What Are You Really Trusting? The Cross Exposes Our Boasting

Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 1:18-31

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. For it is written,

“I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,

and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.”

Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 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. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.

For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards, not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, so that no human being might boast in the presence of God. And because of him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.”

Boasting in the Cross: Finding True Worth in Christ Alone

Preacher: Roland Rossmiller

Scripture Foundation: 1 Corinthians 1:26-31

Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God our Father and from the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Hidden Problem of Human Boasting

We all boast. Sometimes the words even come out loud for others to hear. Most of the time, the boasting stays quiet, hidden inside our hearts, where only God sees it. We tell ourselves things like:

• "I worked hard and figured life out"

• "Look at what I have accomplished in my life"

• "I raised good kids"

• "My family is doing really well"

• "My marriage is strong"

Even in the church, we find ways to boast: "I have served here longer than most people," or "I know more Bible verses than the average person."

The Corinthian Church and Our Modern Struggle

The Christians in Corinth were no different. They loved to brag about their smart speeches, their high position, their impressive lives. Paul looked straight at the problem, and he tells them—and us—that the message of the cross makes all human boasting look empty and small.

When we find our value in anything other than Jesus crucified, it shows that our hearts are still holding on to ourselves instead of resting in Jesus and His grace.

Why Wrong Boasting Hurts Us

Wrong boasting shows pride and insecure hearts. We often use the world's way of measuring success. The world loves:

• Power that impresses people

• Wisdom that sounds clever

• Success everyone can see

We take those standards and use them on God, the church, and even on our own lives.

How We Measure Success Wrongly

The Jews in Paul's age wanted miracles—big signs of power. The Greeks wanted polished teaching that made them feel smart. We do something similar today:

• We judge a church by how many people show up each Sunday

• We evaluate based on how smooth the preacher is or how exciting it feels

• We decide a church is good based on growth numbers, nice buildings, and charismatic leaders

• We even look at our own faith and wonder if God is pleased with us because our life looks successful to the outside world

Four Ways Wrong Boasting Reveals Our Hearts

Why does this kind of wrong boasting hurt us so much? It shows what is really going on inside our hearts:

1. It Shows Pride

We secretly believe we bring something valuable to God, something that makes us deserve His love.

2. It Shows Self-Trust

Deep down, we feel safer relying on our own hard work than on what Jesus did on the cross.

3. It Shows Insecurity

Our sense of worth depends on keeping up appearances. When things slip, when we fail, or when life gets hard, we become afraid, angry, or depressed.

4. It Traps Us in Performance

It locks us in a cycle of trying to perform well enough to feel okay. It steals our peace.

Worst of all, it hides the true message of the cross: We are helpless sinners. We cannot impress God. We cannot save ourselves. When we boast in the wrong things, we make the cross seem unnecessary and weak. Then when life disappoints—as it always will—we are left anxious, empty, and afraid.

An Example: Boasting About Family

Let me give you an example: boasting about family. We say things like, "My kids turned out great. Our home life is perfect." Those words often come from a heart that trusts in control and effort more than God's grace.

God's Answer: Christ Crucified

God has an answer: Christ crucified. He ends our boasting and gives true safety.

God has a better plan. He chooses what the world calls foolish and weak—on purpose. He does this to destroy all human pride.

Paul reminds the Corinthians in verse 26: "Not many of you were wise by the world's standards. Not many were powerful. Not many came from important families."

God picks the small, the weak, the overlooked, so that no one may boast in His presence.

The Good News That Heals Our Boasting

The good news of Jesus directly heals our wrong boasting. Christ crucified is God's real power and God's real wisdom. He saves us through something that looks like complete failure—through weakness, shame, and death on a cross.

Listen to these beautiful words from verse 30:

"Because of him, you are in Christ Jesus. Christ became for us wisdom from God, righteousness, holiness, and redemption."

What This Means for You

Wisdom: You do not think your way to God or behave perfectly to reach Him. The cross shows the hard truth about our sin and the wonderful truth about God's love.

Righteousness: You did not earn a right standing with God by being successful, moral, or having a perfect family. Jesus lived the perfect life you could not live. He covers every failure and every proud word you have ever spoken. All your sins—even your boasting—were nailed to the cross with Him.

Holiness and Sanctification: You are set apart as God's own, not because of your spiritual discipline or how mature you feel. Christ makes you holy. His Holy Spirit works in you continually, even when you feel weak and messy.

Redemption: Jesus bought you completely. You belong to Him now, not because you impressed Him, but because He paid the full price with His blood.

What Happens When We Boast Only in Christ

When we boast only in Christ, something wonderful happens in our hearts:

1. Freedom

We no longer have to prove our worth every day. Our place with God is safe because of His grace alone.

2. Security

When family life falls apart, when health fails, when successes disappear, Christ never changes.

3. Humble Trust

We finally admit that we are nothing without Him.

4. Thanks and Joy

We stand amazed that God would choose and save a weak, boastful sinner like ourselves.

5. Real Love

Because we no longer need other people's approval, we can serve them freely and without strings attached.

Remember Your Baptism

In your baptism, the cross of Christ was placed on you. The old, proud, boastful self was drowned in the water. Jesus claimed you as His own forever.

So when the temptation comes to boast in yourself—or to despair because you have failed—come back to the truth:

Jesus carried your pride. He carried your need to look good. He carried your secret fears to the cross. In return, He gives you His perfect righteousness, completely free.

Rest there. Stay there.

How to Reshape Our Speech and Lives

Paul's final word is simple and clear from verse 31:

"Let the one who boasts boast in the Lord."

We stop boasting in:

• Our intelligence

• Our success

• Our good behavior

• Our perfect family

• Our church record

Instead, we boast in Christ crucified—the Savior who picked weak, foolish sinners like us, who died for our pride, and who gives us wisdom, righteousness, holiness, and redemption as free gifts.

Practical Ways This Changes Our Daily Lives

When Family Feels Messy

When kids disappoint or our relationships are strained, boast in the Lord who redeems broken homes and whose grace is bigger than our failures.

When Achievements Fade

When health declines or when we can no longer keep up, boast in the Lord whose power is made perfect in our weakness.

When We Compare Ourselves to Others

When we catch ourselves comparing or trying to prove we are better than others, turn and boast in the Lord who chose us before we had anything to offer Him.

In Our Conversations

When we talk with family, friends, and coworkers, we can stop promoting ourselves. Instead, point to Jesus: "I am not impressive at all, but look what Jesus has done for sinners like me."

A New Way of Boasting

This new way of boasting humbles us completely—no pride is left. At the same time, it lifts us up. We have eternal security in God's unchanging grace.

The world never stops asking the same questions:

• What have you achieved?

• How impressive are you?

• What makes you stand out?

The cross of Jesus asks only one question: Who has saved you?

The answer is: Jesus Christ, crucified for our sins and risen from the dead. He saved us through what the world calls foolish and weak. He did this in ways that ensure no one can ever boast before God.

Conclusion: Set Free to Boast in the Lord

Because of Him, we are no longer slaves to wrong boasting. We are set free. We boast only in the Lord, His cross, His gifts, and His never-ending grace.

May the peace of God, which surpasses all our understanding, guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Amen.

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The Value of God-Given Wisdom

Scripture Reading: 1 Kings 3:4-15

And the king went to Gibeon to sacrifice there, for that was the great high place. Solomon used to offer a thousand burnt offerings on that altar. At Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night, and God said, “Ask what I shall give you.” And Solomon said, “You have shown great and steadfast love to your servant David my father, because he walked before you in faithfulness, in righteousness, and in uprightness of heart toward you. And you have kept for him this great and steadfast love and have given him a son to sit on his throne this day. And now, O Lord my God, you have made your servant king in place of David my father, although I am but a little child. I do not know how to go out or come in. And your servant is in the midst of your people whom you have chosen, a great people, too many to be numbered or counted for multitude. Give your servant therefore an understanding mind to govern your people, that I may discern between good and evil, for who is able to govern this your great people?”

It pleased the Lord that Solomon had asked this. And God said to him, “Because you have asked this, and have not asked for yourself long life or riches or the life of your enemies, but have asked for yourself understanding to discern what is right, behold, I now do according to your word. Behold, I give you a wise and discerning mind, so that none like you has been before you and none like you shall arise after you. I give you also what you have not asked, both riches and honor, so that no other king shall compare with you, all your days. And if you will walk in my ways, keeping my statutes and my commandments, as your father David walked, then I will lengthen your days.”

And Solomon awoke, and behold, it was a dream. Then he came to Jerusalem and stood before the ark of the covenant of the Lord, and offered up burnt offerings and peace offerings, and made a feast for all his servants.

The True Value of God-Given Wisdom: Learning How to Ask Rightly

Preacher: Roland Rossmiller
Scripture: 1 Kings 3:5-12 (Solomon's Prayer for Wisdom)

Grace, mercy and peace be to you, from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

In our Old Testament reading today, God does something that almost sounds reckless. He appears to Solomon in a dream and asks, "What shall I give you?" God does not restrict the request or give Solomon guidelines on a safe answer. He simply says, "Ask."

Introduction: Not About Wish Fulfillment

This text is not about wish fulfillment or chasing dreams. It teaches something far more important: how God forms His servants so that they learn how to ask rightly. That is why the deeper question is not simply what Solomon will ask for, but whether he understands what he truly needs from God. And in that question, God is instructing us as well.

This text teaches us not only what wisdom is, but why God-given wisdom is more valuable than anything else we could ask for. God calls us to repent of self-reliance, to trust Him and His promises in Christ, and to ask for wisdom that listens to His word and serves the neighbor.

The Problem: We Don't Ask for True Wisdom

The problem is that we don't normally ask for what is true wisdom. Solomon's confession exposes something universal: every person eventually discovers the same truth—there are limits to our capacity.

Solomon begins not with confidence, but with a confession, acknowledging that he is young—not childish, but inexperienced. He stands before a task far greater than himself: governing God's covenant people. Human authority without divine wisdom is dangerous. Scripture repeatedly shows that leaders who trust themselves end up leading God's people astray.

The problem Solomon faces is not simply political inexperience. It is spiritual insufficiency.

Approaching God Through Repentance

Before his dream, Solomon goes to the town of Gibeon to offer sacrifices. Solomon approaches God not as a self-made ruler, but as a dependent worshiper. Sacrifice does not replace repentance, but it expresses it. A heart unwilling to be corrected cannot truly be wise. Wisdom requires humility, and humility grows only where repentance is alive.

When God invites Solomon to ask, Solomon does not rush to his desires. He begins by remembering who God is and what God has done already. He recounts God's steadfast love to David and remembers God's faithfulness across generations. Prayer that begins with remembrance learns how to ask rightly. Prayer that forgets God's mercy often reveals hearts that have already assumed they know what is right.

True Humility: "I Am Only a Little Child"

Solomon says of himself, "I am only a little child." This is not false humility or polite speech—it is a genuine confession of dependence on God. Wisdom begins where self-confidence ends.

We often confuse wisdom with certainty, control, and success. But Scripture teaches us that wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord, recognizing that we are creatures, not creators; servants, not masters. That is precisely why God's invitation to ask exposes how deeply we trust ourselves instead of Him.

Solomon's Request: A Listening Heart

Solomon frames his request within God's covenant promises. He remembers God's faithfulness to David and the earlier promise to Abraham that God would bless His people through His offspring. Standing within God's promise to bless His people, Solomon asks for an understanding mind to discern good and evil. He is literally asking for a listening heart. He wants the ability to hear rightly and to judge according to God's word.

True wisdom does not begin by speaking, deciding, or acting, but by listening to what God has already said. God responds by giving Solomon a wise and discerning heart. Solomon asked for capacity, and God gives him character. Wisdom begins not by asking what we want, but with trusting what God has promised.

Wisdom is not clever strategy or political calculation. Wisdom begins with hearing—hearing God's word, receiving instruction, and allowing God's truth to shape judgment. God-given wisdom is a heart trained by God's word to hear Him, trust His promises in Christ, and then act for the good of our neighbor.

God's Generous Response

The text tells us that Solomon's request pleased the Lord, not because Solomon impressed God, but because his request flowed from humility, repentance, and trust. When prayer aligns with God's will, it reveals that God's word has already been shaping the heart by grace.

God, of course, is not obligated to give wisdom. He gives it freely as a gift rather than a reward. We receive wisdom the same way Solomon did: through repentance and prayer, given by God through His Word and promise.

Along with wisdom, God gives Solomon what he did not ask for—riches, honor, and peace—showing that God's generosity always goes beyond our prayers. This is why Scripture treats wisdom not as an achievement, but as grace from God. Like forgiveness and life, wisdom is given, not earned, not deserved, not achieved through effort.

Two Kinds of Wisdom

The world defines wisdom by results: success, control, recognition. Worldly wisdom says, "Be strong, be certain, protect yourself, win." God's wisdom says, "Hear my word, repent, trust my promises, serve your neighbor, even when it costs you."

Christ: The True Wisdom of God

Despite his wisdom, Solomon will later fail, as shown in Scripture. And Scripture does not hide this. No human king can finally govern God's people rightly.

Jesus Christ does not merely possess wisdom—He is the wisdom of God, listening perfectly to the Father. He rules not by force, but by the cross. In Him, we see the true value of God-given wisdom: not success without suffering, but salvation through the cross. What appears foolish to the world becomes salvation. God chooses what is weak to shame the strong.

God still gives wisdom today, not through dreams at high places, but through Christ's word, proclaimed and given. We do not climb up to wisdom by hard work. God brings wisdom down to us in Christ, through the preaching, through Scripture, through the sacraments, and through His promises.

The cross is the clearest example: what appears to the world as weakness, failure, or loss is, in fact, God's wise and saving work. The wisdom of God does not avoid the cross. It works through it.

Conclusion: Learning How to Ask

God teaches us what to ask for by first giving us what we need. Wisdom begins not with asking what we want, but with trusting what God has promised. And in Christ, God gives more than wisdom. He gives Himself.

This is the true value of God-given wisdom: in Christ, God gives far more than we could ever deserve.

May the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

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Matthew’s Big Claim: Every Promise of Israel Ends in Jesus

Scripture Reading: Matthew 2:13-23

Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men. Then was fulfilled what was spoken by the prophet Jeremiah:

“A voice was heard in Ramah,
weeping and loud lamentation,
Rachel weeping for her children;
she refused to be comforted, because they are no more.”

But when Herod died, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt, saying, “Rise, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the child's life are dead.” And he rose and took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there, and being warned in a dream he withdrew to the district of Galilee. And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene.

Jesus: The True and Perfect Israel

Understanding Matthew's Gospel Through the Story of the Massacre of the Innocents

Grace, mercy and peace to you from God, our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Today, as we continue our Christmas season, we get one of the nastiest stories in all of the New Testament. Evil King Herod comes and kills a whole bunch of kids because he is trying to destroy the Christ child. This king is acting in the way any king in the ancient world would. He is just trying to destroy a threat to his rule, no matter how small.

The Key to Understanding Matthew's Message

But that's not what I'd like to focus on today. I think while that story gets the headlines of our reading, it is part of a theology that Matthew is trying to communicate to us, to help us understand who Jesus is. And the key to it is the passage from the Old Testament that he quotes when he says, "This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: Out of Egypt I called my son."

This prophecy that Jesus fulfills is a key to unlocking what Matthew is trying to help us see about who Jesus is, why he came, and what he means for us throughout the whole Old Testament story and the promises that God gives us now today.

The Central Theme: Jesus Is the New Israel

And that theme is: Jesus is the true and perfect Israel. All of God's people, all of the promises, everything from the Old Testament, is wrapped up in one man, Jesus Christ. And we can see it because of that phrase "out of Egypt I called my son."

Understanding the Prophecy from Hosea

To understand why I say that, you have to understand that this prophecy is a prophecy from Hosea. The Prophet is looking back at the promises of God, and He is pointing to what had already happened from his perspective: God called Ancient Israel out of slavery in Egypt, and they came up to the promised land.

And Hosea recalls this event in the past. For him, the son was not an individual, but all of God's promised people, the entire people of Israel who came out of slavery, out of Egypt and went up to the promised land. And Hosea is recalling this as part of his proclamation for Israel to remain faithful to the true God.

Matthew's Reapplication

Matthew then reapplies this. He says, the Son is not truly that ancient people—the real and true son is Jesus Christ. Jesus is the new Israel. Jesus is the fulfillment of every promise, everything that was ever made to the people of old: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David and all the rest. Jesus is the new Israel.

Parallels Between Israel's Story and Jesus' Story

And we can see this in the stories of Matthew. The things that happened to Israel happened to Jesus, and it's in our story now.

Pharaoh and Herod: The Slaughter of Children

Just as Pharaoh persecuted the male children in the Exodus, Herod kills the male children in Bethlehem. You may know the story: after Joseph dies, and then generations go on and God's people grow and get bigger and bigger and bigger, eventually a pharaoh comes who does not know the history of Joseph and that people, and he gets scared of ancient Israel. And so what he does is he decides that all of the male children who are born should be killed. Not a nice guy, right?

That is very much parallel to our story today. And just as Moses escaped the slaughter of the children by Pharaoh, so Jesus escapes the slaughter of the children in Bethlehem by escaping down to Egypt.

The Journey Out of Egypt

When Herod dies, Jesus follows the same path out of Egypt. He comes to the promised land to grow up in Nazareth. Jesus is the new Israel.

More Parallels Throughout Matthew's Gospel

This isn't the only part of the story that is like that. Throughout the book of Matthew, he repeats the things that happen to Israel happen to Jesus.

Entering Through the Jordan

Israel enters the promised land through the Jordan River. The story is when they bring the ark into the Jordan River, the waters split and they come across to the promised land, and now they enter into God's blessings. Jesus is baptized in the Jordan River and begins to enter the promised land as a preacher, a teacher and a healer.

Temptation in the Wilderness

Israel was tempted in the wilderness for 40 years, and when they grumbled, God fed them manna. Jesus was in the wilderness for 40 days, but he didn't grumble. He simply fasted and waited for God.

Twelve Sons and Twelve Disciples

Jacob had 12 sons. Jesus had 12 Disciples.

The Law from the Mountain

Moses goes up the mountain to get the law from God on the tablets of stone, and he delivers them to the people. Jesus goes up on top of the mount and gives a sermon, expanding the law of God and applying it to God's people—the new Moses, even greater than the one who came before.

The Suffering Servant

Jesus is the suffering servant that Isaiah predicted, who comes and bears the wounds of the people on himself and gives them healing and peace, even destroying the power of death over them. He is the one who fulfills the prophecies of the king of Israel.

Feeding in the Wilderness

Jesus too feeds the people in the wilderness. When there are 5,000 people out in the middle of nowhere and they are hungry, what does he give them? Not manna, but bread and fish.

Jesus: The Better Everything

Jesus is the better Moses. He's the better David. He's the better Abraham, the better King, the better Law giver, the better Jacob, the better everything. He finally comes to be the Israel that God always meant them to be—one who does not struggle with God, but fulfills the covenant, is faithful in everything, and then receives every promise in the Old Testament, because he is true. He is the great Israel.

Why This Matters: The Promises Fulfilled in Christ

And you might ask, why does this matter? Pastor, this is a neat bit of theology and kind of fun to be able to look at the themes of the Gospel of Matthew. And if we were in maybe a classroom, you'd be like, "Ah, cool. Let's talk about this."

The Question of God's Promises

It matters because the promises that God made to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David and all the people of Israel are true in Christ for us. But there are many Christians who look back at those promises and say, "Wait a second. God didn't fulfill them. God made the Jews a promise of an earthly kingdom. He made them a promise that they would have a nation located all the way out in the Mediterranean. What is going on?"

Two Different Views

And so there are two options that Christians take to understanding this. One is what Matthew says. But there are many Christians who believe that there are separate promises to the nation of Israel and the Jews and separate promises to the church, and that God still is going to come and give the nation of Israel an earthly kingdom that they will conquer and win and fight just like David did in the days of old. They believe that there are two covenants, one between God and Israel and one between God and the church. And it affects a number of things, including American politics and the nation of Israel.

Matthew's Answer: Jesus IS Israel

But they're wrong because the Gospel of Matthew says they're wrong. Jesus is Israel. The promises come true in Him. Jesus is the new and great Israel who does everything that Israel was supposed to do. And so the promises of the Old Testament are fulfilled perfectly in him, not in a small way, but in an even greater way.

Greater Than Expected

Jesus is not just king of a small piece of land on the Mediterranean, but King of all creation. He didn't just bring salvation to a small people, but to the whole world. He doesn't invite just one ethnic line into God's kingdom, but everyone in every place, just as the great promises of the Old Testament talk about.

All Promises Come True in Christ

And so every promise that God gave to Adam and Eve, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to Moses, to David and every other Old Testament figure come true in Christ. And anyone who is in Christ then receives those promises because He is the true and great Israel. And we who become part of him become part of that Israel.

Paul's Teaching in Galatians

Paul says the same thing over and over again throughout his letters. If you look at Galatians 3, this is the place where he is most explicit about that, where he says:

"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 no male or female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's offspring, heirs according to the promise."

He says that if you are in Christ, you are Israel—Abraham's offspring—because you have been brought into Jesus and all the great promises, every single one becomes yours.

The Promises Are Already Fulfilled

We're not waiting for God to make promises come true for a group of people off the Mediterranean. We are looking for promises that have already come true for us in Christ.

