I couldn’t believe the story when I read it. Who would have thought that an argument over a remote control could be such a “pointed” issue? Sorry, I know, a very bad pun. Regardless, check out the story here.
Christmas Eve/Day: December 24/25, 2007 – “Christmas is Simple”
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.
The angel who announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds on the fields of Bethlehem was a messenger of few words: “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. 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.”
The first Christmas sermon was a marvel of simplicity. In these simple words, everything that needed to be said was said. The sweet simplicity of Christmas and the Christmas Gospel has been lost somewhere along the way.
Listen to the words of the angel again. “And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” That is where you will find Jesus. You won’t find Him within the royal splendor of Jerusalem, but in the lowly unpleasantness and filth of Bethlehem. You won’t find Him in the palace of a king, but in a small Judean cattle cave. You won’t find Him in the incense perfumed presence of the high priest, but in the company of smelly shepherds and in the dense aroma of a cow barn.
Christmas is a simple wonder, and its message comes in simple words and in simple places. It is simple in its message, simple in its circumstance, simple in its characters, and simple in its faith. However, we lose the wonder of this holy season because we look in wrong directions. We seek its wonders in the beauty of our Christmas lights and in the thrill of Christmas pageantry. We seek the Christmas message in gifts and cards and all the pomp and circumstance that make up the season of Christmas but in the end, we often overlook what makes up Christmas day: the babe, the Son of Mary.
When the evangelist St. Luke recorded the event, he scarcely said a word that would identify the deity in Jesus Christ to mark Him as the God of God and Light of Light and very God of very God. He simply told the story of a humble birth in humble circumstance to humble peasant parents.
Through all the simplicity of the birth narrative of Christ, we do so much to make it complicated. The focus is put on us, on the world, and taken away from the point of Christ, Jesus Christ, a baby born in a manger. Aside from all of the festivities, all the cards, all the songs, this day revolves around a baby, who grew in stature, who became a man and took upon Himself all of our sins. We take what is simple and make it complex; so complex, that we can miss the point of what Luke records for us.
The simple of it is this: Jesus was born in a manger, the most non-ideal conditions for a birth, especially for the birth of a King. The fact that the Savior was born in such humble surroundings and of such an unassuming mother was not meant to make us feel sorry for Him. Where do we have the time to feel sorry for Him anyways when we take the focus of Christmas from Him and put on worldly things, making the Christmas message complicated? The manner of His birth was in keeping with His mission: “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” There would be no posh palace on earth for this King. His reign on earth would be marked by humility and Luke sets that up for us from the beginning, by focusing on where the Christ Child was born.
This is the Christmas story which Luke tells us. This is the story which we have heard year after year. This is the story which we have seen time and time again in a Charlie Brown Christmas. The Baby is Christ, the Lord, says the angel. He is the Messiah, the anointed One. He’s the One that God has promised through the ages, the One for whom His people have waited through centuries of darkness and suffering. God the Father has specifically appointed His Son to go about this work, and He will accept Jesus’ sacrifice on your behalf. No matter what appearances indicate, no matter how the manger and cross look, this Christ will not fail in what He has come to do.
This Christmas message continues to get simpler and simpler, regardless of how complex we make it. The angel doesn’t just say, “There is born a Savior, Christ the Lord.” The angel says, “For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Unto you! This Savior is not here to save the world in general, but you in particular. He’s not your Savior if you manage to stay out of trouble and under the radar while He cleans up the place. He’s born to save you, specifically. Because He desires the death of no one – and earnestly desires that you have eternal life, He’s become flesh to die in your place on the cross. That’s the reason for this birth. He’s been born to die for the sins of the world. Not just the generic world; He’s born to die for you.
It’s incredible to think that our salvation hinged upon this little Child’s birth that we celebrate today. Mary knew that Jesus was going to be important. The angels knew that Jesus was going to be important. They made it known to the shepherds out in the fields. What joy it would be to hear the message from the angels: “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy that will be for all the people. 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…Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased.”
This message is so simple; there shouldn’t be any reason why everyone shouldn’t hear it. There should be no one who hasn’t heard the message from the angel that a Savior is born for the entire world. In Christ, we have a Savior sent from God our Father.
The Savior, though born on Christmas day, is present year-round. Why do we make December such a month of focus on Christmas, somewhat on the coming of Jesus Christ, and when December 26 rolls around, we put Jesus back on the shelf until next December? Christ is present in the world year-round, not just one month out of the year. He came to save us from our sins year-round, not just one month out of the year. The shepherds were changed forever by what they had seen and heard. Should it be any different for us? Shouldn’t we be changed forever by hearing the Gospel of Jesus Christ?
Instead of putting Jesus back on the shelf the day after Christmas, rejoice in who the angel declares Him to be: the Savior, which is Christ the Lord. He is the Savior, which is Christ the Lord, every day of the year. He was born for our sin and takes away our sin every day of the year. Because you were born in sin, He is born to save you from sin. Because you’re made of mortal flesh and blood, He becomes flesh and blood to raise you up to immortality. Because you face death, He is born to die and give you life. He is your Savior, Christ the Lord. And He is born for you and has forgiven for all of your sins. In the name of Immanuel, God with us, amen. Now the peace of God which passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus, amen.
Advent 4A: December 23, 2007 – “Jesus: He is Immanuel”
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 2A: December 2, 2007 – “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”
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.
Luther and the First Article
Last night in our Elders meeting, we read in Luther’s Large Catechism the First Article. (LLC II:20-21)
“I believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth.”
It would take many words to describe in detail how few there are who believe this article. For all of us skim over it, hear it, and recite it without recognizing and considering what duty and privilege this article lays upon us. If we could believe it with our whole heart, then we would also act accordingly and would not so proudly strut about, insolently pluming ourselves as though we ourselves had produced our life, wealth, power, honor, and the like, and as though others must therefore fear and serve us. This the world’s perverse, wicked way; drowned in its blindness, it misused all the good gifts of God solely to serve its pride, greed, pleasure, and enjoyment, not even giving God so much as a thought, a word of thanks, or an acknowledgement that He is Lord and Creator.
How appropriate is it now, as we celebrate our Savior’s birth?
Gillette and the iPhone?
Women Pastors? A new resource
A new book has just recently been released by Concordia Publishing House entitled, Women Pastors? The Ordination of Women in Biblical Lutheran Perspective. Below is the product description from CPH:
As the ordination of women becomes more commonplace, it is important for all faithful Lutherans, clergy and laity alike, to be able to articulate why, because of the teachings of Holy Scripture, women should not be ordained as pastors. This book offers a rich variety of essays on this topic from the past century up to the present time, responding to the practice of placing women in the church’s pastoral ministry.
There are over twenty essays in this volume, representing Lutheran churches throughout the world. The essays are divided into four sections: Biblical studies, historical studies, doctrinal studies and practical studies.
Anders Nygren, a Lutheran theologian from the Church of Sweden, said prophetically after his church adopted the ordination of women as pastors, “This decision not only means a determination of the specific issue concerning female pastors, but, I am convinced, also means that our church has now shifted into a previously unknown path heading in the direction of Gnosticism and the Schwaermerei. . . I must declare my deep sorrow regarding the decision and give notice of my reservation over the same.”
Just how far this direction of Gnosticism and Enthusiasm has progressed in Lutheran churches that ordain women to be pastors is now quite apparent in Sweden, and elsewhere, where there are now blessings of same-sex unions and the ordination of practicing homosexuals.
The ordination of women as pastors is at the very center of the Lutheran Church’s struggle to retain a faithful view of the Holy Scriptures as the Word of God.
“Years ago, C.S. Lewis said that should the Church opt to ordain women, it would very quickly find that it had brought about a whole new religion. . . . His words have an uncanny prescience to them. Perhaps it is time to step back, reexamine what we have done, and if honesty requires us to say that we have done wrong, begin the necessary correction of the course.” from the essay in the book, How My Mind Has Changed, by Rev. Louis A. Smith, ELCA pastor
I have not had a chance to purchase this yet, though it is now on my “To Read” list. The price for this is $26.99 and is currently available. To order, contact CPH at 1-800-325-3040.
Indy to bid for 2012 Super Bowl
Indianapolis will again bid for the Super Bowl, this time, 2012. Indy tried to bid for the 2011 game, but it was awarded to Dallas. Hopefully, they can get the big dance this time around. Lucas Oil Stadium will have been opened for several seasons by then. Maybe the NFL will grant it to Indy after they see how good the stadium is. If you remember, they promised Detroit that if they built a stadium, they would get the Super Bowl. And that’s exactly what happened. Indy should be no different. If you’re talking about weather, as they did before, Detroit is just as cold, if not colder, than Indy. Why should weather dictate whether or not Indy should host the Super Bowl?
Advent 1A: December 9, 2007 – “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”
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.
Xbox arrived
Sorry for the lack of update. It did arrive last week. It’s a brand new one, no refurb. However, it does lack the HDMI port. That’s ok, I don’t have an HDTV anyways. I’m just glad to have my Xbox back.