I'm back on the blogging horse after having fallen off for a while. Thanks for reading.
I have always been fascinated by stories of survival. Just this week, I read the story of an eleven year old girl who saved her mother and infant sister after their SUV plunged into an icy river. She was able to escape out of the window and was shocked three times trying to leap an electric fence before leading rescuers back to the accident site, only to discover that more than one vehicle had taken the plunge. This eleven-year-old’s calm demeanor and persistence saved her family from certain death.
Here’s another survival story. A large group of people were wandering in the desert, and their camp was overrun by poisonous, lethal snakes. Their method of survival was pretty unconventional. Those bitten looked at the bronze statue of a snake on a pole and they lived! By doing what God had said, they were saved from death.
That’s what we mean in the Christian Church when we talk about being saved. We mean, saved from death. Saved from eternal death…separation from God…the torment of not knowing love or grace and to keep on existing in that mode…that’s what it mean to be saved.
Jesus used the bronze snake event—where God used an unconventional method to save his people from death--as a launching pad to talk about himself and what he was all about.
Jesus makes the comparison explicit when he says: 14And(A) as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man(B) be lifted up, 15that whoever believes(C) in him(D) may have eternal life. 16"For(E) God so loved(F) the world,[b](G) that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not(H) perish but have eternal life.
The snake on a pole anticipated a man on a pole, or rather, a cross. Lifted up from the earth by a wooden torture and execution device, Jesus would become the one to look to for eternal life. To look to Jesus and believe is to not perish—that is, to be saved from death of body and soul. To lift up your eyes to see Jesus nailed to the cross and to be sure that He’s doing it for you is to know that you have only life with Him ahead of you. Your sins that could have and should have condemned you to never ending darkness and fear have been expunged from your record—all mention of them is gone—because Jesus erased them with His blood. Death is a lame duck, because of Jesus’ resurrection. This is the good news that the Church rightly proclaims—the gospel that changes human hearts and lives. You are saved from hell and the fear of death by Jesus’ death and resurrection.
So…is that the final word on Christianity? Certainly, the work of saving us from death is complete in Jesus. Only He could do what needed to be done, and he did it. So where does that leave us? Be happy you’re saved…relax and put your feet up…or is there something else?
I believe that not only have you and I been saved from eternal despair by the blood and new life of Jesus, but we have also been saved for a purpose. Listen again to what the apostle Paul writes in today’s Epistle lesson: 8For(A) by grace you have been saved(B) through faith. And this is(C) not your own doing;(D) it is the gift of God, 9(E) not a result of works,(F) so that no one may boast. 10For(G) we are his workmanship,(H) created in Christ Jesus(I) for good works,(J) which God prepared beforehand,(K) that we should walk in them.
Did you hear that? “…we are his workmanship,(H) created in Christ Jesus(I) for good works,(J) which God prepared beforehand,(K) that we should walk in them.” We are saved for the purpose of doing good works in Jesus’ name—actions of love and service that God has prepared beforehand for us to do! The opportunities for us to serve are just sitting there, waiting for us, and what’s more, God himself set the whole thing up!
Now I’m going to be candid with you. I’m not a “Lutheran-bashing” Lutheran pastor. I am not someone who is going to stand up here and bash Lutheran teaching or practice or culture (and as weird as it sounds, there are Lutheran pastors out there who do this). But I will say this. It’s not a slam, it’s just a fact. I was born and raised Lutheran Church Missouri Synod, went to all Lutheran schools my whole life; it is in my DNA. Do you know how long it took me to realize that there is a verse 10 that comes after Ephesians 2: 8—9? A lot longer that I care to admit. Just about any Lutheran and really any Christian who’s been around the block should be able to recite by heart, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one can boast.” Yeah! But who knows verse ten by heart? I didn’t really know it was there! The catechism seems to stop at verse 9! But the idea continues on and says so much more about our lives in Christ! Taken as a whole, this passage does a beautiful job of telling us that we are saved from death and hell and that none of that is by our doing—clearly it is a gift from God. Then it goes on to share the simple insight that we are saved for a life of service. There are things that God wants us to do, as his saved people.
If you have ever had the pleasure of staying at a Ritz-Carlton hotel, (I can count the times on one finger), you know it is one amazing experience. Each staff member is mindful of one thing: serving guests. The hotel’s corporate motto is: “We are ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen.” Employees are empowered to correct a problem or handle a complaint. When a guest thanks a staff member, rather than responding “No problem” or, “hey, it’s OK” they look the guest in the eye and say, “It’s a pleasure to serve you.” I don’t care who you are—service like that makes an impression. Service like that doesn’t happen by chance. It is intentional and sincere.You and I are saved for a life of intentional and sincere service. It’s all there in Ephesians 2: 10For(G) we are his workmanship,(H) created in Christ Jesus(I) for good works,(J) which God prepared beforehand,(K) that we should walk in them.” It is time for us to do the good works which God has prepared for us. Now is the time to intentionally and sincerely walk the walk. Let us learn the pleasure of serving. After all, service to our fellow man is service to our Lord Jesus. It is what we have been saved for.
Monday, March 23, 2009
Monday, February 23, 2009
Secret Identity
The Saturday Night folks are the only ones who heard this sermon preached. Illness prevented me from leading worship on Sunday. So Sunday people, this is what you would've heard if I would've been up to it.
I’d like to play a little word association game with you today. I’m going to say a few names and you tell me who comes to mind. Ready? Clark Kent. Peter Parker. Bruce Wayne. Bruce Banner. OK. Your comic book literacy is where is should be. One big feature of superhero stories is the idea of a secret identity. The concept creates all kinds of dramatic tension, centering on what might happen if the true identity of the super hero is revealed. You get a lot of close calls and once in a while the mask is pulled back and somebody discovers the truth.
I would submit to you that there’s an element of this in the story from our Gospel Lesson today. The curious mountaintop experience recorded there is the brief exposure of Jesus’ secret identity. We call this Jesus’ transfiguration. That means his figure or appearance changed. In front of his closest friends, Jesus peels back the human mask and lets them see who He really is. Mark just says that Jesus was transfigured before them and His clothes became dazzling white. Luke adds that the appearance of Jesus’ face changed and his clothes were as bright as a flash of lightning. Matthew says it like this: “His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.” The secret identity is revealed. Jesus, who looks like just another guy from Galilee, is God.
What do you do with information like that? Peter, James, and John, weren’t sure. What do you do when you find out that the rabbi you’ve been hanging out with has the full glory of the Almighty God hidden inside Him? What do you do when you discover that he can hold conversations with Moses and Elijah? How do you handle the voice of the Almighty One speaking the ultimate reveal: “This is my beloved Son—Listen to Him!” Well, the first thing you’d probably do is just that—you would listen to Jesus. There’s more than meets the eye here. And then you might start to wonder, what can’t Jesus do? If he’s connected to this type of power, He might be the answer our people have been looking for.
But the moment things seem normal again, Jesus asks you not to talk about it. He doesn’t mean forget about it. How could you? He wants you to remember. One day it will make perfect sense. But He’s concerned. He knows what people will say and do if the word gets out that he has super-heroic power. But he did not come to leap tall buildings in a single bound, nor did he come shatter the shields of the Roman Empire. He came for the cross. He came to stagger up the hill of the Skull. This superhero’s power is made perfect in weakness. With love and strength that defies description, he will lie down on the wooden beams and allow the nails to enter his flesh. His heart will stop beating and he will breathe no more. Only then will sin be cancelled. Only then will it be clear what the power of Jesus is. It is the power of sacrifice. It is the power of mercy. It is the power of forgiveness. It is the power of love for the undeserving. He used this peculiar power for you.
