to get on with the business of salvation. Can we zip past all the Christmas pageantry and get to the point of God taking on flesh, please? Let’s truck on over to Calvary and see Jesus on the cross, then take the bypass over to the empty tomb, and finally take the express lanes to Bethany, where Jesus ascends to His Father in heaven. Isn’t that where the real celebration takes place anyway?

What’s wrong with what we see with the eyes of faith today? I suppose we’re always in a hurry to get past Christmas because we’ve been bombarded with it since about November 1st, if not even July 5th, when Hobby Lobby starts putting out the Christmas schwag. By the time December 25th appears on our calendar, Lite 93.9 FM in Chicago has played Christmas music for nearly two months. We’ve had the big holiday concerts at Momence schools, at Olivet, and at Valpo. Johnny Mathis, Andy Williams, and Kelly Clarkson have invaded our cars day after day for some time now.

That’s not to say it’s wrong to celebrate Christmas early and often. There are people among us who wish it could be Christmas every day…literally Every. Day. For what reason do they wish to celebrate this day every day? I won’t guess, but I wonder if it has anything to do what the chain of truths I gave you a bit ago about Jesus becoming our Brother and so forth?

That’s why it’s good to hit the pause button today and take a moment to ponder the prologue to John’s Gospel. Look at the bulletin cover for a moment. You see today’s Gospel in what’s called a “Wordle”. The words used the most are the largest. God. Word. Light. Grace. World. Man. Witness. Let’s make a sentence with those words. God the Word, the Light of Grace, is the Witness of God to man and to the world. What does God want to witness to man in the world? The Light of Grace. God the Father favors the world with His eternal love and mercy.

There it is! Jesus becomes our brother to show us His Father’s eternal love and mercy. Jesus doesn’t enter the world to set an example that we should follow in order to gain eternal life. It’s not as if Jesus says and does everything to show us how we can save ourselves. If that were so, we would have a blue Christmas indeed. We would need to start building our own cross in order to crucify ourselves, hoping that our blood shed and our life given up would appease the Father’s wrath over our sin. What good would that do? Nothing.

The fullness of time has come. Jesus comes to make us heirs according to the hope of eternal life. This happens by Jesus taking on flesh and dwelling among us. Behold the glory of God wrapped in flesh, blood, sinew, and bones! Jesus alone is full of grace and truth. This grace and truth is not hung before our eyes like a carrot on a stick for us to chase. This grace and truth is bestowed upon us in believing that Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, the Tabernacle of God become man. No longer is there a need for a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night for God’s glory to be manifest. God’s glory is Jesus Christ, Son of God, Mary’s Son and Mary’s Lord.

Even if all your family has died or has abandoned the Christian faith, you have a Brother in Jesus Christ. He is happy to call you His brother. He is happy to leave His Father’s side and rest in Mary’s womb for a while, only to be born according to the flesh. Yes, we can look beyond the manger and see the cross and tomb in the distance, but let’s not be so hasty to get to those places quite yet. Let’s hang out here in Bethlehem for a little while with shepherds and, not long from now, with the Magi.

Soon Jesus will shed His blood for the first time in His circumcision and take the name “Jesus”, for He will save His people from their sins. In the word “people” is your name, my name, and the names of all who have ever lived, are living, or will live. If only everyone would take the time to ponder this truth! So many will speed past it, hoping that it isn’t true, or thinking that it is true for others, but not for me. So many will speed past it because it doesn’t seem as significant as Good Friday and/or Easter. Today, however, we slow down to see this thing that has happened in Bethlehem. God becomes man. The eternal Word dwells among us. He looks just like us, except without sin.

Oh, sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things! That new song we sing today is named Jesus. He makes a blue Christmas white again in His righteousness that He places on us in our Baptism. All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God. Even Momence, Illinois.

Merry Christmas!

Fourth Sunday in Advent – John 1:19-28

This is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed…

I am the Christ.

