Showing posts with label Advent 2 Series C. Show all posts

Friday, December 6, 2024

Saturday prior to Advent 2

The hymn of the day, O Bride of Christ, Rejoice (LSB 335), expresses the joy that Christ’s Church has as she waits in expectation of His coming, not only into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday, but especially at the day of glory foretold in ancient story, the Last Day, when He comes to judge the world and take all believers to eternity in heaven.

“O Bride of Christ, Rejoice.” was part of The Lutheran Hymnal of 1941.

The text has Danish roots from around 1600. The author is unknown, but it was translated into English by Victor O. Petersen (1864–1929) in 1899. Petersen was born in Sweden and came to America in 1867. Though he worked as a chemistry professor, he was a lover of hymns. He translated a number of them from the Swedish Psalm-book, including this one for The Lutheran Hymnal.

The tune “Wo soll ich fliehen hin” translates as “where shall I flee out.” It is from Kaspar Stieler’s Der Bussfertige Sünder oder Geistliches Handbüchlein (The Repentant Sinner or Spiritual Songbook), published in Nurnberg in 1679. It is unknown if Stieler composed the tune or not. Whoever wrote it, the tune was originally a setting of the repentance hymn “The Repentant Sinner,” by Johann Heermann.

This lovely hymn is based on two scripture passages. The first is Matthew 21:1–16. This is the Palm Sunday passage where Jesus rides into Jerusalem and the crowds shout “Hosanna to the Son of David.” The second is Zechariah 9:9. In this prophecy, Zechariah writes, “Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” [2]

A prayer before confession and absolution: Almighty, everlasting God, for our many sins we justly deserve eternal condemnation. In Your mercy You sent Your dear Son, our Lord Jesus Christ, who won for us forgiveness of sins and everlasting salvation. Grant us a true confession that, dead to sin, we may be raised up by Your life-giving absolution. Grant us Your Holy Spirit that we may be ever watchful and live true and godly lives in Your service; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. [3]

Collect for Ambrose of Milan –O God, who made the Bishop Ambrose a teacher of the faith and a model of apostolic courage, raise up in your Church men after Your own heart to govern her with courage and wisdom. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. [4]

[2] https://www.stjohnsfc.org/ministries/worship/1503-o-bride-of-christ-rejoice

Thursday, December 5, 2024

Friday prior to Advent 2

[1]

"The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled and every mountain and hill shall be brought low and the crocked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth; and the rough ways shall be made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God."

Luke 3:1–14—The Gospel reading tells of the work of the fore-runner of Christ, John the Baptist, in preparing for the coming Savior. John’s message was simple: ‘Repent.’ That is his word to us, also, every day, but especially in this penitential season. The life of the baptized is always one of repentance and the subsequent bringing forth of fruits in keeping with repentance, as we confess in our Small Catechism: the Old Adam in us should, by daily contrition and repentance, be drowned and die…and a new man daily come forth and arise, who shall live before God in righteousness and purity forever.

The Father sent John to prepare people for the acceptance of Jesus Christ. If there is no sense of sin can there be a need for a Savior? If there is no repentance there can be no forgiveness. If there is no death to self there can be no new life. Because John is the prophet who prepares for the Savior's coming Jesus calls him the greatest of all of the prophets. John gives us a good dose of reality.

- To make us aware of sin.

- To lead us to repentance.

Jesus came to earth to take unto Himself our flesh. He came to be your substitute. He came to suffer and die for the sins of the world. He came offer you forgiveness and life. That is why we can say that in Jesus Christ, all sin is forgiven - period!

Nicholas (traditionally 15 March 270 – 6 December 343), was an early Christian bishop of the ancient Greek city of Myra in Asia Minor (modern-day Demre, Turkey). In 325, Nicholas is said to have attended the First Council of Nicaea where he is said to have been a staunch opponent of false teaching of Arianism and devoted supporter of the doctrine of the Trinity, and one of the bishops who signed the Nicene Creed.

