Sermon - Epiphany 4 - Deuteronomy 18:15-20

Epiphany 4 – January 29, 2012

Deuteronomy 18:15-20

What Would Moses Do?

Moses says, in his farewell address: “The Lord will raise up a prophet like me from among you”. Well first there's the history.

The 40 years of wandering in the desert was coming to an end. God would lead his people across the Jordan River and into the Promised Land. Moses had been their leader, well, their human leader, all this time. From the Exodus and the Passover, through the parting of the Red Sea to Mt. Sinai and the giving of the 10 commandments, the establishment of the Tabernacle and the whole sacrificial system. Moses was the guy. And now as he approached 120 years old, it was time for the people to enter Canaan. And Moses wouldn't be going with them. It was time for a new leader.

Moses died just across the border. Mount Nebo. He never set foot on the earthly promised land (at least until he met Jesus at the mount of Transfiguration). Instead, it was Joshua, son of Nun, who would take over the mantle. Joshua was a mighty leader, too. He lead the conquest at Jericho and many other Canaanite cities, as the people came into possession of the land. Through Moses, God had done great things. Through Joshua God was about to do great things. So Joshua must have been who Moses meant when he said, “The Lord will raise up a prophet like me from among you”. Right? Not entirely.

Old Testament prophecy can often be seen as having multiple layers of fulfillment. The near fulfillment, the historical thing that happened back then for people to see, and the ultimate fulfillment, which sometimes points even to the last day itself. The promised land, for instance, was promised to Abraham, and delivered to God's people in Joshua. But the true promised land of Heaven is the ultimate fulfillment.

So too with this prophet of whom Moses speaks. Joshua was great and all, but he was still not the imposing figure that Moses was. Moses, after all, met God and lived. Moses saw the plagues and the passover and the parting of the sea. Moses received the Ten Commandments and wrote the Torah! Moses! Who can be as great a prophet as he!? No, Joshua, whose Hebrew name was “Yeshua” stood in the shadow of this giant of faith, Moses. But there would be another Joshua, or Yeshua, or as you know him, “Jesus”.

Jesus Christ is the ultimate fulfillment of Moses' words of prophecy here. But to appreciate it, let's compare the two.

Moses was the great law-giver. He brought the Ten Commandments, the moral code by which God's people were to order their lives.

Jesus was also a law-giver. Not only a law-giver, but certainly he did that. He taught us to love God, and love our neighbor. He showed by example of washing feet how we out to serve one another. How being great in his kingdom meant being the least. In fact, he even expounded and expanded the Law of Moses - “You've heard it said, do not commit adultery, but I say... lust is adultery in your heart! Moses taught you, 'do not murder', but I say that hatred of another is like murder in your heart! Moses let you get a divorce, but that was only because of your hardened hearts. From the beginning, God has joined men and women together in marriage. And what God has joined together, let man not separate!”

The problem for us, is that we break the law of Moses, and we break the law of Jesus. Neither the 10 commandments of Moses, nor any of the commandments of Jesus are attainable for us sinners. So Jesus is a prophet like Moses. But Jesus is even greater.

Moses was a deliverer. Through him, God brought the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt. He plagued their enemies and rescued them from the angel of Death. He regarded the blood of the lamb, the lamb without blemish, as a sacrifice sufficient to save each household. And then he brought the people through the sea, and drowned Pharaoh's host which pursued them in those same waters. The memory of this salvation established the Israelites as a nation. It gave them their very identity. It made them who they were. Moses led them through all this.

But Jesus is a deliverer to exceed even Moses. Moses was a faint shadow of this true deliverer. Jesus brought us out of the bondage of sin, and into the freedom of the Gospel. Jesus rescues us from death by dying and rising, himself. Jesus is the lamb of God who is slain from the foundation of the world, and who takes away the sin of the world, and has mercy on us. Jesus is the one who delivers us by his gift of Holy Baptism, bringing us safely through the water to new life in him, and drowning our old Adam, our sinful nature, daily, through repentance and faith. Jesus makes us who we are, his people, his church. Built by him and on him and in him, sustained by His Spirit, and promised a future paradise that will never end.