That's not the only place Paul does that. Romans 4 is another passage. The whole chapter is all about how the promises of God come to us, the Gentiles, through Abraham, because he becomes our Father in Christ. Everything for Israel becomes ours in Jesus, the true and Great Israel.

The Church Doesn't Replace Israel—Christ IS Israel

It's not about one genetic line. It's not about one lineage, one nation, one government, or anything like that. We the church don't replace Israel. Christ is Israel, and all the promises come true in that.

Otherwise we have to be waiting for God to do something. We have to wait for him to be going out to Israel and making a new kingdom and fighting armies and doing all those things, and we, the church, are just a side note in God's plan.

But that's not what Matthew says. The New Israel, the great Israel who brings all of the promises of the Old Testament, is Jesus Christ, who makes us a part of that promise by faith in Him.

In Jesus' name, amen.

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The Lowly King Who Terrifies Sin, Death, and the Devil | Psalm 2 Sermon

Scripture Reading: Psalm 2

Why do the nations rage
    and the peoples plot in vain?
The kings of the earth set themselves,
    and the rulers take counsel together,
    against the Lord and against his Anointed, saying,
“Let us burst their bonds apart
    and cast away their cords from us.”

He who sits in the heavens laughs;
    the Lord holds them in derision.
Then he will speak to them in his wrath,
    and terrify them in his fury, saying,
“As for me, I have set my King
    on Zion, my holy hill.”

I will tell of the decree:
The Lord said to me, “You are my Son;
    today I have begotten you.
Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
    and the ends of the earth your possession.
You shall break them with a rod of iron
    and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel.”

Now therefore, O kings, be wise;
    be warned, O rulers of the earth.
Serve the Lord with fear,
    and rejoice with trembling.
Kiss the Son,
    lest he be angry, and you perish in the way,
    for his wrath is quickly kindled.
Blessed are all who take refuge in him.

Joy to the World: The King Who Came to Destroy Our Enemies

A Christmas Sermon on Psalm 2

Grace, mercy and peace to you from God, our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen.

The Surprising Truth About "Joy to the World"

Joy to the World is one of the classic hymns of the Christmas season. But I bet you didn't know that Isaac Watts never intended for it to be sung on this occasion. It is an end of the world hymn he saw. He wrote Joy to the World for the return of Christ, not the birth of Christ.

And it makes sense, because all of the things about this hymn are "Joy to the world, the Lord is come." All the bad stuff has gone away. "No more let sin or sorrow grow, nor thorns infest the ground." Sounds a bit like Christ has come to reverse the curse of the Garden of Eden, to banish the enemy that has oppressed us all these years.

Understanding Psalm 2: A Coronation Hymn

And it's great because that is exactly what our Psalm is about today—about a king who is coming to destroy the enemies. That's what Psalm 2 is about. For ancient Israel, this was most likely a coronation hymn, something that they would have sung or spoken whenever the king was crowned, the king of Israel whose job it was to defend against the enemies of the nation that would come and attack Israel.

He was God's tool and method to take care of the people. He would fight off the bad guys and keep them safe, all with the divine power of God, and that is what this is about. With our Savior, Jesus Christ, the earthly king could not do the kinds of things that our great heavenly King can do.

Part One: Why Do the Nations Rage?

And so I'd like to go through Psalm 2 with you today to see how this applies to our great King, Jesus Christ, who was born a child, born in Bethlehem as a lowly King. This Psalm is divided, I think, into four different sections. Each section goes through the different pieces of what it means to be the king of our church, the king of this new people.

Our True Enemies: Sin, Death, and the Devil

The first section begins with, "Why do the nations rage and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth set themselves and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against his anointed, saying, Let us burst their bonds apart and cast away their cords from us."

For Israel, they would have looked out and seen the nations surrounding them and seen them plotting against God's chosen people. The king's job was to gather the troops to fight the bad guys and keep them free. But our enemy are not people. Our enemies are not armies or governments. We are oppressed by sin, death and the devil, and they are what plot to destroy God's kingdom.

The Enemy's Limited Power

These forces of sin, death and the devil are always around us, always trying to reach into our hearts and minds to trick us, to pull us from Christ. They want to burst the bonds of the king that has come to destroy them. They want to cast away the cords of the Almighty God who has bound their power by His death and resurrection.

They're always plotting, but they can only plot. They can only use trickery, because the Divine King has come, and he has truly destroyed their power. All they can do is make us think that Jesus hasn't won, that God is not victorious. All they can do is lie to us, just like these nations who rage and plot in vain. They only have tricks because our King truly has come, our Jesus, who destroyed the power of sin, death and the devil, not just by His death and resurrection, but also by his incarnation, His lowly life, his ministry as well. Every step along the way, he came to fight for you, and His power is there for you.

Part Two: God's Response—He Sets His King

The next section says, "He who sits in the heavens laughs. The Lord holds them in derision, then He will speak to them in his wrath and terrify them in his fury, saying, As for me, I have set my King on Zion, my holy hill."

A King Unlike Any Other

This passage is interesting to me because God's response in the ancient world to enemies that would attack was not to rain fire from heaven on all the bad guys, but to say, "Ha, I've got a king. He's going to do the job." He laughs at the power of the nations. He holds them in derision, and by setting a King on Zion, he terrifies the nations.

That's what God does for us. In Christ, He gives us a great king. But this king isn't born in a palace. He isn't crowned in the temple. They don't chant this psalm when he is raised up to his throne on the cross. He is lowly and a servant, and he lives a lowly, normal life, just like us—neither rich nor poor, just a king in Bethlehem, who lived as a human being.

The Power of Weakness

This is the one who is terrifying sin, death and the devil. When God sets this king up, they look at him and they quake, because his wrath is not like anyone else's. It doesn't come with power and scary might with a trumpet blast. It comes with service.

Sin, death and the devil—they tremble at a timid king, they weep and cry at his weakness, and they cower at his common humanity with us, because this is what it takes to destroy them. When Jesus came to take on humanity, he invaded sin, death and the devil by being placed underneath them, by feeling the pain we feel, by living the life that we live.

And it's not power or glory or riches or success that defeated them, but becoming our flesh and dwelling among us. It is service, peace, humility and his death on the cross. These are the tools that this king is using to destroy sin and death for you, the king placed on Zion.

Part Three: The Son Breaks His Enemies

"I will tell of the decree. The Lord said to me, You are my son. Today I have begotten you. Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage and the ends of the earth your possession. You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel."

Victory Through the Cross

That's what Jesus does for us. The true son of God comes and destroys the power of our enemies—sin, death and the devil—as the Word made flesh. And the amazing thing about it is that it's all done through a trick on the devil.

All he could have done to avoid his defeat was not kill Jesus, but he couldn't help it. It was too tempting, too great a threat, and he nails the Son of God to a cross. And because of that, Jesus shatters the power of sin over us. He loosens the grip of death on all people and humiliates the pride of the devil for you. So these things no longer have any power. He breaks them with his rod of iron. He dashes them like a clay pot simply by dying and rising.

Part Four: Take Refuge in the King

Which means there is only refuge from all of these things in him. The Psalm says, "Now therefore, O kings, be wise, be warned. O rulers of the earth, serve the Lord with fear and rejoice with trembling. Kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you perish in the way, for his wrath is quickly kindled. Blessed are all who take refuge in Him."

Our Only Protection

This is the warning to all the enemies, all the enemies of Christ and his Church: serve the king, follow Him, live in his kingdom or perish. We've already seen what he has done to sin, death and the devil, the great enemies of humanity. His power and His might are the only thing that can protect us. He is the King who can fend off sin and all of them, and he reminds us He is our only refuge. He is our only peace, and when he returns, He will bring us that joy and that peace and bring judgment to all those who stand against Christ and His Church.

The True Power of Christmas

The power of Christmas is not just a beautiful story with a babe in a manger and the shepherds. The power of Christmas is about God becoming flesh, a king who has the power to destroy sin, death and the devil for you and me. And it's this king, a lowly servant, humble, who gives you peace.

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For Unto Us a Child Is Born: What Isaiah 9 Really Says About Jesus

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 9:2, 6-7

The people who walked in darkness
    have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
    on them has light shone.

For to us a child is born,
    to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
    and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
    Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace
    there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
    to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
    from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.

The Meaning Behind Christ's Titles: A Christmas Eve Reflection on Isaiah 9

By James Huenink

Merry Christmas. Tonight is one of those nights that is built up in every family. I'm sure you all have traditions that you have on your own—every family, every place, we have the things that we do every Christmas and we get to practice them.

The Traditions of Christmas Eve

A big one for me are all the songs that we sing this Christmas night. We don't get a whole lot of time to sing all our favorite Christmas carols throughout the rest of the year, so we jam pack them into this one service, just so we get to sing them all. Though you can't get all of the songs that you're used to hearing, all of the great traditions into our Christmas service.

Isaiah's Prophetic Announcement: For Unto Us a Child Is Born

Tonight, the reading that I wanted to talk about from Isaiah chapter 9 always calls to mind a very famous song. When I hear the phrase "for to us, a child is born, to us, a son is given," all I can hear is that song from Handel's Messiah: For unto us, a child is born, unto us, a son is given. You know that one? It's sung with such joy and such power and excitement, because the announcement of a new child is a cause for celebration.

On this night, when Isaiah is speaking these words, he is speaking an announcement of hope for God's people. Because when this child is born that he is announcing, he is not just announcing any kind of birth. Kids are great news for every parent, but they don't matter to the whole nation. Isaiah 9 means that there is one child who is born to give hope to everyone—a child who is going to give hope for the nation of Israel, and pointing ahead to a child who gives hope to us, all of humanity.

Understanding Christ's Divine and Human Nature

The birth of Jesus Christ, this child, this announcement, is about a Savior who comes not just to give us happiness, but to give us life. And Isaiah gives us a number of titles—titles that I've always thought were interesting: Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Let's take a look at some of those titles. We're so used to hearing them, especially on this night of Christmas Eve. What Isaiah does is he pairs two different things in each title: a human quality that would be for a normal king and a divine quality that no king could live up to. When he announces this in the ancient world, they probably would have seen just some sort of exaggeration. Lots of the kings exaggerated their power. But for us, we see a God and a man born in Bethlehem and lying in a manger.

Wonderful Counselor: The Miraculous Wisdom of Jesus

Isaiah calls him Wonderful Counselor. The word "wonderful" isn't exactly the right translation for us. Wonderful just means kind of good, but that's not really what the Hebrew is about. It is more like wonder, as in miracle—miraculous counselor, supernatural counselor, someone who has insight and wisdom into all of the things of the divine.

Prophets claimed that. Sages claim that. And if you are scrolling through any kind of social media feed, you probably see a whole lot of people claiming that kind of wisdom and power too. But Jesus is the only one who truly has this insight to share the love and peace of God with the whole world. He is the only one who can truly reveal who God is.

