Time in the Word - Christmas 1

The first Sunday after Christmas is the last Sunday of the Calendar year. The old year is ending. A New one will be with us very soon. The theme of Christmas 1, the goodness of god, is appropriate for the end of a year. The Old Testament lesson is especially relevant. “I will recount the steadfast love of the Lord.” At the end of the year, it is wise to take inventory and count our blessings of the past year.

We see that God is good. He protects us from danger, redeems us from affliction and welcomes us into His family the Church.

Collect for Christmas 1 – O God, our Maker and Redeemer, You wonderfully created us and in the incarnation of Your son, yet more wondrously restored our human nature. Grant that we may ever be alive in Him who made Himself to be like us; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives, and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Prayer for grace to receive the Word: Blessed Lord, You have caused all Holy Scriptures to be written for our learning. Grant that we may so hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them that, by patience and comfort of Your holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and rules with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

A Prayer for the Morning: Faithful God, whose mercies are new to us every morning, we humbly pray that You would look upon us in mercy and renew us by Your Holy Spirit. Keep safe our going out and our coming in, and let Your blessing remain with us throughout this day. Preserve us in Your righteousness, and grant us a portion in that eternal life which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Prayer of Thanksgiving at the end of the day: Gracious Lord, we give You thanks for the day, especially for the good we were permitted to give and receive. The day is now past, and we commit it to You. We entrust to You the night and rest in Your peace, for You are our help, and You neither slumber nor sleep. Hear us for the sake of Your name.

Monday, 23 December 2013—Jeremiah 31:5-17; Hosea 11:1 he prophet reminds us, “When Israel was a child I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.” This verse coincides with the Gospel lesson. As Jesus enters into Egypt and then returns to Nazareth, we recall the nation of Israel called by God to leave Egypt into the Promised Land.

Almighty God, You have poured into our hearts the true Light of Your incarnate Word. Grant that this Light may shine forth in our lives; through the same Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives, and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

  

Tuesday, 24 December 2013— Psalm 111; key verse, 9a “He sent redemption to His people.” At Christmas, we see the redemption, which is ours in Jesus Christ. The eternal Son of God entered our time and space. He came to be our substitute. His humble birth is an indication of how He will live and what He will do for you. The world rejoices this night. Salvation has come. The Father has sent redemption to His people.

O God, You make us glad with the yearly remembrance of the birth of Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Grant that, as we joyfully receive Him as our Redeemer, we may with sure confidence behold Him when He comes to be our Judge; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Wednesday, 25 December 2013— Isaiah 63:7-9 – Recounting the love and goodness of God to His people. This coming Sunday is the last Sunday of the calendar year. Another year has passed. During this week, review in your mind the past year. Recount the good things that come from God.

Almighty God, grant that the birth of Your only-begotten Son in the flesh may set us free from the bondage of sin; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Thursday, 26 December 2013— Galatians 4:4-7 – At the right time god sent His Son that we might become sons and daughters of God. What is the real significance of Christmas?

How is your life affected by the birth of Christ? Your whole status with God depends on the one who has entered our world.

Collect for St. Stephen, Martyr - Heavenly Father, in the midst of our sufferings for the sake of Christ grant us grace to follow the example of the first martyr, Stephen, that we also may look to the One who suffered and was crucified on our behalf and pray for those who do us wrong; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Friday, 27 December 2013 – Matthew 2:13-15, 19-23 –The flight to Egypt and the return to Nazareth. The Lord suffers in all the afflictions of His people. Because of His love, He feels what we feel, He hurts when we hurt. He suffers when we suffer. When the Lord called Moses, He said that He heard the cries of His enslaved people. No one suffers alone. No one walks alone. No one dies alone. “In all their afflictions He was afflicted.”