And Jesus is the only law-fulfiller. He does all things well. He perfectly, obediently obeys the will of the Father, and fulfills all righteousness by living entirely without sin. And he does this, not for himself, but for you. To give you the credit for his perfect life. To give you a righteousness only he could earn. His holy life overshadows your mess of sin, just as his perfect death takes you from under the shadow of sin and death.

What would Moses Do? Well, whatever Moses did, Jesus did it better. He is truly the prophet God raised up like Moses, but even better. He is the perfect law giver, and law-fulfiller. He is the one true deliverer of the world, and of you and me individually. He is the one who brought us through the waters, and establishes us in his kingdom forever.

Hail to Jesus Christ, the one with authority, the Holy One of God, the new and greater Moses, the Prophet who speaks God's word, who is the living word, our leader, our champion, our savior. In His Name, Amen.

Sermon - Epiphany 2 - John 1:43-53

Epiphany 2 – January 15, 2012

John 1:43-53

You Ain't Seen Nothin' Yet

There is much to learn about Jesus from the calling of Nathanael.

“Can anything good come from Nazareth?”

Nathanael starts his interaction with Jesus with a mild insult. Really. I mean. Phillip, you're telling me that the Messiah is from that back-water town? They're a suburb of nowhere.

But Phillip tells Nathanael to come and see, and for some reason, he does. Skeptical, probably frumping along to humor his friend. Nathanael was expecting another crackpot, some false Messiah like so many that had come before.

“Can anything good come from Nazareth?” Well, the answer to that, theologically, is “no.” Nothing good can come from Nazareth, or from Jerusalem, or Rome. Nothing good can come from New York, or Chicago, or Green Bay, or Racine. Nothing good can come from anywhere, especially from anyone in this sinful, broken, messed up world.

And that means nothing good can come from you or me, either. Out of the heart come our evil thoughts. From our unclean lips come unclean words. And our blood-stained hands can do only the filthy works of sin. We are corrupt through and through. Can anything good come from me? No. For I am just as much a part of this sinful world as the next guy. And so are you.

Can anything good come from Nazareth? No. But Jesus is not from Nazareth.

When Jesus sees Nathanael he rattles his cage of pre-conceived notions. He shows a little of that divine knowledge that only he could have. He saw Nathanael under the fig tree, before Phillip called him. And he returns Nathanael's insult with a compliment, “Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is no deceit!”

What does Jesus mean? That Nathanael is without sin? Surely not. For if we say we have no sin we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. Perhaps Jesus is here commending Nathanael for having enough honesty to call a sin a sin where he sees it. For having the guts to ask what good can come from Nazareth, and having the humility to know that the sins of his own past make him no better.

Jesus knows our past, too. He calls us before we know who he is. He saves us before we know we need saving. He knew you before you were born, after all. Yes, he knows your deep, dark secrets. No sin or shame can escape him. But he puts all that away. He chooses to deal with your sins by taking the condemnation you deserve. Jesus knows you better than you even know yourself. He knows who you really are – who he has made you to be in your baptism. He knows the plans he has for you, the place he's preparing for you.

Back to the story. This little bit of a show of omniscience by Jesus leads Nathanael to confess a great truth. To recognize the folly of his insult. “Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!”

Ah, yes, true. We can confess the same with Nathanael. We know who Jesus is. We know, not on our own, but because he tells us and shows us. We know from his word, that he is true God and true man. That he is without sin, yet takes on our sin. That he is our great prophet, our high priest, and our true king. Nathanael would come to learn in more and better and deeper ways just who this Jesus was and what he came to do. Nathanael would come to see even greater things than a prophet from Nazareth.

“You think it's a big deal that I saw you under the fig tree, Nathanael? Well you aint seen nothin' yet!”

