I did put a shiny bow on top, marking this package as something different from the packages I receive in the mail, but the bow is not what makes this gift special. I did put something new inside, something they do not yet own, something that I know will put smiles on their faces and bring delight to their hearts. You could say what lies inside is important, but there is something else that makes this gift special. Do you see what it is? It’s this [the nametag] right here. On the nametag are two simple words: To you.
That’s it; that is what makes this gift so special. After all, there are other presents under the tree. They are not all for my kids. Some have my name written on them. They belong to me; I will enjoy those gifts, not my kids. Others have my wife’s name on them. Those presents belong to her; she will own and control them. Still others are for family members we will see later this week. Yet, on this particular gift, those two little words: “To you,” tell my kids: “You alone get to benefit from whatever joys this present will give you.” This Christmas morning you gather to praise God for keeping his promise to send his one and only Son. Yet, do not overlook what makes Jesus so special. Hear God’s special words meant to fill you with true lasting joy: To You a Savior is Born! Do not be afraid because This is good news for life! You heard some very good news just last night. After centuries of promises repeated, after years of waiting for God’s promised Son, after years of standing alert for the Savior, God sends him! He wraps up Jesus, this very important Gift, and places him under a stable roof and into a manger. While they were there, the time came for the baby to be born, and she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn (Luke 2:6-7). Jesus has entered the world. That is God’s Christmas gift. Yet, what would happen if I took this gift and removed nametag? How would you feel? If you saw it lying under the tree without a nametag, how would you react? What emotions would you experience? Would you feel uncertain? …timid? …hesitant? Not too sure if this gift is meant for you? Our reading introduces you to some shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. Remember, Jesus is born; the Prince of Peace has arrived! Suddenly, an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them. What happens? What is the immediate reaction of shepherds on the first Christmas night? They were terrified. The glory of the Lord shines around them. That “glory” is the brilliantly blinding white light radiating off of a perfect God! Heaven’s door cracks open just a smidgen. The shepherds can peer just into the entryway of heaven— and they know God dwells somewhere deeper in there. If those shepherds were to see God face-to-face, they could never live. Imperfect, faulty creatures cannot stand in the presence of the One who demands perfection. If God saw them, he would instantly cast them from him forever. How terrifying! Now, an angel stands in front of them— I mean, an angel! This is God’s messenger! Meaning, God has sent this angel out with a specific message to this specific shepherd-audience. What is that message? Punishment? Anger? Judgment? How could they not be terrified? They have no assurance that God comes to them in patient, forgiving love. At that moment, those shepherds feel the great divide between their status and the status of the all-powerful, all-perfect God. Do you know what that feels like? I think you do. You also know Jesus is present in the world. After all, that is why you are here this morning; you have come to worship him. And you openly admit: “I believe in Jesus Christ, my Savior.” You know this— but is it always easy to remember? A loved one lies in the hospital. Tubes run into his arms. Heart monitors beep. Oxygen hisses. You sit in a chair opposite the bed paralyzed in fear. You pray— but why isn’t he better? Why isn’t he healed? Is it because of you? Is God refusing health because of the ways you abuse your body? Has God turned away from you— because you are faulty? Your life was going to so well, so easy, and then— horrible news rears its ugly head. Your child struggles. Your daughter drifts away. Your siblings are fighting. Is this trouble in your life because of you? Is God letting bad things happen because you chose to ignore God’s clear commands? Is God letting you, a sinner, taste his anger? Your life goals fall off track. You wanted the vacation, but now cannot afford it. You wanted to travel, but your health will not let you. You want people to rejoice in a Savior, but they are not here today. You grow frustrated. You get sad. You feel depressed. This is not the kind of life you imagined. Are these things happening because you know too little of the Bible? …Because you are not a “good-enough” Christian for God? If you remove the nametag from the present, then you will never know if the present belongs to you. If you are unsure if the present belongs to you, then you will not experience the joys, the bliss, the comfort that gift brings. And if you choose to ignore the nametag so clearly written on the gift, then you will forfeit the joy freely given. You see, when