Time in the Word - The Baptism of our Lord

God Accepts You

The theme of acceptance harmonizes with baptism. At this time God accepts the repentant sinner, washes away the dirt of sin in the waters of baptism, and adopts the believer as His child, making him His Servant and delights in him. God finds those who fear Him to be acceptable to Him (Epistle Lesson). At Jesus’ baptism, we hear God’s voice, “This is my beloved Son.” The Epistle Lesson closes by assuring those with faith that for Jesus’ sake their sins are forgiven. By faith we accept God’s acceptance of us.

The Spirit is prominent in the three lessons. Some erroneously refer to a water and a Spirit baptism as though there were two baptisms. Christian baptism is both at the same time and consequently there is, as Paul says, one baptism. The Prayer refers to Jesus’ being anointed with the Spirit. In Psalm 29 we hear God’s voice “upon the waters.” Luther’s Hymn of the Day tells the story of Jesus’ baptism.

Monday, 06 January, 2014—Psalm 2:7-11, 12c; antiphon, Isaiah 42:1a—In the Introit for Sunday, we pray, Behold My servant, whom I uphold,, My chosen in whom My soul delights.  The Father accepts the Son at His baptism and so the work of Jesus’ active public ministry has begun. From this Sunday through Easter we will witness those active acts the Savior did to win for you salvation. The psalmist and the prophet Isaiah rejoice for that day. We join them with our prayers and praises.

Tuesday, 07 January, 2014—Psalm 29 —The voice of God is the theme for Psalm 29 as seen in the thunderstorm - sometimes frightening, suggestive of terrifying cataclysms at the end of the world. In the torrent of rain, the ear-splitting thunderclaps, the blaze of lightning, and the roaring wind that sets the great forests in motion, the psalmist hears God’s voice. For God made and orders them all (verses 1-10). Let the hosts of heaven sing His glory (verses 1-2) – and may He bless His people on earth. (verse 11) The style of this psalm is very similar to ancient Canaanite poetry. Sirion (verse 6): 9,000 ft. Mt. Hermon, on the Israel/Lebanon border.  Kadesh (verse 8): a place in the desert south of Beersheba.

Wednesday, 08 January 2014—Isaiah 42:1-91—God chooses and delights in His Servant.  Epiphany deals with light. God chooses His servant to be the light of the nations. Epiphany is the season for world outreach with the Gospel. The Lord describes the character and work of His Servant. This is the first of four servant songs in Isaiah. In verses 1-4 the Servant is described as chosen and well-pleasing to the Lord, Spirit-filled, patient, and faithful. In verses 5-9, the work of the Servant is to bring the light of salvation to the world, justice, and He shall be a covenant of the people. How does this passage relate to Jesus’ baptism? As the Servant was anointed with the Spirit, Jesus at His baptism received the Holy Spirit. As the Servant was “chosen, in whom my soul delights,” at His baptism, God’s voice said, “This is my beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.” As the Servant was given a task (vv. 6-7), Jesus’ ministry began at His baptism.

  

Thursday, 09 January 2014—Acts 10:34-43—God accepts us by forgiving us for Jesus’ sake (verse 43).  The glory of God is seen in the anointing of Jesus as Messiah by the gift of the Spirit and in His life of doing good, made possible by God’s being with Him.  Peter, in a sermon to Cornelius, tells the story of the Gospel. The passage is a part of Peter’s sermon to Cornelius and his family in Caesarea. It marks the giving of the Gospel to the Gentiles. In this sermon Peter reminded his listeners how Jesus, after His baptism when He received the Spirit, went about preaching and healing. Peter says he was one of the witnesses to Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. Faith in Jesus brings forgiveness of sin. How does this lesson relate to Jesus’ baptism? Peter sees Jesus’ baptism as the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, testifies to the fact that at baptism Jesus received the Spirit and power to carry out His ministry, and tells Cornelius that forgiveness, which is endemic to baptism, comes from faith in Jesus.

Friday, 10 January 2014—Matthew 3:13-17—God accepts Jesus as His Son at His baptism.  The Epiphany season deals with the manifestation of God’s glory in Jesus. At Jesus’ baptism, God is glorified in Jesus by the voice of God declaring Jesus as His Son, and by the appearance of the dove, indicating the gift of the Spirit.  Jesus received the Spirit and was declared by God to be His Son. Matthew’s account of Jesus’ baptism differs in two ways from the other Synoptic accounts. Matthew tells of John’s reluctance to baptize Jesus who insists upon it in order that He might fulfill righteousness and identify with all who need repentance. The big question is, if Jesus were sinless why would He want John’s baptism of repentance? The other difference is that God’s voice of acceptance and approval of Jesus is addressed to the spectators: “This is my beloved Son.” Mark and Luke make it a personal experience: “Thou art my beloved Son.”

