Monday, January 30, 2012

LSB Epiphany 4B Sermon -- Mark 1:21-28

January 29, 2012 at Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church – Mechanicsburg, PA

“And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, ‘What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.’”

Strange happenings were afoot at the Capernaum synagogue. That is what the Gospel Writer tells us this day. It all started with the appearance of Jesus and His entourage. Jesus and His first disciples—Andrew and Peter, James and John—showed up in Capernaum: “And they went to Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath [Jesus] entered the synagogue and was teaching.” That was not atypical. It had happened before. Every Sabbath, the people of Capernaum would gather together to hear the words what the Lord had put in the mouth of the prophets. So it was described in the Torah: “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And whoever will not listen to My words that he shall speak in My name, I myself will require it of him.”

For centuries, the Lord had raised up prophets: Samuel, Nathan, Elijah, Elisha, Isaiah, Jeremiah, and so on. Each of them was given words, divine words, to speak. The words carried the Lord’s authority, since He had authored them. Their divine speech revealed the Lord’s will, the Lord’s character, the Lord’s promise. And the people were duty bound to hear and heed them. Through the generations, prophets were added to the list. And when the prophets stopped being raised, the people read, reread, and retained the divine words that they had spoken. That is what took place each Sabbath in the synagogue. The Law and the Prophets were read in the hearing of the people, even in the Galilean town of Capernaum.

But on this Sabbath Day, the hearing of the Lord’s words was different. That is what the people note after hearing Jesus speak to them: “And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.” Jesus’ teaching was strange, unique, unusual. What was different about it? Was it that Jesus taught them something diametrically opposed to the teachings previously received in Capernaum? Some may think that, but that isn’t what the Gospel Writer records for us. No, the difference was that “He taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.”

This statement concerning authority is important to note. It reveals something about Jesus’ identity. He spoke to them as a prophet, one who had the Lord’s words put directly into His mouth. Jesus was not simply a person who had committed the Law and the Prophets to memory and good give commentary on them. That was the skill of the scribes—a good, right, and salutary skill indeed. But Jesus was greater than they were. Instead of speaking about the Lord’s word, Jesus spoke the Lord’s word. Or even more accurately, Jesus was the Lord’s Word speaking. This Jesus is the Incarnate Word of the Lord. Jesus didn’t have the Lord’s words put into His mouth, like the prophets of old; Jesus was the Lord’s Word with a mouth. And He opened it and spoke. When that happened, the people took notice of Jesus’ authority.

Then the strange happenings in the Capernaum synagogue continued with another demonstration of Jesus’ authority. Mark tells us: “And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, ‘What have You to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have You come to destroy us? I know who You are—the Holy One of God.’” Now the synagogue became a venue where divine authority encountered the evil and demonic. The man with the unclean spirit is drawn to this battlefield. And the unclean spirit knows what is present there. Its questions reveal the divide between it and Jesus, His superior ability to destroy it, His identity as the Lord’s Promised Messiah.

What happens in the synagogue shows that the unclean spirit’s assessment of Jesus is correct: “But Jesus rebuked him, saying, ‘Be silent, and come out of him!’ And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him.” Jesus’ actions display His authority. He gives the command, and the unclean spirit must obey. His word is spoken, and the evil and demonic are overcome. What comes out of Jesus’ mouth is divine and carries all the characteristics of deity, including power over all creatures. He exercises the authority that belongs to God whom the apostle describes: “there is one God, the Father, from whom are all things and for whom we exist, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things and through whom we exist.” And when this one Lord Jesus Christ speaks, all are compelled to obey.

Observing this strange happening, the people of Capernaum realize what has taken place: “And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, ‘What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey Him.’ And at once His fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee.” What Jesus does in the synagogue makes everyone take notice. His words and works show that the Lord is present in their midst. It is the way that Jesus’ deity is revealed.

What took place in ancient Capernaum also happens here, where the Lord again makes His authority present. Words are spoken here, but not just any words. Divine words are spoken, words that declare the Lord’s will, the Lord’s character, the Lord’s promise to you. They are put in the mouths of the prophet’s sons, those commissioned by Jesus to speak to you. And what these divine words state come to pass.