troubles rise up, when fear grips your life, it is so tempting to fixate on you— how good you are, what you have done, how you think God should respond to your behavior. A little part of us wants to make God’s love conditional. If you do good, then God will act good towards you. If you do bad, then God will act bad to you. If that is the God we have, then you (and I) have every reason to be terrified— because you (and I) can never be the good God expects. That’s why God sends his angel with a special message: “Do not be afraid.” Just think about that for a minute. God knows how often you (and I) are tempted to believe that you must earn his love in order for him to treat with you in love. And so God explicitly says: “Do not be afraid.” Stop thinking that God will help you only when you are nice first. Do not believe that your current struggles have come because you made God mad. This is why. The angel said to them… I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.” Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you. Do not be afraid because God does not deliver bad news on Christmas Day. Do not be afraid because God gives a gift to you: a “Savior.” A Savior! Someone who rescues you! Someone who does what you cannot! Someone who chooses to come and save you! Jesus is proof that God’s love is not conditional. It is one-sided. In love, God sends a Savior—regardless of how you (or I) behave. In love, that Savior wipes away your guilt, and declares it: “Gone.” That means, God sees you as innocent and without fault. Can you be sure of this? Yes. Because that Christmas-Day-Gift marches into the world, marches through life, and up Calvary’s mountain all in order to rescue you. God punishes Jesus for your (and my) wrongs. With your sins punished, there is no punishment remaining. If no punishment remains, it means you are without a need to be punished. Put another way, you are forgiven! This is the reason you do not need to be afraid. Look into the manger and see God’s Son lying there. Do not be afraid! Because To You a Savior is Born! This is good news for life! Sometimes our hearts can still doubt that God could be this loving. So, God makes sure to wipe away any doubt that his love for you is too good to be true. Did you notice how many times the angels repeat the nametag on Jesus? The angelic-messenger appears to shepherds (to them). The angel said to them, “I bring good news to you… to you a Savior is born!” To you is repeated over and over again as if to say: “Yes, this is all really for you! Believe it!” This repetition pounds away any doubt that God is distant from you. And this news not just meant for the best shepherd or for powerful kings and queens or your pastor— but for all the people. All people, including a virgin no one knows. Including shepherds forgotten in the fields. Including you and me who sometimes make a mess of life. To You a Savior Is Born. To you, yes, you—even when you struggle to get by each day—a Savior is born. This is good news for your life. So, when the devil shows up in your life and awakens past shame, point to the cross and say, “Go away! Jesus killed that shame for me. It defines me no more!” When your loved one lies in the hospital and you are afraid that God is choosing not to answer your prayers, point to the manger and say: “Jesus came to open communication between me and God.” When your hopes and dreams are put on hold, point to the manger and say: “Even as life changes, my Savior’s love to meet my every need will never change.” To You a Savior is Born! This is good news for life! Even when you stand beside the casket of a loved one, remember, To You a Savior is Born! Jesus has reversed death. Those who believe he removed their sins will live with him in heaven. Not in hell. Not in the ground. But in heaven’s pure perfect bliss. The Savior comforts a weary heart with his good news of eternal life. You can be sure of that. That’s the point of a nametag. This nametag tells my kids that this present belongs to them. They will play with it, keep, hold, and have it. There is no doubt, no uncertain about it. So, God puts a nametag of Jesus so that there is no mistake as to who he is for: To You a Savior is Born! Not just for the best Christians. Not for the lifelong Christian. But for you. He has wiped away sin. Live confidently knowing that all is well between you and God! Live confidently even in the face of trouble, knowing that God has not come afflict. Rather, you know God stands with you. Do not be afraid because To You a Savior is Born! This is good news for life!
He grabs the present. Fingers rip off the bow, pry away the ribbons, shred the wrapping paper— revealing a brand new Samsung 75" Class 4K Smart QLED TV. Yes, that’s a 75-inch screen size— six feet, three inches (and longer than I am tall)! The Quantum Dot Light Emitting Diode (QLED for short) generates over a billion shades of color. 4K technology delivers magnificent contrasts, allowing light and dark scenes to appear with crystal clear quality! Its 240-hertz refresh rate brings NASCAR, baseball, football— any fast moving action— to life all without a blur. This is 75-glorious-inches of sheer bliss.