And then He would live again. Not in some eulogizing sort of “He’ll live on in our hearts forever” type of thing, but he would really live again, physically, resurrected, walking around, eating, breathing, teaching. There, too, is the power and glory of God. Death is defeated. Its stranglehold is broken. Jesus will share resurrected life with all who believe in Him.
Jesus had His cross and tomb in mind when he told Peter, James, and John not to say anything about his transfiguration. His secret identity would be revealed to the whole world, all in due time. But for now, his path led to Jerusalem. His work of saving you and me from a horrible life in this world and even worse things in eternity was not complete until cross and tomb were dealt with.
With all this talk about secret identities, we can’t leave today without wrestling with this question. Are you keeping your Christian faith a secret? Is your Christian life with Jesus a secret identity that you keep under wraps? Is there a part of you that hopes that your friends and acquaintances never discover your link to Jesus? If you’ve struggled with this, you’re not alone. Sin would have us hide the light of Jesus under a bushel basket. Society would have us keep our faith private. But that’s simply not what Jesus would have you do.
Jesus would have you repent of the times when you have made Him your little secret. He would have you know that there is forgiveness for you through faith in His actions at the cross and tomb. And He would have you see yourself through His eyes when he says: “You are the light of the world. A town can’t be hidden when it’s built on a hill. You put a lamp on the lampstand, where it gives light to everybody in the house. So let you light shine before people that they may see the good you do and praise your Father in heaven.” Likewise, the apostle Paul writes to Timothy, “God didn’t give us a cowardly Spirit, but a Spirit of power and love and good judgment.” And Paul can write to the Corinthian Church: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” If you have been connected to Jesus through Holy Baptism, and you continue to trust in Jesus for forgiveness and strength, then this is your true identity. It is an identity that cannot be kept secret. It isn’t possible. Because if Jesus is alive in you, He’s going to cause you to look for someone to help. He’s going to cause to you look for someone to serve. He’s going to cause you to come alongside someone with words of gospel hope and deeds of kindness. That’s just the way He is. Sure, we can decide to not go along with it. We can try to put the lid on His compassion. But even then, the Spirit calls us to turn around and seek forgiveness for frustrating God’s purposes for us. We’re called to trust that we have been given a Spirit of power and love and good judgment. And we’re freed to let our true identity—our connected-to-Christ-identity—shine through each and every day of our lives.
God wants this to be our reality. He wants to give us Himself. The same God who hid his full glory in a normal-looking teacher and carpenter from Nazareth still hides Himself today. He hides himself in words on a page; words that are sung; words that are preached; words that are discovered in Holy Scripture. Every time you hear those words it is God speaking to your heart and mind.
He hides himself in ordinary water; water scooped out of a bowl. Every time that water is accompanied by God’s Name, it is God Himself cleansing a person and gifting them with His life.
He hides himself in flatbread wafers and wine from the grape. When this food is combined with Jesus’ words, we take the broken body and shed blood of our Savior into ourselves. He literally pours Himself into us, sharing His identity with us, giving us the things we need most. Far more than a hero, Jesus is our reason for living. Amen.
I’d like to play a little word association game with you today. I’m going to say a few names and you tell me who comes to mind. Ready? Clark Kent. Peter Parker. Bruce Wayne. Bruce Banner. OK. Your comic book literacy is where is should be. One big feature of superhero stories is the idea of a secret identity. The concept creates all kinds of dramatic tension, centering on what might happen if the true identity of the super hero is revealed. You get a lot of close calls and once in a while the mask is pulled back and somebody discovers the truth.
I would submit to you that there’s an element of this in the story from our Gospel Lesson today. The curious mountaintop experience recorded there is the brief exposure of Jesus’ secret identity. We call this Jesus’ transfiguration. That means his figure or appearance changed. In front of his closest friends, Jesus peels back the human mask and lets them see who He really is. Mark just says that Jesus was transfigured before them and His clothes became dazzling white. Luke adds that the appearance of Jesus’ face changed and his clothes were as bright as a flash of lightning. Matthew says it like this: “His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light.” The secret identity is revealed. Jesus, who looks like just another guy from Galilee, is God.
What do you do with information like that? Peter, James, and John, weren’t sure. What do you do when you find out that the rabbi you’ve been hanging out with has the full glory of the Almighty God hidden inside Him? What do you do when you discover that he can hold conversations with Moses and Elijah? How do you handle the voice of the Almighty One speaking the ultimate reveal: “This is my beloved Son—Listen to Him!” Well, the first thing you’d probably do is just that—you would listen to Jesus. There’s more than meets the eye here. And then you might start to wonder, what can’t Jesus do? If he’s connected to this type of power, He might be the answer our people have been looking for.
But the moment things seem normal again, Jesus asks you not to talk about it. He doesn’t mean forget about it. How could you? He wants you to remember. One day it will make perfect sense. But He’s concerned. He knows what people will say and do if the word gets out that he has super-heroic power. But he did not come to leap tall buildings in a single bound, nor did he come shatter the shields of the Roman Empire. He came for the cross. He came to stagger up the hill of the Skull. This superhero’s power is made perfect in weakness. With love and strength that defies description, he will lie down on the wooden beams and allow the nails to enter his flesh. His heart will stop beating and he will breathe no more. Only then will sin be cancelled. Only then will it be clear what the power of Jesus is. It is the power of sacrifice. It is the power of mercy. It is the power of forgiveness. It is the power of love for the undeserving. He used this peculiar power for you.
And then He would live again. Not in some eulogizing sort of “He’ll live on in our hearts forever” type of thing, but he would really live again, physically, resurrected, walking around, eating, breathing, teaching. There, too, is the power and glory of God. Death is defeated. Its stranglehold is broken. Jesus will share resurrected life with all who believe in Him.
Jesus had His cross and tomb in mind when he told Peter, James, and John not to say anything about his transfiguration. His secret identity would be revealed to the whole world, all in due time. But for now, his path led to Jerusalem. His work of saving you and me from a horrible life in this world and even worse things in eternity was not complete until cross and tomb were dealt with.
With all this talk about secret identities, we can’t leave today without wrestling with this question. Are you keeping your Christian faith a secret? Is your Christian life with Jesus a secret identity that you keep under wraps? Is there a part of you that hopes that your friends and acquaintances never discover your link to Jesus? If you’ve struggled with this, you’re not alone. Sin would have us hide the light of Jesus under a bushel basket. Society would have us keep our faith private. But that’s simply not what Jesus would have you do.
Jesus would have you repent of the times when you have made Him your little secret. He would have you know that there is forgiveness for you through faith in His actions at the cross and tomb. And He would have you see yourself through His eyes when he says: “You are the light of the world. A town can’t be hidden when it’s built on a hill. You put a lamp on the lampstand, where it gives light to everybody in the house. So let you light shine before people that they may see the good you do and praise your Father in heaven.” Likewise, the apostle Paul writes to Timothy, “God didn’t give us a cowardly Spirit, but a Spirit of power and love and good judgment.” And Paul can write to the Corinthian Church: “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!” If you have been connected to Jesus through Holy Baptism, and you continue to trust in Jesus for forgiveness and strength, then this is your true identity. It is an identity that cannot be kept secret. It isn’t possible. Because if Jesus is alive in you, He’s going to cause you to look for someone to help. He’s going to cause to you look for someone to serve. He’s going to cause you to come alongside someone with words of gospel hope and deeds of kindness. That’s just the way He is. Sure, we can decide to not go along with it. We can try to put the lid on His compassion. But even then, the Spirit calls us to turn around and seek forgiveness for frustrating God’s purposes for us. We’re called to trust that we have been given a Spirit of power and love and good judgment. And we’re freed to let our true identity—our connected-to-Christ-identity—shine through each and every day of our lives.