Saturday, 11 January 2014—Isaiah 40:3; Mathew 3:1-6—Sunday’s Hymn of the Day is “To Jordan Came The Christ The Lord” (LSB #406/407).  As you read and study the words of this hymn, you will find the story of Christ’s ministry and your salvation. As we begin a New Year, may each day be dedicated to living our baptismal life in the Name of our Lord and Savior.

Collects for the Baptism of our Lord: Father in heaven, at the baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan you proclaimed Him Your beloved Son and anointed Him with the Holy Spirit. Make all who are baptized into Christ faithful in their calling to be your children and inheritors with Him of everlasting life.

Almighty, eternal God, when the Spirit descended upon Jesus at His baptism in the Jordan, You revealed Him as Your own beloved Son. Keep us, Your children born of water and the Spirit, faithful to our calling. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, who lives and reigns with You and the holy Spirit, One God, for ever and ever.

Collect for Psalm 29: Lord our King, Your voice sounds over the waters as You reign above the flood. Help us, who are born again by water and the Holy Spirit, to praise Your wonderful deeds in Your holy temple; through Your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.

Sources:

Prayers from Lutheran Service Book © 2006 Concordia Publishing House

Lectionary Preaching Workbook Series A by John Brokhoff © 1980 CSS Publishing Lima OH

For All the Saints A Prayer Book for and By the Church Vol. II © 1995 by the American Lutheran Publicity Bureau, Delhi, NY

Artwork by Ed Riojas  © Higher Things

Christmas 2

Christmas 2

All 3 lessons

What this season of Christmas means to us

Introduction: On the 2nd Sunday after Christmas we have an opportunity to think through the basic meaning of Christmas. The rush and the roar of Christmas festivities are over. Now we can quietly contemplate what took place at Bethlehem. What in fact did take place close to 2,000 years ago in Bethlehem? The basic fact is that the Word became flesh for the ultimate purpose of reconciling us back to the Father. What does Christmas mean?

I. Christmas means that we are children of God by faith. In the Gospel lesson for today we are told that the Word is incarnate in Jesus Christ. The eternal Word of God became flesh in Jesus. We have seen His glory the glory of God is found in Jesus.

John will begin his gospel by putting it in the perspective of eternity. Before Jesus was born the Word existed and created the universe. In the fullness of time that Word comes in the person of Jesus who brings light, life, truth, grace and a perfect revelation of God in Jesus. He is the light that lights up everyone in Christ. John the Baptist was only a witness to that light that light up everyone in Christ. John the Baptist was only a witness to that light which the darkness of sin cannot extinguish. Those who believe in this Incarnate Word become children of God by the will of the Father. Believers receive this power through Him who is full of grace and truth.

Transition: Because of Christmas we are children of God by faith. But what kind of children?  We are adopted into God’s family.

II. Christmas means we are children of God by means of adoption. In our Epistle lesson Paul reminds us that in Christ God blessed us with spiritual blessings making us sons and daughters through grace.

Paul tells us we are “destined” (v.5) God has a destiny for us. He predestined us not to condemnation but to life through Christ. It is God’s will for all of us to be saved, to have life, and go to heaven. This has been God’s will even before the world was created. To accomplish this, He sent His Son to the world to die for us that we might become a people of God by faith. This is your destiny in Christ.

Transition: Christmas means we are children of God by faith. Christmas means we are children of God by adoption. Christmas means we are children of God by grace.

III. We are children of God by grace – In the Old Testament lesson Israel rejoices that God has clothed him with righteousness and salvation. Isaiah says, ”rejoice” (v.10) Christmas is a merry time but are we happy for the right reasons?

Christmas can be the most miserable time of the year if we are happy for the wrong reasons. If we can have a happy Christmas only because we receive gifts we wanted or because we had family and friends with us we have missed the true cause of Christmas gladness. Christians rejoice at Christmas not because of gifts and friends but because we “greatly rejoice in the Lord,” who came to earth as a human being to reveal to us God’s grace and truth. We rejoice in having a God so great and wonderful.

Conclusion: What is the meaning of Christmas? It’s children – children who celebrate and the children we have become – children of God by faith, children of God by adoption, children of God by grace.

New Year's Eve

New Year’s Eve

31 December 2013

Our God Our Help in Ages Past

Psalm 90

O GOD, You make us glad with the yearly remembrance of the birth of Your only Son Jesus Christ.  Grant, that as we joyfully receive Him as our Redeemer, so we may with sure confidence behold Him when He shall come to be our Judge on the Last Great Day; who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.