And he would. And we do. For Nathanael and for us, the minor miracle was Jesus seeing him under the fig tree. The greater miracle is us seeing Jesus on the tree of the cross.

The cross is that touchstone between heaven and earth. Jesus hangs there, right in the middle, the God-Man, between God and Man. He suffers and dies there to bridge the chasm of sin. To bring God to man and man to God. In Jesus heaven itself is open to us.

Jesus is Jacob's ladder – the stairway to heaven. Only through him does God come to be with us, to cleanse us and call us. Only in him do we have access to the Father and to eternal life.

Only at the tree of the cross can Nathanael and Phillip and all the other apostles and disciples find the true Son of God and King of Israel. Only in his cross can we see Jesus for who he is. He didn't come to do parlor tricks. He didn't come to wow us with miraculous fireworks. He came to die. To conquer death. And to speak good news to us, his people.

And like Nathanael and Phillip, he calls us to follow. To have no deceit about our sins, but to bring them to the tree of the cross. To hear and see him, Jesus, for all that he is and does. And to trust and believe and live in him, forever.

And with Jesus, we can still say, “You aint seen nothin' yet.” Yes, once again, we will see heaven opened, when he comes again in glory. Yet again will Jesus descend, now in glory. That day, that great Epiphany is coming soon. May he keep us faithful, so that at the last we too can stand and confess him, Jesus, the Son of God, and the King of Israel, our savior. In his holy name, Amen.

Jesus the Sponge?

While leading Bible Study at church today I was amazed, as I often am, by the theological acumen of some of our attendees.  We were discussing the readings for the Baptism of Our Lord (Mark 1 in particular), and the idea that in his baptism, Jesus "takes our sins" upon himself.  Almost a sort of "Reverse-Baptism".

One comment from the class, was that it was as if all the people who were baptized there by John had washed their sins into the water, and Jesus comes in, like a sponge, and takes them all to himself.  This, of course, culminates in the cross, where "it is finished".  But you could argue that it begins, in a public way, when he takes our sins upon himself in the Jordan.

Another comment, in a similar vein, was from someone who traveled to Israel with me in 2007.  Of course we saw there the Sea of Galilee, the large freshwater lake that was for many in the land over the years, a very important source of life.  The Jordan river flows from there, and afterward to the Dead Sea.  So the picture was that life comes from the clean water of Baptism, and is washed down and away with death itself.  A very cool observation!

Issues Etc. may have the "smartest listeners in radio", but I may have some of the smartest Bible Class members around!

Sermon - Christmas 1 - Luke 2:22-40

Christmas 1 – January 1^st 2012

Luke 2:22-40

The Firstborn Redeemer

For the world, Christmas is over. For the Church, it's only just begun. We are one week in to our Christmas season, which will follow with Epiphany, and several Sundays after. While the world is on to Valentine's Day, we continue to dwell on Christ, our newborn King.

Today a reading from Luke which tells an episode from Jesus' infancy. 40 days after birth, observant Jews performed the redemption of the firstborn, according to Exodus 13, our Old Testament reading. For every firstborn male a sacrifice was made – to redeem him, to buy him back. This itself was a sign pointing to Christ, the firstborn of Mary and the only-begotten Son of God. The New Adam who came to redeem the Old Adam in all of us.

So Jesus is brought to his, yes, his temple. Like his circumcision and his baptism, Jesus participates in all these rituals – though he has no need to be redeemed from sin himself. Yet he is our priest, our representative to God, and does all this and more in our place. Jesus is redeemed, in this ritual sense, even as he is your redeemer. Mary and Joseph make the ritual sacrifice of two turtledoves, for they couldn't afford the lamb. But the true lamb of sacrifice was the babe in their arms.

There they meet old Simeon, who sings a song, called the “Nunc Dimmitis”, Latin for “Now Dismiss”. Having seen and even held Jesus, the promised savior, his redeemer, he can go – he can die in peace. The glory of the Lord, that is also the glory of Israel – which had departed from the temple long ago – had now returned. The light to the gentiles, the one who brings light to all nations – had dawned upon the earth. “My eyes have seen thy salvation” - Simeon is talking about Jesus Christ!

