Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen. The text for the sermon this morning comes from the Gospel, which was read earlier.

The wait is almost over. Soon will be the big day. Everything is falling into place.  Everything is going just as planned. Just a little more time of waiting and Mary and Joseph will be married. However, one problem just arose and it’s not a small problem either. Mary, Joseph’s wife-to-be is pregnant. What’s worse: it’s not Joseph’s Child! She cheated on him with another man. There is one thing and one thing only to do: divorce her quietly. While not married technically yet, they were married in the eyes of God because of their betrothal.

For Mary to have sexual relations with another man before she had them with her husband-to-be was inconceivable. The only way to make this right would be to divorce her so that she can become betrothed to the father of her Child and then marry him.

Joseph was a righteous and just man. This meant that Joseph was one who observed divine and human laws. Like everyone else, Joseph was far from perfect, but as a child of God he had used the law of God as a rule by which to live his life, to express his thankfulness for God’s blessings. Joseph knew what the law of God said about unfaithfulness on the part of a wife, but at the same time he was concerned about the welfare of Mary. He could have brought their situation before the proper authorities and demanded that the law take its course. According to Deuteronomy 22, the life of Mary, and ultimately Jesus, could have been in jeopardy if Joseph had wanted to press the issue; yet Joseph showed a deep concern for Mary and for the Child that she carries by an unknown man. We see that concern for Mary in that Joseph thought long and hard about what to do, for both his sake and for Mary and the Child.

While considering his options, an angel appeared to him in a dream and told him “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” Here we see how an angel served the Lord while He was still in Mary’s womb. The angel redirected Joseph’s intended course of action. The angel reminded Joseph that he was a son of David. It was implied in those words that if the Savior were to come from David’s line as promised, Mary and he needed to remain together as husband and wife. Joseph was prevented from jumping to any more false conclusions about Mary by being informed about the miraculous working of the Holy Spirit within her. Joseph’s unbelief is overcome by a dream, and he takes Mary as his wife and assumes the paternity of Jesus.

What a moving picture of the sanctity of life we have here. Not only is this the promotion of the life of Jesus, but of life as a whole. Life is superior above all other options, even those that would bring the least amount of shame upon a person. This shouldn’t go unnoticed. All life is created by God for God’s purpose. Of all of God’s purposes is summed up in two parts, with the first beginning in just a few days.

This child that was given to Joseph and Mary is given to you and me also. It is Jesus, the One who will save us from our sins. It is Immanuel, God with us; here with us in the flesh as true God and true man, who lived an earthly life. Jesus is the New Testament counterpart of Joshua, “the Lord saves.” Just as Joshua led God’s Old Testament people into the promised land of Canaan, so Jesus came into the world to lead His followers to the heavenly Canaan.

This is the true meaning of Christmas. It is not about receiving lots and lots of presents.  It is about receiving one gift: Jesus Christ. It is not about receiving Christmas cards. It is about the message which the angel proclaimed to Joseph: “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

Martin Luther, in his Christmas hymn From Heaven Above to Earth I Come, sums up what Jesus did for us: “You came to share my misery/That You might share Your joy with me.”  He came into this world because of our misery. That misery is sin. He came to take away all sin from you and I and all people. Jesus became flesh to fulfill God’s Law and redeem you. He came to live a life of perfect obedience to all of God’s commands so that He might be the sinless sacrifice in your place.

Some will say that Christmas is all about receiving. However, Christmas is more about giving than it is about receiving. It is about God giving to us His one and only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. It is about God giving to us the Savior of our race. It is about God giving to each and every one of us the right to be called sons and daughters of God and be seen through the eyes of God, sinless, because of what His Son has done for us.

But Christmas is also about receiving, though we continue to receive from God each and every day, not just on Christmas Day. It is about receiving the greatest gift, the only gift that we could ever need. It is about receiving all that God has to give to us: forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. It is about receiving that gift of Holy Baptism that saves us as Peter says. It is about receiving the very body and blood of Jesus Christ, which strengthens our faith and keeps us in our faith. It is about receiving that Word of God, preached to us, where we hear that we are indeed sinners but that all of our sins have been forgiven.

Lives were turned upside down because Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. Joseph almost divorced Mary. Both Joseph and Mary had to endure the condemnation of the community.