God wants this to be our reality. He wants to give us Himself. The same God who hid his full glory in a normal-looking teacher and carpenter from Nazareth still hides Himself today. He hides himself in words on a page; words that are sung; words that are preached; words that are discovered in Holy Scripture. Every time you hear those words it is God speaking to your heart and mind.
He hides himself in ordinary water; water scooped out of a bowl. Every time that water is accompanied by God’s Name, it is God Himself cleansing a person and gifting them with His life.
He hides himself in flatbread wafers and wine from the grape. When this food is combined with Jesus’ words, we take the broken body and shed blood of our Savior into ourselves. He literally pours Himself into us, sharing His identity with us, giving us the things we need most. Far more than a hero, Jesus is our reason for living. Amen.
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
A Simple Invitation: Come and See
43(A) The next day Jesus decided(B) to go to Galilee. He found Philip and said to him, "Follow me." 44Now(C) Philip was from Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. 45Philip found(D) Nathanael and said to him, "We have found him of whom(E) Moses in the Law and also the prophets wrote, Jesus(F) of Nazareth,(G) the son of Joseph." 46Nathanael said to him,(H) "Can anything good come out of Nazareth?" Philip said to him, "Come and see." John 1
I was never much of a Lord of the Rings fan. I was more of a Star Wars guy. When Peter Jackson’s “Fellowship of the Ring” came out in 2001, it made a pop culture splash, but I didn’t go see the film, and didn’t feel as if I was missing anything.
In 2002, the next installment, called “The Two Towers” was released to theaters. Again, I didn’t really care much one way or the other. But some friends of mine who were really into the Ring stories invited me to a midnight showing, and I agreed to go. Keep in mind I had a pretty sketchy idea of the plot, and I was walking into part two without any real idea of what part one was about. It didn’t matter. All it took was the spectacular opening scene and I was hooked. I’m glad I went, because it introduced me to an imaginative world that I had never explored before, and I was pleased to learn that the story dealt with some worthwhile themes. Point is, I had to come and see for myself what all the fuss was about. Once I did, I got it, and I’m thankful for the enjoyment it’s given me.
I’m pretty certain that we share that characteristic. As human beings, we like to see for ourselves. Sometimes we’ll take the word of others at face value, but most of the time, we like to check things out for ourselves. We want to test things by our own criteria. We want to gauge our reaction to something, whether it’s a movie or a book or a sport or a game or even a church. We want to see for ourselves. It’s just the way we’re built.
A man named Philip understood this very well. Philip had come face to face with Jesus of Nazareth. This Jesus had approached Philip with a life-changing invitation. “Follow me.” Something about this experience led Philip to the conclusion that Jesus was the one about whom Moses and the Law and the prophets had written. Jesus was the Prophet with a capital P. Jesus was the one who would take the throne of his ancestor David. Jesus was the Messiah. The time of God’s deliverance had come.
What do you do with that kind of news? You’ve got to share it with someone. You feel like you’ll burst if you don’t. So Philip thought of Nathanael and goes to find him. Did you notice all the finding going on in this passage? Jesus found Philip. Then Philip finds Nathanael in order to say, “We found the person the Scripture points to: it’s Jesus of Nazareth!”
Have you ever had someone just totally take the wind out of your sails with their less-than-enthused reaction? You’re dying to share some good news with someone, and they just shut you down with a sarcastic, negative comment? I wonder if that’s how Philip felt. We’ve located the Messiah…we know who he is...and Nathanael’s response is a classic bubble-burster: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Come on Philip, you’ve got to be kidding.
And right here is where Philip teaches us an incredible lesson. There were a number of different ways he could’ve reacted to Nathanael’s dissing of his discovery. He could’ve gotten angry and walked away. He could’ve said, “Forget it.” He could’ve engaged Nathanel in a theological debate, going point by point through the Scriptures, giving a clinching argument for Jesus’ identity. He could’ve done any of those things and more. But he didn’t. Instead, he just drops this on Nathanael: “Come and see.” Just a simple invitation: ‘Come and see for yourself what all the fuss is about.’
There is a lesson here about witnessing that I don’t want you to miss. So often I think we have the impression that witnessing only means “talking someone into believing.” That makes us stop before we start. We don’t know what to say or how to say it. We don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable. Or it might just be the opposite—you love the truth so much that you’re willing to just drop the hammer on anyone who disagrees with you. You’ve got answers and you know how to use them. Both extremes can learn a better way from Philip and his simple invitation: “Come and see.”
Now it must be said that this invitation was a bit more concrete on Philip’s part. He could invite Nathanael to come see a flesh and blood person and listen to what that person had to say. But our invitation to come and see is really not that much different. Our invitation is this: Come and see Jesus in the place he has promised to be: in His Church.
We can expect the Nathanael question to that too. Lots of folks including some of our own family members, friends, and neighbors might say, “The Christian Church? St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church? Can any good come out of there? I’m not into organized religion. The church is full of hypocrites. They’re always asking for your money. I don’t have to go to church to be a good person. All the Christians I know are more judgmental and less forgiving than the non-Christians. Can any good come from the Church? How do you handle this Nathanael question?
Again, we could be offended, especially if there is some painful truth to what is being said. We could debate and try to win the argument and prove ourselves right—which might make us feel good, but also might hurt more than help. We can give up and withdraw and not say anything to the unbeliever and take the stance that they know where we are if they need us. (Not really an option). Or we can hold out our hands in hospitality with the invitation: “Come and see.” Come and see for yourself. Come and see if the stereotypes you have hold true. Come and see if the Christian message is what you think it is. Just come and see.
Making this invitation requires confidence. Philip had it in Jesus. He reasoned that if he could just get Nathanael and Jesus together, then the right things would happen. In this case, they did, and then some. Jesus exceeded Nathanael’s expectations—so much so that the man who accepted the invitation to come and see ends up confessing Jesus as the Son of God and the King of Israel!
If we believe that Jesus is really with us in His Word; If we believe that Jesus is really with us in baptism and in the Lord’s Supper; if we believe that Jesus has made a home in us, then we can make the same invitation with confidence, too. But it’s that last possibility that trips us up. We can get in the way of Jesus. We can, unfortunately, present a negative image to people of what Christianity is all about. I saw a book or an article title once that said: “I Don’t Have a Problem with Jesus; It’s His Followers I Can’t Stand.” Ouch! That hurts! But, could the person who wrote those words have a point?
If so, then we need to know that the invitation applies to us too. Come and see our sins in light of God’s Law. Come and see the punishment they deserve. Come and see the Son of God stoop down to pick up the heavy load of our sins—our sins, not his—and stagger under their weight up to the cross. Come and see Him die your death and take your shame and guilt and see Him bury them all in his grave. Come and see Him break out of His tomb, fully alive, to make you fully alive. Come and see Jesus. And once you’ve seen, bring others to see. Invite them to the places where Jesus awaits. Invite them to the places where the Holy Spirit is active and probing and working to create faith. Invite them and help them to meet a God who knows what we need, and gives us so much more. Let’s become imitators of Philip, making this simple invitation to all who will listen: “Come and see.” Amen.
