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John the Baptist Teaches Us to Confess

12/22/2020

St. John the Baptist Preaching, Mattia Preti, circa 1665, Public Domain

Advent 4
December 20, 2020

John the Baptist confesses and, in his confession, he teaches us how to confess. To confess means to speak the same. John repeats back the same message that God gives him to speak. And we, by repeating the words of John the Baptist, confess Christ. John the Baptist speaks the truth. So, when we speak what he speaks, we too confess the truth.
John confesses and does not deny, but confesses. Of course, whenever you confess, you deny something. By confessing to be a voice sent by God to prepare the way of the Lord, John must confess himself not to be the Christ. Yet, the priests and Levites sent by the Pharisees were not satisfied with this answer. “Are you Elijah?”, they ask. John certainly comes in the spirit of Elijah, so that even Jesus Christ calls him Elijah, yet, John answers, “No.” He is not Elijah sent down from heaven. “Are you the Prophet?” they then ask? John is neither the Prophet promised by Moses, whom God would raise up from among the Jews (Deuteronomy 18:15-18). That Prophet is the very Christ, whom John has already said he is not. Nor is John like the prophets of the Old Testament, who longed to see that which they prophesied, yet died before its fulfillment. John is preparing the way of the Christ who is come, who has arisen, who stands among the people! John is a voice preparing his way!
But these priests and Levites are not satisfied with this answer either. They despise John for being a voice. “If you’re just a voice and you’re not someone important like the Christ, or Elijah, or one of the prophets, then why are you baptizing? Why do you have so many people coming out to hear you?” John answers in a way saying, “Yeah, you’re right. I am just a voice. I baptize with water. But pay attention to the one whose way I prepare! He is much greater than I am, and he is already standing among you!” John of course, is speaking of Jesus Christ, true God, who has joined our human race in fulfillment of the prophecies.
Yet, the priests and Levites should not despise John for being a voice, because he is the very voice sent by God to prepare the way of Christ our Lord into our hearts. John says he baptizes with water. That’s a way of saying, “Yes, I am only a tool, like a hammer or saw.” Yet, John is not saying that his Baptism is nothing. Rather, Jesus himself indicates that John’s Baptism is from heaven (Matthew 21:25). So, while John is just a man baptizing with plain water, his Baptism is from God himself! Likewise, John is just a man, not the Christ, Elijah, or one of the prophets of old back from the dead. And he is speaking in ordinary language that even the tax-collectors, sinners, and soldiers can understand. Yet, his words are from heaven! And his message raises valleys and lowers hills to prepare the way of God’s Son.
And this is indeed the way it always is. Those who consider themselves wise and important despise the voice God sends out into the word for its meager appearance, so that Isaiah the Prophet himself declares, “Who has believed what he has heard from us?” (Isaiah 53:1) Yet, those who do believe the voice God sends declare, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” (Romans 10:15; Isaiah 52:7). Why? Because, this good news grants forgiveness and eternal life to all who believe it! The voice is despised by those who cannot look past the man wearing camel’s hair and a leather belt, eating locusts and wild honey. The voice is ignored by those who will not consider it the voice of God. Yet, Jesus says to his disciples, “The one who hears you hears me.” And God himself made John the voice crying in the wilderness. This is why the Prophet Moses rebuked the people of Israel by saying, “What are we? Your grumbling is not against us, but against the LORD.” (Exodus 16:8)
And so, we should not only listen to this voice from God, but we should repeat the words this voice proclaims, that is we should confess what he confesses to us. We should make his sermon our personal confession. St. John the Baptist and all of Holy Scripture, teach us to confess two things: 1). something about ourselves and 2). something about Christ.
First, what do John and Holy Scripture teach us to confess about ourselves? That we are sinners. Scripture tells us that John told his hearer to repent. Now, the word repent has a broad and a narrow meaning. I spoke about the broad meaning of repent last week in my sermon. The broad meaning of repent has two parts: first, sorrow over sin and second, faith in Christ. The narrow meaning of repent, however; only includes the first part: sorrow over sin. When John preaches this narrow repentance, he is telling his hearers to confess something about themselves, that they are sinners. That is why St. Matthew’s Gospel records that John’s hearers were confessing their sins to John in the Jordan (Matthew 3:6).
This is what Scripture consistently teaches us to confess about ourselves. Psalm 32 states, “I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,’ and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.” This is what Scripture tells us to confess about ourselves. And this is what the Voice, who prepares the way for the Lord tells us to confess. In this way, the way is made straight for Jesus.
Isaiah says that the Voice will raise valleys and flatten mountains and hills to make way for the Lord (Isaiah 40:4). Yet, this is spoken as an analogy. The way of the Lord is the way to our hearts. And the valleys are raised and the mountains flattened when we are brought to repentance, that is, when we confess that we are sinners.
Now, it is not true that all sins are the same. Some sins are worse than other sins. Some sins have worse consequences, cause more harm, drive you further from repentance, harden your hearts, and so forth. Everyone knows this. This is why you get a ticket for illegal parking, but you get put in prison for armed robbery. Yet, all sins are the same in one respect. They all separate you from God and bar you from heaven. “You must be perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect.”, Jesus tells us. (Matthew 5:48). The Law of God makes no distinction, but declares that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. And St. James tells us that whoever keeps the whole law, but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. (James 2:10) This is what it means for the valleys to be raised and the hills be made low. We are all on the same level ground. God has imprisoned everyone under sin, so that he may have mercy on all (Romans 11:32; Galatians 3:22).
Before the judgment seat of God, it doesn’t matter who is a better or worse sinner. Quibbling about that is like fighting to get on the bow or stern of the Titanic while it is sinking. No, we are all sinners. None of us can save ourselves. We all need a Savior. That is why John the Voice was sent from God first tells us to confess about ourselves that we are sinners, so that we know we need a Savior.
Now that we have confessed ourselves to be sinners, who deserve nothing but punishment, John teaches us to confess something about Christ. The very next verse after our Gospel lesson, the Evangelist writes, “The next day [John] saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, ‘Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29) Now, you see why it is so important that you first confess about yourself that you are a sinner before you then confess who Christ is! If you do not confess yourself to be a sinner, then this Christ will be of no help to you. Yet, since you confess and the Voice has taught you that you are a sinner, then what this Voice teaches you to confess about the Christ is the most wonderful message your tongue can declare!
Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world. Jesus is the Lamb of God, that is, he is the appointed sacrifice, who makes atonement for our sins. He takes away the sin of the world. Which sin? The sin of the world. All of it. Whatever sin there is in the world, Jesus takes it away. So, are you a sinner in the world? Then, Jesus has taken your sin away! He bore it as he went to the cross. His dying took it away forever. Now, through faith in this Lamb of God, you are free from the eternal consequences of your sin. You have no fear of hell. You are forgiven and redeemed.
The voice is not finished with his task by only teaching you to confess that you are a sinner. He must also teach you to confess about the Christ, that he takes away your sins. This is why the Prophet Isaiah proclaims, “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins.” This is the instruction God gives to John, the Voice in the wilderness, to make straight the way of Christ Jesus into our hearts. And this is the instruction God gives to every voice he sends to proclaim the Gospel. Our hearts are not prepared to receive Christ simply by confessing about ourselves that we are sinners. Our hearts are prepared to receive Christ when we confess about him that he takes our sins away.
“Cry to her” our God says, “that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins.” God’s warfare against us is over, because his wrath is taken away. Our iniquities are forgiven. We have received double for our sins, meaning, not only has the price of our sins been paid on the cross, so that we do not have to suffer the punishment for them, but we also receive the reward as heirs of the Kingdom of God. All this is communicated to us sinners by the words, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.” This is why we not only confess our sins each and every Sunday, but we confess these same words of John the Baptist, “O Christ, thou Lamb of God that takest away the sin of the world, have mercy upon us!” This is the confession of those whose hearts have made way for the Lord. This is the confession of those who are saved. Amen.