Unthinkable! Maybe not. Remember John’s life up to this moment. There are many things of which John the Baptist could have been proud of.

An angel had proclaimed his birth. Everyone in the region talked about the angel appearing to Zechariah in the Holy of Holies on the Day of Atonement. His dad remained silent until John was born then, like rushing rapids, a torrent of words flowed from Zechariah’s mouth: Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for He has visited and redeemed His people.

John occupied a high office. He is the last of the prophets. He has great gifts. He was popular among the people. Even the great and powerful among the Jews went out to the wilderness to hear his preaching. Perhaps some of them were baptized. They gave him the dignity deserving of Messiah, Elijah, or one of the prophets.

John steadfastly rejected all of it. He gave the answer he was supposed to give: I am not the Christ…. I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, “Make straight the way of the Lord.” What if, though. What if he didn’t reject their suggestions and played along with them. His preaching of repentance would be for nothing. His baptism would be for nothing. He would rob all of Messiah’s glory. He would be a liar.

It comes as no surprise that some Jews were ready to crown John as Messiah while casting aspersions on Messiah Himself, Jesus Christ. Jesus comes in low estate. His parents aren’t on the society pages of any Jerusalem newspaper, let alone any Nazareth newspaper. There’s no special place for the Son of God to be born. He must take his place in a lowly feeding trough amid the animals and visiting shepherds. Once Jesus begins preaching, others wonder Who He is and from where He comes. Even Nathanael, one of His disciples, asked Can anything good come out of Nazareth?

Something good has come from Nazareth. He comes to set the prisoners free from the power of Satan. He comes as our brother to dwell among us as the perfect offering, the spotless substitute offered up for the sin of the world. The way of Jesus, the way of salvation, must be straight. So John is the one who prepares the way for Jesus. He’s the one who runs before the Christ, pointing his finger at the Savior of the nations and showing us in Whom we find life.

John runs before the Christ preaching the Law so that his hearers might come to the knowledge of their sin. He also baptizes so that they could see that the time of the appearance of the Messiah is now. John’s baptism recalls the words of the prophet Ezekiel: I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. His baptism also recalls the words of the prophet Zechariah: On that day there shall be a fountain opened for the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, to cleanse them from sin and uncleanness.

Above all the preaching of the Law and the baptizing, John preaches the Christ. John’s office is not to save God’s people from their sins. It is a tantalizing proposition. It makes sense from our perspective. All the stars seem to line up in John’s favor, not Jesus’ favor. After all, a boy born in a stable from a family whose only bragging point is that His father Joseph is from the house of David isn’t much to brag about. But that’s the point.

We don’t look to the obvious choice for our salvation. We look for the One we do not know, the one Who comes after john, the strap of Whose sandal John is not worthy to untie. If you put all your marbles in John’s basket, you’ll be disappointed. John’s shedding of blood does nothing for you. John’s blood is a witness of the Christ, not the salvific blood necessary for atonement. John’s witness is Jesus Christ, not John’s own witness.

The witness of John the Baptist continues in the Church today. Faithful preachers of the New Testament are sent to congregations like this one who do not seek their own glory. It is tempting for a pastor to cut his own path in ministry. Every opportunity presents itself for a power grab or a glory grab. They are called to be servants, shepherds of the Good Shepherd. As Paul points out in last Sunday’s Epistle: This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.

Preachers of the New Testament also preach the Law so hearers recognize their sin and see they are lost with all their deeds. The Law is not the final word. Like John, they point their finger to the Son of God Who wraps Himself in flesh, blood, sinew, and bone. They preach Christ crucified and resurrected for sinners, especially for the sinner who proclaims the Savior to sinners.

Unless you stand in this pulpit and see it, you probably don’t know it is here. There’s a plaque right here that says, Sir, we wish to see Jesus. I’ve seen it in more than one pulpit in this part of the country. That’s a reminder to me, and to every pastor who stands here, what he is given to do. He is not given to say, “I’m your man. There is no salvation outside of me.” He is given to say with Saint Paul: I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. He is given to say with John the Baptist: Behold the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world. Thanks be to God John the Baptist or yours truly isn’t the Christ. That’s a “no” all of us don’t mind hearing. Believe it for Jesus’ sake.

Why So Much Church?

A little something I wrote for Wittenberg Academy that I’d like to share with you.

I often tell my workout partner (a Roman Catholic priest in the Order of St. Viator) that our workout is not a sprint, but a marathon. Father Jason moves through every element of our workout at what seems to be the speed of a world class sprinter running a 100 meter dash. I tend to move at a stately pace, trying to conserve energy to finish strong.

The seasons of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany seem like a marathon. There are midweek Advent services to attend. Some of our congregations have Divine Service every day of the Twelve Days of Christmas. Other congregations at least honor the birth of Jesus Christ according to the flesh on December 24th and December 25th. Then there’s the Circumcision of our Lord on either New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day. Epiphany falls on a Sunday this church year so we get a reprieve from another Divine Service during the week. By the time January 7th appears on our calendar, we think we’ve probably had enough of church!

Don’t fall into the trap of breaking the Third Commandment by thinking you’ve had enough of church. Take a moment to consider why we attend so many church services from the beginning of Advent through Epiphany. Let’s not sprint through this marathon; let’s take a leisurely stroll through this time of year and consider why we have so many services to attend.

Advent prepares us to welcome our Savior according to the flesh. The preaching of John the Baptist rings in our ears: REPENT! Be turned away from the works of darkness and be turned toward the Light of the coming Christ Child. The prophecies of Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Malachi point to Messiah’s appearance to redeem His people. By faith in Messiah we Gentiles are included in those prophecies.

During the Christmas season we can’t help but sing our joy that Jesus Christ, the Son of the Most High God, has become our Brother. He takes on flesh to live the perfect life we ought live but cannot live due to sin. He takes on flesh to suffer the punishment we deserve for our sin. He takes on flesh to rise from the dead triumphant over death and Satan. Don’t rush through the Twelve Days of Christmas. Savor each day like dinner at a three-star Michelin restaurant. Take the time to celebrate the Feast Days of Saint Stephen, the Holy Innocents, and Saint John. Christ begins to keep the Law for us as He is circumcised and named Jesus, “The Lord saves”. Add your first name to the end of that sentence, for Jesus saves especially you.

Before you know it, we finish strong on January 6th as we celebrate our Lord’s Epiphany to the Magi. The Boy Jesus welcomes visitors from afar led by a star to His home. As Jesus lives for the Jews, He also lives for Gentiles like you and me; grafted into the Vine of Righteousness.

Like a marathon runner, we pace ourselves to enjoy every moment of these holy seasons. Now is not the time to rush through the seasons of Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany. Slow down. Bask in our Savior’s work of salvation for you. Let Him feed you in His Word and Sacrament. Pay close attention to the readings. These things are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that you may have life in His name. Jesus gives you a front row seat for all the action.

Second Sunday in Advent – Luke 21:25-36

The Lord is at hand. This is the herald’s cry particularly in Advent. We heard this cry in last Sunday’s Holy Gospel. Last week we heard how the Lord came near to His people in order to redeem them. The first visible Advent of Christ cheers us even today as we sing in the Benedictus: Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, for he has visited and redeemed his people.

Today the herald’s cry says the same thing but takes a different tone. They will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.… When you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. This second visible Advent is a very different nearness of the Lord. The Lord is at hand for judgment.

The word “judgment” brings terror in itself. We think of a courtroom where someone’s guilt or innocence hangs in the balance. Someone could go free or someone could go to jail. If a courtroom judgment brings terror, how much more terror does Christ’s return for judgment bring? Even those of us who believe in Jesus Christ cringe at the thought of Christ’s judgment. In Christ there is no terror of judgment. There is only the bright hope of everlasting life free of sin and death. For those outside of Christ, there is great terror even if they don’t feel it right now.