What the Lord declared about His prophets of old applies to those whom He commissions in this age: “I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put My words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. And whoever will not listen to My words that he shall speak in My name, I myself will require it of him. But the prophet who presumes to speak a word in My name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods, that same prophet shall die.” Divine promises are revealed—both positive and negative. For those who will not heed the divine words that are spoken, punishment awaits. For those who try to substitute human or pagan words in place of the divine, destruction looms. But for those who do hear and believe the divine words, salvation is given.

So what are those words spoken to you? They are the Law of God that reveals His will for your life read from this lectern. Divine instructions for your lives are taught to you. They are the Gospel of God—the good news of salvation that comes through what Jesus, the Incarnate Word of the Lord, has accomplished by His dying and rising again—that is proclaimed to you from this pulpit. Divine favor for your salvation is granted to you. The words spoken reveal what Jesus of Nazareth has to do with you: not that the Holy One of God has come to destroy you, but to save you.

In many and various ways, the words that carry divine authority for your benefit are spoken in your hearing: “I baptize you in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” The unclean spirit is cast out of you and a clean spirit created by those divine words at baptism. “I forgive you all your sins in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.” Guilt is removed from you by those divine words of absolution. “The true body of Christ given for you; the true blood of Christ shed for you.” The medicine of immortality is dispensed to you by those divine words at the Lord’s Supper. “The Lord be with you…. The peace of the Lord be with you always.” An eternal truce is declared to you by those divine words of peace. “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.” Blessing is extended to you by those divine words of benediction.

They are not uncommanded words that people presume to speak. They are not words spoken in the name of other gods. No, all of them are words the Lord puts into mouths to be declared to you. They are new teaching with authority. They are words for you to hear, for they bring divine blessing to you: forgiveness, life, and salvation that Jesus has authorized to be distributed to you.

You are called to be the audience of this divine speech. You are to hear and receive it, so that it acts upon your heart, soul, and mind. That is what the Lord desires for you. He desires for you to be helped by His authority—the power that He wields against the evil and demonic, the ability that He has to give life in this age and the next. Guided by the divine words of instruction, your earthly lives conform to His will. Hearing and believing the words of forgiveness, you are restored to everlasting life. This is the strange, unique, and unusual happening that takes place in this synagogue, this house of gathering of the Lord’s people. It is different than the other speaking that takes place in the world. For here you have a teaching with authority that comes from the One whom all must obey.

What came out of the mouth of the Incarnate Word of the Lord has been declared to you. Since you have listened and believed the divine words spoken, you are now the Lord’s people. You are those who have received His favor. You are those who are spoken to by Him, hearing the voice of the Lord through those who have His words in their mouths. Receiving the blessing that this divine speech you have heard brings to you, you are compelled to speak of the Lord, so that His fame will spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Harrisburg: “He sent redemption to His people; He has commanded His covenant forever. Holy and awesome is His name! The fear of the Lord is beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!”

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

Sunday, January 15, 2012

LSB Epiphany 2B Sermon -- John 1:43-51

January 15, 2012 at Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church – Mechanicsburg, PA

“Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.’ Nathanael said to him, ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’ Philip said to him, ‘Come and see.’”

The call to follow Jesus is the central focus of His early ministry. It begins soon after Jesus’ Baptism and His forty-day stay in the wilderness. At His return to the region around Bethany—where John the Baptizer had been preaching and baptizing—Jesus takes the baton from His forerunner. The Baptizer’s job was to prepare the way for Jesus. With Jesus’ appearance, that duty is fulfilled. So John directs his disciples to Jesus. It happened for Andrew, the first of Jesus’ followers. Andrew, in turn, brings his brother Simon Peter to Jesus, telling him: “Come and see.”

Today, you heard how the movement of Jesus continues. Jesus determines to leave Bethany beyond the Jordan and go to His home region: “The next day Jesus decided to go to Galilee.” But before He reaches Galilee, Jesus calls others to be His disciples. He calls some who had come from Galilee to hear John’s preaching and receive John’s baptism and takes them back to Galilee. This is what the Gospel Writer records for us: “He found Philip and said to him, ‘Follow Me.’” The detail about Philip’s background is given: “Now Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter.” And so Philip is added to the group of those who had followed John the Baptizer and who have seen the fulfillment of his message: the arrival of Jesus, the Christ.