We sing that song, too. We sing it when we, too, have seen and held the Christ – even more, after we eat his body and drink his blood. We see the salvation of God, the glory of Israel, the light to the nations. And with our sins forgiven, and our souls nourished, we too are at peace. We can now be dismissed. We are ready, even for death, having received Jesus and his gifts.

I can't tell you how many dying Christians I've spoken or sung these words to. For in the word, in our baptism, in the Supper – we see God's salvation and our promised rest. Simeon's song is the song of every Christian, every believer in Christ. We can go in peace.

Simeon and Anna remind me of Adam and Eve. People acquainted with death. Simeon was well up in years, waiting to die. Anna knew the death of her husband at an early age; death had shaped the course of her life. Like Adam and Eve who died the day they ate of the fruit, but whose bodies lived in sin and death for years to come. Simeon and Anna both awaited the fulfillment of the promises to Adam and Eve and all the other men and women of old. That the seed of the woman would crush the serpent's head. Only Simeon and Anna lived to see it unfolding in this infant Christ.

Eve thought her firstborn son, Cain, would be the one. But he, too, became known for bringing only death. It would take another firstborn to do the job. A firstborn of a virgin. Redeemed under the law of Moses at the temple, but redeeming all of Adam and Eve's children from death by his blood.

You and I are people acquainted with death. Our culture tries to make us numb to it, but death is always breathing down our necks. We are fragile. We could all go at any time. You don't have to be old like Simeon and Anna to realize this. You don't have to suffer from aches and pains or debilitating diseases to see death's shadow over life. Change and decay happen in so many ways. Things and people we love go away, deteriorate, yes, even die. Relationships fracture. All good things, they say, must come to an end. So it is in our world of death. Not only life, but everything in it is subject to the wages of sin. Well, almost everything.

Death meets its death in the Babe of Bethlehem. Death meets its death in Christ on the cross. When he says, “it is finished”, he declared the victory. He, the Son of God and Son of Man did exactly what he came to do.

And yes, Jesus died, a sword pierced his soul when he suffered for our sins and gave his life as a ransom for many. He died. But Jesus is also the firstborn... of the dead. He burst from the tomb in a glorious resurrection to never die again. And the firstborn of the dead is no only child. His brothers and sisters will follow, when he calls us forth from death. He does it, already, in our baptism. He'll do it for our bodies as well on the last day.

Simeon can go in peace from the temple, though Adam had to go in bitterness from the garden. An angel barred the way back to the tree, to paradise. But angels announce the restoration of life to us all, “he is risen, he is not here”. And angel trumpets will announce his return in glory on that triumphant day.

We see that in Christ, everything old is made new again. He even says so, in Revelation “Behold, I make all things new”. He renews old Simeon and Anna. He restores paradise. He renews and cleanses his temple, and the temples of our bodies. He brings glory where it has departed. He brings life where there was only death. And he brings sinners to God who had been exiled long ago. He brings righteousness and holiness and life to us who were so lost.

We can, and we do, depart in peace, according to his word. We know the Firstborn Redeemer. Our eyes have seen his salvation. Our ears have heard. Our hearts believe. Our lips confess, even sing, with Simeon, with Anna, with all the believers of old, with all the saints already departed, and with those who wait for him on earth.

Lord, now let your servants depart in peace, according to your word, for our eyes have seen your salvation in Jesus Christ, our Lord, amen.

Sermon - Christmas Day - Isaiah 52:7-10

Christmas Day 2011

Isaiah 52:7–10

“All I Want for Christmas are Beautiful Feet”

A blessed Christmas day to you, dear Christians. I hope and pray your celebration of our Lord's birth has been, and will be joyous. I hope you share some time with friends and family. I hope you get some good food to eat. Maybe we can even watch some good football tonight. But most of all I hope you got a nice gift this year. Yes, I know we all did. We always do.