At the same time, these words are necessary for our salvation. These words tell us that Jesus is both God and man. Because Jesus is both God and man, when Jesus died, God died. Because Jesus is both God and man, His death paid for the sins of the entire world. Because Jesus is both God and man, He rose from the dead and ascended into heaven. Because Jesus is both God and man, a human being rules both heaven and earth. Because Jesus is both God and man, His human body and blood are available on altars everywhere at the same time for us Christians to eat and to drink. The Son of God took on our human flesh so that we may be His own, and live under Him in His kingdom.

As we anticipate the coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, we focus on the message of the angel to Joseph: “that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit…he will save his people from their sins.” The Lord speaks His saving truth, which remains true even when all appearances point to the contrary. His Word is sure. No matter the humble manger: the Infant born to Mary is your Savior. No matter the ordinary appearance of Word and Sacrament: they still deliver forgiveness, life and salvation. No matter the whispers of the devil, the world and your own sinful flesh: your Savior declares that you are forgiven for all of your sins. In the name of Jesus, amen. Now the peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus, amen.

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen. The text for the sermon is the Gospel, which was read earlier.

Last Sunday, we heard of the last of the Old Testament prophets, John the Baptist, and the message that He proclaimed: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand…. I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry.” Everything was pointing to Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah of old. Today, we find John the Baptist again; not preaching and baptizing, but in prison.

While in prison, John heard about Jesus’ activities and he was somewhat puzzled or confused. He sent two of his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” Was it possible that John really was unsure about Jesus at this time? If not, why would he send two of his disciples to ask Jesus this question? There are two possibilities. The first: it was possible that John’s disciples were discouraged at the fact that Jesus had done nothing to get John out of prison. They might have wondered whether John really was God’s special messenger. If they had doubts about John, they would have doubts about Jesus, whom John had pointed to as the promised Messiah. It is possible that John wanted his disciples to go to Jesus for reassurance, even though John himself had no doubts about Jesus.

The second possibility was that John himself was troubled and unsure of whom Jesus was. It was, after all, John who was asking the question, albeit indirectly through his disciples. Doubt could have plagued John following our account last week. John gives a rather vivid account of the work of the coming Messiah, that is, gathering the wheat and burning the chaff. In other words, separating believer from unbeliever. However, that has not happened yet and could make John wonder whether or not he had the Messiah right.

In either case, can you really blame John or his disciples? John had done what he was supposed to do. He was already a prophet in his mother’s womb as he leapt for joy when Mary approached bearing Jesus in her womb. He had baptized thousands for repentance in anticipation of the coming Messiah. He had done everything he was supposed to do and yet, he ended up in jail. You can’t blame him for looking back over his ministry and wondering if it was all worth it. The disciples of John followed his teaching but when their leader ended up in prison with the Messiah doing nothing, it would be easy to doubt.

The question that was asked of Jesus so long ago is still asked today. “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” Well, it’s not really asked so much as an answer is given to Jesus: “We’ll look for another.” We can thank the world for that answer. The world has perfected that answer to the point that Jesus need not even be considered for salvation. The world won’t go so far as to say Jesus is the Messiah because that would assert that there is a single means of salvation and the world doesn’t want that to happen, lest we offend someone.

For as much as the world puts forth that salvation can be found in anyone or anything other than Jesus, the Church should be the one place where you should be able to find the right answer to John’s question, but unfortunately, even that is not always the case. You will get the prosperity preaching that says believe hard enough, have enough faith and God will bless you. But notice who the subject is: it’s not Jesus but it’s you. You are the one doing the work. But as soon as you are the one doing the work, then you have a problem. It has to be, it must be Jesus who does the work and not us.

When John’s disciples came to Jesus, He answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see.” Jesus understood John’s doubts. He understood the doubts of John’s disciples. He understands the doubts that we have. He understood that John needed assurance. He understood that John’s disciples needed assurance. He understands that we need assurance. Dear saints of God, that assurance is coming for you. The promise that God made so long ago is to be fulfilled in the birth of His Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

For all those times when God’s people wonder whether or not God will keep His Word regarding the Messiah, the time is soon to be fulfilled. When we have our doubts, we return to Jesus’ Word. We return to Jesus’ life. From birth to death, there was a singular mission that He was focused on: the redemption of God’s creation. Everything that was done was done with you in mind. He sends people to proclaim the wonders He has done so that we can hear about them. By this proclamation of His deeds, He sends the Holy Spirit to bear us up and strengthen us as we travel through this sinful world, especially as we travel through those darker times of doubt.