This experience for Philip leads him to action. He is led to bring another to know Jesus, just as Andrew brought Simon Peter once he had been told by John the Baptizer that Jesus is “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world…the Son of God.” Back in Galilee as a disciple of Jesus, Philip speaks to someone he knew: “Philip found Nathanael and said to him, ‘We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.” Philip wants Nathanael to have the same knowledge about Jesus, to welcome the Promised Christ. Philip desires Nathanael—whose name means “gift of God”—to receive the true gift that comes from above.

But how does Nathanael react? What is his reply to Philip’s statement? It is negative: “Nathanael said to him, ‘Can anything good come out of Nazareth?’” Nathanael shows disbelief at what Philip has told him. Nazareth is no place from which the Messiah should come. It’s an insignificant town in an insignificant region. The venue is completely wrong. But Philip is insistent. He draws Nathanael to Jesus by simply stating: “Come and see.” Philip’s actions will not bring Nathanael to belief. But the encounter with Jesus will. Hearing Jesus will. Seeing Jesus will. That is what must happen. And so Philip plays the role that he must: “Philip said to him, ‘Come and see.’”

As you heard John’s account of this, you saw how Nathanael is brought to faith in Jesus’ identity as the Christ, the Promised Messiah: “Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward Him and said of him, ‘Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom there is no deceit!’ Nathanael said to Him, ‘How do You know me?’ Jesus answered him, ‘Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.’” Jesus’ statements to Nathanael display His power and ability. Divine action is taking place. That is how Nathanael becomes a believer in Jesus, despite all the earthly appearances that are all wrong: “Nathanael answered Him, ‘Rabbi, You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!’ Jesus answered him, ‘Because I said to you, “I saw you under the fig tree,” do you believe? You will see greater things than these.’” Jesus’ exercise of divine ability brings Nathanael to faith. But that is not the limit to what Nathanael is meant to experience. He is meant for greater things: “And [Jesus] said to him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.’”

This record of Philip and Nathanael’s calls to follow Jesus resembles what He does for you. It is what takes place in the Church today. In the Church, the call to discipleship is made. People are brought into fellowship and communion with Jesus in order to receive the benefits of His work. They are led to the confession of truth about Jesus’ identity: that He is the One foretold by the prophecies found in the Old Testament Scriptures; that He is the Son of God, the King of Israel; that He is the Redeemer of sinful humanity who brings forgiveness, life, and salvation to them by dying and rising from the dead. The end result of this confession of Jesus’ identity is the ability to see heaven opened and the full glory of the Son of Man that occurs at the end of the age.

But how does this call to discipleship unfold in this world? There are those who simply have the call to discipleship bounce right off of them and receive none of it. However, we can speak about those who are brought to faith. Some are like Philip: they hear the Gospel of Jesus and the call to follow, and they do. It’s simple, almost automatic. That has happened often in the Church. So it is for many of you who have been disciples of Jesus for years. And yet, there can be no doubting that divine action has taken place. It is the divine voice that calls you to follow. The Lord is acting, even if there is no external appearance of greatness. The Lord’s actions lead to the confession of faith that is made: “We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

But others are like Nathanael. Believers speak to them. They tell these people that they know the Son of God, that they know where salvation is found. But then the reaction comes: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Well, maybe not those words now, but some like them: “Can anything good come out of the Church? It’s not impressive. It’s full of scandal and hypocrisy. The Church is an oppressor throughout history. The Church claims to be special and holy, but it’s not. It’s nothing but a social group or club or a political entity like others in society. In the past the Church was important, but not now.” Maybe that was the case for some of you here today. Those “Nathanael reactions” take place. And yet, like Philip, someone said to you: “Come and see.”

But what is meant to be seen in the Church? Occasionally, there are some spectacular and dramatic happenings. Perhaps it’s the radical transformation of life that some Christians experience, such as people taken from lives of fully manifest sin and brought to discipleship. Or maybe it’s the miraculous that touches earthly life, such as healing of illness being given. These are analogous to what Nathanael experienced when Jesus said: “Before Philip called you, when you were under the fig tree, I saw you.”