I was never much of a Lord of the Rings fan. I was more of a Star Wars guy. When Peter Jackson’s “Fellowship of the Ring” came out in 2001, it made a pop culture splash, but I didn’t go see the film, and didn’t feel as if I was missing anything.
In 2002, the next installment, called “The Two Towers” was released to theaters. Again, I didn’t really care much one way or the other. But some friends of mine who were really into the Ring stories invited me to a midnight showing, and I agreed to go. Keep in mind I had a pretty sketchy idea of the plot, and I was walking into part two without any real idea of what part one was about. It didn’t matter. All it took was the spectacular opening scene and I was hooked. I’m glad I went, because it introduced me to an imaginative world that I had never explored before, and I was pleased to learn that the story dealt with some worthwhile themes. Point is, I had to come and see for myself what all the fuss was about. Once I did, I got it, and I’m thankful for the enjoyment it’s given me.
I’m pretty certain that we share that characteristic. As human beings, we like to see for ourselves. Sometimes we’ll take the word of others at face value, but most of the time, we like to check things out for ourselves. We want to test things by our own criteria. We want to gauge our reaction to something, whether it’s a movie or a book or a sport or a game or even a church. We want to see for ourselves. It’s just the way we’re built.
A man named Philip understood this very well. Philip had come face to face with Jesus of Nazareth. This Jesus had approached Philip with a life-changing invitation. “Follow me.” Something about this experience led Philip to the conclusion that Jesus was the one about whom Moses and the Law and the prophets had written. Jesus was the Prophet with a capital P. Jesus was the one who would take the throne of his ancestor David. Jesus was the Messiah. The time of God’s deliverance had come.
What do you do with that kind of news? You’ve got to share it with someone. You feel like you’ll burst if you don’t. So Philip thought of Nathanael and goes to find him. Did you notice all the finding going on in this passage? Jesus found Philip. Then Philip finds Nathanael in order to say, “We found the person the Scripture points to: it’s Jesus of Nazareth!”
Have you ever had someone just totally take the wind out of your sails with their less-than-enthused reaction? You’re dying to share some good news with someone, and they just shut you down with a sarcastic, negative comment? I wonder if that’s how Philip felt. We’ve located the Messiah…we know who he is...and Nathanael’s response is a classic bubble-burster: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Come on Philip, you’ve got to be kidding.
And right here is where Philip teaches us an incredible lesson. There were a number of different ways he could’ve reacted to Nathanael’s dissing of his discovery. He could’ve gotten angry and walked away. He could’ve said, “Forget it.” He could’ve engaged Nathanel in a theological debate, going point by point through the Scriptures, giving a clinching argument for Jesus’ identity. He could’ve done any of those things and more. But he didn’t. Instead, he just drops this on Nathanael: “Come and see.” Just a simple invitation: ‘Come and see for yourself what all the fuss is about.’
There is a lesson here about witnessing that I don’t want you to miss. So often I think we have the impression that witnessing only means “talking someone into believing.” That makes us stop before we start. We don’t know what to say or how to say it. We don’t want to make anyone uncomfortable. Or it might just be the opposite—you love the truth so much that you’re willing to just drop the hammer on anyone who disagrees with you. You’ve got answers and you know how to use them. Both extremes can learn a better way from Philip and his simple invitation: “Come and see.”
Now it must be said that this invitation was a bit more concrete on Philip’s part. He could invite Nathanael to come see a flesh and blood person and listen to what that person had to say. But our invitation to come and see is really not that much different. Our invitation is this: Come and see Jesus in the place he has promised to be: in His Church.
We can expect the Nathanael question to that too. Lots of folks including some of our own family members, friends, and neighbors might say, “The Christian Church? St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church? Can any good come out of there? I’m not into organized religion. The church is full of hypocrites. They’re always asking for your money. I don’t have to go to church to be a good person. All the Christians I know are more judgmental and less forgiving than the non-Christians. Can any good come from the Church? How do you handle this Nathanael question?
Again, we could be offended, especially if there is some painful truth to what is being said. We could debate and try to win the argument and prove ourselves right—which might make us feel good, but also might hurt more than help. We can give up and withdraw and not say anything to the unbeliever and take the stance that they know where we are if they need us. (Not really an option). Or we can hold out our hands in hospitality with the invitation: “Come and see.” Come and see for yourself. Come and see if the stereotypes you have hold true. Come and see if the Christian message is what you think it is. Just come and see.
Making this invitation requires confidence. Philip had it in Jesus. He reasoned that if he could just get Nathanael and Jesus together, then the right things would happen. In this case, they did, and then some. Jesus exceeded Nathanael’s expectations—so much so that the man who accepted the invitation to come and see ends up confessing Jesus as the Son of God and the King of Israel!
If we believe that Jesus is really with us in His Word; If we believe that Jesus is really with us in baptism and in the Lord’s Supper; if we believe that Jesus has made a home in us, then we can make the same invitation with confidence, too. But it’s that last possibility that trips us up. We can get in the way of Jesus. We can, unfortunately, present a negative image to people of what Christianity is all about. I saw a book or an article title once that said: “I Don’t Have a Problem with Jesus; It’s His Followers I Can’t Stand.” Ouch! That hurts! But, could the person who wrote those words have a point?
If so, then we need to know that the invitation applies to us too. Come and see our sins in light of God’s Law. Come and see the punishment they deserve. Come and see the Son of God stoop down to pick up the heavy load of our sins—our sins, not his—and stagger under their weight up to the cross. Come and see Him die your death and take your shame and guilt and see Him bury them all in his grave. Come and see Him break out of His tomb, fully alive, to make you fully alive. Come and see Jesus. And once you’ve seen, bring others to see. Invite them to the places where Jesus awaits. Invite them to the places where the Holy Spirit is active and probing and working to create faith. Invite them and help them to meet a God who knows what we need, and gives us so much more. Let’s become imitators of Philip, making this simple invitation to all who will listen: “Come and see.” Amen.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Why Is Jesus in the Water?
9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11And a voice came from heaven, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."
How often do you think about your baptism? If you said, “every day,” I applaud you. I also would say that you are in the minority of Christians—I may be wrong, and I hope I am—but I would guess that the majority of Jesus followers don’t dwell on their baptism a whole lot. That’s a shame. It’s like standing next to a limitless supply of energy and never plugging in. In a very real sense, to forget our baptism is to forget who we are.
But it is understandable, if you’re like me and you were baptized as a baby. How can we think about and dwell on something that we don’t remember? It’s not a memory I can access. For that reason, I think those who were baptized as babies may have a twinge of ‘sanctified jealousy’ for those who are baptized later in life, because it is an experience they can remember. That works both ways, though. Those who are baptized later in life may have a twinge of ‘sanctified jealousy’ towards those who have been a part of the family for so long. The point is, baptism is extremely important and deserves more thought and reflection than we usually give it. Baptism is a powerful way that God lays claim to us, whether we remember the event or not. An adopted child is adopted whether or not they remember the adoption process. They live in the results of that adoption daily: they have a home, they have parents, their needs are met, and so on. In the same way, a baptized person is adopted whether or not they remember the baptism. They live in the results of that baptism daily: they have a home with God and possess a living faith in his Son, Jesus Christ. Baptism matters because it establishes our identity. You are no longer a free agent. There’s no flying solo for you. You have been connected to Jesus through baptism. A powerful link has been forged between you and Jesus. He shares everything with you. His suffering and death. His resurrection and victorious life. Baptism creates this bond. We need to dust off the font and dwell on what God did to us there.