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Blessed Is the One Who Is Not Offended by Me

12/9/2020

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St. John the Baptist Visited by Salome, Guercinco, 1599-1666, Public Domain

Advent 3
Matthew 11:2-10

“And blessed is the one who is not offended by me?” Why would someone be offended by Jesus? Indeed, Jesus is the most offensive man in human history. He was crucified, because he was so offensive. And his Gospel is rejected, maligned, and perverted by many around the world, because who Jesus truly is, is too offense. Many false religions, such as Judaism, Mormonism, Islam, and Jehovah Witnesses, have arisen on account of the offense of the real Jesus. And Christians have been persecuted and murdered on account of the offense of Christ. So, why are people so offended by Jesus?
John sent his disciples to Christ Jesus to ask him if he was truly the One to Come, or if they should look for another. Jesus responds by saying, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.” Why does Jesus give this response? Because, by pointing out what Jesus has been doing, it is obvious from Scripture that he is the One to Come. He is the promised Christ!
Isaiah 35 predicts the coming of the Christ by saying, “Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf unstopped; then shall the lame man leap like a deer, and the tongue of the mute sing for joy.” And again, in Isaiah 61, the prophet quotes the coming Christ as saying, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor.” These are the clear signs that the people of God could expect from the Christ. And these are the exact signs that Jesus performs!
Many miracles were performed in the Old Testament. Many sick people were healed of their maladies. But not a single Old Testament prophet ever made a blind man see. Yet, Jesus does this many times as Isaiah predicted. Jesus performed more miracles than all the prophets combined. And when Jesus raised the dead to life, he did not simply pray to God as the prophets Elijah and Elisha did when they raised the dead. Rather, Jesus by his own authority raised the dead. “Little girl, I say to you, arise.”, Jesus said.
Jesus proved himself to be greater than all the prophets of the Old Testament, greater than King Solomon, greater than the temple itself. He proved from Scripture and with his mighty works that he was not only David’s Son, but also David’s Lord. And this offended the scribes, Pharisees, and chief priests. Why did it offend them? Was it because they didn’t believe that he had done these miracles? No, they knew he had done these miracles. They simply accused him of doing the miracles with the finger of Satan. They were offended that Jesus claimed to be both God and man, that he taught that justice, mercy, and faithfulness were better than their religious pretenses. They were offended that Jesus forgave sinners and promised to save all who believed in him. Jesus’ teaching and works proved him to be the Christ, true God and man. Yet, he offended the religious elites, because he was not what they expected or wanted.
And for the same reason, Jesus is rejected today. It is said that it is unreasonable to believe that Jesus performed these miracles and was raised from the dead. Yet, we have the testimony of Scripture that Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary, performed many miracles, healed many sick and raised the dead, was crucified, died, and was buried, and on the third day he himself rose again from the dead. The reason people reject this, is not because it is unreasonable, but because this goes against their preconceived notions. In other words, they don’t want to believe it.
Four evangelists wrote of the life and work of Jesus, including his death and resurrection. They all agree. St. Paul, the author to the Hebrews, St. James, St. Peter and Jude likewise testified of Jesus while calling upon many other witnesses. Yet, their witness is dismissed, because it is in the Bible. “What witnesses do we have of Jesus besides the writings of the New Testament?” is often considered a valid question to delegitimize the New Testament. This would be like if a lawyer presented as evidence to a judge signed affidavits from several witnesses and the judge said, “Okay, but do you have any witnesses besides those who signed affidavits?” The New Testament is written by those who signed their testimony in blood. The only reason to reject their witness is because they claim what goes against your preconceived notions, because they declare what you do not want to believe. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is only unreasonable if you refuse to submit your reason to the facts of Holy Scripture.
John the Baptist prepared the way of the Lord Jesus. Jesus asked his listeners what they went out in the wilderness to see. A reed blowing in the wind? That is to ask if John simply proclaimed what popular opinion dictated. That certainly is not what John did. John proclaimed the way of Jesus. Jesus does not tell us what we want to believe. He tells us the truth. And so, Jesus and his forerunner John offended those with itching ears. And this again is why Jesus offends today. While there are many churches that will bend wherever the wind is blowing to accommodate the feelings and opinions of the masses, these churches do not prepare the way of Jesus. Yet, John the Baptist, never a shaking reed, offends, because he demands that his hearers deny themselves for Jesus.