Here is the true antidote for doubt: the proclamation that Jesus forgives sins. We may think that we can take comfort and certainty in the many supernatural attributes of God; His power, His knowledge, His wisdom, His holiness, and so forth, but that is not the case. Without forgiveness, those other attributes only serve to terrify us. If there is no forgiveness, then God’s holiness only sets Him apart from sinful people like us. If there is no forgiveness, then God’s total knowledge reveals our every sin. If there is no forgiveness, then God’s power is there to punish our sin. Without forgiveness, God is simply the ultimate terror.

When there is forgiveness, then God is comfort and assurance. When there is forgiveness, God’s holiness is for us. When there is forgiveness, God’s power protects us. With forgiveness, God is the ultimate comfort. He is the ultimate re-assurance.

One thing that we must remember is that forgiveness does not come cheap. The one who earns forgiveness must satisfy God’s justice and God’s justice requires the punishment of sin. That is exactly what Jesus did. Jesus took your sin into Himself. Then, when God punished your sin, the punishment fell on Jesus and not on you. When Jesus hung on the cross, He took your place as the target of God’s just punishment of sin. This is nothing other than God’s perfect love enduring God’s perfect justice for you. This is Jesus earning forgiveness for you.

We celebrate the coming of our Savior in the manger at Bethlehem because it is through Him that our sins are forgiven and the gates of heaven are opened. Through His atoning death He conquered your death, and raises you to a new life. By faith granted through the Holy Spirit, we now have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. He came to His people, He now comes to you, who are His people by faith, and He will come again, that you would need and expect no other. In the name of Jesus, amen. Now the peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus, amen.

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen. The text for the sermon is the Gospel, which was read earlier.

Today’s Gospel account is brought to you by crazy. Everything about today’s account is crazy. The first part of the account focuses on a man named John the Baptist. The message that he comes proclaiming is one that is pure crazy talk: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” That is pure crazy talk! Whatever could he mean that the kingdom of heaven is at hand? He appeared rather abruptly in the desert areas of Judea. It was as if he appeared out of nowhere. He was not trained by the accepted religious teachers. He had no credentials. He simply appeared and began preaching. Who did he think he was? John was somebody, somebody important. He was the last of the Old Testament prophets. The Lord sent John out into the desert. He did not appear in the synagogue or in the temple where the other religious teachers were to be found. He was to carry out his ministry in a place apart. The present system was corrupt. The Lord wanted His people to take a fresh look at their relationship with Him. The wilderness was to become a fruitful field.

John wasn’t just a crazy man running around preaching anything he wanted to. He was the one whom Isaiah spoke of: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’” However, when you saw John in the flesh, he looks every bit the part of crazy, acts every bit the part of crazy. Here is a man who walks around in “a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.” Needless to say, this was not normal attire for anyone, nor was this the food of the everyday person. The clothing was reminiscent of the prophets, of which John is the last. It would have been very easy to write John the Baptist off as crazy based upon his looks. However, the people didn’t write John off as crazy. Instead, they went out to him in order to be baptized by him and to confess their sins.

For someone who looks like a crazy man, the people come to him in large numbers from all over the place. When John calls the people to repent, he is calling them to not only repent of their sins, but also to repent of all of their misconceptions and wrong ideas about the Savior. If they have the wrong idea of who the Savior is supposed to be, then they’re not going to like the Savior for who He truly is. If they’re looking for the wrong things in a Messiah, then they’re not going to recognize Him when He makes His appearance. John prepares the people by teaching them the true nature of their sinfulness, so that they see the need for the Savior; he prepares them by teaching them who the Savior is and what He will come to do.

John called the people to repent and invited them to be baptized so that their guilt might be washed away. Many responded to the call. They confessed that they were sinners and received baptism. He baptized in anticipation of Jesus’ saving work.

As we prepare for the Nativity of our Lord, are we eager to do as John says, to repent? It’s not something that comes easy to us. It’s not something that we like to admit, that we did something wrong, that we are a sinner and that we need to repent, to ask for forgiveness. However, that is exactly what we are supposed to do.

Repentance involves a change of mind and heart and a change of direction in daily behavior and life. The full definition of repentance includes recognizing your sin as disobedience to God’s commandments, feeling truly sorry for your sin, having the sincere desire to amend your sinful ways, and trusting in the Lord Jesus Christ alone for forgiveness and salvation. Repentance is not a one-time act. In his famous Ninety-Five Theses, Martin Luther declared that the entire life of a Christian is to be characterized by repentance. In his Small Catechism, Luther tells us that our baptism should remind us to drown our old Adam by daily contrition and repentance. Repentance includes all our sins, even those of which we are not aware of, and Jesus’ forgiveness is total.

For as many who came to John in order to be baptized, there were also those who came for another reason. Matthew records that while John was baptizing, Pharisees and Sadducees were also coming to be baptized, though he did not baptize them. He commanded those who desired to be baptized to repent and bear fruit in keeping with repentance. The Pharisees and Sadducees did neither. The Pharisees believed they were righteous in God’s sight because they kept the Law. Repentance was fine for others, but not for them. The Sadducees, on the other hand, did not believe in any resurrection. They were concerned only about this life and this world. They had no interest in the kingdom of heaven that John was proclaiming.

The message was stern to them: “Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” In other words, those who are not repentant have no place in the kingdom of God.

That same message applies to us today. If we insist on going our own way or trying to get into heaven on our own terms, God will reject us and find plenty of other people to populate heaven. We must not imagine that God needs us, but we would be wise to remember that He wants us and that Jesus has done everything necessary for our eternal salvation. The only thing that is necessary on our part is repentance.

As far as some are concerned, we believe that we are right with God. We can do no wrong. We are not sinners. But where do we get that notion? We don’t get it from Scripture because Scripture says, “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” We can deceive ourselves into thinking that we are not sinful, but that is all that it is, a deception. As a result, our lives are unfruitful, are sinful. We do not do the works that God requires; in fact, we cannot do them. God’s righteous judgment comes down upon Israel and it comes down also upon us.

Instead of leaving us with judgment, doom and gloom, John the Baptist also promises something beyond our wildest imaginations: the coming of the Savior. John the Baptist is the one crying in the wilderness of the coming Messiah. He is making the paths straight by preaching a message of repentance to the people, to prepare them for Christ’s arrival. John the Baptist comes to lead people to repentance, to baptize with water. When Jesus arrives, “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” He is coming to do something far greater than John the Baptist, the Pharisees, Sadducees or we could ever do: “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”

While everything about John seems to be crazy, the message he preaches is anything but crazy. It is a message that draws the people from all over, drawing them to repent of their sins and to be baptized. For as much as John the Baptist seems out of place in the coming Nativity of our Lord, the message is very much appropriate: He comes with grace – to forgive your sins, to strengthen your faith, to prepare you for everlasting life. Even now in Word and Sacrament we feast upon Christ as our tree of life. He is the vine and we are the branches. By Word and Sacrament, we bring forth the fruit of repentance and live in trust and obedience. He declares to you even now, “Repent, because I am at hand; and because I am here, you are forgiven for all of your sins.” In the name of Jesus, amen. Now the peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus, amen.

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father, and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen. The text for the sermon is the Gospel, which was read earlier.

One of my favorite Christmas movies to watch is the movie “Elf.” When Buddy the Elf finds out that Santa is coming to the department store, he exclaims, “Santa’s coming! I know him! I know him!” That seems to the focus right now, isn’t it? It’s all about Santa coming. But the season of Advent isn’t about the coming of Santa Claus; it’s about preparing for the coming of Jesus Christ.

In Advent, we look forward to the coming of the King, and we remember how He came. We look forward by looking back. It doesn’t matter that the crowd was small, or large. The crowd proclaimed the truth that Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the promises of the prophets. Their testimony tells us that we are awaiting the coming of He who will fulfills the promise to us. We aren’t looking forward to His death, or the work of redemption. They were, but we do not look forward to that because we can see by looking back that He has already done it. Rather, we focus on the words of the prophet Zechariah, “Behold, your king is coming to you.”

In these weeks leading up to Christmas, the world will offer us, with a vigor that is unique to this season, what we should be doing between Black Friday and December 25: shop!  New toys for both young and old will be dangled before our eyes, each one promising to make us better or happier. That’s the focus of the world in this season of Advent – the coming of great deals and bargains for Christmas gifts. But there is more to the season of Advent than deals and bargains. Advent is a season of preparing. We prepare for the remembrance of the first coming of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. When we hear that our King is coming, this message is the call to prepare by opening our hearts to His grace. We need not fear, for He comes in meekness and lowliness. But He comes as King, mighty to save, full of grace and truth.

When Jesus arrived in Jerusalem, Jerusalem was poised for the celebration of the Passover. This annual remembrance of God’s act of deliverance of His children from Egypt would have swelled the streets of Jerusalem with holiday crowds. The day of the slaughter of the Passover lambs was fast approaching. People were anticipating the delight of being with family for the Passover feast. But when King Jesus comes into Jerusalem, it interrupts the sort of celebration people are expecting.

We see much the same with Christ at this time of year. We begin celebrating the “real” reason for Christmas: gift giving, parties, but most importantly, gift receiving. We are doing our own thing, enjoying what Christmas is all about, and then Christ comes to ruin everything. For all who think like that, just remember one thing: you can’t have Christmas without Christ, no matter how hard you try.

When Christ does make His appearance in this earthly life, it isn’t with great pomp and circumstance. He is born to lowly parents in very circumstances. It should be no surprise that when Christ enters Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, He does so in a very unexpected way. He doesn’t enter with trumpets blaring behind a large processional. Rather, He comes riding on a donkey. This is done also to fulfill what the prophet wrote: “Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.” You see, whatever perception the people had of the Messiah and what He would look like and what He would do, Zechariah puts them to rest several hundreds year before the Messiah first graces us with His presence. He comes into Jerusalem, the city of the temple – the place of sacrifice – to suffer and to die as God’s ultimate Passover Lamb. His sacrifice interrupts the monotonous routines of sin and death. Here is a King like no other, for this King comes not in royal splendor or with military might, but in the humility of the Servant who embraces the cross for you.

Today, we begin preparing ourselves for Christ’s entry into this world, coming into this world by being born in a stable in the small town of Bethlehem. We prepare our hearts for what Christmas brings: it brings the Savior of the Nations, the Virgin Son who makes His home amongst the chosen people of God, as sinful as we are. God came to His people and lived among them as one of them. As God came to us in flesh and blood, He experienced all the things we experience – gestation and birth, childhood, weeping and laughter, pleasure and pain, and all the other things that make up the human experience. He even experienced temptation, but He never gave in to it.

All of this, He did for you. He is the Blessed One, for in His saving death, He brings all the blessings of heaven – forgiveness of sins and peace with God – down to earth, down to you. It is no wonder that during the season of Advent, we especially hear that Jesus is indeed Immanuel, God with us. Even as God lives with us, He still comes to us. He comes to us as we read and hear His Word. He also continues to come to us in His flesh and blood as we eat and drink the bread and the wine of His Table.

Later on this month, we will remember how the Kingdom of God came to a virgin named Mary as the Son of God took on human flesh in her womb. We will remember how the Son of God came as a baby in a manger. This is God’s Kingdom coming to restore peace. Today’s Gospel reminds us that the Son of God took on human flesh in Mary’s womb in order to come to Jerusalem and die. His death is the way He makes it possible for the Kingdom of God to come in peace.

That is what Advent is really all about. It is a season of repentance and belief while Jesus serves us with His coming. Just as Lent is a season of repentance and belief in preparation for Good Friday, so also Advent is a season of repentance and belief in preparation for the coming of Jesus, not just as He came at Christmas, but also as He comes to us now and will come to raise us from the dead and live with us forever.

Consider God and His coming during this Advent. Consider His coming at Christmas, but don’t limit your consideration just to Christmas. Consider the love that God shows in His coming in that even while sin causes terror and hatred, He continues to come with His love. Consider how He came to save us with His suffering, death, and resurrection. Consider how He now comes in Word and Sacrament. Consider how He will come to take His people home with Him. Consider the blessings that He once gave, that He now gives, and that He will give when He comes again. In Jesus name, amen. Now the peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus, amen.