We've come to the end of yet another year. 365 days have passed. What will be said of this the year, the year of our Lord  - 2013 - when the history books are written and this chapter of our lives is read?

It's been a significant year for this our Friedheim family. 175 years of mission and ministry! What a year it has been!

Like other years, there were births. Infants were born into this world. They too were claimed to be "children of light" as they were born again, through the Sacrament of Holy Baptism. Still others were born into Glory. As they took a walk. From one end of the Father's kingdom to the other. From the kingdom of Grace.  Into the Kingdom of Glory.

So, how do we measure one year that is past? With all of its experiences, it's  memories? What impression will this past year place upon your life?

And what do you say about the New Year, which is about to begin? How do we plot our future as we recall our past? Our hymn verse helps put all things into perspective.

Our God our Help in ages past. If you are ever admitted into a hospital, the first thing you need to do is remove your watch. You won’t need it. Hospital time is NOT regular time! The two are different! There is no time in a hospital. Time…is just a suggestion!  There were moments this past year when time seemed to stop. Now they are in the past.  Yet, forever they remain with us.

There are moments in our lives that are frozen in time. We make it a habit of marking time. Glance at your calendar. It reminds you when you first planted corn and cut your first field of beans. It marks the first snowfall and the first 90-degree day. It recalls you of your child’s first tooth, and their first steps. It remembers your first kiss. The day you got out of debt. They day you landed that big account. The day your child walked across the graduation stage. The day you entered retirement. Each of us can remember those significant moments of this past year. They are forever in our memory.

 God was in the midst of each of these days. Moses reminds us in Psalm 90, “Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or eve thou hast formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. –Psalm 90:1-2      

Moses will later write, “May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us, yes establish the work of our hands.” – Psalm 90:17 It is important to remember that any of our accomplishments in our lifetime are really not much unless their directions come from our Heavenly Father. The importance of “His” work is greater than what this world holds as important.

Jesus remains, Our Hope for years to come. How do we face the next 365 days? What will befall us in the New Year? We simply do not know. But one thing we do know, “From everlasting to everlasting, You are God.” –Psalm 90: 2  

We pray that our Lord would direct us. “Heavenly Father, You have called us to ventures of which we cannot see the ending, by paths as yet untrodden, through perils unknown... give us faith to go out with good courage, not knowing where we go but only that Your hand is leading us and Your love supporting us.[1]   

Because our Lord is with us. Because He has promised to lead us. Because He is our Good and faithful Shepherd we know our Lord remains, Our Shelter from the stormy blast. Calamities. Tragedies. Disasters. They make the headlines. There were plenty this past year. From a pipe bomb at the Boston Marathon to an F-4 tornado that left New Minden, IL in shambles.  2013 saw the fewest weather disasters in recent history. Yet, the Red Cross responded to 932 events this past year.

From the Arab Spring to the North Korea missile threats. They remind us we are living outside of Eden. Yet we do not loose heart.  St. Paul would remind us, “We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair;  persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed.  We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body.  For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus' sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body.” -  2 Corinthians 4:8-11   

We do not loose heart because we really don’t belong here. 0ur eternal Home! Is with the Lord. In this coming year there will be baptisms and there will be funerals. Infants will be welcomed into the family called the Church. Dear saints will hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant!” We pray in the Te Deum “May we numbered with Thy saints, in glory everlasting.” The old song sings, “Soon and very soon, we are going to see the King.” And yes! It will be.  We will see the King! It could happen this year. The Lord might appear. The Lord might receive us. In His own perfect timing, all will be made right at the end of days.

Rejoice then this night. Your Savior remains timeless. The old year is gone. A new one dawns. The past year is over. Another takes its place. Jesus remains the same, Yesterday, today, and yes, forever. Your times are in His hands. Fare Thee well child of God. Fare thee well. From this year unto the next. Jesus remains the same, yesterday, today, and forevermore.