And yet, that isn’t really the end goal of being called to follow Jesus. Remember how Jesus told Nathanael: “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.” Even experiencing the spectacular and dramatic in this life is not a true purpose in itself. The end goal is greater. The point is to lead people to the confession of Jesus’ identity, to be brought to the belief that Jesus is the Son of God, that He is the One spoken of in the Scriptures who brings redemption. That is what both Philip and Nathanael received, despite the different external appearances of their being called to discipleship.

The end goal of being called as a disciple of Jesus is to receive the forgiveness, life, and salvation that He has earned that comes with the true confession of His identity. Whether this is accompanied with dramatic and spectacular events or by ways that seem more mundane, the end goal needs to be reached. Ultimately, one must be made a disciple as He has prescribed: baptizing in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teaching them to obey everything that He commanded. That is what brings knowledge of the Lord and His Word. That is what makes a person the Lord’s possession. That is what makes them a temple of the Holy Spirit. That is what the Church invites people to “come and see.”

This is what has been given to you. You have been brought the confession of faith about Jesus’ identity that leads to eternal life. You have the merits of Jesus’ death and resurrection applied to you, so that you are “bought with a price.” You are made participants in the truly spectacular and dramatic that has already taken place and is yet to happen: “God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by His power.” It is accomplished through means, as the Holy Spirit works through the Church’s baptizing, through the Church’s preaching and teaching, through the Church’s confessing the true identity of Jesus and all His works.

By receiving the divine work done through the Church, you have received the call from Jesus that Philip received: “Follow Me.” By receiving the divine work done through the Church, you have received the invitation made to Nathanael: “Come and see.” And for all you who have received it, you will see what Jesus promises to His disciples: “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.” So it is promised to you who have come and seen and have been led to make the true confession of Jesus’ identity: “You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

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

Sunday, January 8, 2012

Baptism of Our Lord (B) Sermon -- Mark 1:4-11

January 8, 2012 at Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church – Mechanicsburg, PA

“In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.”

The Lord has a thing about water. Throughout the Scriptures, numerous events have divine action connected with water: the Great Deluge, the Red Sea Crossing, the parting of the Jordan River, the washing away of Naaman’s leprosy, Jonah and the Great Fish, and so on. The Psalmist notes this when he speaks of the Lord’s glory: “The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over many waters…. The Lord sits enthroned over the flood; the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.” That was certainly true in the Old Testament events. It was even so at the first of those events, the beginning of creation, as you heard this morning from the Creation Narrative: “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light.”

Those words tell us that at the beginning of the earth’s existence, the Lord was present over the waters. His glory thundered over them, causing the cosmos to come into existence. Each time the Lord’s voice rang out, something happened. Light appeared. Waters were separated. Dry land and vegetation arose. Sun, moon, and stars were put into place. Birds filled the air and fish filled the seas. Animals began to roam. This is what the God of glory brought about through His voice that sounded over the waters. His will was made known and enacted. What the Lord desired, He made so. And as the Creation Narrative tells us: all was very good.

But what the Lord did in days of old would be brought to a new level in these last days, with the presence of Jesus. That is what you began to hear of with Mark’s account of His Baptism. You heard the lead up to that event: “John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the River Jordan, confessing their sins.” John marks the end of the Old Testament era. He is present with a purpose, as you heard in part today and heard more clearly in the Advent Season. John’s purpose was to prepare the people for the Christ’s arrival, to herald the presence of the promised Deliverer: “After me comes He who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

John’s purpose was fulfilled with the appearance of Jesus. He is the One that John foretold. He is the Lord who took human nature and became part of the creation, in order to reverse the chaos and disorder that the sin of Adam and his descendants had caused. He is the Redeemer who takes the creation that had lost its goodness and restores it to being very good. So when the Lord was present to initiate that regeneration and renewal of the fallen creation, He once again is present over the waters. This is seen at the Baptism of Jesus.

The Gospel Writer tells us of the happenings that took place at Jesus’ baptism. In Mark’s typical fashion, there is the summary statement: “In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.” But he reports the odd things that occurred: “And when He came up out of the water, immediately He saw the heavens opening and the Spirit descending on Him like a dove. And a Voice came from heaven, ‘You are My beloved Son; with You I am well pleased.” The uniqueness of this event is seen in these details. As Jesus stands in the Jordan, an epiphany takes place: revelation about His identity is made. A theophany is happening in the Judean wilderness: an appearance of the Lord occurs. Those unique happenings point you and all hearers back to what the Lord did in ancient days, the time of the Creation.