You watch as he sits there in a pile of wrappings, ribbons, and bows, gazing at this enormous box. Almost instantly he pushes it away, reaches down, grabs the shiny green paper, cocks his head, mystified: “Where did you get this amazing paper?” He grabs the red ribbon: “How beautiful!” He lifts the poufy red bow: “This is best gift anyone can give!” Expect that?... Probably not. After all, what is the real gift given? The television, right? This man pushes the real gift away and instead fixate on the objects that are not presents. Yet, that happens. Christmastime for many reaches its high point in cookies and candies, trees and lights, carols and programs, presents and family. Many overlook the real joy unwrapped in the Christmas-day manger— without a second thought— and instead fixate on gifts that provide only short-lived joy. God does not want you getting lost in the Christmas chaos and losing focus on what joy Christmas really brings. So, he sends John to Testify about the Light! For you to Hear it and for you to Share it. That is the purpose of John the Baptist’s ministry. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light. That “Light” is a person. That person reveals something important; he reveals the only way you can stand acceptable before God. That person, that “Light,” is the Christ. So, John stands in the desert, in a region just north of the Dead Sea, announcing: “The Christ is here!” “Christ” is a special name. In the New Testament, you hear [the name]: “Jesus Christ;” in the Old Testament, you hear [the name]: “Messiah.” [The name] “Messiah” is the Old Testament way of saying “Christ.” (“Messiah” is a Hebrew word, and when you bring it into the Greek language, you get “Christ.” Now, remember, names have meanings. For example, my name, “Andrew,” comes from a Greek word meaning: “strong, manly;” my name describes manliness. Maybe you know the meaning of your name (or at least have visited one of those novelty shops which sell cards with your name printed on top and its meaning underneath). The name “Christ” (and “Messiah”) means “Anointed One.” To “be anointed” means to “be set apart for a specific mission.” Our Old Testament reading (this morning) tells you what Christ is set apart to do: He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from [spiritual] darkness for the prisoners … to comfort all who mourn… to bestow on them a crown of beauty… They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord (Isaiah 61:1-3). So, when John cries out: “The Christ is here!” it is a message meant to grab people’s attention. God has kept his promise; he sent a Savior. Jesus clears away uncertainty as to how you stand before God; he lights up the fact that he alone lifts off your burden of sin. John Testifies about the Light for all people to hear. Many hear it— at least, the message enters their ears. Priests and Levites rush out to John not so interested in what Christ brings. Rather, they search for someone they want. “Are you Elijah?” they ask. Many of the Jews created a belief that Elijah would return heaven and free them from their Roman oppressors. “Are you the Prophet?” they wonder. After all, Moses promised a great prophet was coming (Deuteronomy 18:15). The [capital-P]rophet would be God’s Son, but the Jews just wanted another great teacher. John repeatedly points at Jesus and says: “Ask about him!” And yet, so many are fixated on the shiny green wrapping paper, the red ribbons, the poufy bows of John, instead of worshipping the Christ. Has anything changed? Many still push aside the need for a Savior and embrace pleasures and treasures of this world. Department stores T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, and Homegoods is currently airing a commercial with families and friends gathered around Christmas presents and feasts. It is heart-warming to watch loved ones come together to celebrate Christmas. Except, it’s not Christmas they are celebrating. The commercial ends with the tagline: Family is the greatest gift (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5vXVbwfJlpA&index=1&list=PLtyMkMtSY__Ht5ielBr7DeKPXwXFaE6aQ). Is that really the greatest gift you have ever received? Family? …They never disappoint you? …Never frustrate you? …Never let you down or irritate you? …Fill you absolutely complete and lasting joy? This is just one example of how the heart searches for something of lasting value. The heart craves happiness. It seeks security. It wants certainty in an uncertain world. Yet, by ignoring John’s message about the Christ, that heart will only remain in spiritual darkness. During Christmastime, it is easy to shove aside the good news of a Savior born for you. You may grab the wrapping paper of presents, considering your stuff to be more important than worshipping the newborn King on Christmas Day. You may tug and hug the red ribbons of family, making time for them, but no time to sigh a prayer of thanks that God has kept an ancient promise. You may hold up that red poufy bow of self-worship, claiming that you only need Jesus when life gets tough. Pushing aside John’s message of “Christ is here!” pushes aside the Savior God gives you! And so, God sends John to Testify about the Light for you to hear it. Hear again the life-changing news of a Savior born for you! Yes, even if you have the Christmas account memorized, appreciate just how majestic your Jesus is. Even if you were a slave kneeling in the dust, removing Jesus’ grimy shoes, that would be far too high of a position! He does not come to enslave you, but to lift you up from servant-hood and to make you a citizen of his kingdom! Remember, that