Did you get any socks? Now there's a gift. What's more practical and boring than socks? What's more everyday? What says that special time of year less than socks? Something that goes on your feet – every day. Socks – not the pretty stockings with all the candy and goodies. Socks that cover a rather inglorious part of your body. I can't think of anything I'd rather get, anything less exciting than socks. Socks are boring. Feet are every-day. Except for a day like today.

Isaiah writes: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness”

Picture this. Jerusalem has been at war. It's been a long fought battle. The enemy is relentless. The city is under the cloud of doom. The soldiers march off to battle. The outcome is unknown. The women and children wait in the safety of the city walls – waiting to hear word. Over the mountain, someone will appear. Will it be the enemy flag, raised high in conquering might? Will it be our own bedraggled and defeated soldiers, retreating for one last desperate stand? No.

It's a lone messenger. And he's running. He's exuberant and ebullient. His message is urgent. His news is good. He brings good tidings of great joy. Peace! Victory! The warfare is over. The people are safe. The champion has won! Death does not win the day.

The watchmen on the city walls see him, and they know what it means! They start to sing together – a song of joy – a song that hasn't been heard since this terrible war started. Soon the women and children join in and the whole city raises its voice together, “Our God reigns! He has given us the victory!”

But it all started with those feet. The feet of the messenger. When they crossed the mountaintop. Feet, which are usually dirty and dusty and smelly. But feet which bring good news are a blessed, beautiful sight for sore and weary and fearful eyes.

Jesus Christ is born. He takes on human flesh. He takes a human body. Eyes, ears, mouth, nose, hands, legs... feet. Those precious baby feet stick out of the manger, and they are such good news for us. More innocent than any human babe ever born, this holy one of God is the bearer of the best news ever to touch any mountain or valley. His arrival is the beginning of the good news. God has come to save. To comfort Jerusalem. To redeem his people.

But those baby feet would grow. They would walk the walk of a perfect life, treading where we cannot, though we stumble every day. The thong of his sandal John isn't worthy to untie. But still he walks into the river to be baptized for us. His feet carry him to the wilderness for us. He would go up to Jerusalem for us. His feet would be anointed with a woman's tears and perfume for burial. And those feet would be nailed to a cross for us. But they would also walk him out of the grave for us. And they would ascend in glory for us.

Yes, the serpent bruised his heel, but that same foot would crush the head of our old foe, destroying him and his power over us forever. The warfare is over. Jesus' feet bring peace. They are beautiful feet, indeed.

All I want for Christmas are the beautiful feet of him who brings good news. And that's just what I get, and so do you. All I want is the Gospel, the message of salvation in Jesus Christ, and that is enough. All the presents under the tree will pass away. Moth and rust will do their work. But the word of God stands forever, the promise of Christ stands forever, and we, with our humble but faithful feet, can always stand on that sure rock, forever.

Today we hear that word. Today, and each time we gather in his house, we hear the good news of great joy. We hear it from humble servants whose feet aren't anything special but the message they bring is so sweet. And whether it's the beautiful feet of pastors, teachers, parents or friend, God provides feet to keep his message coming. He sends the messengers to keep bringing that message of salvation in Jesus Christ our Lord. And no matter how gnarly and dirty and smelly the feet, the feet that bring Christ are beautiful feet indeed.

Our baptism washes us, and not just our filthy feet, but our head and hands, also. And the Lord's Supper feeds us – body and soul – giving strength to believe and live as Christ has promised. Forgiven and freed, we follow his example, and wash feet – serve our neighbor – love one another.

So maybe socks aren't so bad. Maybe feet aren't so everyday. For feet that bring good news like this are beautiful feet. This doesn't happen everyday. Christ is born for us. His work on earth began that day in Bethlehem, and would lead to Calvary and cross. But it is finished. Christ is risen. He has done all things well. So lift up your voices in the victory song, for our God reigns, and gives us all good things. Amen.