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[1] Collect for Courage, Lutheran Service Book  © 2006 Concordia Publishing House, St. Louis

Time in the word - Christmas 2

The Lord Jesus Is Found in the Temple of His Church

The Lord Jesus “grew and became strong” (Luke 2:40); He “increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52). As His body grew and developed, His mind also increased in knowledge and understanding. For as our brother in the flesh, that we might “have redemption through His blood” (Eph. 1:7), He lived by faith in the Word of His Father. Thus, He was catechized by His parents, who took Him up “to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover” (Luke 2:41); and when He was of age, He gave attention to the Holy Scriptures in His Father’s house (Luke 2:46, 49). Christ Jesus is still found in His Church, in “the Word of truth, the Gospel,” by which we are adopted by His Father and sealed with His Spirit (Eph. 1:5, 13). Thus do we gain “an understanding mind” to go about our vocations, discerning “between good and evil” (1 Kings 3:9). And so do we also go up to Jerusalem, to stand “before the ark of the covenant of the Lord” (1 Kings 3:15), that is, in the Holy Communion of His body and blood.

Collect for the Second Sunday after Christmas: 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.

Collect for the Feast of the Circumcision and Name of Jesus (1 January): Lord God, You made Your beloved Son, our Savior, subject to the Law and caused Him to shed His blood on our behalf. Grant us the true circumcision of the Spirit that our hearts may be made pure from all sins; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and rules with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Collect for the New Year: Eternal God, we commit to Your mercy and forgiveness the year now ending and commend to Your blessing and love the times yet to come. In the new year, abide among us with Your Holy Spirit that we may always trust in the saving name of our Lord Jesus Christ, 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 reigns with Your and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.

Monday, 30 December 2013— Psalm 147:1, 5, 11–12; Antiphon, John 1:14—The antiphon proclaims the mystery of the Incarnation: The Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen His glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. In the original Greek, the word ‘dwelt’ is derived from word for ‘tabernacle’. That is, the God who dwelt with His people in the tabernacle in the wilderness, who delivered them from bondage in Egypt and brought them into the Promised Land—He is the same God that assumed flesh and dwelt with us as the God-man Jesus Christ, the same one who delivered us from our bondage to sin, and will, at the Last Day, take us into our Promised Land, eternal life with Him in heaven.

Tuesday, 31 December 2013— Psalm 119:97–104—Psalm 119 is an example of Hebrew poetry, which is different than English poetry. First, the psalm is an acrostic: that is, every line of each section starts with the same Hebrew letter, in this case ‘mem’ (מ). Another characteristic of Hebrew poetry is parallelism, where the two halves of each line complement each other in some way. Here, we see that the second half of each line serves to amplify the thought in the first half. The psalmist proclaims that the Word of God is the source of wisdom; it rewards the one who meditates on it by making him wiser than my enemies and having more understanding than all my teachers. So, too, let us not fail to immerse ourselves in the study of God’s Word, for it is sweeter than honey to my mouth.

Wednesday, 1 January 2014 —1 Kings 3:4–15—In the tale of Aladdin’s lamp, Aladdin desires and receives great riches from the genie in the lamp. If you could have anything your heart desired, what would it be? Power? Wealth? Long life? Solomon humbly asked the LORD for wisdom to rule God’s people well. His request was granted, and Solomon became the wisest man ever to have lived. Because of his altruistically wise request, the LORD also gave Solomon what he did not ask for: great riches and honor, far beyond any other king.

We can benefit from Solomon’s wisdom in the books of Ecclesiastes and Proverbs. We can benefit from the wisdom of God in all 66 books of the Holy Bible.

Thursday, 2 January 2014— Ephesians 1:3–14—Even if we seem to be lacking in worldly wealth or wisdom, we are assured that we, the elect of God, have a treasure far greater than anything on earth. We have the salvation planned by in eternity by God and won in time by Jesus Christ, who has redeemed us with His blood and forgiven us of our trespasses. Furthermore, He has bestowed upon us His Holy Spirit as a guarantee of our inheritance until the Last Day, when all His promises will be fulfilled.

Friday, 3 January 2014 – Luke 2:40–52—The Jewish rabbis were astounded by the teaching of this young Boy. How could such a One expound the Scriptures as He did? The antiphon from the Introit proclaims it well: The Word became flesh and dwelt among us. The Word made flesh expounded the written Word to these great teachers. We have not only the written Word (Old Testament) that they had, but we also have the benefit of the Holy Gospels, the record of the words and the deeds of the Incarnate Word. Let us never take God’s Word for granted, but diligently ‘read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest’ it, so that ‘by patience and comfort of [God’s] holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life.’

Saturday, 4 January 2014 –Luke 2:41-52 - The Hymn of the Day is Within the Father’s House (Lutheran Service Book #410) It recounts the Gospel reading of the Boy Jesus in the temple, and then offers up a prayer in stanzas 5 and 6 that we, by grace, might grasp and hold to the mysteries of the Incarnation and the Holy Trinity till they are at last made fully known to us on that great day when our Lord returns in majesty and glory.