is what “Christ” comes to do. And this is what “Christ” has done. He binds up your guilt-broken heart with his healing words: “Forgiven. Removed. Done.” He proclaims freedom from sin and death by rising from the dead and saying: Because I live, you also will live (John 14:19). He comforts all those mourning by saying: Those who believe in me will never die, but live forever in heaven (Revelation 7:13-17). Christ has accomplished what he has been set aside to do. He has set you free from sin forever—and plainly tells you this. Hear John to Testify about the Light. This is the purpose of his ministry. He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all men might believe. This good news that Jesus has rescued you (and me) from our self-centered choices is the only message that will bring life. Since you hear it, it means you are equipped to share it. Yes, you. God equips you to share the good news of Jesus with others. I would imagine that you are quite aware that many still need to hear about the Savior. After all, every Christmas you hear the slogans: “Keep Christ in Christmas” and “Jesus is the reason for the season.” That is true, Christmas is about Jesus. Yet, I also wonder how often those slogans are lobbed out to shame people for not worshipping Christ, instead of being slogans meant to invite people to worship Christ. Or, many Christians watch the national news and mourn the decline of respect and the increase of materialism. Those issues are disheartening— but do remember, you do not currently live in New York City or Seattle or Houston or St. Louis; you live in central Michigan. My point is this: You can mourn that many are losing focus on Christ, but by worrying about events in a place thousands of miles away, you may overlook what is happening in your community, your neighborhood, or among your friends and family. If it is really an issue that so many lose sight on the real joy found in Christmas, then identify ways to correct that misguided focus. So, instead of shaking your head at a Marshall’s commercial which claims “Family is the best gift,” reflect on your own heart, and see what it considers to be the best gift. Is your heart misguided? Do the hearts of your children lose sight on Jesus? If so, correct it by pointing at Jesus! If you mourn that the world loves stuff, ask yourself: “Am I materialistic?” “Does my neighbor love stuff more than God?” And if you see yourself, your family, your friends, your neighborhood lose sight on the gift of Savior, then like John the Baptist, point to Jesus! Share God’s gift of a Son. Are you a parent?... grandparent? If so, God has handed you the special privilege of teaching a child. You are the one who will teach your child how to eat and get dressed. You will help them with homework, buying a car, and setting up savings for the future. Even as they become adults, they still call you “mom” or “dad.” God has seen fit to make you their caretaker. Remember the most important thing you will ever teach: the Savior. God uses your parent-child relationship for you may share Jesus. Regardless if your child is age 4 or 40, you can still bring up the fact that only Jesus comforts a heart burdened with sin. Only Jesus gives the crown of eternal life. Are you a friend or neighbor? You build special relationships with people. That relationship is a bridge (if you will) to carry the love of Jesus into someone else’s life. If you know of someone who will spend this Christmas wrapped up in their house and unsure of a Savior, then invite them to join you in Christmas Eve & Day worship. And if you’re thinking to yourself: “Boy, this all sounds so scary. I can’t possibly just talk about Jesus to random people,” then remember, God does not tell you to knock on the doors of strangers and suddenly blurt out what you believe. Simply reflect on the relationships you hold, the opportunities you get to speak, and the message you get to share with the world. God uses you to Testify about Jesus, the Light. And yes, you do not currently live in New York City or Seattle or Houston or St. Louis; you live in central Michigan. Yet, you can still share Jesus around the world. How? Through your offerings. Recognize that God uses your offerings here—to staff a pastor, to provide Christ-centered resources, to maintain a house of worship. Your ministry is to bring Jesus to others! Some of your offerings goes towards staffing Pastors at churches (just starting out). Your Wisconsin Synod has churches in all 50 states and all over the world. Through your prayers and support, those congregations carry the bright light of Jesus to many lost in spiritual darkness. You may not see the results of your offering this side of eternity, but one day you will. Recognize how God has blessed you and recognize the opportunity you have to Testify about Jesus, the Light. Because many are getting ready for Christmas. For many Christmastime reaches its high point in cookies and candies, trees and lights, carols and programs, presents and family. Many overlook the real joy unwrapped in the Christmas-day manger—without a second thought— and instead fixate on gifts that provide only short-lived joy. So, God sends out John with wonderful news: The Christ has come! This Christ binds up your sin-broken heart. He comforts you with his promises. He releases you from hell. He is a gift that will never grow old or outdated. He is the Gift who will last forever. Hear this message. Remain focused on the real joy Christmas brings. With that joy burning in your heart, share this tremendous message. John Testifies about the Light for you to Hear it and for you to Share it.