Jesus asked the crowd if they went out to find a man dressed in soft clothing. Certainly not. They did not look for a king out in the wilderness, but rather a man who would sleep in a king’s dungeon on account of his preaching. John did not preach a prosperity Gospel that promised material wealth and earthly pleasures. Rather, he forsook all worldly riches and pleasures to proclaim the Gospel of eternal life through faith in Jesus. John the Baptist offends, because he demands that his hearers deny the riches of this world for Jesus.
John the Baptist offends those who are looking for a yes man, who will scratch their itching ears. John the Baptist offends those, who are in love with the riches and pleasures of this world. John the Baptist offends, because he prepares the way of the Lord Jesus. And he prepares the way of the Lord Jesus by preaching repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
The word repent means to change one’s mind. Repentance has two parts. First, contrition or sorrow over sin. The second is faith. True Christian repentance is when a sinner is sorry for his sins and turns to Christ for forgiveness and believes that his sins are forgiven for Christ’s sake. Good works are then bound to follow the person who has faith in Christ.
Repentance comes about through the preaching of both the Law and the Gospel. The Law is what God commands of us, namely, that we love the Lord God with all our heart, soul, and mind, and that we love our neighbor as ourselves. We are taught how to love in this way from the Ten Commandments. Yet, although the Law tells you to love, it gives you no power to do it. So, instead of the Law making you good, the Law proves that you are bad, as Romans 3:20 states, “By works of the law no human being will be justified in God’s sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.” It is important that the Law proves to you that you are a sinner, so that you know that you need a Savior. The Gospel is the good news that Jesus died for your sins and that God forgives you for Christ’s sake. The Gospel does not demand works, but rather faith. Faith is believing and trusting in God’s promise to forgive your sins for Christ’s sake.
The Law is offensive, because it accuses you of sin. No one wants his faults to be pointed out to him. No one wants to be called bad. No one wants to hear that he deserves to go to hell, that he has angered God, and that he is at fault. So, people are offended at the preaching of the Law and go rather where they will not hear about their sins.
The Gospel is offensive, because it takes away your power to boast. It says that you do not deserve God’s grace, but he gives it to you as a gift. But people want to earn their salvation. They want to be told that they deserve it. The Gospel does not tell you that you deserve a reward. The Gospel tells you that you are saved from your own sin and just damnation by God’s grace through the suffering and death of Jesus Christ. This is offensive.
The way John the Baptist prepares for the Lord is offensive to the world. It means that you must deny yourself, stop loving the things of this world, submit your reason to God’s word, repent of your sins and trust in Christ alone. The way John the Baptist prepares is offensive, because faith in Christ is offensive. But Jesus says, “Blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” That is to say, blessed is the one who has faith in Jesus Christ. Blessed is the one who denies himself, denies his wealth, repents of his sin, and trusts in Christ Jesus alone for forgiveness and salvation.
Jesus is offensive, because his Gospel attacks our false gods, our pride, our love of money and wisdom, and honor. Jesus is offensive, because he calls John who sits in prison waiting to be executed blessed, while he calls King Herod dining in the palace cursed. Jesus is offensive, because he calls tax-collectors, sinners, adulterers, cheats, and thieves blessed, because they lay their sins on Jesus, while he calls the scribes, Pharisees, and high priests, who trust in their own righteousness, cursed. Jesus is offensive because his Gospel calls blessed the one who does not work, but believes in him who justifies the ungodly (Romans 4:5). Jesus is offensive, because he calls blessed the one who believes that Jesus’ death takes away his sins. Jesus is offensive, because he truly did rise from the dead and promises a resurrection to eternal life to all who believe, an impossibility to those who worship their own science and reason.
Jesus calls blessed those who have been granted true repentance from the Holy Spirit through the preaching of the Gospel. This change of mind and heart brings Christians to trust in their Lord and cling to his promises, even when the world laughs and rages against them. So, do not be offended that Jesus tells you that Baptism forgives your sins. Do not be offended that Jesus offers you his own body and blood to eat and to drink. Do not be offended that Jesus bids you to believe that when his servant forgives your sins in his stead, that your sins are indeed forgiven. Do not be offended that Jesus bids you to believe that all you’ve done to deserve hell has been forgiven by his blood.
When you are not scandalized by the preaching of the Law nor offended by the promises of the Gospel, you are not offended by Christ Jesus. To not be offended by Christ means to have your mind changed by the Holy Spirit; it means that you have true faith. And that is to be blessed forever. Amen.