Collect for St. John, the Evangelist -  Merciful Lord, cast the bright beams of Your light upon Your Church that we, being instructed in the doctrine of Your blessed apostle and evangelist John, may come to the light of everlasting life; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Saturday, 28 December 2013— Luke 2:1-20 – Sunday’s hymn of the Day is “Let All Together Praise Our God” Now that Christmas has come we can seriously think about the meaning of Christ’s coming into our world and our time.  Even in troubled times God is with us.

Sources: Prayers from Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House
Collect for Pentecost 24 from Lutheran Worship © Concordia Publishing House
Lectionary Preaching Workbook Series C by John Brokhoff © 1979 CSS Publishing Lima OH
Schnorr von Carolsfeld woodcuts © WELS permission granted for personal and congregational use

O King of Nations

O King of Nations and their great desire, thou cornerstone who makest one of twain, as Thou has formed man from the ground, come now and save him.

P:	Behold, the Lord shall come and all His saints with Him.  Alleluia!
C:	And in that day the light shall be great.  Alleluia!

 

The Collect

P:	Stir up, we beseech Thee, O Lord, Thy power and come, that they who trust in Thy mercy may speedily be delivered from all adversity; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord.
C:	Amen.

The congregation sings:

                O Come, DESIRE OF NATIONS bind,

                In one the hearts of all mankind,

                Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,

                And by Thyself our King of Peace,

                Rejoice!  Rejoice!  Emmanuel

                Shall come to thee, O Israel

“O Rising Sun”

O rising orb of day, splendor of light eternal and sun of righteousness, come and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death.

P:	Out of Zion, the perfection of beauty, God hath shined.
C:	Our God shall come, Alleluia!

The Collect

P:	Stir up, we beseech Thee, O Lord, our hearts to prepare the way of Thine only-begotten Son; that by His Advent we may be enabled to serve Thee with purified minds; through the same Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord.
C:	Amen.

The congregation sings:

                                O Come, Thou DAYSPRING from on high,

                                And cheer us by Thy drawing nigh;

                                Disperse the gloomy clouds of night,

                                And death’s dark shadow put to flight.

                                Rejoice!  Rejoice!  Emmanuel

                                Shall come to Thee, O Israel.

Advent 4

December 22, 2013

Advent 4

Matthew 1:18-25

The High Cost of Christmas

Introduction: Christmas is a costly even for many Americans. To buy gifts, they go into debt with is not paid off for months. Though Christmas may be costly to us, think of the cost to God. Jesus was a precious gift. It cost God His all while for us it only costs money!

Consider the high cost of Christmas –

I.    Cost Himself – “Emmanuel, God who is with us” V. 23 Throughout the course of his Gospel Matthew will quote the Old Testament. This is the first of 47 times Matthew will consult the Old Testament to tell us about the Savior. This quotation is from the prophet Isaiah (7:14)

At the time this prophecy was given originally it was spoken to king Ahaz as a sign not only that the Lord was with him but as a testimony that the Lord Himself would rescue king Ahaz from all of his enemies – even those who threatened to take his life.

The Lord who directed all of the affairs of His people sent His own Son into the world as the final fulfillment of all prophecy, for it was “God with us” in the fullest sense who came to be our substitute, to bear our sin, to die a death that we deserved.

God is very much involved in your salvation. He is not an absentee, runaway, Father. He does not abandon His people. To the contrary He has your well-being at stake. He involves Himself in your salvation. He orders your days and directs your path. He is very much involved in the lives of His children.

Says the Psalmist, “O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD.  My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together…your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”[1] 

Even before your parents knew you existed your heavenly Father knew all about you.  Your life is like a novel and the Father’s handwriting is on every page. The Lord knows your yesterdays and is planning your tomorrows. That’s how concerned He is with you.

Transition: How much did cost the Father at Christmas? It cost Him Himself. It cost Him humility.

II.     Cost humility – born of a virgin –V. 18 “This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about. His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph. But before they came together she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.”