"Hallelujah" New Lyrics

A while ago I mentioned this song, "Hallelujah" as a favorite of mine.  My kids like it because it was in the movie "Shrek".  I like it because it's pretty and soulful, but the lyrics made no sense to me.  So I re-wrote my own version, the words below.  Here's an instrumental version of it the original song.
 

The serpent and forbidden tree
The fruit was good to eat, you see
You want to know both good and evil, do you?
She took a look; She took a bite
He ate along then dark as night
The shadow came upon them Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

As they fumbled for a leaf to hide

They heard the footsteps, heard him chide

You ate the fruit, you know you're naked do you?
To serpent then the Father said,
You'll bruise his heel, he'll crush your head
A promise ne'er forgotten Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Pharaoh let my people go
But you chased them to the sea to show
That pharaohs don't give up so easy, do you?
He raised his staff, he stretched his hand
My people walked upon dry land
Then I washed away the chariots Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

On a quiet night in Bethlehem
A baby born, the son of man,
But you don't even have a crib, now do you?
As she wrapped you in your swaddling clothes
The angels sang, the shepherds rose
To come and see and sing their Hallelujahs

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

Hosanna, save us, so they sing,
Palm branches for the coming king,
In your city, Son of David, yeah, they knew you.
You came to bring a perfect lamb,
A sacrifice of your own hand,

Oh Lord Jesus Christ, Hosanna, Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

The crowd they chanted crucify,
The women wailed, the darkened sky,
The nails and spear the soldiers pierced right through you.
The bitter drink, the crown of thorns,
So Peter weeps and Mary mourns,
And you shouted “it is finished!” Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah

They find a tomb to lay your clay
And seal it for the Sabbath day
But you don't plan to stay there too long, do you?
When Sunday comes, you've had your rest
The angel voice would say it best,
He isn't here, He's risen Hallelujah

Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah, Hallelujah
Hallelujah

Sermon - Midweek Advent 4 - Luke 1:26-55

“Advent Beginnings”

Midweek Advent 4, December 21^st 2011

Luke 1:26-55

Jesus the Son of Mary and Son of God

We've heard from 3 of the 4 Gospels already in this Advent series, on the beginnings of the Jesus story. Mark begins abruptly, and emphasizes repentance. John begins profoundly, showing Jesus the Word made flesh. Matthew gives attention to prophecy – and Jesus as its fulfillment. Now finally, Luke. The most “Christmas-y” of the Gospels. We'll actually wait until Christmas Eve to hear Luke's nativity account, that well-loved text that tells of the census, the manger, the angels, the shepherds, and the birth of God's own Son in Bethlehem.

Today, we look more closely at what happens right before this in Luke's Gospel. Luke, a physician, tells us in Chapter 1 that he undertook to carefully write an orderly account based on the eyewitness testimony from the beginning. He has a historian's sense, and you get the impression this was all very thorough and diligent of Luke. So in this Gospel we hear the most detail about Christ's birth and what led up to it. And especially important in this is a virgin from Nazareth named Mary.

In the three episodes from our reading today, we have the Annunciation, the Visitation, and the Magnificat. Each points us to Christ, tells who he is and will be. Each is an important part of the orderly account Luke writes. Each lays the groundwork for Christ's birth. So let's briefly survey these as we prepare to celebrate that blessed event.

The Annuciation was this past Sunday's Gospel reading. Pastor Poppe highlighted those words from the Angel Gabriel – that Mary, highly favored, would bear the savior, and that David's kingdom would be restored through his eternal reign. Yes, with God all things are possible. A virgin giving birth. The eternal, omnipotent God becoming a finite human being. That one man could die and save all people, that his life could count for theirs. It's even possible for Jesus to promise resurrection and then deliver. Not just possible, it all happened.

The Annuciation reminds us that God alone takes the initiative in our salvation. No man can claim the credit. God chooses Mary, God grants his favor. God establishes his kingdom. God brings salvation. And faith responds, “let it be to me as you have said”.