Just like in the Creation Narrative, the Spirit of God is present above the waters: “the Spirit descending on Him like a dove.” Just like in the Creation Narrative, the voice of the Lord thunders: “A voice came from heaven, ‘You are My beloved Son….” Just like in the Creation Narrative, a divine declaration of goodness is made: “…with You I am well pleased.” Why does this take place? To reveal Jesus’ identity, to tell about who He is and what He will do. In these events, you see Jesus as the source of new life, new creation, new order. He is present with a purpose: the task of redeeming and renewing the cosmos, especially sinful humanity. He is in the world to put an end to the rebellion of sin, to reverse the ill effects that the creation’s revolution against the Creator has wrought, to bring life into the domain of death.

So when Jesus begins to take up this task, He is shown as the Christ by the events at His baptism. His baptism shows His unique identity. It is a strange thing to happen. The Greater One receives baptism from a lesser person. The holy Lord is numbered among sinners. The One through whom the Holy Spirit eternally proceeds is baptized by water. The Redeemer undergoes a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. All of this is part of Jesus’ humiliation, the way that He falls under the Law in order to redeem you who are under the Law’s curse. And as this mystery of the incarnation unfolds with the Baptism of Jesus, the theophany occurs: the Lord appears over the waters. The heavenly events happen at Jesus’ baptism so that you will recognize Him not just as a Man, but as the Christ, the Promised Deliverer, the One who tears open the heavens for you, the Incarnate Lord.

The redemption and renewal that Jesus brings is made to be yours. It happens as the Lord is once again present above the waters, acting for His creation. The Apostle Paul tells you of this, as you heard in today’s Epistle Reading: “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly be united with Him in a resurrection like His.”

The God of glory and the voice of the Lord are present above baptismal waters, even those of your own baptism. Through that act of being washed with water that is not just plain water, but water joined with the Lord’s word, you are brought into union with Him. You are connected with Jesus’ death and resurrection. You are made to participate in the act through which Jesus brought redemption and renewal to the cosmos. You share in the new life that Jesus brings. That’s what the apostle wants you to know.

The rebellion of sin and creation’s revolution against the Creator had brought turmoil and chaos to you. But Jesus has come to bring you back to the good will of the Lord and the perfect order that He desires His creation to share. Jesus’ death and resurrection are the foundational acts for that good will and order to be made yours. And this is what has effect in you, as you are joined to His death and resurrection through Holy Baptism: “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. For one who has died has been set free from sin.” That is what the powerful voice of the Lord that is present in the baptismal waters causes for you. It is His desire to give it to you, as His Word declares. And what the Lord speaks comes to pass. His Word created life, and now it is yours: “Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we also will live with Him.”

You are restored. You are renewed. You are alive. That is what baptism has brought to you. Through baptism, what Jesus accomplished by His death and resurrection is now your possession. Since you have died and risen with Jesus, the Father does not see you as worthy of condemnation. Instead, He sees you through the prism of His Son, saying: “...with you I am well pleased.” Since you have been baptized, you are no longer without form and void. Instead, the Spirit of God hovers over you, dwells within you, brings life to you. Since you have died to sin and are alive to God in Christ Jesus, you are no longer eternally banished from Paradise. Instead, the heavens are torn open so that you may enter into life everlasting.

Even now, “the voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty.” In your day, “the voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over many waters.” It was so at the earth’s beginning. It was so at the River Jordan when Jesus stepped into it. And it is so in the baptismal fonts of Christ’s Church, where He baptizes you and all His disciples with His Holy Spirit.

You have heard that powerful voice of the Lord, what it declares about Himself and what He causes for you: that you are a new creation established by His dying and rising. Trust in what He has done for you. Live in the Spirit-given life that is made to be yours. And you shall have the eternal inheritance that belongs to His beloved children, those with whom He is now well pleased.