There was no physical union during the Jewish period of engagement but it was a much more binding relationship then a modern engagement and could be broken only by a certificate of divorce. Although they were “pledged to be married” Matthew uses the terms “husband” and “wife” of Mary and Joseph before they were married. Finding his fiancée pregnant, Joseph, being a righteous man, planned to divorce Mary quietly. However, in a dream an angel explained to Joseph that Mary’s child was conceived by the Holy Spirit.

Before her marriage to Joseph, Mary was “found” to be with child. In Mary’s day, it was a bombshell! It meant a divorce by the betrothed resulting in public shame and disgrace. The family of the girl would lose face in the community. The adulteress could have been stoned to death. It took an angel’s visit to get Joseph to accept a pregnant bride. In light of this, we must appreciate and admire the courage and devotion of Mary in consenting to be the mother of Christ. She took God at His word. He didn’t hesitate in becoming the Lord’s handmaiden. In humble obedience she submitted to the Father’s will.

Transition:  What was this divine cost at Christmas? How much did cost the Father at Christmas? It cost Him Himself. It cost Him humility. It came at the cost of a cross.

III.   Cost the cross – “He will save His people from their sin” – V. 21 The name Jesus (“Joshua”) means "God is Savior" The son of Mary was rightfully called that, because "He will save His people from their sins" - Matthew 1:21

This Jesus would do by saving them... From the GUILT of sin.

By offering His blood as the atonement for their sins - But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!  Romans 5:8-9

When one is washed by the blood of Jesus, He truly is their Savior. All of their sins, all of their transgressions, all of the faults and failings are forgiven and gone.

From the POWER of sin -

By sending His sanctifying Spirit to help His people break sin's dominion. Without the Holy Spirit in your life it is impossible to please Him. But with His Spirit active and alive in you He is able to accomplish all that He desires for your.  You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 1 John 4:4

Paul writes of this in Romans 8.  “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it.  For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.”  Vv.1,12-14

From the CONSEQUENCE of sin -

From the wrath of God to come on the last day.

Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! - Romans 5:9;

“Wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.”  1 Thessalonians 1:9-10

Ultimately, from the PRESENCE of sin -

When we depart to "be with the Lord" whether it is on the last day when He comes in glory or when He takes us by the hand and calls us individually to be with Him in glory.

“After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb.  They were wearing white robes and were holding    palm branches in their hands. And they cried out in a loud voice:  “Salvation belongs to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb.”  Revelation 7:9-10

Conclusion: How much did it cost the Father at Christmas? It cost Him everything – yet it was priceless.  For in doing so He has won the world and redeemed everything in it. 

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[1]  Psalm 139:1-5, 13

St Thomas

Almighty and ever-living god, You strengthened Your apostle Thomas with firm and certain faith in the resurrection of Your son.Grant us such faith in Jesus Christ, our Lord and our God, that we may never be found wanting in Your sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

O Key of David

O Key of David and Scepter of the House of Israel, who closeth portals and no one can open them, come thou and from his cell lead forth the captive who sits in darkness and in the shadow of death.

P:	Come, O Lord, and make no tarrying;
C:	Loosen the bonds of the people Israel.

The Collect

P:	Stir up, we beseech Thee, O Lord, the wills of Thy faithful people that they, plenteously bringing forth the fruit of good works may of Thee be plenteously rewarded; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord.
C:	Amen.

The congregation sings:

                                O Come, Thou KEY OF DAVID, Come,

                                And open wide our heav’nly home

                                Make swift the way that leads on high

                                And close the path to misery.

                                Rejoice!  Rejoice!  Emmanuel

                                Shall come to thee, O Israel.

Katharine von Bora Luther

O God, our refuge and strength, You raised up Your servant Katharina to support her husband in the task to reform and renew Your Church in the light of Your Word. Defend and purify the Church today and grant that, through faith, we may boldly support and encourage our pastors and teachers of the faith as they proclaim and administer the riches of Your grace made known in Jesus Christ, our Lord, who live and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. 

Artwork by Ed Riojas © Higher Things