We have that opportunity today as we hear of Jesus’ own baptism. Now there is always the potential for confusion when we talk about Jesus’ baptism. Some might ask, “Why did Jesus need to be baptized?” If, as we believe, Jesus was the sinless Son of God, then why would he be on the receiving end of a sacrament that provides forgiveness of sins? The answer is found in the very purpose for which Jesus became one of us. Jesus did not need to be forgiven, but in His baptism, Jesus wades into the water of our sin. He gets covered with our dirt. He begins his work of doing things he didn’t have to do for people like us, who couldn’t do them. In the waters of the Jordan River, Jesus builds a reservoir of life, holding innumerable gallons of forgiveness of sins and rescue from death. Those precious gifts will flow to all who are baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Jesus needs to be baptized, not for himself, but for us, so that the channel can be dug and the connection can be made from his life to yours.
Mark records the vivid detail that awaited Jesus when he came up out of the water. He saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on Him like a dove. These things also happen to the baptized. For the truth is, were it not for Jesus and His willingness to do things he didn’t have to do, heaven would not be open to us. The doors would be shut and the gates locked. We would live the darkened lives of the self-absorbed and self-serving. If we had any thought of a heavenly life after this one, we would deceive ourselves into thinking we earned it. More likely, though, we would simply try to die with the most toys.
But thanks be to God in Christ, we are free from such a hopeless outlook! When you were baptized, heaven was torn open to you and the gates were flung wide. A cord of life was tied around you—and at the other end is your resurrected, living Lord. You and I live in a finite world—a world where things fall apart, break down, and die. But in Christ, you are infinite with Him. There is much trouble, sickness, death, and heartache in this finite world—more than enough to go around. But the baptized Christian endures all these things with the promise that you will outlast them all. You will live beyond these problems. In your baptismal connection to Jesus you will survive even the annihilation of this world to continue on with Him forever. This promise is made to all baptized Christians. There is more for you beyond this present life and baptism into Jesus seals it.
Also, at Jesus’ baptism, he saw the Spirit descending like a dove. This too happens to the baptized. The Holy Spirit enters a spiritually dead person and begins generating life—which is to say that he creates faith. This is an element of baptism that must not be overlooked. We need the Holy Spirit. We cannot believe in or appreciate, much less love God without the Spirit’s work in us. St. Paul writes, “No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12: 3) and St. Peter offered the solution to that problem in his Pentecost proclamation: “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” We can’t believe in Jesus without the Holy Spirit. So God provides us with His Holy Spirit through the simple action of baptism. He keeps on doing what we could not do to give us what we could not earn.
The baptismal connection that you have with Jesus has been likened to the umbilical cord that connects a mother and child in the womb. Of course, we know that a mother supplies nutrients and oxygen to her child through that cord in a continuous flow, things that keep the child alive and cause growth. What you may not think of immediately is the fact that the child sends something back through the cord as well. The baby sends back poisonous wastes, and the mother eliminates them for her child.
Baptism is that connecting cord between Jesus and you. Through God’s extraordinary umbilical, baptismal connection, all the wastes of your sins flow continuously to Jesus and are removed forever by his shed blood—He’s absorbed all your poisonous sins into his body. In return, Jesus’ life-giving strength and perfection flow continuously to you. His life is always being renewed in you! And since you are connected with Christ Jesus in this way, you stand with Him as the Father says: "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased." The words apply to Jesus, and because of Him, they apply to you, too. You are God’s beloved child. He is well pleased with you. He says, “You are mine.” This is who you are. Live in your baptism—your connecting cord to Christ!
How often do you think about your baptism? If you said, “every day,” I applaud you. I also would say that you are in the minority of Christians—I may be wrong, and I hope I am—but I would guess that the majority of Jesus followers don’t dwell on their baptism a whole lot. That’s a shame. It’s like standing next to a limitless supply of energy and never plugging in. In a very real sense, to forget our baptism is to forget who we are.
But it is understandable, if you’re like me and you were baptized as a baby. How can we think about and dwell on something that we don’t remember? It’s not a memory I can access. For that reason, I think those who were baptized as babies may have a twinge of ‘sanctified jealousy’ for those who are baptized later in life, because it is an experience they can remember. That works both ways, though. Those who are baptized later in life may have a twinge of ‘sanctified jealousy’ towards those who have been a part of the family for so long. The point is, baptism is extremely important and deserves more thought and reflection than we usually give it. Baptism is a powerful way that God lays claim to us, whether we remember the event or not. An adopted child is adopted whether or not they remember the adoption process. They live in the results of that adoption daily: they have a home, they have parents, their needs are met, and so on. In the same way, a baptized person is adopted whether or not they remember the baptism. They live in the results of that baptism daily: they have a home with God and possess a living faith in his Son, Jesus Christ. Baptism matters because it establishes our identity. You are no longer a free agent. There’s no flying solo for you. You have been connected to Jesus through baptism. A powerful link has been forged between you and Jesus. He shares everything with you. His suffering and death. His resurrection and victorious life. Baptism creates this bond. We need to dust off the font and dwell on what God did to us there.
We have that opportunity today as we hear of Jesus’ own baptism. Now there is always the potential for confusion when we talk about Jesus’ baptism. Some might ask, “Why did Jesus need to be baptized?” If, as we believe, Jesus was the sinless Son of God, then why would he be on the receiving end of a sacrament that provides forgiveness of sins? The answer is found in the very purpose for which Jesus became one of us. Jesus did not need to be forgiven, but in His baptism, Jesus wades into the water of our sin. He gets covered with our dirt. He begins his work of doing things he didn’t have to do for people like us, who couldn’t do them. In the waters of the Jordan River, Jesus builds a reservoir of life, holding innumerable gallons of forgiveness of sins and rescue from death. Those precious gifts will flow to all who are baptized in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Jesus needs to be baptized, not for himself, but for us, so that the channel can be dug and the connection can be made from his life to yours.
Mark records the vivid detail that awaited Jesus when he came up out of the water. He saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on Him like a dove. These things also happen to the baptized. For the truth is, were it not for Jesus and His willingness to do things he didn’t have to do, heaven would not be open to us. The doors would be shut and the gates locked. We would live the darkened lives of the self-absorbed and self-serving. If we had any thought of a heavenly life after this one, we would deceive ourselves into thinking we earned it. More likely, though, we would simply try to die with the most toys.
But thanks be to God in Christ, we are free from such a hopeless outlook! When you were baptized, heaven was torn open to you and the gates were flung wide. A cord of life was tied around you—and at the other end is your resurrected, living Lord. You and I live in a finite world—a world where things fall apart, break down, and die. But in Christ, you are infinite with Him. There is much trouble, sickness, death, and heartache in this finite world—more than enough to go around. But the baptized Christian endures all these things with the promise that you will outlast them all. You will live beyond these problems. In your baptismal connection to Jesus you will survive even the annihilation of this world to continue on with Him forever. This promise is made to all baptized Christians. There is more for you beyond this present life and baptism into Jesus seals it.