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

Christmas 1

 Christmas 1

December 29. 2013

Matthew 2:13-15; 19-23

God protects from danger

Joseph the friend of children

Introduction: In the afterglow of Christmas day, we confront the trauma of suffering, death-threats, and persecution of the helpless and innocent. Each of the Lessons for today remind us of just what kind of world to which Jesus came — a hostile world that did not only want him, but tried to kill him. In the Gospel, the holy family was forced to flee to Egypt to avoid death by King Herod.

The holy family flees to Egypt and returns to Nazareth. Matthew sees Jesus as the second Moses. He went to Egypt and by the direction of God was brought back to Galilee. Matthew emphasizes the fact that what happened to Jesus was a fulfillment of prophecy.

In today’s Gospel lesson Joseph proved to be a friend of the little child Jesus. What would have happened to the baby if Joseph had not been a willing worker for God? Here we see a great and profound truth: God’s concern compassion and aid come through cooperative believers. In today’s world of cruelty to and exploitation of children, God is still concerned about the threatened and the oppressed little ones. He works through His obedient servants to be friends to afflicted children.

Today we observe the marks of a friend of children. A true friend of children is one who…

1.      One who is open to God’s guidance – Vv. 13, 19-20 – “When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, ‘Get up,’ he said, ‘take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”   “After Herod had died, an angel of the Lord appear in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, ‘Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel for those who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.”

Is not fleeing a bad situation and an act of cowardice? Why not take a stand, confront the enemy and fight it out? If Jesus is the Messiah, none other than the Son of God, why should he flee from a worldly king? Does God not have legions of angels to protect his newborn Son? There is a time to flee and a time not to flee. When Jesus was grown, friends urged him to flee from Herod who sought his life. But, Jesus refused to run and said, “Tell that fox....” In this case to flee was the right thing to do. There was no way at that time to oppose Herod. But, there will come a day, a day of return to battle the enemy. In World War II, MacArthur had to flee from the Philippines only to return later to conquer.

The king was determined to kill the baby Jesus. It tells us the kind of world a baby enters. It is a hostile world into which we are born, a world out to get us. Today a child faces “death” in terms of child pornography, child abuse by parents and adults, and incest. It is a rough and tough world with tyrants, murderers, and molesters.

The holy family stayed in Egypt until Herod “died.” Rulers come and go, but God remains. When ruthless dictators straddle the earth, the day is coming when they are no more. Where are those who frightened and cursed the earth in the twentieth century — Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini, and Tojo? “This too shall pass” — things will get better if we have the patience to wait.

Transition: A true friend of children is one who…

2.      One who is aware of the world’s threats – V. 22 - “But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee…”

Archelaus was the son of Herod the Great. He ruled over Judea and Samaria for only ten years. He usually cruel and tyrannical and so was deposed.  Judea then became a Roman province, administered by prefects appointed by the emperor.

Jesus was born in a hostile world. Not only was there no room in the inn for his birth, but before he was two years old, he had to be carried to Egypt to escape death at the order of King Herod. Again, because Herod’s successor, Archelaus, was equally as dreadful, the family had to settle in Nazareth.

Transition: A true friend of children is one who…

3.      One who immediately obeys God – V. 14 - “So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt.”

The prophet Hosea {11:1} reminds us, “Out of Egypt I have called my son.”` Originally God called the nation of Israel out Egypt in the time of Moses.  But Matthew, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit apples it also to Jesus. Matthew sees the history of Israel (God’s son) condensed in the life of Jesus (God’s unique Son)  Just as Israel as an infant nation wend down into Egypt, so the child Jesus went there. And as Israel was led by God out of Egypt, so also was Jesus.

Conclusion: The First Sunday after Christmas seems to tell us that, like Jesus, we are born in a hostile and threatening world, but that God is with us and will use the suffering for our good. We know that the Lord works through means. Joseph and Mary were the means by which Jesus was protected.  Thank God there are people in our own community, mind you, in this very congregation who like Joseph and March watch and work on behalf of others – true friends and guardians of children.

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 in Egypt. No one ever suffers alone, no one ever walks alone, no one ever dies alone. “In all their afflictions He was afflicted.”

Holy Innocence & Martyrs

Almighty God, the martyred innocents of Bethlehem showed forth Your praise not be speaking but by dying. Put to death in us all that is in conflict with Your will that our lives may bear witness to the faith we profess with our lips; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Woodcuts by Baron Julius Schnoor von Carolsfeld © WELS

St John

Merciful Lord, cast the beams of Your light upon Your Church that we, being instructed in the doctrine of Your beloved apostle John, may come to the light of everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord.