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 Epistle, which was read earlier.

Divisions. We find them everywhere. We see them in sports. It’s the AFC versus the NFC in football. It’s the American League versus the National League in baseball. In politics, it’s Republican against Democrat. We have male and we have female. We have ethnic divisions: black and white. We have age divisions: young and old. Wherever you look, there you will find divisions.

In the Church, it’s no different. You have Lutheran, Baptist, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Reformed, Orthodox and the list goes on. Even the Church during the time of Paul faced divisions. Here in our text for today, Paul asks a question which needs asking: “Is Christ divided?”

No one familiar with the New Testament can escape the conclusion that God intends those who are drawn to Him by faith and life within His grace shall live in unity with each other. Jesus understood that His disciples would have problems with this, and in His heart-to-heart talk with them the night before He died, He declared, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” When that memorable evening in the upper room concluded with His prayer of intercession, He laid before the Father the plea that “they may be one” even as He and the Father were one. Unity of mind and purpose, living in love and harmony, oneness in Christ, are God’s intention for His family. Our love for each other identifies us as disciples of Jesus.

It is over against all of this that we must face up to the divisions within the household of faith and see them, not just as inevitable consequences of history, but also as signs of human frailty and sinfulness, as signs of the attempts to reduce the greatness and grandeur of God and His limitless compassion for the whole human family to the measure of small minds and timid hearts.

“Is Christ divided?” Paul asks? We respond quickly, “Of course not!” But a second question comes bearing down on us: “Why then is His church divided?” We are left uncomfortable and ill at ease. There is something here which is not right, and we know it.

Paul had visited Corinth on several occasions, at least 3 times on his missionary journeys. This was one of his churches to which he was the pastor of. He founded the church in the midst of Corinth’s reputation: sexual immorality, religious diversity and corruption. Paul shows a concerned, loving approach to factious errors. He calls all the Corinthians “brothers,” not giving any substance to their claims of separatism. His address is unifying. Though he is one who was lauded as a leader, he puts himself and them on the same plain as forgiven sinners whom God has elevated to saving heights. His only motive in coming to them lies in his concern and love for the Lord. Paul appeals to them as brothers, not as one superior than another. He doesn’t recognize one’s ability over another. He doesn’t recognize one’s poverty over another. They are all “brothers” in the faith of Jesus Christ.

You and I are all “brothers” in the faith of Jesus Christ. But like any family, there will be disagreements. There will be fights. There will be divisions. You will get mad at one another and storm off. However, we are still family, members of the family of God. We have all been bought for a price, the price of our Lord and Savior’s very life. Through His life, death, and resurrection, we have been brought into God’s family.

The message which Paul is giving to the Corinthians is one of unity, not of division. Under the heading of religion these people think there is room for doctrinal variety, as if the Lord allows two diverse understandings to be true at the same time! That may apply to the philosophy and human ethics of some, but not so with our Lord. He is a God of order. There is only one way that is God’s way. There is only one doctrine and that is what is found in the Word of God. We can try to make our own doctrine. We can try to make the Word of God say what we want it to say, but in the end it remains the Word of God. The Word of God doesn’t change. It’s been the same Word of God for 2000 years and will continue to remain the Word of God long after us. We can understand why Paul was so troubled as he wrote to the church at Corinth. Word had come to him that this fragile church, barely on its feet, was torn by dissension. The people were not getting along together. They were dividing into competing groups, based on which apostle had led them to faith. One group identified with Paul, another Apollos, another Peter, and another, as a smack in everyone’s face, claimed they belonged to Christ. Instead of rejoicing in their oneness in Christ, they were splitting off into separate groups, each one uncertain about the integrity of the other.

Paul could see that the future of that congregation, set within the turbulent environment of bustling Corinth, was threatened. Paul was not just offering some sound advice, but was calling upon the authority of Christ Himself to set things right. It was immaterial who baptized them; the overriding truth was that they had come into a new kingdom of love and grace, and this determined that they should live in peace and harmony with each other in the name of Jesus Christ.

It may seem to us that these people were hung up on unimportant matters, and that is just the point! Time and time again, the unity of the Church has been threatened by turning minor matters into major issues. But what about when the Church is truly divided over issues that are important, such as doctrine? Are we to turn a blind eye to doctrinal statements that God is not the only way to heaven? What about that Jesus Christ was just a man who taught some really good things, lived a good live, however He isn’t the Son of God? What about that the Lord’s Supper is just a snack of bread and wine and that you receive nothing from it, other than quenching your hunger? These are some “doctrines” which other denominations hold who say that they “follow Christ.” If you open up the Word of God, you will not, no, not ever, never once, find these “doctrines” that “follow Christ.” We deny the truthfulness of God if we tolerate unscriptural practices in others and call ourselves one with them in faith.

We come back to the question which we began with: “Is Christ divided?” The Apostle Paul teaches about Christian unity under God. He appeals to the fact that Christ is not divided. Paul reminds them that he was not crucified for them. Jesus died on the cross. Only the name of Jesus is divine and able to save. It would likewise be absurd and wrong to baptize in the name of any other person than the Lord.

In the realm of preaching the Gospel, no division can be tolerated. Preaching the gospel was Paul’s chief calling. In carrying out this ministry he could have fallen into the habit among the Greeks of relying on “words of eloquent wisdom” and rhetorical skills. “Words of eloquent wisdom” refers to human philosophy with its habit of replacing “old” ways of thinking with “new” ways. But, as Paul points out, if this were the practice, then “the cross of Christ [would] be emptied of its power.” Soon no one would listen to the Bible or heed the name of God.

Christ is not divided because He is “the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through” Him. Jesus Christ is indeed the very Son of God, who came to be your Savior. Jesus Christ did indeed die on the cross and was raised from the dead three days later. If you believe that the Bible is the Word of God, then none of this is up for debate. If, however, you believe that the Bible contains the Word of God, then you, the reader, can decide for yourself what you want to believe. You can decide if Jesus is true God, true man, both, none of the above, or if He even existed at all. When one views Scripture from this viewpoint, Christ is indeed divided, because Christ is one thing for you and a different thing for me. Christ died for you because you believe that He is the Son of God. Christ did not die for me because I believe that Christ was just a man who led a good life. Christ is divided because people make Scripture say what they want it to say. Christ is divided because denominations make Scripture say what they want it to say.

For those who are resting securely in Christ’s forgiveness, given to us through His life, death and resurrection, given to us at our baptism, given to us through Word and Sacrament, Christ cannot be divided because it is Christ and Christ alone who saves.  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.

Epiphany 3A 2008

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 Epistle, which was read earlier.

Divisions. We find them everywhere. We see them in sports. It’s the AFC versus the NFC in football. It’s the American League versus the National League in baseball. In politics, it’s Republican against Democrat. We have male and we have female. We have ethnic divisions: black and white. We have age divisions: young and old. Wherever you look, there you will find divisions.

In the Church, it’s no different. You have Lutheran, Baptist, Methodist, Roman Catholic, Pentecostal, Reformed, Orthodox and the list goes on. Even the Church during the time of Paul faced divisions. Here in our text for today, Paul asks a question which needs asking: “Is Christ divided?”

No one familiar with the New Testament can escape the conclusion that God intends those who are drawn to Him by faith and life within His grace shall live in unity with each other. Jesus understood that His disciples would have problems with this, and in His heart-to-heart talk with them the night before He died, He declared, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” When that memorable evening in the upper room concluded with His prayer of intercession, He laid before the Father the plea that “they may be one” even as He and the Father were one. Unity of mind and purpose, living in love and harmony, oneness in Christ, are God’s intention for His family. Our love for each other identifies us as disciples of Jesus.

It is over against all of this that we must face up to the divisions within the household of faith and see them, not just as inevitable consequences of history, but also as signs of human frailty and sinfulness, as signs of the attempts to reduce the greatness and grandeur of God and His limitless compassion for the whole human family to the measure of small minds and timid hearts.

“Is Christ divided?” Paul asks? We respond quickly, “Of course not!” But a second question comes bearing down on us: “Why then is His church divided?” We are left uncomfortable and ill at ease. There is something here which is not right, and we know it.

Paul had visited Corinth on several occasions, at least 3 times on his missionary journeys. This was one of his churches to which he was the pastor of. He founded the church in the midst of Corinth’s reputation: sexual immorality, religious diversity and corruption. Paul shows a concerned, loving approach to factious errors. He calls all the Corinthians “brothers,” not giving any substance to their claims of separatism. His address is unifying. Though he is one who was lauded as a leader, he puts himself and them on the same plain as forgiven sinners whom God has elevated to saving heights. His only motive in coming to them lies in his concern and love for the Lord. Paul appeals to them as brothers, not as one superior than another. He doesn’t recognize one’s ability over another. He doesn’t recognize one’s poverty over another. They are all “brothers” in the faith of Jesus Christ.

You and I are all “brothers” in the faith of Jesus Christ. But like any family, there will be disagreements. There will be fights. There will be divisions. You will get mad at one another and storm off. However, we are still family, members of the family of God. We have all been bought for a price, the price of our Lord and Savior’s very life. Through His life, death, and resurrection, we have been brought into God’s family.

The message which Paul is giving to the Corinthians is one of unity, not of division. Under the heading of religion these people think there is room for doctrinal variety, as if the Lord allows two diverse understandings to be true at the same time! That may apply to the philosophy and human ethics of some, but not so with our Lord. He is a God of order. There is only one way that is God’s way. There is only one doctrine and that is what is found in the Word of God. We can try to make our own doctrine. We can try to make the Word of God say what we want it to say, but in the end it remains the Word of God. The Word of God doesn’t change. It’s been the same Word of God for 2000 years and will continue to remain the Word of God long after us. We can understand why Paul was so troubled as he wrote to the church at Corinth. Word had come to him that this fragile church, barely on its feet, was torn by dissension. The people were not getting along together. They were dividing into competing groups, based on which apostle had led them to faith. One group identified with Paul, another Apollos, another Peter, and another, as a smack in everyone’s face, claimed they belonged to Christ. Instead of rejoicing in their oneness in Christ, they were splitting off into separate groups, each one uncertain about the integrity of the other.

Paul could see that the future of that congregation, set within the turbulent environment of bustling Corinth, was threatened. Paul was not just offering some sound advice, but was calling upon the authority of Christ Himself to set things right. It was immaterial who baptized them; the overriding truth was that they had come into a new kingdom of love and grace, and this determined that they should live in peace and harmony with each other in the name of Jesus Christ.

It may seem to us that these people were hung up on unimportant matters, and that is just the point! Time and time again, the unity of the Church has been threatened by turning minor matters into major issues. But what about when the Church is truly divided over issues that are important, such as doctrine? Are we to turn a blind eye to doctrinal statements that God is not the only way to heaven? What about that Jesus Christ was just a man who taught some really good things, lived a good live, however He isn’t the Son of God? What about that the Lord’s Supper is just a snack of bread and wine and that you receive nothing from it, other than quenching your hunger? These are some “doctrines” which other denominations hold who say that they “follow Christ.” If you open up the Word of God, you will not, no, not ever, never once, find these “doctrines” that “follow Christ.” We deny the truthfulness of God if we tolerate unscriptural practices in others and call ourselves one with them in faith.

We come back to the question which we began with: “Is Christ divided?” The Apostle Paul teaches about Christian unity under God. He appeals to the fact that Christ is not divided. Paul reminds them that he was not crucified for them. Jesus died on the cross. Only the name of Jesus is divine and able to save. It would likewise be absurd and wrong to baptize in the name of any other person than the Lord.

In the realm of preaching the Gospel, no division can be tolerated. Preaching the gospel was Paul’s chief calling. In carrying out this ministry he could have fallen into the habit among the Greeks of relying on “words of eloquent wisdom” and rhetorical skills. “Words of eloquent wisdom” refers to human philosophy with its habit of replacing “old” ways of thinking with “new” ways. But, as Paul points out, if this were the practice, then “the cross of Christ [would] be emptied of its power.” Soon no one would listen to the Bible or heed the name of God.

Christ is not divided because He is “the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through” Him. Jesus Christ is indeed the very Son of God, who came to be your Savior. Jesus Christ did indeed die on the cross and was raised from the dead three days later. If you believe that the Bible is the Word of God, then none of this is up for debate. If, however, you believe that the Bible contains the Word of God, then you, the reader, can decide for yourself what you want to believe. You can decide if Jesus is true God, true man, both, none of the above, or if He even existed at all. When one views Scripture from this viewpoint, Christ is indeed divided, because Christ is one thing for you and a different thing for me. Christ died for you because you believe that He is the Son of God. Christ did not die for me because I believe that Christ was just a man who led a good life. Christ is divided because people make Scripture say what they want it to say. Christ is divided because denominations make Scripture say what they want it to say.

For those who are resting securely in Christ’s forgiveness, given to us through His life, death and resurrection, given to us at our baptism, given to us through Word and Sacrament, Christ cannot be divided because it is Christ and Christ alone who saves.  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.

Epiphany 3A 2008

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 Epistle, which was read earlier.

Listen to these words from the Collect of the Day again: “Make all who are baptized in His name faithful in their calling as Your children and inheritors with Him of everlasting life.”

We are baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. When we are baptized, we are brought into the kingdom of God, through water and the Word of God. We are baptized into the Father, who created us. We are baptized into the Son, who redeemed us with His perfect life and death for us. We are baptized into the Holy Spirit, who sanctifies us and makes us holy and gives to us faith.

Paul says in our text for today, “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?” That sounds pretty weird. Baptism is a wonderful gift of new life; so how does new life come from something as ugly as death? We don’t hear much about giving the gift of death. Perhaps that’s due to our realization that death is really not much of a gift. At least, it’s not a gift we’d typically want, and with good reason: death is our enemy. But today, St. Paul speaks to us about Holy Baptism in such a way that in Holy Baptism, Christ bestows on us the gifts of His death and resurrection.

In His death, we have received life. It was Christ’s gift of death for all people so that all people may have the gift of newness of life found only in Him. His sacrificial death is a gift for all humanity. He lays down His life of His own choice. He can lay it down and take it up again; no one can take it from Him. He chose to lay down His life for the Father and His creation, a creation made in the image of God, but through sin, became separated from God. He gave His life in spite of what Satan offered to Him: kingdoms and power and eternal glory. He already had all of that through the Father: the heavenly kingdom, the New Jerusalem; the power of life, in His body and blood; the eternal glory, that of the Trinity: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

He was willing to become a servant and be obedient to His Father, “he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” He had the choice of life or death, yet He chose death because of you. He chose death because of your sins. He chose death because you are God’s creation. He chose death because by His death, you might be called sons of God. This sacrifice of Christ is not due to any of humanity’s deserving, for we all lack such merit, something which Paul pointedly reminds us of: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that non one may boast.”

Since Christ has died for us, His resurrection has won for humanity gifts beyond measure.

The first gift which Christ’s resurrection has won for us is the fact that humanity’s archenemies have been defeated. Sin is no longer master over humanity. The Old Adam, while he tries to reassert himself, has been replaced by the Second Adam, Jesus Christ, who has lived and died, committing no sin, yet taking our sin upon Himself. Death has been defeated, once and for all. The grave now stands open and the grave, which once kept our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, is now empty. Satan, who once held the keys of this kingdom in his hands, has now been relieved of those keys, and Christ is now in full control of the keys of the kingdom.

Christ’s resurrection promises to us humanity life everlasting with Him. That means being confident in knowing that His reign is endless, not bound by anything, including death, because He has defeated death. He is able to make and fulfill all promises to mankind, namely, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.”

How does one go about receiving all that Christ has to offer? All this He offers freely through Baptism. All this He offers to each and every one of you. As baptized children of God, we die to sin. Does that mean that we no longer sin? Of course not! What that means is that the Gospel of Christ provides motivation for upright living, a motivation that far surpasses the fear of the Law which the unbeliever works with. A Christian’s motivation is nothing less than God’s love in Christ. Moreover, when a Christian comes to faith he “dies to sin.” Our old, sinful natures inherited from our Old Adam are drowned. Though the Old Adam rears his ugly head, we have the assurance that our sins have been forgiven and those sins sink to the bottom of the font and are washed away and that the New Adam of Jesus Christ rises anew in us.

Through Christ and the wonderful gift He has given to us in and through Holy Baptism, we are made “alive in God in Christ Jesus.” The baptized children of God have been redeemed from sin and its total depravity. As St. Paul says, “We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.” We have a new, sinless nature created in us. We are able to live free and eternally in newness of life. The purpose and power of baptism is to make us Christlike. We were baptized that we might live a new kind of life, a life totally different from our old way of life, which was doomed by sin. Through baptism we have entered real life – life filled to the brim with God’s love, forgiveness, power and guidance. It is impossible, by definition, for the new man to desire a life of sin, as recorded by St. John: “No one born of God makes a practice of sinning, for God’s seed abides in him, and he cannot keep on sinning because he has been born of God.”

As baptized children of God, you and I are sealed with the Holy Spirit for the day of redemption. We are marked as ones ransomed by Christ. It is by Christ’s perfect life, death and resurrection that we are ransomed by Christ. It is by Christ’s shed blood on the cross that you and I received redemption of our sins. It is by Christ and Christ alone that we are made children and heirs of the Father. It is the baptized children of God that are promised full redemption, to be perfectly renewed at the Last Day and raised incorruptible to live with Christ forever.

Holy Baptism is all about gifts: gifts from God our Father to His beloved children, once created in His image but who have since fallen away. The gifts include death – namely, the death of Jesus Christ, to give you life. The gifts include life – new life given to you once your sins have been forgiven and you receive the title bestowed on humanity at Creation: children of God.

Thanks be to God, the gifts which have been given to us – the gifts of Christ’s death and resurrection and our newness of life – are real and have been given to you and I. Victorious over all of your enemies, Christ bestows His gifts on you through Holy Baptism. For you, the baptized children of God have been united with your Savior in both His death and His resurrection, so that you may share in life everlasting. That is your inheritance, the ultimate gift of Baptism, new life in Christ Jesus and the right to be called children of God. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Now the peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, amen.

Baptism of Our Lord A 2008

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 is the Epistle which was read earlier.

Just as I said it would, it happened.  The day after Christmas, Gwen and I were out doing some running around town.  As we were putting our dog in the kitchen, we turned on the radio for him.  Christmas music had been replaced with rock and roll again.  Even the Christian radio stations have put Christmas music back in the box and have started playing its contemporary Christian music.  Wal-Mart and K-Mart have taken what Christmas items they have and have reduced them to 50% off to get rid of all signs of Christmas.  Fortunately for us, Christmas doesn’t just last the one day.  We have 12 days of Christmas that we celebrate in the Church Year.  So to all those that have put Christmas out of their minds already, I tell you Merry Christmas, children.  I’m not speaking to just the little kids but to all of you because you are all children of God.  Believe it or not, Christmas is for children.  It’s all about children.  It was told to the shepherds, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.”  In our text for today, St. Paul records that God sent forth His Son, born of a woman.  That Son, that Baby, was more than any shepherds could ever imagine.  That Son, that Baby, is more than any of us could imagine.

This little Child would bring forth deliverance from sin and death.  Imagine if I told you that the next child you would have would save all of mankind from their sins.  What would you say?  What would you do?  I imagine that you would probably laugh.  I’m sure that I would too.  But when the angel told this to Mary, all she could respond with was, “Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.”

The few verses that we have before us today tell us much about Christ’s coming and what it means for us.

In the opening verse of our text, Paul reminds both the Church at Galatia and the church of today that it was God who sent Christ and not us who called for Him.  As far as we are concerned, we do not need Christ because He gets in the way of our Old Adam doing the backstroke.  Daily we must drown the Old Adam of our sin, yet we know that that is easier said than done.  The Old Adam is persistent in his ways, and therefore, God sent Christ to us.  We know about the distress, discomfort, and the destructiveness of death, but our natural reason does not recognize sin as its general cause.  God, in His love, sent the world the gift we needed the most.  But when the world rejected His gift, He even used the people’s cruel act of crucifying His Son to bring about our redemption.

Christ came “to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.”  To buy back what is rightfully ours in the first place strikes us as unfair.  But what does a father do when his children live contrary to the law and thus subject themselves to its punishments?  What our heavenly Father does is buys back His children.  The cost would be great – no less than the life of His Son.  But “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son.”  And so we cannot gaze upon the Babe at Bethlehem without realizing that His little hands would soon be “wounded for our transgressions.”  This little Child would be “crushed for our iniquities.”  We cannot gaze upon the Babe at Bethlehem without kneeling before Him and worshipping Him as our Redeemer. 

It is extremely important, therefore, to keep in view and always to consider this statement of Luther, so delightful and full of comfort, as well as others like it which define Christ properly and accurately; for then throughout our life, in every danger, in the confession of our faith in the presence of tyrants, and in the hour of death, we can declare with a sure and steady confidence: “Law, you have no jurisdiction over me; therefore you are accusing and condemning me in vain.  For I believe in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, whom the Father sent into the world to redeem us miserable sinners who are oppressed by the tyranny of the Law.  He poured out His life and spent it lavishly for me.  When I feel your terrors and threats, O Law, I immerse my conscience in the wounds, the blood, the death, the resurrection, and the victory of Christ.  Beyond Him I do not want to see or hear anything at all.”

All this our God does “so that we might receive adoption as sons.”  We were not God’s sons by birth so He placed us into that honored position.  This picturesque phrase refers back to the parable with which Paul began the chapter.  In the Israelite household, the child had no more rights than a slave until the time set by his father.  But now the time our heavenly Father set has come, and we are His sons.  What love the Father lavishes upon us, that we should be called the children of God.  That is what we are, children of God.

Isn’t it interesting that Paul says we might receive adoption as sons?  For what could be merited by men confined under sin, subjected to curse of the Law, and condemned to eternal death?  Therefore we have received all this freely and without deserving it, yet not without merit.  What merit was it, then?  Not ours, but that of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who was born under the Law, not for Himself but for us as Paul said earlier, that He was made a curse for us, and who redeemed us who were under the Law.  Therefore we have received this sonship solely by the redemption of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who is our most abundant and eternal merit.  Together with this gift of sonship, we have also received the Holy Spirit, whom God, through the Word, sends into our hearts.

Every day of the year, we know that the Spirit of God’s Son has come into our hearts.  If there is any day of the Church Year to reflect on how the Spirit of Christ has come into our hearts, now is it.  Christ is completely certain that in His Spirit He is pleasing to God.  Since we have the same Spirit of Christ, we, too, should be certain that we are in a state of grace, on account of Him who is the Son of God.  Christ, by redeeming us from the Law, makes it possible for us to live under His grace.  We are free from the no-win situation of trying to make ourselves acceptable to God.  We already are acceptable to Him in Christ, our Redeemer.  We are free from pretending to be God’s children by ignoring or excusing the guilt of our sins.  We are His perfect children in Christ our Redeemer.

All who “live by faith in the Son of God” enjoy this full right of sons.  When God’s Spirit enters our heart to bring us to faith in Christ, He enables us to call out to God, “Abba! Father!”  “Abba,” the Hebrew children called their fathers, as our children use the word “dad” or “daddy.”  “Abba, I want a drink of water,” the Hebrew child would say, fully confident that his loving father would satisfy his need.  “Abba, hold my hand,” the child might say when frightened.  Such confidence belongs to each and every believer, who no longer is a slave, but has received the full rights of a son.  We too call out, “Abba, thank You for Your Son.”  “Abba, thank You for the forgiveness of sins which You bring in Your Supper.”

“And since you are a son,” Paul says, “God has made you also an heir.”  These words echo the same truth Paul wrote to the Christians at Rome.  “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs – heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ.”  With these words, the Holy Spirit opens our eyes of faith to see everything from an eternal perspective.  He makes it possible for us to see in Jesus’ lowly stable His heavenly Jerusalem; possible for us to see in this nee life in the manger also the new eternal life He brings; possible to see through His suffering and cross His glory and the crown.

And this brings us back to where we began – the kindness of the Lord.  God sent His Son.  He does not want anyone to perish.  His Son prays, “Father, I want those You have given Me to be with Me where I am, and to see My glory.”  The Holy Spirit through these inspired words of Paul helps us to see in Bethlehem’s stall all the Lord has done for us.

In these days after Christmas, let us not focus on the presents we received, the parties that we went to.  Let us focus on the gift of all gifts, the gift of Jesus Christ, born into this world of sin and death to bring us into the world of life everlasting.  It was through a Baby that life as given to us.  And through that life, we have been made sons and heirs through God.  So is Christmas really for children?  It is for the children of God.  In Jesus’ name, amen.  Now the peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, amen.

Christmas 1A 2007

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! 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. 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 overcomes by a dream, and he takes Mary as wife and assumes the paternity of Jesus. A discomforting account of what to do with an allegedly unfaithful wife concludes with the birth of the Christ Child, God Himself; Joseph’s claiming the Child as his own by naming Him Jesus; and the consummation of a marriage.

Joseph, who once thought about divorcing Mary because of her violation of the Sixth Commandment, now embraces her and the Child to which he is to become the earthly father of.

What was it that caused Joseph from divorcing Mary? It was well within his right to do so according to Old Testament law. But if Joseph had divorced her, something terrible could have happened to her and the Child; death.

The same thing happened to Joseph that happened to John while he sat in prison: doubt of his faith. Joseph knew the prophecies and that one day, the Messiah would be born from the line of David, his family line. Never in his wildest dreams did he ever think that it would be he who would be the progenitor of the Messiah. Because of that, he doubted. He was perplexed that Mary could have sexual relations with a man other than him. He was shocked to hear that she was now with child and it was his. But most of all, he was taken aback that this Child which Mary carried was indeed the promised Messiah.

This child which 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 (LSB 358:8), 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. It 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. 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 which 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.

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.

Advent 4A 2007

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 is the Gospel, which was read earlier.

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” This is the message which I heard one summer in downtown Indianapolis. Some friends of mine and I spent the day taking in some free concerts put on by one of the local radio stations. As we were walking around the downtown Indy Circle, we came across a man who had a cross about 7 foot tall handing out end times pamphlets. His message, which he was shouting to any and all who were in earshot was the same message which John the Baptist was preaching in the wilderness of Judea: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

How is one to repent? What is it that they are supposed to do? What does it mean to repent?

We normally think of repenting as being sorry for our sins. This is true enough, but there’s more depth to it than that. To “repent” in the Greek means literally to “change one’s mind.” You can see the obvious: when you repent of sin, you’re saying, “I thought it was a good thing, but now I know it’s not.” That’s a repentant mind-change that happens only by the grace of God. But again, there’s a greater depth to repentance because there’s a greater depth to sin. When John calls the people to repent, he is calling them 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. Remember, John the Baptist is called by God to prepare the way of the Lord. He therefore prepares the people by teaching them the true nature of their sinfulness, so that they see the need for the Savior; and he prepares them by teaching them who the Savior is, and what He will do.

People from the region of Jerusalem and Judea and the Jordan were coming to John the Baptist to be baptized and confessing their sins. For the people who came to John the Baptist, they were contrite and believed. They desired to repent, to change their minds, but more importantly, they desired to hear the message of the coming Messiah.

John the Baptist is an important man with an important message. The prophet Isaiah saw that John the Baptist was to come and wrote what he saw John the Baptist preaching: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’”

The setting, the clothing, everything is all for a reason, to prepare the way of the Lord. And as crowds gather to hear this prophet speak and prepare, here is the summary of his sermon: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

We hear that same message today, but are we eager to do as John the Baptist says, repent? It’s not something that comes easy to us. It’s not something that we like to admit, that we did something wrong and that we need to repent, to ask for forgiveness. However, that is exactly what we are supposed to do.

We tend to find ourselves like the Pharisees and Sadducees. Both the Pharisees and Sadducees were strict teachers of the law. The Pharisees put great stress on outward observance of the law. The Sadducees rejected much of the rabbinical tradition. They were freethinkers and skeptics. Both groups believed that they were right with God because of who they were and what they did. It did not occur to them that their teachings might be in error. They were confident of themselves. Because of that confidence, they could do no wrong. They were not sinners in their own eyes.

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 from? We don’t get it from Scripture because Scripture says that “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.

Like the Pharisees and Sadducees, we make excuses to our behavior. They make the claim, “We have Abraham as our father.” Abraham was a God-fearing man. He followed the law of God. But just because they descended from Abraham, did that make them any less of a sinner? No it did not. To be honest, the statement that the Pharisees and Sadducees and all of mankind should make is “We have Adam as our father.” We don’t want to make that statement because if we do, then we acknowledge “that we are sinful and unclean.” We acknowledge that we have sinned against God “in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone.” No one wants to admit that fact. We would much rather say that we have Abraham as our father because Abraham was “good.” If we say that we have Adam as our father, that’s a black mark because Adam was “bad.” Let’s face it: we would much rather be “good” than “bad.”

What we fail to understand, just as did the Pharisees and Sadducees, is that we are not “good” because of our sinful nature; we are like the tree that does not bear good fruit; it is cut down and thrown into the fire. We have all shared in Adam and Eve’s sampling of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. As a result, our lives are unfruitful. 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 just judgment, doom and gloom, John the Baptist also promises something beyond our wildest imaginations: the coming of the Savior.

Remember the words of the prophet Isaiah: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’” 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!”

Repent, because there is still time. In other words, repent, because the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. We look forward to Christmas in just a couple weeks’ time. The King is born in Bethlehem, which is why the shepherds will gather there, too. But the King is just as near to you as He is to Mary the day of His birth. He graces you with His presence in His Word and His Sacraments. He does not yet come with winnowing fork, to sweep the sinner into judgment. Still, now, 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 which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus, amen.

Advent 2A 2007

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 is the Gospel, which was read earlier.

“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” This is the message which I heard one summer in downtown Indianapolis. Some friends of mine and I spent the day taking in some free concerts put on by one of the local radio stations. As we were walking around the downtown Indy Circle, we came across a man who had a cross about 7 foot tall handing out end times pamphlets. His message, which he was shouting to any and all who were in earshot was the same message which John the Baptist was preaching in the wilderness of Judea: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

How is one to repent? What is it that they are supposed to do? What does it mean to repent?

We normally think of repenting as being sorry for our sins. This is true enough, but there’s more depth to it than that. To “repent” in the Greek means literally to “change one’s mind.” You can see the obvious: when you repent of sin, you’re saying, “I thought it was a good thing, but now I know it’s not.” That’s a repentant mind-change that happens only by the grace of God. But again, there’s a greater depth to repentance because there’s a greater depth to sin. When John calls the people to repent, he is calling them 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. Remember, John the Baptist is called by God to prepare the way of the Lord. He therefore prepares the people by teaching them the true nature of their sinfulness, so that they see the need for the Savior; and he prepares them by teaching them who the Savior is, and what He will do.

People from the region of Jerusalem and Judea and the Jordan were coming to John the Baptist to be baptized and confessing their sins. For the people who came to John the Baptist, they were contrite and believed. They desired to repent, to change their minds, but more importantly, they desired to hear the message of the coming Messiah.

John the Baptist is an important man with an important message. The prophet Isaiah saw that John the Baptist was to come and wrote what he saw John the Baptist preaching: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’”

The setting, the clothing, everything is all for a reason, to prepare the way of the Lord. And as crowds gather to hear this prophet speak and prepare, here is the summary of his sermon: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

We hear that same message today, but are we eager to do as John the Baptist says, repent? It’s not something that comes easy to us. It’s not something that we like to admit, that we did something wrong and that we need to repent, to ask for forgiveness. However, that is exactly what we are supposed to do.

We tend to find ourselves like the Pharisees and Sadducees. Both the Pharisees and Sadducees were strict teachers of the law. The Pharisees put great stress on outward observance of the law. The Sadducees rejected much of the rabbinical tradition. They were freethinkers and skeptics. Both groups believed that they were right with God because of who they were and what they did. It did not occur to them that their teachings might be in error. They were confident of themselves. Because of that confidence, they could do no wrong. They were not sinners in their own eyes.

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 from? We don’t get it from Scripture because Scripture says that “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.

Like the Pharisees and Sadducees, we make excuses to our behavior. They make the claim, “We have Abraham as our father.” Abraham was a God-fearing man. He followed the law of God. But just because they descended from Abraham, did that make them any less of a sinner? No it did not. To be honest, the statement that the Pharisees and Sadducees and all of mankind should make is “We have Adam as our father.” We don’t want to make that statement because if we do, then we acknowledge “that we are sinful and unclean.” We acknowledge that we have sinned against God “in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and by what we have left undone.” No one wants to admit that fact. We would much rather say that we have Abraham as our father because Abraham was “good.” If we say that we have Adam as our father, that’s a black mark because Adam was “bad.” Let’s face it: we would much rather be “good” than “bad.”

What we fail to understand, just as did the Pharisees and Sadducees, is that we are not “good” because of our sinful nature; we are like the tree that does not bear good fruit; it is cut down and thrown into the fire. We have all shared in Adam and Eve’s sampling of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. As a result, our lives are unfruitful. 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 just judgment, doom and gloom, John the Baptist also promises something beyond our wildest imaginations: the coming of the Savior.

Remember the words of the prophet Isaiah: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’” 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!”

Repent, because there is still time. In other words, repent, because the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand. We look forward to Christmas in just a couple weeks’ time. The King is born in Bethlehem, which is why the shepherds will gather there, too. But the King is just as near to you as He is to Mary the day of His birth. He graces you with His presence in His Word and His Sacraments. He does not yet come with winnowing fork, to sweep the sinner into judgment. Still, now, 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 which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus, amen.

Advent 2A 2007

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.

“Once upon a time…and they lived happily ever after. The End.” These are words which we all grew up on, words which we enjoyed to hear because of the happiness which it would bring to us. You always knew that if a story started as “Once upon a time,” it would always end with “and they lived happily ever after. The End.”

There was another story that we enjoy to hear because of the happiness which it brings to us. However, it doesn’t begin with “Once upon a time.” It begins with “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” This particular chapter, entitled “Jesus” begins with the following: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”

This is a familiar story to all of us. We know the happy ending of this story: God’s promises are fulfilled on that day of final resurrection. One day, Jesus will come back. On the Last Day, everything will come to an end. Those who had died will have their physical bodies rise up and live again. On this Judgment Day, those who have believed in Jesus Christ enter into the final glorious heavenly life forever, with body and soul reunited.

When we read this story, we see it is not a fairy-tell story. The story is very real. It has real people with real lives and real consequences. It involves criminals, bad guys. It involves a story which we don’t like to hear, one that involves a man who was crucified for the message which He preached. People did all they could to get Him to stay quiet: finding His errors in the Law, showing how He violated it. In the end, the only way to quiet His message was to kill Him. Right now, it doesn’t seem that this will end happily ever after.

It wasn’t easy quieting the message of Jesus Christ. They tried and tried and could not quiet Him. The only way was through His death. During Christ’s crucifixion, others were crucified along with Him, two criminals. They were placed on either side of Jesus. Though these men are criminals, though Jesus is surrounded by those who would persecute Him, He still preaches until His dying breath: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Regardless that His life is coming to an end, He still prays a prayer for them. Why does He pray for them? They didn’t ask Him to pray. If you ask some of them, they would tell you that they don’t need His prayers. The answer to why He prays for them: because they are sinners and are in need of forgiveness.

That same prayer which Jesus prayed on the cross for the people of His time, He continues to pray that same prayer for us today. He continues to pray to God, our Father, for forgiveness. We continue to sin. We revel in sin. We adore sin! However, we were not meant to sin at all. We were not meant to revel in sin. We were not meant to adore sin. Due to the Fall, we became sinful human beings. We need forgiveness, whether we want to admit it or not. Jesus recognized the fact that those standing before Him at His crucifixion needed forgiveness. He recognized the fact that all people need forgiveness. That is why Jesus prayed from the cross, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” Because of the sin they commit, they do not know what they are doing. They are ignorant in their actions, crucifying the Son of God. Even Jesus’ own followers were ignorant, not truly understanding the identity of their Lord until after His resurrection. In ignorance of what true paradise was in the Garden of Eden, they sin. In ignorance of who Jesus Christ is, they crucify Him. Through all of this, Jesus prays for forgiveness.

Forgiveness was not the only thing which occurred on the cross. Mockery occurred also.

Jesus was mocked. The soldiers mock Jesus, having fun at His expense. They ridicule Him as the King of the Jews who can’t even save Himself. The Jewish leaders also mock Jesus. They see Him as weak and pathetic, a fraud who claimed to be the Christ. Even one of the criminals mocked Jesus. If that weren’t enough, even the sign above Christ’s head mocks Him. They deride Him for being the King who couldn’t save Himself.

We too are mocked. We are mocked for our beliefs and our faith. We are mocked for going to church rather than sleeping in. We are mocked for attending a Bible study, studying and meditating upon God’s Word rather than go out for a night on the town. Death continues to make a mockery of us and our faith. The body stops breathing, the hearts stops beating. Death mocks us. Death tells us that that’s all there is. However, we know that death is not all that there is.

When the criminals mocked Jesus, one of the criminals told the other, “And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” The one criminal recognized that Jesus was innocent of any accusations brought against Him. If anyone was to be tried for their crimes, it would be the criminals hanging on either side of Jesus. The criminal makes one request of Jesus: “And he said, ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.’” The criminal is broken and beaten. He sees himself as he truly is, lost and condemned. Honest admission of his guilt leaves him with only one hope. He turns to Jesus and sees more than a dying man, more than the blood and agony. Others see a failed and fallen false messiah, but he sees the true Messiah! His eyes look at Jesus in moments of complete humiliation and utter torment. In an act of faith, he places himself into the outstretched arms of the Christ. He sees Jesus as innocent, as the One who can save him. He confesses Jesus as the King, someone who has a kingdom he wants to live in. In that moment, he receives more than he could ever imagine – paradise.

Jesus answers the criminal’s request, giving him paradise by turning the mockery of the sign above his head in a sign of truth for all believers. The criminal’s request is granted. “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” His happy ending is assured. On the cross, the criminal sees the sign above Christ’s head and believes. The One who doesn’t save Himself saves others by His death. It’s not that Christ couldn’t save Himself as the mockers claimed, but that He wouldn’t. He needed to take our punishment on the cross, so that on the Last Day we would be judged innocent, free to enter into His presence with body and soul rejoined together forever. The sign is not a sign of ridicule but a sign of truth: Jesus is the King who saves us because He did not save Himself. Jesus gives paradise from the cross by saving others instead of Himself and because of that, we look forward to that day of fulfillment when He restores all of creation with the resurrection from the dead.

Jesus granted that same request of the criminal to each of us through the waters of Holy Baptism, just as He did for Caleb (early) / Adam (late) this morning. When we received water with the Word of God, “I baptise you…”, that is a promise. That is a promise that we have died. We have died to sin and are reborn in Christ. We live these days as both sinner and saint until the day we die. When we die, we receive the ultimate promise: paradise from God the Father, through His Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

For our life story, it begins with “Once upon a time.” There are good parts and there are bad parts, but we know the end of the story. The story ends with “and they lived happily ever after” because of the words which Jesus gave to each and every one of us: “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.” 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.

Last Sunday of the Church Year