responsible for the safety and security of the members of congress, any visiting dignitaries, and tourists. He’s in charge of ceremonial duties involving funeral processions and presidential inaugurations. He restores order if a congressmen gets disruptive. Perhaps he is best known for announcing the arrival of the President to give his State of the Union speech.
If you have ever watched a State of the Union speech, you understand how important of a job he has. All the members of congress and senators stand in their little cliques scattered around the chamber, chattering and laughing, (head-)nodding and waving. No one pays attention to the time on the clock or who is entering or who is leaving the chamber. Everyone is focused on their conversation. Then, suddenly, Paul D. Irving enters the chamber and shouts: “Mister Speaker, the President of the United States!” and everyone snaps to attention. That’s a pretty important job, isn’t it? Mr. Irving prepares people for this great speaker. He announces who is coming so that people are prepared to listen and take the President’s words to heart. During this Advent season, God prepares you to meet Jesus, your Savior. He wants you ready to listen and take Jesus’ words to heart. And so, God sends out messengers with his simple message: The Savior is Coming! Prepare your heart and Prepare to meet him. That is an important message— and a message meant for everyone’s attention. So, God promises: I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way… The “you” (in this prophecy) refers to Jesus; people will benefit from someone announcing his coming. Why? Well, remember, Jesus does not start his ministry immediately. He is born Christmas Day. Angels announce his birth. Shepherds rush to worship him. Wise men come a few months later with their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Elderly-believer Simeon praises God for allowing him to meet Jesus. A prophetess named Anna thanks God for the gift of a Savior from sin— but that’s it. For 29 years Jesus remains in his hometown of Nazareth, being a respectful son and working as a carpenter. Twenty-nine long years pass between Christmas Day and the time Jesus starts preaching and teaching. So, can you imagine the reaction if Jesus suddenly appeared in the in the synagogue one day, stood up, and started preaching? People there would ask: “Who is this man?” “What gives this man the right to preach?” “Which priest gave him authority to teach?” Most of all, “Should I listen to him?” No one knows if this man Jesus is God’s long-promised Son. And if no one knows Jesus is God’s Son, then they have no pressing reason to listen and take his words to heart. So, God sends a messenger to prepare hearts for Jesus. He sends John the Baptist, the voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’ In ancient times, before a king traveled down a desert road and into a new region, he would send servants ahead to fix the road. Those servants would fill in potholes and places where the road washed out. They would remove boulders and level cliffs and steep hills. They made the road straight so that the king could arrive. Yet, John the Baptist is not sent to fix roads; God sends him to prepare hearts because the Savior is Coming. Have you ever received a gift for which you saw no need? (For example), when I was a kid, someone always gave me a keychain as a gift— which a kind thought, but I had no use for a keychain. Unless you have a house key or car key, it’s a pretty useless gift. If you consider a gift useless, eventually you toss it away and forget about it. If a heart sees no reason for a Savior, then the heart will have no reason to listen to the Savior. And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. That’s the message for all people of all time— you and me included— “Repent!” “Repent” means to turn around or change. It has this picture of making a U-Turn (a 180-degree change of direction). If you are heading north on US-127 and make a U-Turn, then you have completely changed direction; you are now heading south. If you behave one way in life and “repent,” you are behaving in an entirely different way. Repenting, that is, living a life shaped by God’s Word prepares hearts for the Coming Savior. Yet, how often our hearts fall into thinking that repentance is not necessary. Instead of comparing your heart to God’s Word, it feels so much easier to justify and defend the way you (and I) behave. God makes it clear: Lord your God with all your heart, mind, and soul (Matthew 22:37), but greed feels good. So, make excuses as to why you cannot give an honest offering to God. Defend and justify your expenses so that you can cover up your love for the things money can buy. Trust yourself when you are scared, worried, or anxious. Believe the reasons that you cannot pray to God: “I just don’t have time.” “I’ll try to fix it one last time, then I’ll pray.” Make excuses as to why you cannot trust God to keep his promises: “I’ve been waiting a while and haven’t seen my health change.” “I don’t think God is overly concerned about my feelings of depression.” How the heart defends and justifies its actions! Justify the reasons as to why your relationships do not need to match up to God’s directions for relationships. “I know God wants sex in marriage, but that just doesn’t work in this world anymore.” I know God wants me to forgive and let go of grudges, but that other person would just walk around all smug if I forgive him.” “My friends do not deserve my kindness; they hurt me too much.” God gives clear commands as to how you (and I) are to live. When we fail to measure up, it’s called “sin” or “transgression.” You (and I) have not done what God demands. The trouble is, so often our hearts want to make sin “small,” meaning, thinking our transgressions are no big deal, thinking our failure to be perfect holds no eternal consequence. Yet, if you make sin “small,” then you make Jesus “small.” If you (and I) think sin is not serious, then you have just said, “Jesus’ death on the cross was unnecessary. He did not need to suffer and die for you because you did nothing wrong. If you consider a gift useless, eventually you toss it away and forget about it. If a heart sees no reason for a Savior, then the heart will have no reason to listen to the Savior. And that heart will be completely unprepared to meet the Savior when he comes. That is why God sends out messengers with his message: to prepare hearts to (1) listen to Jesus’ teachings and (2) take them to heart. And so John comes—not with words that he thinks you need to hear, not with a message he wrote down, but with a message God himself put into John’s mouth: “The Savior is Coming!” John points you to the Savior who has come once already for your benefit! Jesus lives prepared to stand before his God and Father. His life always matches what God expects. So, he loves his God with all heart, mind, and soul. Never once does he try to hold a grudge. Never once does he try to excuse himself out of worship. Never does his heart need to repent and change its behavior. Instead, his heart is perfect! Jesus marches on ahead of you—to prepare you to stand before his God and Father. His innocent blood fills in our spiritual potholes. His perfect life levels our self-trust and arrogance. His perfect heart makes our hearts perfect. Jesus prepares your heart for his second coming. Yes, the Savior is Coming again. This time not as a little baby born on Christmas Day, but rather to come and bring every believer home to heaven. The Savior is Coming! and your heart is prepared for that great day! Live now prepared to meet him! Prepare to meet your Savior by taking the words of God’s messengers to heart. Yes, those Pastors God has given you. These messengers do not create message of their own. Rather, they bring the life-saving Word to you. Listen to the Word of God read Sunday mornings. Listen to the Word of God applied to your life. Take those Words to heart, letting it expose error and redirecting you on a God-pleasing path. As you make it your habit to connect yourself to God’s Word in worship and personal reading, you increase your knowledge of what God calls “right” and “wrong.” When you recognize when you have done wrong, like those of years past, confess your sins. Recognize the loveless words, the careless actions, the self-centered thoughts. Do not defend them. Rather, acknowledge them as the wrong they truly are. Hear God’s gracious forgiveness—that he does not rush against you in anger. Rather, he declares you “Forgiven” because Jesus has lifted off those wrongs. Now forgiven, live a life which continually turns from evil and delights in God’s commands. You can— and you already do that— because God has filled you with the Holy Spirit. At your baptism, plain water ran down your head. Yet, God attached a promise with that water-- You are baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. That “in” means God has put his name on you. And if God has put his name on you, then it means your identity is: “Child of God.” And if you are a child of God, then it means you are different from a “child of the world.” You will stand out in this world. How can you not? Your heart delights in living in a way pleasing to God! So, you set aside an honest offering for your God—not because you must, but because God set aside the life of Jesus for you. You seek to forgive others—not because you fear being punished, but because God, in Christ, forgives you! Your friends, neighbors, and family may think marriage is not necessary or feel it is acceptable to abuse their bodies. Yet, you shape your relationships around the Word— because God has made your body his temple. You live a life of repentance— that is, acknowledging the wrong and delighting in God’s good. Through God’s Word and God’s sacraments, the way into your heart has been prepared. The King of the universe sits in your heart reigning and ruling. You are prepared to meet the Savior. What an important message that is! During this Advent season, God prepares you to meet Jesus, your Savior. He wants you ready to listen and take Jesus’ words to heart. And so, God sends out messengers with his simple message: The Savior is Coming! Prepare your heart and Prepare to meet him.
Didn’t fill it out? Didn’t scratch off your sweepstakes ticket, reveal the matching magic numbers, tuck it into the self-addressed envelope, and send it back? To be honest, I think I received the letter, and filed it away in the paper shredder. Maybe you shrugged off the news too.
That’s an interesting thing, isn’t it? Junk mail and television ads use big, bright red print: “FREE!”— and that magnificent word is almost automatically tossed aside. In America we have this saying: “Nothing is free.” You expect some catch, some condition that you must meet in order to get something— which then, in reality, no longer makes something truly “free.” Even television infomercials offer to double your purchase for “free.” Yet, you still have to pay an additional $10.00 for shipping and handling— hardly what I would call “free.” So, when you hear: [I]t is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God, there may be a part of you that leans forward, intently waiting: “and… what’s the catch? What do you expect me to do?” God’s gift of complete forgiveness, wiping away every single guilty stain, may sound too good to be true. Standing on Scripture teaches you to Rely on Grace! Because grace is God’s saving gift and grace unleashes life to the fullest. Look at our reading from Ephesians, chapter 2. Verses 4-5 define what “grace” means and how it looks. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. So, what does “grace” mean? God says it: his great love for us. In English we have only one word for love. You can say you “love” a hamburger, “love” your friend, and “love” your spouse. The way you are using the word “love” in each of those statements is a little different. So, you have to understand the context in order to know what type of “love” is being shown to a hamburger, your friend, and your spouse. The Greek language uses three different words for “love”— and this part of the Bible in written in Greek. One word for “love” is (1) eros [ἔρως]— a romantic love between husband and wife. Another word is (2) phileo [φιλέω]— a friendship love. The other word is (3) agape [ἀγάπη]— which describes loving someone even when they do not deserve it. So, when God says: “[I have] great love for you,” he is not describing a physical romantic attraction to you. He does not merely call himself your “friend.” He says: “You did not— and never did— deserve my affection. It was I who chose to love you first.” (1 John 4:19). That is grace. God chooses to love you, even when you (and I) gave him absolutely no reason to do so. Sound too good be true? In America, nothing is “free;” you always expect some condition to good news. In our lives, love is never “free;” you always expect some condition for love. If you are nice to me, then I will be nice to you. If you give me some money, then I will consider you generous. If you are not nice to me, then I will be rude to you. If you are not generous, then I consider you stingy and greedy. So often we expect this condition for love: If you give me a reason, then I will love you. How easily we can act as though God deals with us in this very same way! That God is looking for something from you in order for him to love you. Your mind cannot shake off the shame from years ago when you made yourself a fool in front of friends. Your secret was so well hidden, but then someone found out what you really daydream about— and you feel so horrible. Regret fills your heart— you could have been a father who was there for his kids, or a mother who showed more love, or a child who could have been more respectful. That guilt can absolutely crush you, and it can spontaneously haunt you— and, boy, how you want to make it go away. So, you try to find a reason God should want to love you; you make love conditional. If you change your habits, then God will remove the rest of your guilt. If you convince yourself that you are not really all that shamefully bad, then God must think of you as good too! If you are an absent father or a overbearing mother, then make it up— be there for your adult children, love your grandchildren— and that must undo your past. If you give God a reason to love you, then he must love you! A part of you may feel that grace is too good to be true— that God must love you because of something you have done. But that’s not true. God says: “You were dead in transgressions.” All people are born spiritually dead. Dead people cannot move. Spiritually dead people cannot earn or choose God’s love. They are lifeless. You and I are born without the ability or power to earn or choose God’s love. And so, God chooses to deal with you in grace— love which you (and I) do not deserve! Verses 8-9 make that explicitly clear: For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. God chooses to have mercy on you. God has compassion and chooses to send his one and only Son into the world. God chooses to hang his perfect Son on the cross. God chooses to heap on Jesus the punishment for your shame, your foolish past, your failure to live up to your calling as father, mother, or child. Jesus is the One is not loved. He is the One forsaken by God. He is the One seized with physical pain— aching joints, nails piercing his hands, blood gushing out, lightheadedness, life draining out. Jesus is the proof of God’s undeserved love for you. Jesus takes what you (and I) deserve and removes your guilt