Nicholas is known for his acts of kindness especially to the poor. Nicholas had a reputation for secret gift-giving, such as putting coins in the shoes of those who left them out for him, a practice celebrated on his feast day, 6 December. Nicholas a patron saint of children and later students as well.

The tradition of Santa Claus evolved from Dutch traditions regarding Saint Nicholas. When the Dutch established the colony of New Amsterdam, they brought the legend and traditions of offering gifts especially to children with them.

Accept, O Lord, our thanksgiving this day for Thy servant, Nicholas; and grant that all ministers and stewards of Thy mysteries may afford to Thy faithful people by word and example, the instruction which is of Thy grace; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end.

A prayer for innocence of life: O God, whose strength is made perfect in weakness, put to death in us all vices and so strengthen us by Your grace that by the innocence of our lives and the constancy of our faith, we may glorify Your holy name; through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

Collect for Advent 2: Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to make ready the way of Your only –begotten Son, that by His coming we may be enabled to serve You with pure minds; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. [2]

Wednesday, December 4, 2024

Thursday prior to Advent 2

[1]

Philippians 1:2–11—In Advent, we look forward to the coming of Christ, not only as the holy infant born in Bethlehem, but also His Second Coming. In the epistle for Sunday, St Paul speaks of the increasing sanctification of the Philippians as that day comes nearer. His prayer for their preparation is also his prayer for ours: that our love may abound more and more, that we have knowledge and discernment, and that we may be filled with the fruit of righteousness.

Two realities hit us from our lesson for today. First, Christ will in fact return to this earth. But He has already prepared us and continues to sustain us as we anticipate His coming. Christians are well prepared therefore we wait for Him confidently.

While the LORD prepares us for the day of Christ by giving us the Gospel, this Gospel produces something in us He prepares us for the last day of Christ by bringing forth in us the fruit of faith. Your sin being forgiven will not be mentioned. They have lost their power and effect. Satan cannot accuse you any longer.

Christ is preparing us for His return in glory by giving us the gospel and by bringing forth in us the fruit of faith. Take comfort in the promises of the Gospel. Cling to Christ sure and certain words. In Christ you are being prepared, perfected and made ready.

A prayer for peace in the world: Heavenly Father, God of all concord, it is Your gracious will that Your children on earth live together in harmony and peace. Defeat the plans of all those who would stir up violence and strife, destroy the weapons of those who delight in war and bloodshed, and, according to Your will, end all conflicts in the world. Teach us to examine our hearts that we may recognize our own inclination toward envy, malice, hatred, and enmity. Help us, by Your Word and Spirit, to search our hearts and to root out the evil that would lead to strife and discord, so that in our lives we may be at peace with all people. Fill us with zeal for the work of Your Church and the proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, which alone can bring that peace which is beyond all understanding; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen. [2]

Tuesday, December 3, 2024

Wednesday prior to Advent 2

[1]

Malachi 3:1–7b— The Lord promises to send a messenger who will prepare the way of the Lord.

Four hundred years before the birth of Christ, Malachi prophesies about Him (the Lord whom you seek and the messenger of the covenant) and His fore-runner, John the Baptist (my messenger). Jesus will usher in the last judgment and will judge between the self-righteous who simply pay lip service to Him and those who worship Him in truth and purity, trusting not in their own efforts, but in the Savior who alone can gain our salvation.

“But who can endure the day of his coming? And who will stand when he appears?” (v.2a).These words may sound familiar as they have are been put to music in a now famous Aria from Handel’s Messiah which is sung especially this time of year.

Whose coming? The Lord’s coming! “The day of his coming” is most likely synonymous with the “great and terrible day of the LORD” that is mentioned in Malachi 4:5.

The Day of the Lord is an end of time event that will bring judgment to the guilty and deliverance to the faithful. There are numerous references in the prophets to the Day of the Lord (Isaiah 13:6, 9; Jeremiah 46:10; Ezekiel 13:5; 30:3; Joel 1:15; 2:1, 11, 31; 3:14; Amos 5:18, 20; Obadiah 1:15; Zephaniah 1:7, 14; Malachi 4:5). Most of these references emphasize God’s wrath, but some also include a note of vindication for the righteous. [2]

“Who can endure?” and “who will stand?” suggest a great ordeal—a trial by fire. The expected answer is that no one can endure—or that very few are prepared for this test.