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The Signs of Jesus’ Coming

12/9/2020

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The Triumph Of Christianity Over Paganism, Gustave Doré, 1868, Public Domain

Advent 2
Luke 21:35-36
December 13, 2020

“Now when you see these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”

Our Lord Jesus tells us that there are appointed signs for the coming of the Son of Man in glory. For those who listen and believe Jesus’ word, these signs are a great comfort, reminding us that our redemption is coming near. Yet, for those who reject Jesus’ word, these signs are ignored and explained away or, as is often the case, they cause great distress and anxiety in the world. Jesus wants us to pay attention to the signs. But he does not want us to speculate as to their meaning. Rather, he wants us to turn to his holy Word with its promises for their sure interpretation.
It is par for the course that people ignore, misinterpret, and scoff at the signs God gives us. Take the rainbow for example. The rainbow is one of the most beautiful representations of God’s love and forgiveness. After violently destroying the world and killing everything on it with a catastrophic deluge, God fixed his bow in the sky as a sign of his covenant with all flesh that he would never again destroy the earth and kill all living things with a flood. Now, when we Christians see the rainbow, we are reminded that rather than destroying sin by killing all sinners with a flood, God washes away all sin in us through Baptism, through which we also are placed safely into the holy ark of the Christian Church. The rainbow, not only beautiful, is a sign of God’s love, patience, and forgiveness.
Yet, the world scoffs at this meaning of the rainbow. They think because they can explain the natural process by which a rainbow is formed, that light reflecting and refracting as it hits raindrops in the sky forms a spectrum of multicolored light, that God must not have created it. As if He who created light and wrote the laws of nature could not use those same laws to perform a sign. What’s even worse, the rainbow, the oldest sign of God’s covenantal love, has been hijacked to be a symbol celebrating carnal lust, sodomy, sexual perversion, and the destruction of God’s ordained distinctions between man and woman. The rainbow, which should be used by Christian parents to teach their children of God’s love and forgiveness, is now used by radicals to push the acceptance of abnormal sexual behavior and dangerous sexual philosophies upon our little children by means of public libraries, schools, and popular children shows and movies.
And so, the signs of the end times are treated no differently by the unbelieving world. Jesus says that there will be signs in sun and moon and stars. Many falsely interpret this to believe that there will be sudden supernatural signs in the sky directly before Christ’s return, so that all will know that Christ is coming. Yet, Jesus also tells us that he will come as a thief in the night and that people will continue as in the days of Noah, eating and drinking, marrying and giving into marriage. Rather, there will be and have been since the destruction of the temple in Jerusalem signs in the sky that Jesus is coming soon. Now it is certainly possible that some of these signs will have no natural explanation, as when God caused the sky to go dark in the middle of the day during Jesus’ crucifixion when there could not have been a solar eclipse at that time. Yet, many of these signs will have natural explanations, just as the rainbow does. Nevertheless, they remain signs fixed by God of the impending return of Christ.
Solar and lunar eclipses, red harvest moons, meteor shows and giant comets that light up the sky, these all have natural explanations for their occurrence, yet they remain signs of Christ’s coming. They’re dismissed by those who think natural processes determine the purpose of natural phenomena. Yet, our Lord Jesus determines their purpose. Their purpose is to alert his Christians to lift up their heads and pay attention, because their Redeemer is coming soon.
Some of the signs will cause great anxiety and perplexity: wild hurricanes, destructive tsunamis, earth quakes, wild fires, and the list of destructive natural disasters go on, so much so, that there are many in power who desire to upend our entire economy in order to get ahold of the reigns of the climate which causes many of these natural calamities. There have been and will be wars and rumors of wars, genocides, nations rising and falling, governments becoming destabilized. All these events will cause swooning and anxiety. Yet, without the revelation of Scripture, they will not cause people to pay attention to Jesus’ return. Rather, quite the opposite. Those who do not believe Jesus’ word will become even more enraptured by the things of this world. They’ll be so preoccupied with the cares of this life that they will not notice even the most obvious sign of Jesus’ coming or the clearest sermon of Jesus’ grace and forgiveness. Unless you listen to the words of Jesus, Satan will only use these signs of the end times to further distract you from Christ.
But we who have been enlightened by the Gospel and sanctified by the gifts of the Holy Spirit should look at these signs as continued reminders of God’s grace and forgiveness and of the necessity to repent of our sins every day. Jesus compares it to the fig tree and all the trees pushing out their leaves, so that you know that summer is coming. That is what these signs are. It is quite remarkable. The same signs that cause people to fret and faint, fear and stress out, are the same signs that bring calm and comfort to us. Why? Because Christ comes with healing in his wings. Jesus says that our redemption is drawing near.
Now, what does redemption mean? Well, it means that we were bought with a price, the very precious blood and innocent suffering and death of our Lord Jesus Christ. God became man! That’s what we’re preparing to celebrate on Christmas. The eternal God, who has no body, but is an infinite Spirit, who cannot be contained by heaven or the heaven of heavens, took on our flesh and bone, assumed a human soul, and was laid in a manger by his virgin mother. He nursed at her breast and slept in her lap, nodding off to the sweet sound of her lullabies. How beautiful! How mysteriously mild! And he did this in the fulness of time in order to prepare himself as a sacrifice for our sins. Christ Jesus fulfilled the Law in our place, in our flesh and blood, and he was punished in our stead. He is our ransom, our scapegoat. He paid the price for our sins by himself being the payment. Jesus is the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.
That is the Gospel. That is the Good News we confess and hold dear. And that is why we are not troubled by signs of the coming of Christ, because we know why he is coming. He is coming to claim his prize. Jesus, the Godman, will return in the same body that was born of the Virgin Mary, that was laid in a manger, that touched lepers and cleansed them, that carried his cross on his back, that was nailed to that cross and laid in the tomb, which truly rose again from the dead on the third day. That same body we will see upon the clouds. We will gaze upon those scars on his hands and feet, which were formed when nails were driven into them. They will remain as receipts of purchase. Christ Jesus has paid for us. We are his. That is what it means that our redemption is coming. It means that our Lord is coming to bring us to himself to live with him forever. It means we will enjoy eternal salvation.
Has a season ever snuck up on you? It has for me. This past year I was still thinking it was winter when suddenly it was summer. Of course, it was not sudden. There were lots of signs. I was just distracted. I wasn’t paying attention. My children aren’t that way. They notice the buds on the trees becoming tender and turning green, the return of seasonal birds, that it’s warm enough outside to ride a bike. This is how we should be with the signs of Jesus’ coming. We should notice these things taking place, and we should be filled with joyful anticipation that Jesus will fulfill his promise to us.
Jesus warns us to watch ourselves lest we too be weighed down with dissipation and drunkenness and cares of this life, and the day of his return come upon us like a trap. This is a real danger. We are not of the world, but we are in the world. It’s easy to become distracted, to get anxious, to think that the cares of this world are more pressing than the things of God’s kingdom. And this is common among Christians on earth. What do people find more important? Working for money or going to church to hear the Gospel? Well, you need money to pay your bills, to eat, and to live! Okay. What’s more important? Going to church to hear the Gospel or playing some game? Well, the team depends on us and we’ve made a commitment. Alright. And so, the choice to come and hearing the Gospel always seems to lose. It’s not that big of a deal though, right?
It is a very big deal. This is exactly what Jesus warns about. The cares of this life, no matter how important or trivial they may be are constantly used to distract you and your children from God’s Word and promise. And when they consistently win, eventually God’s word and promise is forgotten. You don’t know when Christ will return. There are signs that he will come soon. But again, if you are not listening to Jesus, then the signs won’t do you any good anyway.
Watch and pray Jesus teaches us. You watch by listening to God’s word, so that you can recognize the signs for what they are. And you pray according to God’s Word and promise. Whatever you ask for in faith, God will give you. To ask in faith means to ask according to God’s promise. This means that we should pray for what Jesus tells us to pray for. He tells us to pray that we will have strength to escape these things that are going to take place, so that we may stand before the Son of Man. What Jesus means is that we should pray that the distractions of this world would not cause us to lose our faith, but that we would continue to repent of our sins and believe in God’s forgiveness for Christ’s sake, so that when Christ comes, we will stand with a good conscience without fear. It is God who will strengthen us to withstand temptation and stand on that day. And he will strengthen us by the power of the Gospel of Christ. So, stay awake and keep watch. Listen to Jesus’ voice. Repent of your sins and believe that God forgives you. Pray to God for increased faith and endurance. And when you see these signs, take heart, because your redemption is coming near. Amen.

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O Lord, How Shall I Meet You?

12/1/2020

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Entry into Jerusalem, Pietron Lorenzetti, 1320, Public Domain

Advent 1
Matthew 21:1-11
November 29, 2020

“O Lord, how shall I meet You, How welcome You aright?” What a good question! How can we welcome the Lord Almighty? The crowds in Jerusalem from our Gospel lesson give us a wonderful example. They took off their cloaks and cut down branches from trees and laid them on the road for his donkey to walk on. They shouted out, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” There were shouts of joy and singing, a happier event than you’ve seen at any street parade.
Yet, how does this teach us how to meet our Lord? Should we cut branches off trees and stand out in the street waiting for Jesus to come in? No. The example these saints in Jerusalem give us is the example of faith. They received Jesus as their King and Savior through faith. And their laying down cloaks and palm branches, their shouts of joy and praise, these all revealed the faith within their hearts.
The crowds wouldn’t let the donkey Jesus road on touch the ground, so greatly they revered their Lord. They called him, “The Son of David,” which means that they believed him to be the Christ, the Righteous Branch, which God promised to raise up from David (Jeremiah 23:5-8). These crowds confessed with their words and actions that they believed Jesus to be the fulfillment of the prophecies of Scripture. They heard from his teaching and saw from his mighty deeds that he was indeed the promised Christ. Jesus taught God’s Word with authority and was faithful to the Scriptures. He made the blind see and the deaf hear; he made the lame man leap like a deer, as Scripture foretold. (Isaiah 35:5-6) They believed that Jesus was the Christ who was coming into the world. (John 11:27)
And these saints crowding the streets of Jerusalem used the words of Scripture to sing praises to their Lord and King. They shouted, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” These are the words of Psalm 118:25-26. Hosanna means, “Save us.” They are treating Jesus as their Savior and as saints are wont to do, they use the very words of Scripture to praise him.
And, so we should follow in the train of these saints who welcomed Jesus’ advent into Jerusalem that week of his crucifixion. We should have faith in Jesus. We should call him the Christ, the King in the highest, David’s Son and Lord. We should call him our Savior and cry to him for salvation with great anticipation. We should listen to the prophecies of Scripture and their promises and believe them. And we should borrow the words of Scripture as we worship our King, who comes to us, just as these saints did. And that is indeed what we do! Every Divine Service before Christ Jesus comes to us in his body and blood at the Sacrament of the Altar, we sing these same words, “Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the highest! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna, Hosanna, Hosanna in the Highest!” These are words of faith, which have been used by the saints for thousands of years.
And we should be joyful. We have a Savior who loves us. We should gladly come to worship him. This should be our fervent desire, not an obligation that takes up time we don’t have. Worshiping Christ, welcoming him into our midst is the greatest thing we do in life, the most important, and the most rewarding.
St. Paul also gives us instruction on how to meet our Lord, not only on Sunday mornings, but every day, especially as the day draws near for his return. He writes, “Salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.” (Romans 13:12-14)
And so, we too should recognize that our Lord Jesus came to die for our sins. He came to rescue us from their destruction and filth. If we are to welcome our Lord in faith, we must also repent of our filth, cast off the works of darkness which seek to enslave us and cling to Christ Jesus, walking according to his teachings of love, purity, honesty, and self-control. Scripture warns that the sexually immoral, the drunkards, the sensual, and those who are jealous, will not inherit the kingdom of God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:19-21) In Revelation 21, after describing the wonderful vision of the new heaven and the new earth, and Jesus, the Alpha and the Omega wiping the last tear from our eyes and destroying death, St. John writes, “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.” (vs. 8)
And so, it is clear that Christians cannot go on sinning as if it does not matter without repenting. You cannot rightly welcome your Lord Jesus if you refuse to turn from your sin. This means that if you have a habit of getting drunk, stop it. If you are fornicating, stop it. If you pick fights with people, gossip, lust after impure things, stop it. And every time these sins arise in you again, cast them off again. Drown your old Adam every day, so that the new man may rise up to welcome Christ at his coming.
It is sin which makes us fearful of Jesus’ return. If Christ comes to judge the nations, a terror to his foes, then it is a terror to those with a guilty conscience! Well, how can you greet Jesus with joy, when you’re a sinner? Jesus hates sin. Scripture clearly states that the wicked will be destroyed and sinners will not stand in the judgment (Psalms 1:5-6; 37:38)!
You can greet Jesus with joy, because Jesus does not come to deal with you according to your sins, but to rescue those who wait for him (Hebrews 9:28), that is, those who have faith in Christ’s forgiveness and salvation. Yes, Christians must repent of their sins. If you refuse to repent and continue to live as if sin is not a problem, then you are not a Christian. Your faith is fake. Yet, even Christians with a sincere faith still sin. We can’t help it. We’re still trapped in these sinful bodies. And although we desire to do what is right, our sinful flesh still lures us into sin each day. Although we daily drown the old Adam in us, he rises again to agitate our conscience. This is why St. Paul laments, “For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing.” (Romans 7:29) This is the condition of all Christians. Yet, there is a big difference between falling into sins of weakness but repenting of them, and continuing in sin with no remorse without turning to Christ for forgiveness. Jesus promises to forgive you as often as you repent. But if you refuse to repent, then you refuse Christ’s forgiveness.
This is what the Apostle John says in 1 John 1, “If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin.” Christians are still sinners on earth. And Christians are saved. Jesus saves sinners. That is what he came to earth to do. The crowd in Jerusalem, which welcomed Jesus with such faithful songs and praise, were welcoming him who would die for their sins. That is why Jesus came to Jerusalem. He came to die for the sins of the whole world.
This means that your sins should not make you doubt your salvation. Jesus died for your sins. God knew your sins and the sin of the whole world, and he still sent Jesus to pay for it all with his suffering and death. In Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, we see how willing Christ is to die for us. We see how set he is on winning for us salvation. Jesus commanded that his Church baptize all nations. Scripture promises that Baptism forgives sins and grants salvation to all who believe. Jesus told his ministers to forgive the sins of others and promised that he also would forgive their sins in heaven. Jesus sent out his Apostles to preach the Gospel in every land and promised that whoever believes and is baptized will be saved. The bread and wine, which we share in the Sacrament, Jesus tells us is his very body, which he gave for us on the cross, and his very blood which is poured out for the forgiveness of our sins. Jesus came to earth to save sinners. And he comes to us today in his Word and Sacraments in order to save us.
As Christians, our sins do not cause us to fear Christ’s arrival, because Jesus died to take away our sins. And he comes to us frequently through his Word and Sacrament in order to heal us and forgive our sins, so we do not fear his coming on the Last Day, because we know how he will deal with us. As we just sang,
Sin’s debt, that fearful burden,
Cannot His love erase;
Your guilt the Lord will pardon
And cover by His grace.
He comes, for you procuring
The peace of sin forgiv’n.
His children thus securing
Eternal life in heav’n. (Paul Gerhardt, O Lord, How Shall I Meet You, LSB 334:6).

As the crowds and children received Jesus in faith and joyful praise, Jesus’ enemies in hatred plotted his destruction. Less than a week later, while this crowd of Christians slept after celebrating the Passover, Jesus’ enemies arrested Jesus, put him on trial, hurling fists and false accusations against him, and brought him before the pagan governor. By the time the faithful woke up, Jesus was already headed to the cross. In confusion many of them ran and hid, many lost heart. Jesus’ own disciples hid in fear behind locked doors. Only when Jesus returned victorious from the grave and sent the Holy Spirit to them, did these faithful gain courage again to sing his praises in public.
And so, it is with us today. As the chief priests and scribes looked with hatred upon the celebrating faithful in Jerusalem, so the powerful in this world hate and plot against the Church. Satan and his real human minions look at our celebration of Christ as foolish childhood play. They seek to discourage us and to erase Jesus from our hearts and from this land. But just as Jesus overcame the evil plots of Satan and the chief priests, so Christ has arranged for his Christians to overcome the plots of the enemies of his Church. Though we face evil in this world, we will prevail. While the enemies of Christ look at Christ’s return with terror and the more foolish among them look at it with scorn, we look to Christ’s return with joy and great anticipation, for we know that when he comes, he will give an imperishable crown of righteousness to all who love his appearing.
He comes to judge the nations,
A terror to His foes,
A light of consolation
And blessed hope to those
Who love the Lord’s appearing.
O glorious Sun, now come,
Send forth Your beams so cheering,
And guide us safely home. Amen. (LSB 334:7).

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Watch Therefore, For You Know Neither The Day Nor The Hour.

11/23/2020

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James Tissot, The Wise Virgins, 1886-94, Brooklyn Museum, No Known Copyright Restrictions

Last Sunday of the Church Year
Matthew 25:1-13
November 22, 2020

“Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” This is an earnest warning from our Lord Jesus. Jesus will come to judge the living and the dead. Some will be found unprepared and will be barred from the heavenly banquet for all eternity. Those who are prepared will be ushered into the heavenly wedding banquet to enjoy eternal life. We do not know when this hour will come, so we should keep watch lest we be found unprepared.
Yet, how is one found prepared? Jesus says that the wise are prepared, while the foolish are unprepared. Yet, be careful. The foolishness Jesus speaks of is not the foolishness of this world. And the wisdom Jesus speaks of is not the wisdom of this world. Rather, it is as Scripture says, “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God,”, and “For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe.” (1 Corinthians 1:18, 21) So, the wisdom Jesus speaks of here is entirely different from the wisdom of this world. And the foolishness Jesus speaks of is not what the world considers folly.
The ten virgins represent the church on earth. They all look the same. They look good. The only difference is that some have oil and some do not, but you won’t be able to tell that with your eyes until the lamps are lit. But outward appearance does not make one part of the true Church or make one wise. Only faith, which is in the heart can do that. The wise virgins had oil in their flasks. Their oil is faith given to them by the Holy Spirit through the Word of God. Just as you can’t see the oil in the flasks, you can’t see someone’s faith in the heart. The foolish virgins had no oil in their lamps. Their lamps were just pretty decorations. Beyond that, they were utterly useless.
To be wise means to listen to the Word of God, so that you repent of your sins and believe in God’s promise of salvation in Jesus Christ. The foolish pay no attention to God’s word, refuse to repent of their sins, and refuse to believe in the Gospel.
To be wise means to be humble and to fear the Lord. Scripture says, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.” To fear the Lord means to recognize him as Judge and to turn to him for salvation. Scripture also says, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” Despite what many think in this age where atheism is so rampant, the Psalmist is not speaking simply of those who deny the existence of a Creator. Rather, he speaks of those who behave in their heart as if there is no God to judge them. It is as Psalm 36 states, “Transgression speaks to the wicked deep in his heart; there is no fear of God before his eyes. For he flatters himself in his own eyes that his iniquity cannot be found out and hated.” And so many nominal Christians live as if there is no God, as if God cannot look into their hearts and judge them, as if we should not in fear humble ourselves before God and ask for forgiveness every day.
To be wise means to meditate on the words of God. Proverbs 9 states, “Give instruction to a wise man, and he will be still wiser; teach a righteous man, and he will increase in learning.” There is no such thing as a stagnant faith. We are surrounded by attacks against our faith. The devil roars at us. The world lures us away. And our sinful flesh battles against our spirit! If you are not growing in faith, you are shrinking in faith. To despise the word of God, to think that you just don’t need it or that you can go without it is foolish. It is a sure way to destroy your faith in Christ and to become unprepared for the return of Christ.
Sometimes I wonder whether Christ will decide to return during the Divine Service. How wonderful that would be! To prepare your heart to receive Christ in faith, to believe what your eyes cannot yet see, and then be so blessed as to see your Savior coming with salvation! And how awful it would be if you chose something else than to hear God’s Word! If the Lord finds you seeking after the “important” things of this life instead of filling your lamps with oil!
Skipping church is the most foolish and reckless thing that Christians do on earth. Not only is it a sin breaking the Third Commandment, which forbids us to despise preaching and his Word, but commands us to hold it sacred and gladly hear and learn it, but it is dangerous! Scripture promises, “Faith comes by hearing and hearing through the word of Christ.” And the Psalmist says, “How can a young man keep his way pure, by guarding it according to Your Word.” Yet, Christians habitually ignore this promise and warning as if they are thinking, “I think I’ve got enough oil in my lamp to get me to next week or next month or Christmas Eve.” This is like driving down the interstate on empty, but not taking the next exit to get gas, because you’re making good time, or the kids are asleep, or you like the song on the radio. You’d find yourself stranded on the side of the road.
Yet, hearing God’s word but not listening is just as damaging as not hearing it at all. Jesus says, “Everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it.” (Matthew 7:26-27) And this leads to our next point about the wise. The wise accept rebuke and correction. That is to say, the Word of God has an effect on them. When Christians hear that they have sinned, they repent of their sins. They know that it does them no good to defend themselves. It is God who justifies. Without the Word of God, it is impossible to have saving faith. And if you reject God’s Word, so that it cannot work on your heart to bring you to repentance and to trust in its promises, then you will remain without oil in your lamp.
The oil of the foolish runs out, because they behave as if they have plenty of time. They get preoccupied with the things of this world. They’re concerned with being found wise by those, whom God finds to be utter fools. And this foolishness spreads to all levels of the church. Entire church bodies devote themselves to ever new ways of being found wise by those who hate God. And so, shepherd-less flocks gather to hear words and leave without a drop of oil added to their flasks. And so, the wise must always take heed and listen to the voice of their Shepherd, Jesus Christ and to mark and avoid false teachers, who do not preach God’s Word.
When Jesus returns, there will no longer be any time to repent. There will be no time to get oil. You can pray for your loved ones, but you cannot believe for them. In order to be saved, one needs to have faith now. When Christ returns, there will no longer be time.
“Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.” These are the worst words you can possibly hear from Jesus’ mouth! Amen is the word we use at the end of prayers to express our firm faith that God hears us and will answer our prayers. We say, “amen,” at a Baptism to confess God’s sure promise to forgive and save the baptized. We say, “amen,” after we receive the Absolution, because we are confident that as far as the east is from the west, so far does God remove our transgressions from us. We say, “amen,” when we receive Christ’s body and blood for the forgiveness of our sins, because we confess that we are certain that we have Communion with Christ, forgiveness of sins, life, and salvation. We say, “amen,” when the pastor says, “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.”, because we believe that the almighty God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit has indeed put his name upon us and will save us on the Last Day. Amen is the most comforting word we Christians ever say or hear. It means, “This is most certainly true.”, and “Yes, yes, it shall be so.” Yet, Jesus uses this beautiful word in the most horrifying way. It means that the time to believe the Gospel is over. The door is shut. Amen, Jesus does not know you. That’s the end of it.
Yet, Scripture says, “For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.” (1 Thess. 5:9-10) How can we believe these words are meant for us? Because we believe the Gospel now. While it is still day and the hour has not yet come, we believe now that Christ Jesus has died for us, that he has forgiven our sins. We say, “Amen,” to the Gospel now, so that we will not hear Jesus say, “Amen, I do not know you.”, but rather, “Amen, I do know you as surely as I placed my name on you in Baptism, absolved you of all your sins, fed you my body and blood, and shepherded you throughout your life. I know you. Come into my wedding hall. Amen, I say to you, I know you and will know you forever.” We say, “amen.”, now so that we will never hear the dreaded amen of condemnation, but only the precious Amen of the Gospel for all eternity.
To be wise means to believe the Gospel that Jesus Christ has truly washed away your sins so that you are forgiven before God your Father in heaven. When we say, “amen” to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, it is like we’ve just put the cap on our flasks after filling it with oil. We hear the Gospel and we believe it. And everyone who confessing Christ will be saved. Amen. Amen. Amen.

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"For faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ." ~ Romans 10:17

John the Baptist Teaches Us to Confess

Blessed Is the One Who Is Not Offended by Me

The Signs of Jesus’ Coming

O Lord, How Shall I Meet You?

Watch Therefore, For You Know Neither The Day Nor The Hour.

Rev. James Preus

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