Jesus describes Judgment Day in today’s Gospel: There will be signs in sun and moon and stars, and on the earth distress of nations in perplexity because of the roaring of the sea and the waves, people fainting with fear and with foreboding of what is coming on the world. We already see these signs today. Strange phenomena in the heavens happen with increasing regularity. Earthquakes rumble. Tsunamis crash against ocean shorelines. World events all the more seem to border on chaos. Hearts grow terrified with anxiety and fear, not knowing what to expect.

Even believers in Christ will be overwhelmed. Everything that mankind has built and trusted in will be destroyed. The home where you live: gone. The properties you own: gone. Your livelihood: gone. Earthly protection from fire, water, and other disasters: gone. At the end of this chaos, though, is Christ. Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.

Those words bring certain comfort. The Lord has come to deliver us from the evil one, just as we pray in the Lord’s Prayer. How do we know there is comfort in Christ’s second Advent? Jesus tells us so: When these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.

Redemption. There’s the comfort we have long expected from Jesus. But wait, there’s more. When you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. But isn’t the kingdom of God already near? Yes, God’s kingdom abides among us in His power, His grace, and His glory. Yet the fullness of His Kingdom, a fully visible Kingdom promised by Jesus, has not yet come. It is now, but not yet. That not yet will soon be changed to “visible and present” soon enough.

How soon? There’s the question above all questions. Jesus has a parable for that question. Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. As soon as they come out in leaf, you see for yourselves and know that the summer is already near. So also, when you see these things taking place, you know that the kingdom of God is near. Unless you are the type of person who loves winter, most of us are looking forward to spring, to warmer weather, and to trees and flowers budding and blooming. So it is with the second coming of Christ. When you see strange signs in the heavens and on the earth, then know that Jesus is coming soon.

But how soon? Soon enough. That’s why Jesus encourages you and me to watch yourselves lest your hearts be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and that day come upon you suddenly like a trap. It would be a pity if you were so preoccupied with life that you don’t take the time to watch trees and flowers bud and bloom. So also with Judgment Day. Keep your head up. Keep your eyes open. Stay close to Jesus in His Word. Feed on His Body and Blood frequently in the Lord’s Supper. Stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.

Stay awake. Don’t let yourself get caught up with those who think this old world will ramble on into infinity. There is an end to everything. The world as we know it will end. Existence as we know it will change. Either there is an existence in the burning lake of fire where torture and terror never end and are never quenched, or there is an existence in the presence of God with His Son Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit where we have joy in their presence forevermore. This is not a cleverly devised myth. This is the truth of Holy Scripture. Heaven and earth will pass away, Jesus says, but my words will not pass away.

Jesus is no liar. What He says to you today in this Holy Gospel will come to pass. It’s frightening to think about the end of all things. But when Scripture speaks about the Last Things, it is for our encouragement, not for our terror. Think back a few weeks ago when we heard Saint Paul’s words in First Thessalonians chapter four about the dead in Christ being raised from the dead on Judgment Day. He ended it by saying, encourage one another with these words. Jesus talks about Judgment Day because it is good for you to know how the end will happen in order that you are prepared for it. In Christ, covered in His blood and righteousness, living in His joy and freedom won for you at the cross and the empty tomb, you are worthy to see these things without fear or terror. The Lord is near for judgment. Don’t be afraid because your redemption is drawing near.

First Sunday in Advent – Matthew 21:1-9

The Gospel according to Saint Matthew is written for an audience familiar with Jewish customs and traditions. His audience also was familiar with the Old Testament, especially with the prophets. Matthew quotes the prophet Zechariah in today’s Gospel to show that Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem was prophesied long ago. Zechariah says, behold, your king is coming to you. Jesus’ coming isn’t confined to one particular place at one particular time. Jesus, our glorious King, still comes to us today.