“For he is like a refiner’s fire” (v. 2b). The image here is of a person refining metal by melting it over a hot fire. As metal melts, pure metal remains at the bottom while impurities float to the top to be drawn off and discarded. A visit to a metal refinery would be educational. Metal refineries are hot, dirty, dangerous places. The process by which metals are purified is uncomfortable at best and deadly at worst.

So it will be when the Lord comes. He will use fire to separate the pure from the impure so that the impure can be drawn off and cast aside. By this refining process, the LORD makes his people worthy.

Malachi likewise directs us to the "refining" that the Christ child seeks to bring about in us. The Almighty becomes a child.... God challenges our way of being human. By knocking at our door, he challenges us and our freedom; he calls us to examine how we understand and live our lives. I pray that each of us may avail ourselves of the grace of Christmas and open our hearts to the Christ child that he may cleanse and purify as He refines us with the fire of His love.

A prayer for a right knowledge of Christ: Almighty God, whom to know is everlasting life, grant us perfectly to know Your Son, Jesus Christ, to be the way, the truth, and the life, that following His steps we may steadfastly walk in the way that leads to eternal life; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

[2] https://sermonwriter.com/biblical-commentary/old-testament-malachi-31-4/

Monday, December 2, 2024

Tuesday prior to Advent 2

[1]

Psalm 66:1–12—A song of praise to the Lord for all of His benefits to His people. All the earth worships You and sings praises to You; they sing praises to Your Name. is echoed in a later Christian hymn This psalm is titled To the Chief Musician. A Song. A Psalm. As with Psalm 65, it is described as both a Song and a Psalm. This is the first psalm since Psalm 50 to not be attributed to David.

Make a joyful shout to God, all the earth. As in the previous and the next psalm, Psalm 66 has not only Israel in view but all the earth. The psalmist understood that God was not only God over Israel, but the whole world. It was good and appropriate for him to call everyone to joyfully praise God. [2]

This Psalm is said to be recited on Easter day, by the Greek church: it is described in the Greek Bible as A Psalm of the Resurrection, and may be understood to refer, in a prophetic sense, to the regeneration of the world, through the conversion of the Gentiles.” which we sing in the Office at Mains, the Te Deum Laudamus.

Collect for Psalm 66: Almighty Father, you brought us through the waters of baptism to the shores of new life. Accept the sacrifice of our lives, and let us enter your house, there to praise your unfailing power and love; through Jesus Christ our Lord,

Collect for Tuesday of the week of Advent 2: Almighty God, help us to look forward to the glory of the birth of Christ, our savior; his coming is proclaimed joyfully to the ends of the earth, for he lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, forever and ever, Amen [3]

[2] https://enduringword.com/bible-commentary/psalm-66/

Sunday, December 1, 2024

Monday prior to Advent 2

[1]

Psalm 81:8, 10–11, 13; Antiphon, Luke 3:4b—The children of Israel had been delivered by the Lord out of their bondage in Egypt, and yet rejected Him. The antiphon for Sunday’s Introit exhorts us to heed John the Baptist, who came to prepare the way of the Lord by preaching repentance. During this penitential season, let us examine ourselves, repent of our sins, and prepare to meet our Savior who comes to us.

The preaching and baptism “of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Luke 3:3) prepares us for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. The historic work of John the Baptizer was completed with the first Advent of our Lord Jesus in the flesh, but the ministry of the Forerunner continues in the preaching of Law and Gospel and in Holy Baptism. Through His messengers, the Lord calls people of all nations to “see the salvation of God” (Luke 3:6).