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

Friday, January 6, 2012

Epiphany of Our Lord Sermon -- Matthew 2:1-12

January 6, 2011 at Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church – Mechanicsburg, PA

“Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying: ‘Where is He who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw His star when it rose and have come to worship Him.’”

Tonight, Christmastide, the time that marks Christ’s nativity, comes to its close. Tonight, Epiphanytide, the time that marks Christ’s revelation, begins. You have heard the prophecies foretelling the Christ. You have heard the announcement made to Mary that she would be the mother of the Son of the Most High. You have heard the herald angels declare that the Savior has been born for you in the city of David. You have heard how the Babe of Bethlehem was named Jesus, just as directed from on high. And now you have heard of visitors who come to worship the One born king of the Jews. All of these events show how the presence of the Redeemer sent to the world was revealed.

This revelation of the Redeemer’s presence is the way that the light that Jesus brought into the world overcame darkness. The hymn you sang this evening speaks of darkness being overcome: “The people that in darkness sat a glorious light have seen; the light has shined on them who long in shades of death have been.” Light shines and people come to it. That is what the Lord had promised He would accomplish. The Prophet Isaiah spoke that divine promise: Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and His glory will be seen upon you.” This light is what the Christ brings. He is the Lord’s glory seen in the world, as John’s Gospel heard on Christmas Day made known: We have beheld His glory, glory as of the only Son of the Father, full of grace and truth.”

But who is meant to see this light and glory? Is it to be concealed, like a lamp under a bushel? Is it set to be like a spotlight that shines only on one particular area? The Lord’s declaration tells you that this light and glory that the Christ brings is to be like a beacon, something that draws and attracts people: “And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.” People of other ethnic groups will be pulled by the light that shines in Israel. Foreign nobles will be drawn to its brightness. That is what the Lord promises with some detail: “Lift up your eyes all around, and see; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be carried on the hip. Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and exult, because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you. A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall bring good news, the praises of the Lord.”

The appearance of the Magi, the wise men in Israel marks the fulfilling of this promise. The world’s Redeemer had come, as foretold. His presence would be noted, as prophesied. So the Gospel Writer tells us: “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying: ‘Where is He who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw His star when it rose and have come to worship Him.’” A star proclaims the king is here; it had revealed the Christ’s presence. So the Magi come looking for Him. They come to behold His glory and to worship Him. The wealth of the Gentile nations is brought, as the wise men give Jesus their gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They do as the Psalm exhorts: May desert tribes bow down before Him and His enemies lick the dust! May the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands render Him tribute; may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts! May all kings fall down before Him, all nations serve Him!”

In that moment, the true identity of the Babe of Bethlehem is revealed. This is no ordinary Boy, but the Incarnate God. This is no heir of a carpenter, but the descendant of David who is to rule and be recognized by the nations. These visitors from the East are the first of many from the nations who worship Jesus and call Him Lord. The star brought them to the One born king of the Jews. But He is also to be crowned and have dominion over all things, to possess all authority in heaven and earth.

The Magi come to the light and glory of Christ, so they can be redeemed by it. They are to be partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus, to be recipients of the salvation that He brings not just for people of Hebrew descent, but to the world. The beacon of light and glory that shined in the Christ has attracted generations of others from the nations. Jesus’ birth drew the Magi to Bethlehem to witness and worship Him. Jesus’ death would draw all people to Himself. And in His resurrection, Jesus would send out His light and glory to the nations, incorporating countless numbers of individuals into His kingdom of grace. Emanating from ancient Palestine, the light and glory of Christ has become your beacon of salvation, so that you can rightly call Him Lord and become His subjects, worshiping and serving Him.

This is what you hear from one who was sent to carry that light and glory as an apostle: Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God’s grace, which was given me by the working of His power. To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, so that through the Church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.” Christ’s light and glory shines through His Church. Carrying His authority into the world, the ability to speak the words that effect forgiveness, life, and salvation, the apostles and their successors have brought people of all nations into Christ’s kingdom.

So you have been made to see Jesus as your Redeemer, your King, your Lord. You receive Him as the One sent to overcome the darkness of your guilt, your mortality, and your frailty. The light and glory of Jesus has come to you, borne by those sent to carry it out to you. Hearing the Gospel accounts of who the Babe of Bethlehem was and what He accomplished as an adult, you recognize Him as your Savior. He answers the pleas spoken by you and others as prayed in the Psalm: May He judge Your people with righteousness, and Your poor with justice!… May He defend the cause of the poor of the people, give deliverance to the children of the needy, and crush the oppressor!” That is what the Christ does for you: He gives you His righteousness; He defends you from all evil; He redeems you from the curse of sin; He overcomes your Adversary, Satan.

But none of this is known by nature. None of this is built into the heart, soul, or mind of people at birth. No, this is what is revealed to you. This is what the light and glory of Christ brings to you. Without that, you would still be covered in darkness, ignorant of who Jesus is or what He has done. But the birth, life, death, and resurrection of Christ have taken place. He has sent out His beacons to enlighten you. What the Prophet Isaiah said has become your truth: Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and His glory will be seen upon you. And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.” The Lord’s glory has been visited upon you, so that you are children of light. Now you stand as beacons of that light for others to see and receive, as you proclaim the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel that you have heard.

This Epiphany Season is about revelation of that promise according to the Father’s purpose that He has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in Him. It is the promise that comes from Jesus’ fulfillment of the prophecies of old. Those prophecies of old have been applied to you, so that you are fellow heirs with all who are recipients of His grace and truth. That grace and truth is carried to the nations, to you and all nations far away from Bethlehem. So you can worship Jesus here and now. You confess Him as Lord here and now. You recognize His light and glory present in His Word and Sacraments here and now. And when the Christ returns and reveals Himself as King to all, you will join the Magi and all others who received and worshipped Him for eternity.

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

Monday, January 2, 2012

Naming of Jesus Sermon -- Luke 2:21

January 1, 2012 at Calvary Evangelical Lutheran Church – Mechanicsburg, PA

“And at the end of eight days, when He was circumcised, He was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.”

“O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth!” So the Psalmist begins his praise of the Lord in today’s psalm. The majesty of the Lord’s name is connected to the glory that He possesses. The poetic verses of the psalm expound on that divine glory. It speaks of His supremacy: “You have set Your glory above the heavens.” The act of creation reveals the power that the Lord has; the psalmist speaks of the celestial beings as the Lord’s handiwork: “I look at Your heavens, the work of Your fingers, the moon and the stars, which You have set in place….” That supreme power of creation, the divine glory set above all things, and every other divine characteristic is brought to mind when the Lord’s Name is spoken.

This helps to explain the significance of what the Lord directed Aaron and his sons to do when blessing the Exodus people and their descendants. During the trek from Egypt to the Promised Land, the Lord had given orders about how the Levitical priests were to bless His people: “Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, ‘The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.’ So shall they put My name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.”

The Lord’s people were to have His name placed on them as a seal. He who created the heavens and the earth would be their protector. The Lord would use His power and glory to benefit His people. Hearing the Lord’s name and the actions that He was accomplishing for them—blessing, keeping, showing graciousness, giving peace—the people would have their hearts, minds, and souls turned to Him. They would remember the Covenant made with them and all the promises that it contained. Their status as the people who belong to the Lord and depend on Him would be reconfirmed. The Lord’s name, His characteristics, and His acts of deliverance would be brought to mind each time that blessing was spoken.

This morning, the Church recalls that divine name. But it is recalled in connection with more than the commands given to the Levitical priests of the Old Testament. There is focus on the divine name that is borne by the Son of Mary born in Bethlehem. January 1 is set apart for the celebration of when Jesus was circumcised and named. You heard the Gospel account of that, the shortest Gospel Reading in the lectionary: “And at the end of eight days, when He was circumcised, He was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.”

Why is this event in Jesus’ life remembered? It is more than just recognizing something that happened eight days after His birth. That single verse from Luke’s Gospel testifies about Jesus, revealing significant things about Him. The first is that Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament Law in detail. Even the little things were kept by Him: “at the end of eight days, when He was circumcised….” The divine requirement of circumcising male children at eight days of age was met by Jesus. He underwent the procedure that marked Him as one of the Lord’s Covenant people. True man, born of the Virgin Mary, Jesus was a faithful participant in the Covenant made with the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

That keeping of the Covenant is important to note. It is essential to Jesus’ role as a substitute for Adam and his progeny. Where man disobeyed, Jesus obeyed. Where man fell short, Jesus was perfect. Where man sinned, Jesus was present with holiness. Keeping the Law in every detail is how Jesus was a worthy substitute for you. That point is illustrated in Paul’s statement found in today’s Epistle Reading: “Now before faith came, we were held captive under the Law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the Law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.” Every divine command that you had broken stood as an imprisoning guard against you. But your salvation was accomplished by receiving the benefits of Jesus’ work, including His thorough obedience: “But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.”