How Jesus Revealed Divine Wisdom

And how does he do it? In a regular house in a regular village, born and laid down in a manger. This wisdom that he reveals by being a regular person—not a king, not a warrior, not someone who is famous, but just a guy—a God come into humanity is the reason his wisdom was rejected. His message turned away because nobody could see a God who would come in humility and service and love.

And yet, that's what Jesus did, the Wonderful Counselor displaying the wisdom and power of God by going to a cross and dying for you so you could live with Him forever.

Mighty God: The Warrior Who Conquered Death

The next title is Mighty God. This word "Mighty" is often used in the ancient world to talk about a warrior. The greatest men in an army were the mighty men of valor, the ones who would go out and fight. But this child, this Mighty God, he fought a different kind of battle than the men and the warriors of the ancient world.

Jesus's Victory Over Sin and Death

He fought a battle where he invaded death itself, and it began when he was conceived and born as a child, because God Himself took on human flesh and entered our experience, so much so that he lived through every stage of life we do. God becomes a child who—all he can do is cry when he's hungry or squeal when he's dirty—just like any child ever born to humanity.

He comes in to fight the powers of sin and death by being put under them, and he goes into death itself to free us by His glorious resurrection, so that the curse we read about with Adam and Eve in the very Garden of Eden is no longer applied to us because he lives forever, and through him we will as well.

Everlasting Father: The King Whose Kingdom Has No End

The next title is Everlasting Father. This birth announcement must be announcement for a king, because kings were always considered the fathers of their nation. They are the ones who are supposed to protect and watch over the people. But none of the kings of ancient Israel could claim the title "everlasting." In fact, no king, except for Jesus, could have that one.

The Eternal Kingdom of Christ

Because no matter what we do, whether you're a king or someone like us, everlasting isn't in the deal. All our works, all the things we do, eventually they crumble and fall. But not for Jesus. He is the only king who could be on the throne of his father forever. He is the only king who never dies again. He is the only King who comes to be with us and promises a kingdom with no end, and he can actually deliver.

This Savior, Jesus Christ, came as a child to serve you, to give you life. And he promises to come again. He promises to come again with power and might. Now he promises to give you grace, inviting you to enter into His salvation, inviting you to come and receive His gifts. Then this father, this king, everlasting, will come with judgment. The door of grace will be over.

Prince of Peace: The King Who Brings True Peace

The last of the titles is the Prince of Peace. We hear this all the time at Christmas, because we like the Prince of Peace title. The scene of Bethlehem, the one we all have in our minds with snow that probably wasn't there, and the evergreen trees that don't grow in Israel—that's what we think of when we have peace.

Why Peace Is Revolutionary for a King

It's strange to call a king a king of peace, because, well, every king that was ever famous became famous because he liked war. I'm listening to a podcast about Alexander the Great, and I heard all about his feats, his work, his amazing things he did, and the only reason we know about him is because he really liked to kill a lot of people. It's not peace that makes someone famous.

This seems true for our politicians and leaders too. Being quiet doesn't get you noticed online. Who actually wants peace amongst our leaders? All they want is stirring up trouble.

The Peace That Christ Brings

Jesus—he brings actual peace. He is a king who comes to bring peace, not just with God (which he does by dying on a cross), but with each other by the power of His forgiveness. The grace and peace that he gives to us binds us together in his holy Christian church and makes us one in his body.

He is the only king who can bring true peace, because he pours out his love into you and to me.

Celebrating the Gift of Christ This Christmas

This is what we celebrate this Christmas night: a God who became man, human and divine, who gives up himself for us so that we can have peace. This Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

In Jesus's name. Amen.

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Doubting Thomas Wasn’t the Villain — He Was the Mission Field

Scripture Reading: John 20:24-29

Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”

Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

St. Thomas and the Power of Gentle Faith: A Sermon on Doubting Thomas

By James Huenink

Grace, mercy and peace to you from God, our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Introduction: Celebrating St. Thomas the Apostle

Today, we are celebrating St. Thomas with one of the most famous and most important readings from the Gospels about his interaction with Jesus. As I said in our introduction, St. Thomas is well known for going all the way out to India. One of my Indian professors at the seminary liked to talk about St. Thomas's importance to the Christians out there.

The Chapel of Saint Paul and Saint Thomas

At that same seminary, they have the big chapel at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis—the giant one where they have their main services and call day that seats hundreds of people. That is the Chapel of St. Timothy and St. Titus. They called it that because it represents the two kinds of seminarians who come: the ones who come right out of college are Saint Timothy, the young ones, and Saint Titus was an older man, the second career.

But few people know there's another chapel inside Concordia Seminary, and it's about the size of our altar area, and it is the Chapel of Saint Paul and Saint Thomas. This is a missionary chapel because Saint Paul was the farthest west of the apostles—some think he made it all the way out to Spain—and Saint Thomas the farthest east, who made it all the way out to India where he was martyred.

Understanding Thomas's Story: A Lesson in Evangelism

It's this missionary endeavor of St. Thomas that leads us to the themes of our gospel reading today. St. Thomas's story is not a neat story, but I think it teaches us about interacting with people who need to hear the gospel.

Why John Tells This Unusual Story

St. Thomas is actually kind of a weird story. It's odd that John has decided to give us one apostle who needed to hear the message, as opposed to all the others. And I think he tells us this story for a very good reason. He wanted to talk about the moment where Jesus appears with the apostles and tells them to go out the way Jesus was sent and forgive the sins of the world. But we needed this story to help us remember how to interact with unbelievers.

The apostles—the 11 or the 10 who were in the room with Jesus—they were unbelievers when Jesus appeared to them. If they weren't, they would have been waiting outside the tomb, going "anytime now, guys," right? But they were hiding. They did not believe that Jesus was coming.

Thomas the Unbeliever: Demanding Proof

John doesn't give us the story to help us understand their conversion, but to see the powers that God has given His church. It's this story today, the story of Saint Thomas, that emphasizes Christ's missionary endeavor to an unbeliever, and how gently and powerfully he simply speaks the word of God.

Thomas's Famous Declaration

Thomas was an unbeliever when Jesus appeared to him, and we know that because the disciples went to him over and over and over and said, "We've seen Jesus." And it wasn't like you and me, who are like, "I know Jesus is alive because God's word says so." It was, "We saw him yesterday, dude, he was there."

And Thomas goes, "Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails and place my hand into his side, I will never believe." He's like, "I gotta poke him to know that it's true."

Jesus's Response: Peace, Not Anger

How does Jesus interact with this unbeliever, someone who does not know the gospel of Jesus Christ, the gift of His Resurrection and the peace that we all have? When Jesus shows up and speaks to Thomas, the first thing he says is, "Peace be with you."

The Power of Christ's Gentle Approach

I think that is awesome. Jesus comes to the disciple who refused to believe, who heard the message and says, "No way. Never, ever, ever." Jesus, knowing all of this, comes to Thomas and says, "Peace be with you." That's because Jesus loves Thomas as he loves all people who need to hear the gospel.

And it doesn't matter how many times Thomas fought against the Holy Spirit or against the message, or how aggressive Thomas was towards his disciples, who probably told him over and over and over—there were 10 of them after all. Even if Thomas finally waits until he is so upset by all of this messaging that he lashes out and says, "Never," Jesus simply shows up one more time and says, "Peace be with you."

He's not aggressive. He's not angry. He doesn't say, "How dare you, disciple, not believe in me." He doesn't gather the apostles together and say, "You guys believed right away. We got to make sure to punish this guy until he comes back into the church." There's no army. He just wishes peace. Peace be with you.

Sharing the Gospel: Lessons from Jesus's Approach

It's the same peace that we have, the peace of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Because Jesus died and rose from the dead, we have peace with God. We know that we have eternal life and we will never have to worry about our fate. We have this sure and true confidence, and the only message that Jesus wanted to give this unbeliever was: believe and have peace, just like the rest of the disciples.

Motivated by Love, Not Fear or Desperation

It's out of love that Jesus comes to him. He's not angry, he's not hostile or aggressive. He just wants to share the gospel because Thomas needs to hear it. And that's the thing that reminds us when we share the gospel as well, that it is not anything but love that should motivate us. We aren't there to be angry when people reject us. We just love as Jesus did.

But I think it's also more important to remember not to share the gospel out of desperation or fear. We don't share the gospel because we have a negative number in our budget, or because the seat next to you is empty. We share the gospel because we want to deliver the peace that we have, the gift that Christ gives us, because we care about the people who need to hear about Jesus. People can tell if you care more about the budget than you do about them or about a missing seat than you do about Christ. We share the gospel because we love, because we want them to have that kind of peace.

Answering Questions Without Fear

The next thing Jesus does is something I love again. He does not come to Thomas with anger. He answers Thomas's question. There really wasn't a question—he was actually kind of giving a demand. "Here's the evidence that I will believe." And Jesus is like, "Shoot. Here it is."

The Church Can Handle Doubt and Questions

I've talked with enough Christians who've had bad experiences in the church with asking questions, whether it was when they were a kid (because kids sometimes ask the craziest questions, right?), or as adults, they go to pastors and pastors don't know the answer and they get mad instead. It's too bad, right? And sometimes people will say that they've had experiences in the church where they ask a question and someone responds with anger: "How dare you ask this question, you just need to believe."

Not even Jesus does that. When an apostle doubts his Word, Jesus doesn't show up and say, "How dare you test me? How dare you say this? You should have believed." Christ offers Thomas the proof he needs, but he does offer us a reminder. He says, "Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet believed."

We Have the Truth—We Don't Need to Fear Questions

We in the church, we can handle questions. We can handle fears. When people look at the Bible and they say, "Well, that's kind of weird. What's going on there?" We've got the answers. It's God's word. It's true. We don't have to worry about questions. We don't have to worry about challenges. Even people who look at what we teach and say, "That's crap"—it's an opportunity to show them the truth.

We don't have to be worried or afraid of these things, because God has given us the truth, the word of God and a teaching and doctrine that is based on it. We always have answers. We always have the truth, even if sometimes it's, "Well, that's a really... the Bible doesn't tell us." We don't have to be afraid, just as Jesus wasn't. We can simply express the gospel truth and know that the Holy Spirit does the work.

Come and See: The Gospel of John's Theme

That's what Jesus did. He was confident that his appearance and His presence was enough. He shows up. He says, "Look, here I am," and Thomas believes. Now, of course, when Jesus appears in front of you in a flash in the middle of the room and you thought you saw him die and be buried, it's pretty hard to say, "Nope, that's not the guy."

Experiencing Christ Is the Path to Faith

But this also reflects a theme of the Gospel of John, a theme that John shows to his church for a reason: that experiencing who Christ is is the best way to believe and understand. And it goes all the way through the whole gospel. When in the first chapter of the Gospel of John, Jesus goes to the first of his disciples, one of them hears and runs out to his brother and says, "We found the Messiah." And he goes, "No way, nothing can come out of Nazareth." And then he says, "Come and see."

And that's how people learn about Jesus. They come experience who he is. They hear his word, they learn the gospel, and the Holy Spirit fills them. That's all of evangelism. Come and see who Jesus is, hear his word, be filled with the Spirit. We don't have to do anything else. Just show them Jesus.

Simple Evangelism: No Tricks Required

It's not about technique. It's not about packaging it the right way or filling it up with the right ideas. Smoke machines aren't central to the gospel of Jesus Christ, and neither are laser light shows. In fact, the only thing that you need is the word of God and the Savior.

The Word and Sacraments Are Enough

That's what Jesus did with Thomas. He showed up and he said, "Here I am," and we've been given amazing tools to do the same: the word and the sacraments. And it's through this word, the stories of Jesus Christ, the message, the gift of salvation that God has given you to give you the peace that passes all understanding, that we too share the gospel with those around us with love, with peace and with joy, because we have the truth.

We don't have to rely on tricks, we don't have to rely on technique or on salesmanship. We just give the people Jesus and they learn.

Conclusion: Following Christ's Missionary Heart

The story of St. Thomas helps us to see the missionary heart and love of a Savior who goes to an unbeliever and offers him peace, who gives him the proof he needs by sharing His very presence. And Christ calls the same for us. Share the gospel in love to offer the word so that others can hear and trust that Christ Himself will do the rest of the work.

In Jesus' name. Amen.

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Only God Can Save: Kings Fail, Christ Reigns Forever

Scripture Reading: Psalm 146

Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
    I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

Put not your trust in princes,
    in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation.
When his breath departs, he returns to the earth;
    on that very day his plans perish.

Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
    whose hope is in the Lord his God,
who made heaven and earth,
    the sea, and all that is in them,
who keeps faith forever;
    who executes justice for the oppressed,
    who gives food to the hungry.

The Lord sets the prisoners free;
    the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
    the Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the sojourners;
    he upholds the widow and the fatherless,
    but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

The Lord will reign forever,
    your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord!

Blessed Is He Whose Hope Is in the Lord

By James Huenink

Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, amen.

Today's Psalm asks a question—not literally, but by implication: Who do you trust to save? Who is your help and protection? What is there for you? We human beings often turn to all sorts of things, whether it's the people around us, political figures, or whatever else: our work, our effort, our money, our family, our lives, whatever it is.

But the psalm answers the question very simply: "Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord, his God." Our King, our God, Jesus Christ, who has ascended into the heavens to sit at the right hand of the Father—only he can truly help us, only he has the power to save. And this is why the Psalm talks about who we should trust.

Put Not Your Trust in Princes

It says, "Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish."

This is kind of a remarkable thing to put into the worship life of ancient Israel, given that it would be said while the king was there—the king of Israel, God's appointed person. You know, I've always thought when I read Psalms like this that it must have been written in a time when there was a bad king, a king like Manasseh, who would run around tearing down the altars of God, or who would put up altars to foreign gods inside the temple itself, and the priests were like, "But..."

I think it applies just as much for the good kings—even the best king, King Josiah. Josiah is the only king in all of ancient Israel where the Bible says nothing bad about him. In fact, what it says is this: "Before him, there was no king like him who turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soul and with all his might, according to the law of Moses, nor did any like him arise after him."

Josiah—great king, right? Nobody else, not even David, gets that kind of praise.

What did Josiah do? Well, when the temple was falling apart, he rebuilt it. When there were foreign gods inside the temple, he tore them down. He went to all the towns and destroyed their temples to Baal, tore down the Asherah poles. He went to all the high places where people were sacrificing wrongly to the true God, and he not only tore them down but defiled them so they could never be used again. He went into Israel and found Jeroboam's altars, and he destroyed them too. He found the book of the law and renewed the covenant, read it for all the people so they would hear it and understand it. And he restored the celebration of the Passover, which had been lacking.

Josiah, the great king. He did everything the kings were supposed to do. He was the best of all.

And then, you know what he did? He died, and his son took over and messed everything up. Because put not your trust in princes. When his breath departs, he returns to the earth.

Only God Is Truly Faithful

And it's not just guys like Josiah. Even the best king of all, everything that we have that we might trust in, everything around you, whatever it is—it ends up perishing. Only God has the power to save. Only God is truly faithful.

Our great God and King is the one who is faithful to all his promises. As the Psalm says, he is the one who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever, who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry. Only God has the power to create, maintain and watch over all of creation. Only he can order all things for the good of those who love him. And only he sent our King, Jesus, to die on a cross and rise for you, and promises that he, as our King, now reigns over all creation for your good, with the power of God reigning for you. And by his death and resurrection, he promises you life that lasts forever.

Nothing else can promise that. Only the King who died and then rose and now lives forever for you. Only God is truly faithful. No person, no thing, can protect us like God can and keeps his promises forever.

God's Faithfulness Through the Ages

We get used to the idea of God being faithful, I think. When we read the story of the Old Testament, when we read all the promises, and it's packed together in just a few books, a couple of hundred pages, and you're like, "Wow, this is a great story," and we forget how long God's promises lasted, from the very beginning to the day Jesus ascended into heaven.

How long was God holding to the promise while the people waited? How many thousands of years was it from that moment when God said to Adam and Eve that he would send them a Savior who would crush Satan's head? How many lifetimes passed when it looked like the kings were going to destroy Israel or God wasn't coming to save his people?

The promise went to Adam and Eve, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and they didn't see the promise that they had gotten. They didn't see the fulfillment of the blessing that would go to all nations of the earth. The promise to the faithful people who were bearing the yoke of evil kings, the promise to the people who went into exile in Assyria and Babylon—they didn't see it. But God kept his faith. Kept his promise.

They had prophets who called them out to say, "The promise is still here. Jesus is still coming. The Savior is on his way. Keep faith. God keeps his promises."

But it's only us, looking back on this history, who get to see that God actually comes through—that generation after generation who hoped for a Savior did not see the Christ, but we do, as we prepare to celebrate his incarnation. It may have seemed slow to them. Christ's return may even seem slow to us, but God is always faithful.

He sent his Son to do all the things that he promised. It may not have happened the way they expected, either. Isaiah talks about the promises of God, just as our Psalms do, talking about someone who will open the eyes of the blind, set the prisoners free, lift up those who are bowed down, watch over the sojourners and the fatherless. And that's what Christ did.

A reading from Matthew points to his miracles, to his healings, to the casting out of demons, and all the great gifts that Jesus did. And he died and rose, and now he promises he will return. Just as God kept his promise to Adam and Eve, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, the kings and all the rest, he will keep that promise to you.

Only God Can Heal

Because only he is truly faithful. Only he can arrange all of creation so that you can have life. Only God can heal.

This is the promise the Psalm tells us: when the Lord opens the eyes of the blind, lifts up those who are bowed down, who watches over the sojourner, upholds the widow and the fatherless and brings the wicked to ruin. Only God is the one who can truly give healing.

If you're like me and spend too much time scrolling through reels on the internet, you know there are lots of fitness influencers out there who will tell you that if you just cut out the right chemicals, eat the right things, never drink water from a plastic bottle, only eat the right kind of thing, you will live forever, right? That's basically what they're trying to say.

Guess what? They're wrong.

It doesn't matter how well you eat or what you do or how much exercise you got—only God can heal. And he showed us by raising his Son, Jesus Christ, giving him life that lasts forever, as the firstborn from the dead. Only he has the power, only he has the might to end sin, death and the devil forever. And Jesus—Jesus is the down payment, the firstborn of the resurrection, and he promises that he will come again, that he will raise all of us from the dead and give us eternal life.

Only God can do that. Only God can save.

Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God.

In Jesus' name, amen.

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What Is a House Blessing—and Why Does the Church Still Do It?

Scripture Reading: Matthew 7

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And 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.”

And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.

The Service of Blessing a Home

Pastor James Huenink

Grace, mercy and peace to you from God, our Father and from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Tonight, we're taking a look at the service that I printed out for you—the service for blessing a home. What I'd like to do is go through it first quickly. We won't read everything and pray everything, but we are going to go through some of it, and we'll sing the hymns, because I love to sing. The rest of it, we'll just talk about. Then we'll conclude by asking: Why do we do this? What situations call for it, and why is it important enough to bring up in a service like this tonight?

The Service Begins

The service begins by inviting the pastor to your house to get it started. Now I brought some visual aids to show you what that might be like.

The Processional Cross

The first thing you'll notice is that I bring our big old processional cross into your home—the same processional cross that we would use in worship as the entrance of Christ entering our sanctuary. It leads the way into your own home, carrying the same symbolism as you go from room to room blessing the house. We go room to room, following the cross as it enters into each place. It's a beautifully symbolic way of expressing one of the reasons why we do a house blessing.

The Vestments

Another thing that I do is I come all dressed up. I come in my cassock and surplice. The cassock is the black garment underneath; the surplice is the white on the outside with my stole. You'll notice I have our beautiful pink stole, because that's the Sunday that's coming up this weekend. Very exciting!

This isn't a low-key moment. This isn't a downplayed ritual. This is a big deal. The church is coming to you to hold a house blessing, and so I get all dressed up for it, to make it clear that this is significant.

The Incense

The other thing that will happen most of the time, but not every time depending on what you want, is I come with my censer. This is the censer that I use that holds the incense and burns it. I also brought incense if you want to see what it's like. This particular incense was a gift from my parents from Oman, so it's kind of fun, right?

The reason I have the incense is because it goes with us from room to room. Every time we go into a room, we read a passage of scripture, we do a prayer, and then I or the vicar will go and incense every part of the room. We go all the way around the whole thing and make sure it's really, really stinky and smoky and wonderful.

All of these things are designed to serve a couple of purposes. The processional cross is the symbol of Christ coming from the sanctuary into your home. The Word of God is read, we pray, and then we leave behind the smell of incense to remind you that something significant happened here this day. The whole thing envelops all of the senses—you smell, you move, you hear, you see. It's designed to evoke a high sense that something important has happened. And we do that because something important does happen. We go to your home to bring the Word of God and bless the house.

The Service Structure

You'll notice the service begins with us entering and saying, "Peace be to this home and to all who dwell here." Under most circumstances, we'll then read one of the scripture readings that is on your sheet. Typically, I read the reading from Matthew chapter 7 about the wise man who built his house on a rock, pointing us to how your home is built on the words of Christ. The faith that we share is the foundation of everyone's lives, and that is how a wise man built his house on the rock.

There are other options as well, which you can see. Sometimes I will do a mini sermon—and if you're really excited, I can give you a whole hour! You're laughing, because no, I wouldn't do that. It's always very short.

Opening Hymn: "Oh, Bless the House"

Then we transition to actually blessing the house. To do that, we begin with hymn number 862, "Oh, Bless the House."

Oh, bless the house, whate'er befall,
Where Jesus Christ is all in all!
A home that is not wholly His—
How sad and poor and dark it is!

Oh, blest that house where faith is found
And all in hope and love abound;
They trust their God and serve Him still
And do in all His holy will.

Oh, blest the parents who give heed
Unto their children's foremost need
And weary not of care or cost.
May none to them and heaven be lost.

Oh, blest that house; it prospers well.
In peace and joy the parents dwell,
And in their children's lives is shown
How richly God can bless His own.

Then here will I and mine today
A solemn promise make and say:
Though all the world forsake His Word,
I and my house will serve the Lord.

Appropriate for blessing a house, right?

Going Room to Room

From this point on, what we do is go from room to room, and you don't actually follow the order of the service. You follow the order of the house. So you'll start in perhaps the living room, move to a bedroom, kitchen, wherever it is that fits the flow of the house. If you have four bedrooms, we do the bedroom blessing four times. If you have three living rooms, we do the living room blessing three times. It all just depends on the house.

Whatever your house is like, we go from room to room. I have even done it in a trailer that had one bedroom. It was short, but just as blessed. So whatever your house looks like, we can do it.

Example: The Living Room

Each room has a selected reading. The reading for the living room is:

"And to be renewed in the spirit of your minds. Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you."

See, a reading that is designed—sometimes wishfully in a big family—to get rid of all clamor and argument! But it calls on us to live peacefully in the house, and then we pray as well at every other part of the house. Each reading is considered for the room and its purpose, with the prayer that fits.

The Final Prayer

You go from room to room until you finally come to the end, when you pray the Lord's Prayer and the final prayer. I want to read this one, because this one is important:

"Lord God Almighty, we implore You to bless and sanctify this home, its occupants and its possessions, enriching them in every way. Drive from here the snares of the evil one, and send Your holy angel to guard, protect, visit and defend all who dwell in this home. Mercifully hear their prayers and when their last hour comes, grant them safe haven in Your heavenly mansions through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen."

This prayer points out two things. One, it asks God to bless the people and the home. Two, it asks God to drive out the evil one and send the angel, the Holy Spirit, to guard and protect all the people who are there. That makes the house blessing more than just a blessing, but also a level of protection from evil spirits.

Closing Hymn: "Now Thank We All Our God"

From there, we move on to the benediction and the blessing at the end, and we close with hymn 895, "Now Thank We All Our God."

Now thank we all our God
With hearts and hands and voices,
Who wondrous things has done,
In whom His world rejoices,
Who from our mother's arms
Has blest us on our way
With countless gifts of love
And still is ours today.

Oh, may this bounteous God
Through all our life be near us,
With ever joyful hearts
And blessed peace to cheer us
And keep us in His grace
And guide us when perplexed
And free us from all ills
In this world and the next.

All praise and thanks to God
The Father now be given,
The Son, and Him who reigns
With them in highest heaven,
The one eternal God,
Whom earth and heav'n adore;
For thus it was, is now,
And shall be evermore.

So that concludes the house blessing service.

Why Do We Do This?

The first reason is simple: people want the blessing of God in their lives, and the pastor comes out as the person who represents this. I get to wear my collar, do my thing, and all of what we do symbolizes the blessing of God coming into the home through the Word and prayer, blessing the people.

This can happen when people move into a new place. It's pretty common when you move into a new home to do this. Or it can happen anytime you want to do it. It is relatively traditional in the church to do it once a year during the Epiphany season. That's just kind of a thing that people do.

Protection from Evil Spirits

But the last reason is one that I wanted to highlight a little bit because it was hidden in the prayer at the end. The last reason is to cast out evil spirits. Because that happens, and I've done it a couple of times.

That final prayer is actually an exorcism prayer, and it brings the power of God into this place. This is why I read the passage earlier from Matthew chapter 8, which talked about when evening came, many who were demon possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with the word and healed all the sick. Because the power of God still works today to protect us from evil spirits, whether it's demons who are haunting your home or in your body—though that's not going to happen to us Christians, right?

But for many people, these are serious things that require help. I've done house blessings twice where I was pretty sure there were evil spirits in the home.

So I want you to know that if you think your house is haunted, who you gonna call? Because we actually have something for that. The devil is real, and Christ brings His power to your home to do this.

This is why we do house blessings: to be the blessing of Christ coming to your home through His Word and prayer, but especially if you need protection from evil spirits, I can come and help you out.

Now we do change the service a little bit. We change the hymn from "Oh Bless the House" to something like "Oh Little Flock, Fear Not the Foe," which just so happens to be hymn number 666. And we sing about the power of Christ over evil.

Conclusion

This is why we do house blessings, and why I introduce it to you all today. It's an important and interesting piece of bringing the power and Word of God into your home and into your life.

In Jesus' name, Amen.

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Prepare the Way: Why John the Baptist Still Confronts Us Today

Scripture Reading: Matthew 3:1-12

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

‘Prepare the way of the Lord;

make his paths straight.’”

Now John wore a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

“I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

Prepare the Way of the Lord: An Advent Sermon on John the Baptist

Matthew 3:1-12 | Second Sunday of Advent

Sermon Date: December 7, 2025

Grace, mercy, and peace be unto you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

The lesson for meditation is Saint Matthew chapter three, verses one through twelve, with special focus on the words: "Prepare the way of the Lord."

Meeting John in the Wilderness

Imagine yourself standing in the wilderness across the Jordan River. You hear a voice calling, shouting from a distance: "Prepare the way of the Lord!" And then you see a figure approaching in the distance. He's a wild-haired, bearded man, his skin bronzed by the sun, his eyes ablaze with prophetic fire. He is dressed like a prophet straight out of the pages of the Old Testament—camel's hair, leather around his waist. And if you didn't know better, you'd swear it was Elijah come back from heaven.

And then you realize that you are standing on the very spot where tradition says that Elijah was whisked off to heaven in a chariot a few centuries before. And then the strange figure draws closer to you. A silhouette becomes a shadow, a shadow becomes a face, and you hear these words: "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."

And make no mistake—he's looking directly at you. Don't worry about your neighbor's sin just yet. He's pointing a long index finger in your direction, saying, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord," or "Repent," which is quite the same thing. And he means you—the religious one, the pious Israelite, the unbaptized, the baptized, the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the scribe, the tax collector, the prostitute, the sinner. Yes, absolutely everybody. Does it matter who or what you are? Repent.

Who Is This Wild Prophet?

Who is the strange man with this funny wilderness diet who suddenly became the main preacher for Advent in the church year? Who sent him? Well, his name is John. And I dare say that any congregation looking to call a pastor, looking at a stack of paperwork, would put John in the "no way, no how" stack. And yet he is the greatest of all the prophets.

As you all know, he is the son of Zechariah and Elizabeth. His parents were old, extraordinarily old when he was born. He was probably raised as an orphan in the wilderness, at least for part of his childhood, and he seems to want nothing to do with the Temple in Jerusalem. So he comes from priestly parents, but he is no priest. His business is at the Jordan River, for he came to baptize.

John's Radical Baptism

Now, to be sure, baptism was not entirely unknown at the time of John. And don't worry about our Trinitarian baptism just yet—that comes a little bit later. Indeed, there's evidence that the wilderness communities with which John was associated already had a form of baptism, or at least an entry rite with water. You were baptized in a way, for instance, when you became a Jew, an honorary Israelite. It was called proselyte or newcomer's baptism.

That made John's baptism something new, something different. The people that came from Jerusalem and all the regions of Judea were not newcomers to Judaism. Indeed, they were Jews, some of them religious leaders—the Pharisees who had their oral law, and the Sadducees, who denied the resurrection and really needed a resurrection through Holy Baptism.

So you can see why John's baptism drew such controversy. It came across to religious leaders of the day as an unauthorized sort of renegade thing. But maybe that was kind of the point, for John was calling Israel to be washed—and yes, implying that they were not washed and they desperately needed this baptism, for they were unclean.

Confronting the Religious Elite

And notice he singles out the religious leaders for the harshest treatment, saying, "You brood of vipers! That is, you bunch of snakes! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And don't start jabbering about how you have Abraham as your father, Abraham on your family tree. You can see it there, for God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones." That is to say, he can take an inanimate, lifeless object and make children of Abraham. No, we want children of God through repentance and faith. And it's all right here in the waters of baptism. Once again: Prepare the way of the Lord. Just prepare his way by repenting of your sins.

Well, you have to wonder what they thought. What do you think when someone says to you, "Repent"? Well, we probably usually think, "Well, repent of what? What did I do?" And then we go through the Ten Commandments, and we brag, at least to ourselves, about how we have supposedly kept all the Ten Commandments. Or we look back at the person calling us to repentance and say, "Hey, you shouldn't talk. You're the one who needs to repent."

But no, again I say, John is speaking ultimately first and foremost to you, to me, individually, first person or third person singular. There's a coming wrath. There is a coming judgment and fire. The time to repent is now.

The Last of the Old Testament Prophets

John's appearing in the Jordan wilderness, then, marks the end of the thundering prophets of the Old Testament in their call to repentance. Indeed, I hope you agree with me that John is basically the walking and talking Old Testament, what Luther called "the ultimate of all prophets and preachers."

The prophet Malachi, about four hundred years earlier, said that Elijah would come before the day of the Lord to prepare the hearts of the people. John, then, is this new and greater Elijah, the one who comes in the spirit of Elijah—no political correctness, no going with the whims and cultural fads of the day, no, just straight talk of the law in order to bring you to the gospel. Yes, the last of the Old Testament prophets who points to the long-expected Messiah and says, "He will soon be standing in this very Jordan River."

The Symbolism of Baptismal Washing

You know, I have this impulse that when something important happens, there's always usually some sort of a bath or a shower involved. You've all been to baby showers and bridal showers—I don't remember there was actually a shower, at least in the water sense of the phrase—or even when you wash your hands. And that's the notion behind Jewish baptism as they knew it in the day: you were leaving your old way of life, your old religious loyalties, everything. You are starting afresh, starting over, reborn as an Israelite, one of God's people.

But what John was doing was calling Israel to be washed and ready for the coming one, the Messiah—calling Israel out of the land, away from Jerusalem, away from the temple and its religious institutions, and back into the wilderness. And kind of an exodus in reverse.

As you all know, the original Exodus was out of Egypt through the wilderness, then crossed the Jordan into the Promised Land, and then built the temple. However, in the past few hundred years leading up to John, they had lost track of the coming suffering Messiah. So John now calls them the other direction—from the temple, out into the wilderness, back to the Jordan, to consider what happened in that great redemptive event in the Old Testament, to be baptized and now to live it out. For the Messiah is coming.

Living Out Your Baptism

And that's what repentance is. It's going back to that baptismal font, seeing how you have sinned against God. And of course, no need to be rebaptized, but to live out your baptism this Advent in daily repentance and faith.

The baptism you receive, of course, is a little different than John's in that it came from Jesus with a fiery Pentecost wind of the Holy Spirit and the full name of the Holy Trinity. John's baptism was fulfilled when Jesus stood in the water before John to be baptized by him, when the heavens were opened and the Spirit descended, and the Father said, "This is my beloved Son." And John said, "Behold the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world."

That was the purpose of John's baptism—to prepare the way for Jesus' coming in humility, to die and to rise. But the purpose of your baptism is to prepare the way for Jesus' final coming, his final advent in glory, when he will raise the dead and give salvation to you and join you with Jesus now in his death and life, that you might die and rise with him forever. Yes, your baptism is fulfilled the day you die, and on the last day when you rise. It all points ahead to that final advent.

So John's baptism was for that time only. It was a baptism of water with repentance. Jesus' baptism with water in the name of the Trinity lasts until the end of time.

Old Testament Gospel in New Testament Form

I'd like to say that John brought Old Testament Gospel in New Testament form—Old Testament because it looked ahead to the Messiah, but New Testament because this is no circumcision. This is a washing with water. And so John preached Jesus as the promised coming one, the true Advent Lord.

It's striking, the kind of Jesus he preaches. I think you would agree, it's really not the one that shows up. John's Jesus has a winnowing fork in his hand and a fire of judgment kindled, and he's ready to toss the grain into the fiery wind and burn the chaff with unquenchable fire as he gathers up his wheat into the barn. And in this matter, it's important to note that Solomon's temple and the rebuilt temple under Herod was probably built, to our best knowledge, on an actual old grain threshing floor—the place where you throw the crop up into the air, the wind would take away the chaff, and the crop would come back to the floor. And that's exactly what's happening here with John as he calls them to repentance.

John's Jesus, then, has an axe already laid to the root of every fruitless tree. Would you want to meet Jesus on those terms without repentance? I would not, for we would be under the fiery wrath to come.

The Unexpected Messiah

Yet when Jesus actually does appear—and more about that this coming Epiphany—he appears humble and meek. He submits himself willingly to John's baptism of repentance, even though he was the one perfect man who had no need for repentance. Instead of an axe and a winnowing fork, he comes with a cross and death. Instead of judgment, as we think of the word, he comes to be judged by his own Father.

And it's no wonder that John at one point had his doubts and had to ask if he really was the right candidate, or if they needed somebody else for the job. Gentle Jesus hardly seems to fit the bill, but that's precisely the point. Jesus comes as gospel to John's law. Yes, John's law—the prophetic word prepares for the word from Jesus, which is the gospel.

Who would have known that the axe of God's wrath would be laid against the promised shoot from the stump of Jesse when he went to the cross? Who would have known that the fire of God's judgment would be turned against his own Son in his passion to save you and to save me and the world? Who would have known that the way of the kingdom of heaven is for the King to die for his subjects, and then to rise from the dead and say, "Your sins are forgiven"?

So it's not so much that we get to go up to God, per se, but first and foremost that God comes down to us with life and salvation in Christ.

Isaiah's Vision Fulfilled

About seven hundred years before John, the prophet Isaiah saw the coming kingdom and described it as a tiny shoot springing from the stump of King David's family tree, and from that sprout a righteous branch that would bear much fruit. The Spirit of the Lord would rest upon him. As you already heard today, he would judge the world by his righteousness and restore harmony and shalom—peace—to the creation, so that even the wolf and the lamb could lie down in peace.

Isaiah saw a day when the root of Jesse would become a banner lifted high, a signal for all the peoples, whose resting place would be glorious. And from its humble beginnings to his glorious ending, the sprout becomes a branch that becomes a tree from whose fruit you may eat and live, even today, as you receive the Blessed Sacrament and the fruits of salvation itself.

John's Blessed Finger

Martin Luther said of John the Baptist: not because of his austere life, not because of his phenomenal birth, but because of his blessed finger, because of his message and office. "No other man has such fingers as John's, with which he points to the Lamb of God and declares that he is the true Savior who would redeem the world from sin."

Amen to that.

Conclusion: Prepare the Way

So prepare the way of the Lord this Advent, dearly beloved. Yes, prepare his way through daily repentance and faith, as you behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. God grant it unto you for Jesus' sake. Amen.

The peace of God, which passeth all understanding, keep your hearts and minds through faith in Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen.

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Why the Incarnation Changes Everything: St. Andrew, Psalm 139, and Christ With Us

Scripture Reading: Psalm 139:1-12

O Lord, you have searched me and known me!
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
    you discern my thoughts from afar.
You search out my path and my lying down
    and are acquainted with all my ways.
Even before a word is on my tongue,
    behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.
You hem me in, behind and before,
    and lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
    it is high; I cannot attain it.

Where shall I go from your Spirit?
    Or where shall I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
    If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
If I take the wings of the morning
    and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
    and your right hand shall hold me.
If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
    and the light about me be night,”
even the darkness is not dark to you;
    the night is bright as the day,
    for darkness is as light with you.

God Knows You and Chooses You Anyway: A Sermon for St. Andrew's Day

Preacher: James Huenink
Feast Day: St. Andrew the Apostle
Scripture: Psalm 139

Opening Prayer

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Introduction: The Call of St. Andrew

Today we're celebrating St. Andrew and hearing all about the different readings that talk about the Word of God going out and coming to people and the presence of Christ in their lives. St. Andrew was called by Christ in the very beginning. He heard John say, "The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." He followed Christ and immediately went to his brother and called him to do the same.

After Jesus ascended into heaven, Andrew and all the apostles went out into the world proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ. Many went as far as France or Spain, others to India. But Andrew didn't get that far. We believe that he ended up being martyred in the city of Patras, which is in Achaia, somewhere around the Greece area, at about 60 AD—not terribly long after Jesus ascended into heaven.

The legend of Andrew is that he was crucified on that X-shaped cross, which they now call the Cross of Saint Andrew, because he refused to be crucified on the same kind of cross as Jesus. And as I tell that legend, I think, "Absolutely, that's the kind of thing that people who are going to execute someone do—they say, 'How would you like to die? We're open to suggestions.'" Doesn't quite happen that way. Still, this is the legend that we have been given: the stories that we have of an apostle going out into the world to proclaim the message of Jesus Christ.

The Psalm and the Incarnation

The psalm that has been chosen for today is what I'd like to look at—what the presence of Christ does in our lives because of Jesus and His incarnation. This is what Andrew proclaimed to the whole world: that God comes to us and gives us these great benefits.

Because of Jesus, the psalmist would have seen this in the context of God's presence being in the temple and His word being the law of Moses. And so it was there that the psalmist would have seen this and made this main point of God being with us and guiding us. But we, on the other side of Christ with His death and resurrection, I think it is even more applicable to us when we see this psalm as an expression of the beauty of the incarnation of Jesus.

Now I'm going to have to explain what I mean by that, aren't I? The Incarnation means that God also became a human being. That's the story of Jesus: the Son of God left His heavenly throne and became a child, grew to become a man who suffered and died for us, which means that we have a Savior who is both God and a human being, all in one person. And the Incarnation helps us to see the amazing gifts expressed in this psalm.

God Knows You Completely

Let's take a look:

"O Lord, you have searched me and know me. You know when I sit down and when I rise up. You discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether."

Now we know that God, in His almighty power, understands and knows all things. But this psalm is even more beautifully seen when we realize that we have a Savior who does not just know them, but lived through them—through the way of human life.

We certainly understand the difference between, say, reading about something and experiencing it. We can read about how to repair a car or change the oil, but you really don't know how to do it until you've done it. And I know because I watch YouTube tutorials to do all sorts of stuff, and I watch it, and I read it, and I see it, and I think I know what I'm doing. And then I get to doing it, and I go, "How do you do that again?" And I have to go back and watch it over and over again until I get it right.

We can see in Christ that God just doesn't know, but He experiences everything that it means to be a human. The Son of God became one of us. He became a child. He hungered like we hunger. He slept like we sleep. He ate like we eat. His feet got sore and tired just like ours. His body ached when He worked too hard. He felt the pain of loss when loved ones died. Everything that we feel, Jesus felt too. He searched out our path and our lying down. He was acquainted with every single one of our ways. He knows exactly what it means to be a human in a human world, and He did it without sin.

He Chooses You Anyway

And the amazing thing about this is that He knows what it's like, and He chooses us. He knows what you are like, and He chooses you, just as He knew Andrew and chose him.

The message of the Gospels, as we see Jesus coming and choosing disciples, is not a message of Him choosing amazing figures who will go on to be these incredible men. He goes and He chooses sinners. And especially as you read Matthew, Mark, and Luke, these guys don't know what they're doing. They're always misunderstanding Jesus. They make mistakes. They run away when He gets arrested. Judas betrays Him. Peter denies Him. There's all sorts of problems. And Jesus knows this from the start. He knows humans. He knows us. He knows we're sinners, and He chooses us anyway.

He gives us His love, His peace, His grace, despite all the sin that's in our lives. He unites Himself to you because He wants to—in all your sin, in all your sadness, in all your hurt, in everything that you face. He comes to you and says, "You are mine."

Which means He knows the things that you want to hide from the rest of the world, that you might not publish on social media or write in the Christmas letters you may be drafting right now. He knows the pains that you don't tell anyone, the stresses that are just inside your heart. He knows everything about your life and chooses you and saves you. It's the point of becoming a human: to come and be one of us and live among us and be perfect, because we can't. And so He gathers together a people in Himself by His grace and His mercy.

God Guides and Leads Us

The next section of the psalm says:

"You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me. It is high; I cannot attain it."

This is about God's guidance in leading us and directing us in our lives. For many of us, we hear these words—"You hem me in, behind and before, and lay your hand upon me"—and we might think, "Oh wait a second, I really like choice, and God is pressing me and pushing me down, and that doesn't sound like a lot of fun to me."

And that might be true if our goal was to rebel or be evil. But the psalmist isn't talking about oppression, but guiding us in paths of righteousness, leading us in faithfulness, helping us to see what it is to be good and holy and true. And this is what God's hand does for us.

And the most amazing way the Incarnation of Jesus Christ does this is that the divine nature of God comes to be among human beings. That's one of the reasons why God had to become a human being—so that the divinity of God, the divinity of Christ, could join with the human and be connected to all of us.

Human nature becomes elevated in Christ by His holiness and righteousness. And the best way, I think, to show this is to ask the question: What will be different when Jesus returns and creation is made new?

Because God created Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, and they were perfect, and yet they still ate the apple. They didn't have original sin. They didn't have the temptations that we face and the pains and the problems, and yet they sinned. What will stop that from happening when Jesus returns?