Jesus does not seem to be such a splendid King at His entrance into Jerusalem. He marches into the city, but not as great ones of the earth march into a city. Jesus doesn’t arrive on a warhorse at the head of a mighty army with guns a-blazing. No trumpets sound His presence. The potentates of Jerusalem do not greet Him with a laurel and a key to the city.

Jesus enters Jerusalem humble, and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden. He is surrounded by His despised disciples and the poorest among the people who cry out Hosanna to Him. They scatter clothes and palm branches along the way to the annoyance of favored citizens of Jerusalem.

Though Christ’s entrance into Jerusalem is humble, He remains a great and glorious King; the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, God Himself. In the midst of His humiliation He reveals His divine glory as He tells His disciples, go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, “The Lord needs them,” and he will send them at once. Here we see our Savior’s omniscience, His attribute of knowing all things, and our Savior’s omnipotence, His attribute of being all-powerful, on display mere days before His death and resurrection.

Still today He is such a glorious King. He remains even more so today since He, according to His human nature, has entered into His glory through His suffering and sits at the right hand of His Father. When we hear this Holy Gospel text again at the procession on Palm Sunday, we’ll also hear Saint Paul says in Philippians chapter two: God has highly exalted [Jesus] and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Jesus did not come to chastise Jerusalem for her many sins. He came in kindness and friendliness. He came because He loves sinners. He Who is righteous and having salvation came to help the poor city of Jerusalem.

As Jesus physically came to Jerusalem then, He spiritually comes to us today. He still is righteous and having salvation, but His entrance among us is quiet and full of gentleness. Jesus comes not with the Law in order to chastise and condemn us for our sins as we deserve. Sadly, Christians think that our Savior should come among us with the Law. After all, society seems to be crumbling before our eyes. I’ve been your pastor for nearly twelve years. Since my arrival here our country has gone through a tremendous cultural shift. Same-sex marriage is legal everywhere. Marijuana legalization is gaining ground across our country, for better or for worse. Churches continue to empty as the Good News of Jesus Christ is replaced by exhortation to higher virtue and better morality.

Jesus comes in and with the Word of the Gospel and the Holy Sacraments to bring us and give us grace, forgiveness, righteousness, and salvation. If we only believed what great authority the Gospel has among us! When Christ’s love and forgiveness is preached, hearts of stone are turned to hearts of flesh. When Christ’s love and forgiveness is preached, hearers can’t help but busy themselves in all sorts of good things to do for their neighbor.

This past Wednesday night a number of people from our congregation, along with a family or two from outside our congregation, packed almost 500 snack packs for Fortitude Community Outreach. These snack packs will go in the hands of homeless people in Kankakee, Bradley, and Bourbonnais. All it took was 40 minutes and the task was completed. A number of you donated gloves and hooded sweatshirts, too. I didn’t have to stand here and scold you to make sure others could see that the Gospel has taken in your life. There was an opportunity and you took that opportunity to show the love of God in Christ Jesus.

Snack packs and cold weather protection for the homeless is only two of many ways God’s love is shown to our neighbor. Consider also the mother changing her child’s diaper or the father reading stories to his children. Maybe you’ve picked up someone’s mail or a newspaper while they are away. You are giving evidence that Christ has humbly entered your life just as He humbly entered Jerusalem to give His life for your sake.

Today Jesus comes again in the preaching of His Word, not to mention His Holy Supper of which we will partake in a little while. He makes His entrance among us in the Word spoken and the Word under bread and wine. Through these holy things we receive forgiveness of sins and eternal life. Though this particular season is called Advent, meaning “coming, we might say His Advent among us has no end. Jesus is always coming, either then into Jerusalem, now in Word and Sacraments, or soon again in His physical presence. No matter how Jesus comes, He remains our glorious King Who still comes to us today.