Our haughtiness is removed, and our mountains of pride are brought low, but the Lord humbles us in order to exalt us in His mercy; He fills up our valleys with His peace. As the Lord has begun this good work of repentance in us, so also does he perfect it by His Word and Holy Spirit, and He “will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). He purifies us to be His priestly people, precious in His sight, abounding in faith and love, so that our very lives are offered in righteousness to the Lord (Malachi 3:3–4).

Collect for Psalm 81 Almighty Father, you rescued your people from slavery and through the Passion of your Son, acquired a new people united in his body and marked with the sign of his holiness. Feed us with your finest bread so that we may have food for this life and a foretaste of eternity, where you live and reign with your Son and the Holy Spirit, now and forever

Lord, free us from our sins and make us whole. Hear our prayer and prepare us to celebrate the incarnation of your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.[2]

Saturday, November 30, 2024

2nd Sunday in Advent - Series C study notes

Malachi 3:1–7b
Philippians 1:2–11
Luke 3:1–14 (15–20)

The Preaching of Repentance Prepares Us for the Coming of the Lord

Stir up our hearts, O Lord, to make ready the way of Your only –begotten Son, that by His coming we may be enabled to serve You with pure minds; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

The preaching and baptism “of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Luke 3:3) prepare us for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ. The historic work of John the Baptist was completed with the first Advent of our Lord Jesus in the flesh, but the ministry of the Forerunner continues in the preaching of Law and Gospel and in Holy Baptism. Through His messengers, the Lord calls people of all nations to “see the salvation of God” (Luke 3:6). Our haughtiness is removed, and our mountains of pride are brought low, but the Lord humbles us in order to exalt us in His mercy. As the Lord has begun this good work of repentance in us, so also does He perfect it by His Word and Holy Spirit, and He “will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). He purifies us to be His priestly people, precious in His sight, abounding in faith and love, so that we offer our very lives in righteousness to the Lord (Malachi 3:3–4).

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

Ἐν ἔτει δὲ πεντεκαιδεκάτῳ τῆς ἡγεμονίας Τιβερίου Καίσαρος, ἡγεμονεύοντος Ποντίου Πιλάτου τῆς Ἰουδαίας, καὶ τετρααρχοῦντος τῆς Γαλιλαίας Ἡρῴδου, Φιλίππου δὲ τοῦ ἀδελφοῦ αὐτοῦ τετρααρχοῦντος τῆς Ἰτουραίας καὶ Τραχωνίτιδος χώρας, καὶ Λυσανίου τῆς Ἀβιληνῆς τετρααρχοῦντος,

1. In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene,

ἐπὶ ἀρχιερέως Ἅννα καὶ Καϊάφα, ἐγένετο ῥῆμα θεοῦ ἐπὶ Ἰωάννην τὸν Ζαχαρίου υἱὸν ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ.

2. during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness.

καὶ ἦλθεν εἰς [a]πᾶσαν περίχωρον τοῦ Ἰορδάνου κηρύσσων βάπτισμα μετανοίας εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν,

3 And he went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

ὡς γέγραπται ἐν βίβλῳ λόγων Ἠσαΐου τοῦ [b]προφήτου· Φωνὴ βοῶντος ἐν τῇ ἐρήμῳ· Ἑτοιμάσατε τὴν ὁδὸν κυρίου, εὐθείας ποιεῖτε τὰς τρίβους αὐτοῦ.

4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord,[a] make his paths straight.

a. or “crying, Prepare in the wilderness the way of the Lord.”

πᾶσα φάραγξ πληρωθήσεται καὶ πᾶν ὄρος καὶ βουνὸς ταπεινωθήσεται, καὶ ἔσται τὰ σκολιὰ εἰς [c]εὐθείαν καὶ αἱ τραχεῖαι εἰς ὁδοὺς λείας·

5 Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low,

and the crooked shall become straight, and the rough places shall become level ways,

καὶ ὄψεται πᾶσα σὰρξ τὸ σωτήριον τοῦ θεοῦ.

6 and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”

Ἔλεγεν οὖν τοῖς ἐκπορευομένοις ὄχλοις βαπτισθῆναι ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ· Γεννήματα ἐχιδνῶν, τίς ὑπέδειξεν ὑμῖν φυγεῖν ἀπὸ τῆς μελλούσης ὀργῆς;

7 He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

ποιήσατε οὖν καρποὺς ἀξίους τῆς μετανοίας· καὶ μὴ ἄρξησθε λέγειν ἐν ἑαυτοῖς· Πατέρα ἔχομεν τὸν Ἀβραάμ, λέγω γὰρ ὑμῖν ὅτι δύναται ὁ θεὸς ἐκ τῶν λίθων τούτων ἐγεῖραι τέκνα τῷ Ἀβραάμ

8 Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin 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.

ἤδη δὲ καὶ ἡ ἀξίνη πρὸς τὴν ῥίζαν τῶν δένδρων κεῖται· πᾶν οὖν δένδρον μὴ ποιοῦν καρπὸν καλὸν ἐκκόπτεται καὶ εἰς πῦρ βάλλεται.

9 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.”

Καὶ ἐπηρώτων αὐτὸν οἱ ὄχλοι λέγοντες· Τί οὖν [d]ποιήσωμεν;

10 And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?”

ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ [e]ἔλεγεν αὐτοῖς· Ὁ ἔχων δύο χιτῶνας μεταδότω τῷ μὴ ἔχοντι, καὶ ὁ ἔχων βρώματα ὁμοίως ποιείτω.

11 And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics[b] is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.”

b. χιτῶνας “chiton,” a long garment worn under the cloak next to the skin

ἦλθον δὲ καὶ τελῶναι βαπτισθῆναι καὶ εἶπαν πρὸς αὐτόν· Διδάσκαλε, τί [f]ποιήσωμεν;

12 Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?”

ὁ δὲ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτούς· Μηδὲν πλέον παρὰ τὸ διατεταγμένον ὑμῖν πράσσετε.

13 And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.”

ἐπηρώτων δὲ αὐτὸν καὶ στρατευόμενοι λέγοντες· [g]Τί ποιήσωμεν καὶ ἡμεῖς; καὶ εἶπεν [h]αὐτοῖς· Μηδένα διασείσητε μηδὲ συκοφαντήσητε, καὶ ἀρκεῖσθε τοῖς ὀψωνίοις ὑμῶν.

14 Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”

1. To make us aware of sin.

2. To lead us to repentance.

Are you ready for Christmas? If you see your sin, repent, and turn to Christ for life you are ready. Lord, by your Advent may we be, fit and ready to worship Thee.

Sources:

Saturday, December 4, 2021

Advent 2

Luke 3:4-6
"The Prophet John - a good dose of reality"

[1]

As we prepare for Christmas, we need to be ready. How do we make ourselves ready to receive Jesus as our Savior and Lord? We can do that by receiving the message of John. Without John, there cannot be the true Jesus. The Father sent John to prepare people for the acceptance of Jesus Christ.

John began his mission in the wilderness, as Jesus was to do. We each have a wilderness inside us, a place of testing, where the power of false gods are broken. It is a place of encounter with ourselves, with our inner demons and with God. We should not be afraid of going into this wilderness. Since it is there, that the word of God will come to us.

Isaiah had spoken of John when he said, "He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way for the LORD's coming! Clear the road for him! The valleys will be filled, and the mountains and hills made level. The curves will be straightened, and the rough places made smooth. And then all people will see the salvation sent from God.'" — Luke 3:4-6 NLT

Isaiah had foretold of a "bulldozer from heaven" that would straighten the roads, level the hills and fill in the valleys so people could find the Savior. Does your life do these things for others? Does it help them see Jesus more clearly? Does it show the transforming power of God at work? All of us are called to be like John, to make the road to Jesus a little easier for others to navigate so that the hard part about following Jesus is NOT finding our way to him.

If there is no sense of sin, can there be a need for a Savior? If there is no repentance, there can be no forgiveness. If there is no death to self, there can be no new life. Because John is the only prophet, who prepares for the Savior's coming Jesus calls him the greatest of all of the prophets. Let's see how John can give us a good dose of reality.