The second part of the Gospel Reading brings forward the second significant item about Jesus’ identity. Remember what it said: “He was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before He was conceived in the womb.” That statement takes your minds back to what happened at the Annunciation. This year, you heard the details of that event on the Fourth Sunday in Advent. You heard what the angel spoke to Mary: “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a Son, and you shall call His name Jesus.”

But the Gospel Writer does not only want you to remember the name given. No, the reminder of what the angel had said brings to mind what else was disclosed about the Son that Mary bore: “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to Him the throne of his father David, and He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end.” Jesus’ origin was also included in the statement made by the angel: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the Child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.”

The focus on the name Jesus given to the Holy Child is to make His identity known to you. Here the mystery of the incarnation begins to be unfolded. True God, begotten of the Father before all worlds, the Infant Jesus shares all the divine power and glory that His Father possesses. The name Lord belongs to Him, even at eight days of age. The Lord who “set [His] glory above the heavens” is carried in the arms of Mary. The Psalmist said about the Lord: “Out of the mouth of babes and infants, You have established strength because of Your foes, to still the enemy and the avenger.” His divine strength is found in the Babe of Bethlehem, the One who would crush the Ancient Serpent’s head and bring to conclusion the divide between God and man. Such are the statements that can be made when talking about the Lord in the flesh.

All this is disclosed in the name of Jesus (Yeshua) that means “the Lord saves.” The Lord saves: that is what Jesus does. Remember the directions given to Aaron and his sons about pronouncing blessing. Six actions were spoken in that formula given to them: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make His face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace.” These are all actions through which the Lord saves, how He gives salvation. But those actions are also what Jesus Himself does.

“The Lord bless you”: Jesus is the One who was foretold to Abraham, the Descendant through whom all nations would be blessed. “The Lord keep you”: Jesus protects and is present with His people always, even to the end of the age. “The Lord make His face to shine upon you”: Jesus brings the divine light of righteousness to mankind entrapped in sin and does not ignore their plight. “The Lord be gracious to you”: Jesus’ life was full of compassion, acting for the benefit of others, putting their welfare at the fore. “The Lord lift up His countenance upon you”: through Jesus’ work, sinful humanity has the divine face set on them for good instead of eternally receiving an angry glare. “The Lord give you peace”: Jesus’ death and resurrection brings the war between mankind and God to an end, leaving guilt buried in His tomb and extending pardon to those who receive Him. What the Lord spoke through the Levitical priesthood was actualized in what He Himself did as an incarnate man born in Bethlehem.

The Lord declared about the prescribed blessing: “So they shall put My name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them.” You also have had His name placed on you, marking you as His covenant people. It was not done by circumcision on the eighth day. But it is what transpired as you received Holy Baptism. In that act, you were recipients of the power and glory that His name bears. That is what Paul alludes to in the Epistle Reading: “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.” A new identity has been given to you: you belong to Christ as you bear His name. You are His people, the Lord’s people. So you share in the blessing that He brings to those who have His majestic name put on them. You receive sonship in the divine household through what Jesus, the Son of the Most High God and Son of Mary, has accomplished for you.

This is why the Lord is mindful of you. It is how you have been crowned with glory and honor. Being made in the Lord’s image and likeness, you had a status beyond all other creatures. But not only did you share in that, now you also bear His name. That name recalls His majesty and glory, what He used to redeem you. So as you hear of the circumcision of Jesus this day, remember how He fulfilled the Law for you. As you hear of the naming of Jesus this day, know that He is the Lord who saved you. And as you hear the divine blessing at the close of service, be reminded of every characteristic that the Lord possesses and that He acts for your benefit. That is what He discloses to you, so that you can say: “O Lord, our Lord [Jesus], how majestic is Your name in all the earth!”

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