Also, at Jesus’ baptism, he saw the Spirit descending like a dove. This too happens to the baptized. The Holy Spirit enters a spiritually dead person and begins generating life—which is to say that he creates faith. This is an element of baptism that must not be overlooked. We need the Holy Spirit. We cannot believe in or appreciate, much less love God without the Spirit’s work in us. St. Paul writes, “No one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.” (1 Corinthians 12: 3) and St. Peter offered the solution to that problem in his Pentecost proclamation: “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” We can’t believe in Jesus without the Holy Spirit. So God provides us with His Holy Spirit through the simple action of baptism. He keeps on doing what we could not do to give us what we could not earn.
The baptismal connection that you have with Jesus has been likened to the umbilical cord that connects a mother and child in the womb. Of course, we know that a mother supplies nutrients and oxygen to her child through that cord in a continuous flow, things that keep the child alive and cause growth. What you may not think of immediately is the fact that the child sends something back through the cord as well. The baby sends back poisonous wastes, and the mother eliminates them for her child.
Baptism is that connecting cord between Jesus and you. Through God’s extraordinary umbilical, baptismal connection, all the wastes of your sins flow continuously to Jesus and are removed forever by his shed blood—He’s absorbed all your poisonous sins into his body. In return, Jesus’ life-giving strength and perfection flow continuously to you. His life is always being renewed in you! And since you are connected with Christ Jesus in this way, you stand with Him as the Father says: "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased." The words apply to Jesus, and because of Him, they apply to you, too. You are God’s beloved child. He is well pleased with you. He says, “You are mine.” This is who you are. Live in your baptism—your connecting cord to Christ!
Monday, December 29, 2008
Ponder These Things
I don’t know if you noticed. I don’t know if you pay attention to such things or particularly care. But this year, Christmas stuff began to appear in your local big box retailer before Halloween. Before a single “trick or treat” was spoken, aisles of red and green stuff began to take over the seasonal section. I make this observation not to condemn the commercialization of Christmas, but just to say, boy, we seem to be stuck on “What’s Next.”
Think about your own life. How much time do you spend getting ready for the next thing? How much energy do you spend preparing for the next big event? What happens after the next big event takes place? Is there any time to reflect on what just happened? Christmas is a perfect example. Think of everything that you have done over the past couple weeks to get ready for tonight and tomorrow. Will there be any time for you to just sit back and enjoy yourself? And after Christmas Day has come and gone, will Christmas stay with you? Or will we set our sights on shopping, or New Years, or just the routine of life as usual? We are great at looking forward to things. We’re stuck on “What’s Next.” We’re not so good at “What Just Happened?” We don’t give ourselves much time to reflect—or even much time to enjoy the moment. We’re missing out when we just scramble towards the next thing without taking time to think about what has happened and what it means.
Now, having said that, I’ve met plenty of people who have a defining experience in their lives that they think about often. For some, that defining experience was their military service in a war. For others, it has to do with their first taste of independence, or meeting their future spouse, or becoming a parent. For still others, that defining experience may be decidedly negative: the breakup of a marriage and family; a horrible accident, or just cruel, heartbreaking words that can’t be forgotten. I would guess that most of us do have a memory that we return to time and again—one that seems to define us, for better or for worse.
On this Christmas Eve, we are invited into the defining experience of a young virgin mother named Mary. We are invited to imagine what it might have possibly been like to give birth to the Son of the Most High God in a stable. We are invited to put the brakes on the holiday express—if only for a few moments—and think about what happened there in Bethlehem, for Scripture tells us that “Mary treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart.”
What are the things that Mary treasured and pondered? I think we can safely start with the angel Gabriel’s announcement to her: that she would conceive and have a son named Jesus, who would take the throne of David and be the Son of God. Then to feel the unmistakable signs of that life growing inside of her. Certainly she would have reflected on Joseph’s reaction to this news—his own experience with an angel messenger—his acceptance of her and her miracle baby. She would have remembered the rough road to Bethlehem and the mounting frustration of being turned away again and again until the stable was offered as an option. Then there was the pain of childbirth, surpassed only by the wonder of this baby boy. As she held little Jesus that night, did she ponder the promises the angel had made? Did she run them through her mind again? “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God. And the Lord will give him the throne of His ancestor David. He will be King over the people of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will never end.” We can only wonder if she heard those words as she wrapped her little one in strips of cloth to keep him warm and secure. It’s safe to say she would later ponder the abrupt arrival of shepherds from the fields, breaking the relative peace of the stall with a fantastic story. No doubt she would treasure the memory of their weather-worn faces as they reported their angelic encounter. She now had more words to turn over in her mind: “A great joy will come to all the people: the Savior, who is Christ the Lord, was born for you today in David’s town. This is how you will know him: you will find a Baby all wrapped up and lying in a manger.” That was her boy—her Yeshua. It was all happening just as the Lord had said. It is no wonder that Mary treasured and pondered these things. She would return to this defining experience and probably cling to it with all her might in the challenging years ahead.
You would do well to ponder these things yourself—and not just the events of Jesus’ birth, but the rest of His life as well. We would all do well to stop and create the time we need to reflect on the good news of great joy which is for us and everyone! As I mentioned before, this big event called Christmas is a perfect example of busyness versus reflection. It’s a timely example of “What’s Next” versus “What Just Happened?” But it is hardly the only one we could name.
The fact is, we fill our lives—we jam pack our lives—with stuff. Our homes are filled with possessions, our calendars are filled with events, our hearts and minds are filled with ideas and needs—but how much of that “filling” is truly “of God?” Wouldn’t we really rather get possessions for ourselves than give them away in God’s name? Don’t we effectively schedule God out of our plans—making Him the first option to get cut from our calendars? And don’t we really prefer the thoughts and ideas generated by Hollywood and man’s imagination to the ones generated by Holy Scripture? It turns out that this reflection stuff can be awfully uncomfortable, when it reveals that we often live our lives as if God doesn’t matter.
This Christmas Eve there is good news of great joy for you, because God still does what He did in Bethlehem. He breaks into our reality. The power of His message breaks into our lives like a brick being thrown through a pane of glass. Jesus comes to you whether you’re ready for Him or not; whether you’re looking for Him or not; and His arrival in your life demands a response. Jesus was not born into our world of a virgin mother so that you and I would have an excuse to party and exchange presents. Jesus, the eternal Son of God, did not agree to lower himself to the point of having his first crib be an animal’s feeding trough so that you could have a day off from work. No. The shadow of a cross falls across the manger where that baby lies. He will grow up to do what you and I could never do—that is, live a perfect life; exactly the way God wants us to live. But then he does something unexpected with that perfect life—He gives it as a sacrifice. He breaks into this world to lay down his life for you. He comes to take the punishment that we deserve for our sins, and he will pay for our selfishness dearly, nailed to a cross. He comes to become one of us in order to switch places with us—he gets our sin and our death; you and I get his forgiveness and life. And let’s not forget that He broke into our world not just to die our death but to defeat death. A ray of morning light also falls across the manger where the baby lies—the light of Easter morning! He rose from the dead physically, three days after dying, so that we would not fear death. Moreover, we rightly look forward to a time when we too will rise physically because Jesus did first. He broke into our reality to change it—to rise from the dead and to give us confidence that death is now nothing more than a doorway to a new kind of life made possible by his resurrection.
In your hearing of these words, the good news of a Savior, Jesus has broken into your reality right now. He wants you to know the peace of forgiveness. He wants you to know the confidence of life with him that never ends. He wants to show you the best way of life there is. He wants you to follow Him; to stop serving yourself and to start serving Him by serving those around you. But first, he wants you to believe that He broke into this world at Christmas to begin a journey that would save you from the slavery of sin, the terror of death, and the punishment of hell. He wants you to believe that He broke into this world to make a connection with you—a connection that gives you hope and happiness today—a connection that will never be broken. His arrival in your life demands a response. What is yours?
My prayer is that your response will be the “yes” of faith; the greatest gift of all. Ponder these things, and may it be a Merry Christmas for you
Think about your own life. How much time do you spend getting ready for the next thing? How much energy do you spend preparing for the next big event? What happens after the next big event takes place? Is there any time to reflect on what just happened? Christmas is a perfect example. Think of everything that you have done over the past couple weeks to get ready for tonight and tomorrow. Will there be any time for you to just sit back and enjoy yourself? And after Christmas Day has come and gone, will Christmas stay with you? Or will we set our sights on shopping, or New Years, or just the routine of life as usual? We are great at looking forward to things. We’re stuck on “What’s Next.” We’re not so good at “What Just Happened?” We don’t give ourselves much time to reflect—or even much time to enjoy the moment. We’re missing out when we just scramble towards the next thing without taking time to think about what has happened and what it means.
Now, having said that, I’ve met plenty of people who have a defining experience in their lives that they think about often. For some, that defining experience was their military service in a war. For others, it has to do with their first taste of independence, or meeting their future spouse, or becoming a parent. For still others, that defining experience may be decidedly negative: the breakup of a marriage and family; a horrible accident, or just cruel, heartbreaking words that can’t be forgotten. I would guess that most of us do have a memory that we return to time and again—one that seems to define us, for better or for worse.
On this Christmas Eve, we are invited into the defining experience of a young virgin mother named Mary. We are invited to imagine what it might have possibly been like to give birth to the Son of the Most High God in a stable. We are invited to put the brakes on the holiday express—if only for a few moments—and think about what happened there in Bethlehem, for Scripture tells us that “Mary treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart.”
What are the things that Mary treasured and pondered? I think we can safely start with the angel Gabriel’s announcement to her: that she would conceive and have a son named Jesus, who would take the throne of David and be the Son of God. Then to feel the unmistakable signs of that life growing inside of her. Certainly she would have reflected on Joseph’s reaction to this news—his own experience with an angel messenger—his acceptance of her and her miracle baby. She would have remembered the rough road to Bethlehem and the mounting frustration of being turned away again and again until the stable was offered as an option. Then there was the pain of childbirth, surpassed only by the wonder of this baby boy. As she held little Jesus that night, did she ponder the promises the angel had made? Did she run them through her mind again? “He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High God. And the Lord will give him the throne of His ancestor David. He will be King over the people of Jacob forever, and his kingdom will never end.” We can only wonder if she heard those words as she wrapped her little one in strips of cloth to keep him warm and secure. It’s safe to say she would later ponder the abrupt arrival of shepherds from the fields, breaking the relative peace of the stall with a fantastic story. No doubt she would treasure the memory of their weather-worn faces as they reported their angelic encounter. She now had more words to turn over in her mind: “A great joy will come to all the people: the Savior, who is Christ the Lord, was born for you today in David’s town. This is how you will know him: you will find a Baby all wrapped up and lying in a manger.” That was her boy—her Yeshua. It was all happening just as the Lord had said. It is no wonder that Mary treasured and pondered these things. She would return to this defining experience and probably cling to it with all her might in the challenging years ahead.
You would do well to ponder these things yourself—and not just the events of Jesus’ birth, but the rest of His life as well. We would all do well to stop and create the time we need to reflect on the good news of great joy which is for us and everyone! As I mentioned before, this big event called Christmas is a perfect example of busyness versus reflection. It’s a timely example of “What’s Next” versus “What Just Happened?” But it is hardly the only one we could name.
The fact is, we fill our lives—we jam pack our lives—with stuff. Our homes are filled with possessions, our calendars are filled with events, our hearts and minds are filled with ideas and needs—but how much of that “filling” is truly “of God?” Wouldn’t we really rather get possessions for ourselves than give them away in God’s name? Don’t we effectively schedule God out of our plans—making Him the first option to get cut from our calendars? And don’t we really prefer the thoughts and ideas generated by Hollywood and man’s imagination to the ones generated by Holy Scripture? It turns out that this reflection stuff can be awfully uncomfortable, when it reveals that we often live our lives as if God doesn’t matter.
This Christmas Eve there is good news of great joy for you, because God still does what He did in Bethlehem. He breaks into our reality. The power of His message breaks into our lives like a brick being thrown through a pane of glass. Jesus comes to you whether you’re ready for Him or not; whether you’re looking for Him or not; and His arrival in your life demands a response. Jesus was not born into our world of a virgin mother so that you and I would have an excuse to party and exchange presents. Jesus, the eternal Son of God, did not agree to lower himself to the point of having his first crib be an animal’s feeding trough so that you could have a day off from work. No. The shadow of a cross falls across the manger where that baby lies. He will grow up to do what you and I could never do—that is, live a perfect life; exactly the way God wants us to live. But then he does something unexpected with that perfect life—He gives it as a sacrifice. He breaks into this world to lay down his life for you. He comes to take the punishment that we deserve for our sins, and he will pay for our selfishness dearly, nailed to a cross. He comes to become one of us in order to switch places with us—he gets our sin and our death; you and I get his forgiveness and life. And let’s not forget that He broke into our world not just to die our death but to defeat death. A ray of morning light also falls across the manger where the baby lies—the light of Easter morning! He rose from the dead physically, three days after dying, so that we would not fear death. Moreover, we rightly look forward to a time when we too will rise physically because Jesus did first. He broke into our reality to change it—to rise from the dead and to give us confidence that death is now nothing more than a doorway to a new kind of life made possible by his resurrection.
In your hearing of these words, the good news of a Savior, Jesus has broken into your reality right now. He wants you to know the peace of forgiveness. He wants you to know the confidence of life with him that never ends. He wants to show you the best way of life there is. He wants you to follow Him; to stop serving yourself and to start serving Him by serving those around you. But first, he wants you to believe that He broke into this world at Christmas to begin a journey that would save you from the slavery of sin, the terror of death, and the punishment of hell. He wants you to believe that He broke into this world to make a connection with you—a connection that gives you hope and happiness today—a connection that will never be broken. His arrival in your life demands a response. What is yours?
My prayer is that your response will be the “yes” of faith; the greatest gift of all. Ponder these things, and may it be a Merry Christmas for you
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Merry Christmas
Services at St. Paul's are held on Christmas Eve at 5, 7 and 11pm. Please join us!
For directions, please go to:
www.stpaulslcmsohio.org
For directions, please go to:
www.stpaulslcmsohio.org
Monday, December 15, 2008
Light the Pink Candle
16(A) Rejoice always, 17(B) pray without ceasing, 18(C) give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 19(D) Do not quench the Spirit. 20Do not despise(E) prophecies, 21but(F) test everything; hold fast what is good. 22Abstain from every form of evil.
23Now may(G) the God of peace himself(H) sanctify you completely, and may your(I) whole(J) spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at(K) the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24(L) He who calls you is faithful;(M) he will surely do it. 1 Thessalonians 5
Today (the Third Sunday in Advent)we light the pink candle on our Advent wreath. Have you ever wondered what’s up with the three purple and the one pink? And why the pink one today? Finding the answer is as simple as looking at the colors. Pink is lighter than purple. Purple is darker than pink. That’s easy enough to understand. Still, what’s the connection? Well, today’s Scripture readings are, like the pink candle, lighter than the ones we’ve been hearing this Advent. They’re lighter in the sense that they focus on the comfort and peace and joy that comes from the Lord Jesus. They focus on the positive results that our King creates by coming into our lives.
Let’s face it; this Advent season carries with it some darker themes. We are reminded that this present world will come to an end when Christ returns. In his office of Judge he will make an eternal separation between the faithful and the unfaithful. We hear the cry of John the Baptist and are confronted with his message of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. This is heavy, serious business. It can be uncomfortable as we squirm in recognition of our own sin. This is necessary. Making a straight path for the King to come into your life is hard work. But today the pink candle burns brightly. We enjoy the light and joyful quality of God’s mercy. We are touched by the Lord’s tenderness. He just wants to hold his sons and daughters close, and His sacrificial love makes it possible.
In Isaiah 61 we hear Jesus outlining His mission and life’s work. His Father is sending Him to preach good news to the poor; to bind up the brokenhearted; to proclaim freedom for the captives; to proclaim the time of God’s favor and his just judgment against sin; and to comfort all who mourn and grieve. With beautiful poetic language he promises to exchange his gladness for our mourning; and praise for despair. Jesus would fulfill this promise by rising from the dead, never to die again, three days after his crucifixion, and his resurrection has become our source of life, hope, peace and perspective. So we light the pink candle today and rejoice in our Risen Lord.
In Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians he says: “16(A) Rejoice always, 17(B) pray without ceasing, 18(C) give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Paul is saying here: Light the pink candle in your life! God wants you live thankfully. God wants you to live prayerfully. God wants you to live joyfully. But this is exactly where we fall down, more often than not. Thanks to sin at work in us, our memory tends to be awfully short. When problems come charging at us, we forget who stands by our side. We forget that He’s won the ultimate victory. We forget the many ways He’s delivered us in the past. We just see the problem; the loss; the threat barreling down on us and we react in fear or despair or anxiety. Human reactions, to be sure, common to all of us—yet still we need to stop and turn around. We need to remember who goes with us. Jesus, our companion on this journey, has already gone down through the valley of the shadow of death—for you—and come up and out into life that never ends. He’s blazed that trail for you. You need not fear it. He shepherds your every step. He is always faithful to you. This is our source of rejoicing! We rejoice because the resurrection of Jesus trumps any card that the devil tries to play to hurt us or scare us.
Let’s be very clear about one thing: this call to rejoice is not a command to Christians to slap on a fake smile in bad times, or a cold word of advice to “just get over it.” Rejoicing happens not by denying our troubles, but by looking above and beyond them to the Lord. Rejoicing happens when God’s Word (with the Holy Spirit) breaks into your life once again and brings you face to face with Jesus. Rejoicing happens when God’s Word reminds you that your strong Shepherd has never left your side. Christian author Sherwood Wirt has written that “joy is the enjoyment of God,” and to that I would add that “joy is the enjoyment of God and the gifts He has given you through the actions of His Son Jesus.” You are God’s child by baptismal adoption; your sins are forgiven in full, thanks to Jesus; your life is unfolding according to His plan; He has promised that you will never be without Him. No difficulty that you face can rob you of these gifts.
Our joy is in the Lord Jesus. Let the pink candle shine. Amen.
23Now may(G) the God of peace himself(H) sanctify you completely, and may your(I) whole(J) spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at(K) the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24(L) He who calls you is faithful;(M) he will surely do it. 1 Thessalonians 5
Today (the Third Sunday in Advent)we light the pink candle on our Advent wreath. Have you ever wondered what’s up with the three purple and the one pink? And why the pink one today? Finding the answer is as simple as looking at the colors. Pink is lighter than purple. Purple is darker than pink. That’s easy enough to understand. Still, what’s the connection? Well, today’s Scripture readings are, like the pink candle, lighter than the ones we’ve been hearing this Advent. They’re lighter in the sense that they focus on the comfort and peace and joy that comes from the Lord Jesus. They focus on the positive results that our King creates by coming into our lives.
Let’s face it; this Advent season carries with it some darker themes. We are reminded that this present world will come to an end when Christ returns. In his office of Judge he will make an eternal separation between the faithful and the unfaithful. We hear the cry of John the Baptist and are confronted with his message of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. This is heavy, serious business. It can be uncomfortable as we squirm in recognition of our own sin. This is necessary. Making a straight path for the King to come into your life is hard work. But today the pink candle burns brightly. We enjoy the light and joyful quality of God’s mercy. We are touched by the Lord’s tenderness. He just wants to hold his sons and daughters close, and His sacrificial love makes it possible.
In Isaiah 61 we hear Jesus outlining His mission and life’s work. His Father is sending Him to preach good news to the poor; to bind up the brokenhearted; to proclaim freedom for the captives; to proclaim the time of God’s favor and his just judgment against sin; and to comfort all who mourn and grieve. With beautiful poetic language he promises to exchange his gladness for our mourning; and praise for despair. Jesus would fulfill this promise by rising from the dead, never to die again, three days after his crucifixion, and his resurrection has become our source of life, hope, peace and perspective. So we light the pink candle today and rejoice in our Risen Lord.
In Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians he says: “16(A) Rejoice always, 17(B) pray without ceasing, 18(C) give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Paul is saying here: Light the pink candle in your life! God wants you live thankfully. God wants you to live prayerfully. God wants you to live joyfully. But this is exactly where we fall down, more often than not. Thanks to sin at work in us, our memory tends to be awfully short. When problems come charging at us, we forget who stands by our side. We forget that He’s won the ultimate victory. We forget the many ways He’s delivered us in the past. We just see the problem; the loss; the threat barreling down on us and we react in fear or despair or anxiety. Human reactions, to be sure, common to all of us—yet still we need to stop and turn around. We need to remember who goes with us. Jesus, our companion on this journey, has already gone down through the valley of the shadow of death—for you—and come up and out into life that never ends. He’s blazed that trail for you. You need not fear it. He shepherds your every step. He is always faithful to you. This is our source of rejoicing! We rejoice because the resurrection of Jesus trumps any card that the devil tries to play to hurt us or scare us.
Let’s be very clear about one thing: this call to rejoice is not a command to Christians to slap on a fake smile in bad times, or a cold word of advice to “just get over it.” Rejoicing happens not by denying our troubles, but by looking above and beyond them to the Lord. Rejoicing happens when God’s Word (with the Holy Spirit) breaks into your life once again and brings you face to face with Jesus. Rejoicing happens when God’s Word reminds you that your strong Shepherd has never left your side. Christian author Sherwood Wirt has written that “joy is the enjoyment of God,” and to that I would add that “joy is the enjoyment of God and the gifts He has given you through the actions of His Son Jesus.” You are God’s child by baptismal adoption; your sins are forgiven in full, thanks to Jesus; your life is unfolding according to His plan; He has promised that you will never be without Him. No difficulty that you face can rob you of these gifts.
Our joy is in the Lord Jesus. Let the pink candle shine. Amen.
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