1. To make us aware of sin. Who are we? Are we born into this world good? Is there some quality of worth in each of us? Just quick glances of the Scriptures will tell us that we are far from perfect. The Scriptures remind us, "the soul that sins, it shall die." (Ezekiel 18:20) "There is not a man upon this earth that does good and does not sin" (Ecclesiastes 7:20) “In sin my mother conceived me; in sin my mother bore me." (Psalm 51:5) Over and again, the Scriptures tell us that we are blind, dead, and an enemy of God"

But even more damning and even more discouraging is the sin that we commit by our thoughts, words and deeds. It is one thing to say that we are born in sin. It is quite another to say that we have committed sin.

Again the Scriptures are quite clear in spelling out to us that we are all guilty of sin. "If we say that we are without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us,"(1 John 1:8) the Bible tells us. Our lives spell it out.

Thus, we pray: I have lived as if God does not matter but that we matter most. The Lord's name, we have not honored, as we should, our worship and prayers have faltered. We have not let His love has its way with us, and so our love for others has failed. There are those whom we have hurt, and those whom we have failed to help. Even our thoughts and desires have been soiled with sin.[2] Briefly, we are all sinners.

Transition: Being convicted of sin should lead us to repentance. But how do we do that? We cry out to God asking for His mercy and compassion.

2. John was sent by God to lead us to repentance. With the psalmist, we pray: "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from Your presence, and take not Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me with Your free spirit." (Psalm 51:10-12)

This was the reason for John to come just prior to Jesus. He came to turn our hearts away from ourselves to turn to Christ to receive His mercy and grace.

We come repenting of our sin, and turning to Christ who is able to restore and redeem us. We see and feel our sin. Our conscience convicts us of our wrong. The Word shows us where we have gone wrong. This leads us to repent and to turn to Christ our Savior who came to save us.

John proclaims a baptism of repentance that leads to release from sins. Release (Greek aphesis) is the same word that Jesus uses to describe his mission[3]:

“The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me … to proclaim release to the captives and … to let the oppressed go free …” (Isiah 61:1)

The release or forgiveness that follows repentance does not undo past sins, but it does unbind people from them. It opens the way for a life lived in God’s service.

By proclaiming such release, John fulfills his father’s prophecy: “you, child … will go before the Lord to prepare his ways, to give knowledge of salvation to his people by the forgiveness (aphesis) of their sins” (Luke 1:77).

This salvation looks like a new dawn for those trapped in darkness and death’s shadow. It is light, which reveals a new path, the way toward peace (Luke 1:78–79).

John stands as a true prophet to guide us to Jesus for forgiveness. John simply said, "Behold the Lamb of God that takes away the sin of the world"

Who is this lamb?

"This lamb is Christ, the soul's great Friend, The Lamb of God, our Savior; Him God the Father chose to send To gain for us His favor.” Go forth, My Son," the Father said, "And free men from the fear of death, From guilt and condemnation. The wrath and stripes are hard to bear, But by Thy Passion men shall share The fruit of Thy salvation."[4]

Jesus came to earth to take unto Himself our flesh. He came to be our substitute. He came to suffer and die for the sins of the world. He came offer us forgiveness and life. That is why we can say that in Jesus Christ, all sin is forgiven - period!

The Father’s ways lead to salvation. His glory will be revealed in Jesus, the judge who comes to save us. This is the good news that John proclaims, and it is good news not just for us, but also for the whole world: all flesh will see the LORD’s salvation. This is the Father’s promise, and our hope. Bring on the bulldozers. As John prepare the way.[5]

Are you ready for Christmas? If you see your sin, repent, and turn to Christ for life you are ready. Lord, by your Advent may we be, fit and ready to worship Thee. In Jesus Name. Amen.

___________

Words-1,340
Passive Sentences-6%
Readability- 86.7
Reading Level – 4.4

[3] twice in Luke 4:18

[5] https://www.workingpreacher.org/commentaries/revised-common-lectionary/second-sunday-of-advent-3/commentary-on-luke-31-6-3