The difference is that God and humanity are now one in Christ, and that divine nature goes out to all His people. The perfection of Christ will confirm us in righteousness, and our unity with the divine nature of Christ will keep us righteous forever. And you have that now. That is what baptism is about. Even as we struggle against our sinful side, the divinity of Christ has come to you and made you alive to guide you and lead you.

And sometimes it feels like hemming and pressing, but it's all for the good of righteousness. It's all pointing us towards the life we truly and really want to lead. Christ comes to us with His righteousness and His power to save us and make us holy and guide and lead us.

You Cannot Escape His Presence

And then the last section helps us to see that we can't escape Him, that He is always with us. It says:

"Where shall I go from your Spirit, or where shall I flee from your presence? If I ascend to heaven, you are there. If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there. If I take the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there your hand shall lead me; your right hand shall hold me. If I say, 'Surely the darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night,' even the darkness is not dark to you. The night is bright as the day, for darkness is as light with you."

Because God has become one with us in Jesus Christ and united His divine and human natures to ours, we cannot get away from God. God is always with us. And it doesn't matter how good your day is or how bad. Doesn't matter how alone you feel or how blessed, whether you have a big community around you or you don't know anybody. Doesn't matter.

Even as we enter into the grave, Christ is there with us, as He says, "If I ascend to heaven, you are there. If I make my bed in Sheol, the grave, you are there." That's because Christ came down to earth and joined with us and died for us to enter into Sheol so that He could be with us even when our bodies are placed in the ground. And then He ascended into heaven and led the way so that we can have the sure and certain promise that when He returns, we will be with Him, raised from the dead, just as He is.

And if He can be with us in death, He can be with us no matter what. There's nothing that Christ cannot be with you while you go through it. No hospital visit, no pain, no stress, no loss of money, status, or whatever. No matter what you go through, Christ is with you.

Conclusion: The Gift of the Incarnation

That's the point of the Incarnation: that God would become man so that He can be with you in every human experience—good or bad, wonderful or evil. Christ is there with you, and there's nothing that can tear you away from the love of Jesus Christ.

This Incarnation—God becoming man, coming down to be with us—means that His love, His righteousness, His joy, His peace, everything becomes yours as He knows our ways, as He guides us by His holiness, and promises He is with you no matter what.

In Jesus' name, amen.

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Before the Trumpet Sounds: Following the King Who Suffered

Scripture Reading: Luke 21:5-23

And there followed him a great multitude of the people and of women who were mourning and lamenting for him. But turning to them Jesus said, “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me, but weep for yourselves and for your children. For behold, the days are coming when they will say, ‘Blessed are the barren and the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!’ Then they will begin to say to the mountains, ‘Fall on us,’ and to the hills, ‘Cover us.’ For if they do these things when the wood is green, what will happen when it is dry?”

Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”

One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

The Lowly King: Understanding Christ's Crucifixion at the End of the Church Year

Sermon by James Huenink

Christ the King Sunday: Why We Remember the Cross

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

As I told you before our service began, we are at the end of the church year, looking forward to the return of Christ, the end of time, Judgment Day—when all things come to the final point that God has arranged them to be, when history finally comes to its end, the goal of what God has been doing all this time.

We expect our Savior to come on the clouds with power and might and glory. The voice of the archangel and the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised, and the King will sit on His glorious throne and judge the living and the dead, whose kingdom will have no end. What a glorious day that will be.

And so with that being our theme for today, I think it's a little weird that our lectionary chose the opposite, right? We're not talking about Jesus's predictions of His coming with power. We're not looking at His parables of His return, where He divides the sheep and the goats, or where there are people knocking at the door and He says, "I didn't know you." None of the casting into the outer darkness, none of those things.

Our lectionary decided to choose the story of His crucifixion. Wonder why?

Well, I actually have a theory. The question was rhetorical. I think it's because our lectionary wants to remind us of who our King is right now, even as we look forward to His glorious return. Which is why Luke just gives us a very simple phrase to describe our Savior that is just as true now as it was then: "This is the King of the Jews."

The Mockery That Became Truth

The soldiers and Pontius Pilate meant that to be a mockery. That is what they did with rebels. They would put a sign up that said, "This is the king of the Germans," or "the king of the Angles." Whenever they conquered someone, they said, "This is what happens when a king stands up to the Roman Empire." They would show how the kings that fought against them were always made lowly and destroyed.

Here, however, it is a reminder of what the King of the church is like—a reminder of the pattern that we follow. Not a symbol of defeat, but the Savior who comes on this side of the resurrection and shows us what it's like to follow Him, what our church is like in a broken and fallen world as we deal with pain and hurt.

A King Who Is Lowly

And so Jesus shows us that He, the King, is lowly—which is difficult for us. To look at a king and say, "This is what it's supposed to be. This is the will of God"—that a king would come and be lowly, that His throne was a cross, that His crown was thorns, and that at His right hand and His left hand were criminals.

His whole life was like that. The Son of God, the King of the world, lowly—an itinerant preacher. And here at the end, we have an image of our King on His throne: no gold, no jewels, no crown that is beautiful. Just someone who is lowly, broken, and bleeding.

And the people around Him, the ones who would normally be fawning over a king, trying to get His favor—instead of giving Him all the compliments and flattery, they cry out with insults. They say things like, "He saved others, let Him save Himself if He is the Christ of God, His Chosen One."

And yet He doesn't. He is nailed there. He dies.

The Beauty of Suffering

What this shows us, though, is the beauty of the suffering of our God and King, the Savior. If He had decided to be glorious, if He had decided to call His angels down and bring about judgment, He would have left us all in our sin. Instead, His suffering and pain is victory over sin and death. His torture, His wounding, His lowliness is our victory in Christ. And because He did this, we have eternal life and forgiveness of sins.

It should then not surprise us that a church that follows a king like this might itself seem lowly—perhaps not as glorious as we would like it to be. That it is filled with human beings who are sinners, in a society that is broken, where not everything is going right. A church that can be filled with sadness and sudden changes and hurt. A church that isn't always going in the directions that we might like, or where our lives are not always the successes that we want them to be.

It should not surprise us that we follow in the footsteps of our Savior—a Savior who came not in glory but in lowliness, a Savior who came not to look victorious but to suffer and die. It should be no surprise that we deny ourselves, take up our crosses, and follow Him, because we are a church with a King who is lowly, who suffers and dies.

The Pattern of Christ: From Lowliness to Glory

And when we do this, when we live in this life, we follow His pattern—which means there's a promise there too. The pattern of Christ leads not just to suffering and death on a cross, but to resurrection and glory. And even better, on the day that He returns, all of the lowliness of the life that we see now will be changed to the glory of the eternal King.

We who walk in His humility, who follow the cross pattern of Christ, will also follow His pattern of the glorious King who comes on the clouds with the trumpet and the voice of the archangel, when He will reign forever and every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. This is what we look forward to, why we live through this now as we cling to the promise of His glorious return.

A King Among Criminals

Jesus didn't just live a lowly life. He also lived amongst criminals. Here He was accused. He was falsely judged as evil. That's the reason why they put Him on the cross. To the Gentiles, to Pontius Pilate, He was a rebel rebelling against Caesar. He was someone who claimed to be God, even though He was not, according to the high priests. He was a criminal to be mocked, and that's what the people did.

The leaders, the world, the society—they saw in Jesus someone to be rejected and hurt, someone to be told that He was evil. And it should be no surprise that we who follow in our Savior's footsteps, who have a King who is rejected by the authorities and powers and people of the world, that we might have the same.

In fact, sometimes even our own hearts tell us this. Sometimes even our own hearts tell us that, well, church shouldn't be like this. Life shouldn't be like this if we're on God's side. As we whisper to ourselves the things like they said in Malachi: "And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper, but they put God to the test and they escape."

That stuff out there looks so much better. Aren't we on God's side? Shouldn't things be better? We might even accuse ourselves in our own hearts. But we have a King who suffered through that, a King who took the accusations, went to a cross and died there, a King who lived through all of this and simply received it so you could live.

The Pattern of the Accused King

We have to remember that this accused King is our pattern. And so even when we look at the world and say, "It seems like victory is out there but not in here"—that's what it looked like when Jesus was on the cross. And just as that changed for Jesus, that will change for us.

Three days later, He rose from the dead. The King of all creation stood alive, revealed to the world His power and His might, and ascended the throne on high where He sits at the right hand of the Father. And when He comes again, we too will be vindicated as the King comes and says to us, "Well done, good and faithful servant"—that by His death and resurrection, He has claimed us as His own and made us one with Him.

The Mercy of the Dying King

One of the other things that we see as this great King in His lowly state is His mercy. Jesus, as He is accused, as He is lowly, as He is broken, as He is beaten, as He is nailed to a cross—and yet He is forgiving. How amazing is that?

They lift Him up, they nail Him to the cross, and He says, "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do"—even as they cast lots under His feet for the clothing that they took from Him.

Or how about the mercy He shows to a criminal who only moments before may have been insulting Him, but then turns to Jesus and says, "Jesus, remember me when You come into Your kingdom"? And He says to the thief, "Today, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise."

How amazing is the mercy of a Savior who is nailed to a cross and dying an excruciating death and still has time for forgiveness. Forgiveness and love comes out to us today as well, who offers the same promise to you: "You will be with Me in Paradise."

The Church of Mercy

And the church who follows the pattern of our Savior—we too extend this kind of mercy in everything we do. The church is a place where forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to all who come to us, even to the kinds of people who might nail someone to a cross and stab them with a spear and whip him and beat him and cause him to die. Even to those who might insult us and hurt us, we are always proclaiming the grace and mercy of God.

And sometimes what that means is we're going to look a lot like Jesus: beat up, hurt, when our forgiveness and love is rejected and our lowliness is exposed. And we who just love and care and serve like a Savior don't get it in return.

The mercy of God is what the church is given today. The gospel of Jesus Christ goes out.

The Coming Judgment

But that's not always the way it's going to be. On the last day, the door of mercy will be closed. The path of grace will end, and Christ will come and bring judgment on this earth. And we who have been given the mercy of God will be chosen to be with Him, to reign with Him forever.

And then the judgment will begin for all those who reject that mercy, all those who turn away, all those who think that Christ is too lowly or broken for them. They will see our God and Savior with His might and power, and He will judge the living and the dead. We will be on the right side with the grace of God given to us, a glorious resurrection to reign with Him forever. Those who are not will be cast into eternal torment, turned away as the door of grace will close when He appears in the sky with power and might.

Conclusion: Clinging to the Lowly King

This is why we cling to that mercy now. Why we proclaim to the world the grace of God and welcome all who come here—because we know the judgment part, that's not for us. Jesus will do it on the last day. He will raise up His lowly church and vindicate us and give us eternal life.

And we cling to a Savior who died on a cross, who shows us the pattern of grace and love, and calls us to cling to the promise of His return.

In Jesus's name. Amen.

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