Jesus comes, without our asking, and he brings salvation. He takes it upon himself, takes our sin upon himself, and he dies, not asking our permission. He does the work, finishes the job, and proclaims “it is finished”. Let it be to us all as he has said.

The Visitation – when Mary then went to visit Elizabeth, herself pregnant with John the Baptist. And at Mary's greeting, the unborn John leapt for joy. Elizabeth, too, confesses faith – that the “mother of her Lord” should come and visit her. “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” We can learn from Elizabeth and John – to confess in words and actions our faith in the Son of Mary, and the Son of God. Jesus comes to visit us still, today, brought not in a womb, but by our mother the church – through the vehicles of word and sacrament. This brings us undeserving sinners great joy! This good news compels us to confess all he has done for us.

And for Mary's part, she sings a song. We call it the Magnificat, from the first word in Latin, “Magnify”. “My soul magnifies the Lord...”. Mary's song is worthy of repetition, and so the church echos it forth to this day, just as all generations call her blessed. In this song, she confesses her lowly standing, her humble estate. Mary knew she was a sinner. She needed a savior, too. But lowly Mary believed in the God who spoke to her through the angel and through the prophets of old. She believed the promise of her savior, her son yet unborn. He who is mighty and does great things for his people.

Luke's Gospel, all throughout, takes great care to show Jesus as savior of the whole world, and especially the lowly. Old barren Elizabeth. Humble Mary. Even unborn John the Baptist. The women, the poor, the widow and orphan, the leper and the Samaritan and Roman. All have a place in the kingdom of Christ, this Son of Mary and Son of God.

We are lowly, too. Oh maybe we're better off than others financially. And maybe our health is in better shape. Maybe we've been around the block enough to know many things in this world. But we're all, still, lowly. We are humble beggars who deserve nothing of God's goodness. Our best works are filthy rags. Our good deeds are tarnished and tainted. Our holiness is a thing of the past – we humans are born into sin and death. We can't reach up and grasp God, even if we wanted to. We are lowly. Poor. Humble. Pathetic. We are sinners. And we need a savior.

From his humble beginnings, we can see that he comes down to be lowly and save the lowly. Laid in a manger, no crib for a bed. He becomes sin to save the sinners. He bears God's wrath to save us from God's wrath. The Story of Jesus beginnings is the story of our beginning, in a way. The beginning of our salvation, and reunion with God.

The Annunciaiton – the Visitation – the Magnificat. In these short episodes Luke begins to tell the story of Jesus our savior. With Mary, we too confess faith in our magnificent God, who has done great things for us in Christ – Mary's Son, and Son of God, our savior.

And now with Advent coming to a close, and Christmas Eve just a couple days away, we take a breath and anticipate the celebration of his birth for us lowly sinners. May your soul also magnify the Lord this Christmas and always. In Jesus' holy name.

Sermon - Midweek Advent 3 - Matthew 1:1-25

“Advent Beginnings”

Midweek Advent 3, December 14^th 2011

Matthew 1:1-25

Jesus the Fulfillment of Prophecy

Savior of the nations come, Virgin's son, make here your home. Marvel now, O heav'n and earth, that the Lord chose such a birth. Amen.

We've been looking at the beginning of each Gospel this Advent series, and examining how the evangelists begin their accounts about Jesus. Mark's beginning is abrupt, and he emphasizes the call to repentance preached by John the baptist. In John's Gospel, the deep and profound mystery of the Word made flesh is revealed, and we see Jesus' as divine with eternal origins.

Today we consider Matthew's beginning, and as Christmas draws nearer so does a more familiar Christmas Gospel. Matthew tells of the birth of Jesus, though not as extensively as Luke does. And as each Gospel writer brings a certain emphasis to the story, a unique perspective, we can see the same with Matthew. Here Jesus is presented as the fulfillment of messianic prophecy.

First Matthew offers a genealogy of Jesus. Luke contains a genealogy, too, which goes back to Adam, and to God. But Matthew's genealogy traces Jesus as far back as Abraham, Issac and Jacob. Matthew is likely written primarily to Jewish Christians, or at least to those early Christians who knew their Old Testament scriptures well. And so Matthew pays attention to show how Jesus is the promised Messiah, the seed of Abraham, the one whose coming has been so long awaited.

He is also descended from David, another giant of the Old Testament, a king and man after God's own heart. Jesus is later hailed as the Son of David, and rightly, for David's son is David's Lord. Though Jesus' kingdom is not of this world, King David pointed forward to the birth of this king of kings.

Why is all this important? Do we really need to know the names of Azor the father of Zadok, the father of Achim, etc? Well, for one, it sets Jesus in a real historical context. These things actually happened. But it also shows how faithful God is in keeping his promise to Abraham that all nations would be blessed through his offspring. And how faithful believers clung to that promise through the generations.

So for us. Though we are children of Adam, conceived and born in sin, we are children of Abraham, by faith in Christ, the promised and fulfilled offspring of Abraham. We are part of the “all nations” who have found blessing in Jesus Christ. And just as the Old Testament believers waited in faith for the fulfillment of God's promises, so do we hold fast to the promises we have yet to see come due. Jesus will come again. We will rise to live in glory. This broken world will pass away, and a new heaven and earth will come forth. These, and so many other promises, we can believe – because we've seen how God kept his promises all along.

And then take Matthew's narrative account of Jesus' birth. He summarizes the key points which we'll see fleshed out even more in Luke. But Matthew relates the virgin birth, and Joseph's dream about it. Very simply, Matthew shows again how Jesus fulfills the word of the prophet (from Isaiah chapter 7) that “the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

Was it unbelievable that God could bring any descendants from old Abraham and Sarah? Sure. Even nations? More unbelievable. Even the savior of the world? Nigh impossible. Except with God, who keeps his promises.

Was it unbelievable that a virgin could conceive a child? Sure. That the child would be from the Holy Spirit? Amazing. But that the child would be the very son of God, God made flesh, God with us – Immanuel? Only possible if God keeps his promises, which he does.

Jesus, too, would fulfill all prophecies. Everything laid out for him to do, he did. Even down to his declaration, “I thirst”. Matthew's Gospel contains some 68 references to fulfillment of scripture, by one count. Maybe there's even more. The wise men, the flight to Egypt, the slaughter of the innocents, John the Baptist, Jesus ministry in the North, the many healings and miracles, even his triumphal entry to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. All of this was promised, and fulfilled. He foretells Peter's denial in dramatic fashion. He even foretold the destruction of the temple, which would happen within a generation from his prediction.

But best of all, was his primary work – also promised and fulfilled, by his own mouth. That the son of man would be handed over, that he would suffer, be crucified, and rise on the third day. All of this Jesus does, just as he promised, it is fulfilled. All of this, for you, dear sinner now saint.

And yes, his promises continue. He will come again, like a thief, with power and great glory. He will gather his elect from the four winds, he will welcome his people, the sheep, into their rest.

And Matthew's Gospel ends on another note of promise, “I will be with you always, to the end of the age”. That promise is fulfilled when he is with us in Baptism, when we gather around his word, and when we kneel together at his altar. He is with us, in real ways, fulfilling his promises, and strengthening us in faith to look for the fulfillment of them all.

Though he may seem far off, though he may seem deaf to your prayers, though it may appear that God has forgotten or cast you off – remember his promises. Remember how he brought them to fulfillment in Christ. Look to history, and see him working, for years, centuries, even – and he still did what he said he would. And know that he will not forget his promises to you in your short life.

Jesus was born. Son of Abraham. Child of a virgin. Fulfillment of prophecy. He would continue, and still continues to bring his promises to fruition. And one day he will bring them all to conclusion, when he comes again in glory. Come, Lord Jesus. Come and fulfill your promises in full. We await and watch in faith. Amen.