from the sight of God. Sound too good to be true? Yes, it does— but that’s why God calls it “grace.” He does not give you (and me) what we expect. In fact, God calls grace a gift! And you know what a gift is, right? After all, why do you receive presents for your birthday? Because you didn’t really do anything to deserve presents, right? You did not get a new dirt bike because you chose to be conceived (as though your family celebrates your decision to enter their life). A friend did not give you a new tablet because you picked the day you would enter this world. You did not receive a new Barbie doll because you behaved so well over the past year. So then, why do you get presents for your birthday? Because, in reality, you didn’t do anything to earn them. That’s the point, right?! For something to truly be a “gift” it means you receive something without conditions attached. God hands you the perfect life of Jesus as a gift— no conditions, no strings attached! When you worry about how you stand before God, Rely on Grace! God deals with you in love which you (and I) do not deserve. That is called “grace,” and It is God’s gift to you. And It unleashes life to the fullest. Look at verses 6 and 7; see your past, your present, and your future. God raised [you] up with Christ. In the past— God raised Jesus from the dead, and Jesus lives anew— exalted above any earthly leader and any devilish enemy (Ephesians 1:20-21). In the past— God raised you up out the waters of baptism— creating spiritual life in your heart, creating a new way of life for you. When you came to faith, God applies the saving work of Jesus to you specifically. You own it, you possess it, and you keep holding onto it. It’s similar to a high school diploma. You received it once. You still have it. You will always carry the title: “High-School-Graduate.” You came to faith. You still have faith. With faith in your heart, you will carry the title: “Believer.” What was started so long ago has given you this new life as a child belonging to God. And as if that’s not enough, God seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus. Notice that verb: He seated you. Past tense, the action’s already done. Isn’t that amazing? In God’s eyes you living with him in heaven is already a completed fact; it’s as good as done. God already looks to the future and sees you seated around banquet table in heaven! You have this privilege because of God’s grace. And as if that’s enough, verse 7 says: in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. In the coming ages-- that can refer to two different time-eras, but the understanding remains the same. (1) It can refer to the very moment Jesus burst out of the Easter-day-tomb. Everyone from Easter day to the end of time are able to see how high and deep and wide and long God’s love is. Isn’t that true? You and I living in 2017 still recognize just how powerful God’s grace is. Even though Jesus rose from the dead 2,000 years ago, he still wipes clean your slate against him. Nowhere does he say: “I’m done with you. You have sinned too much. Stop coming to church. Stop bringing your confession to me. I don’t want it.” He does not treat you in this way. God says: “My grace hasn’t worn out over the past 2,000 years.” God continually puts a hand on your shoulder and says, “I can do more than you have ever done against me.” No matter how horrific your act, no matter how shameful your secret, no matter what pet sin you keep stumbling into, God still showers you with the incomparable riches of forgiveness. Those coming ages (2) could refer to the moment you come to faith— from that point to the ages to come, to the years ahead in your life— you still see God’s grace. God does not treat you and me as our sins deserve. If you and I received what we deserved, then life would literally be hell on earth. Yet, God still forgives you— every single day. You do not have to fear that your hospital stay came as a result of something you did. Your car did not break down because God is angry at you. He does not seek revenge for your foolishness. God allows you to sit and stand in his presence today and hear of his love for you. He is not an adversary, he’s not a mean foe, he’s your heavenly Father. Grace unleashes a new way of life—a life without fear or distress, a life confident of how God sees you! Being “Lutheran” means you Rely on Grace. Nowhere does God teach that you must earn his love. Nowhere does God teach that you must choose to bring his love in your heart. You and I contribute nothing because Jesus has done all of it. God chooses to give you Jesus. God chooses to use Jesus to wipe your heart clean from guilt. God chooses to give you eternal life as a free gift— no conditions attached! The more you recognize that you cannot save yourself, the more you treasure just how much God has loved you. Sound too good to be true? Yes! Yes, it does! …But that is why God calls it “grace.” God deals with you in undeserved love. Rely on Grace! Because grace is God’s saving gift and grace unleashes life to the fullest.
those pages or that book entirely. In some cases, nothing is left in a book but footnotes— footnotes that no one really reads. Eventually books are tossed out altogether, thrown into piles and left for firemen to arrive and burn.
You can’t read a book like that and not find a hidden message. For many the book serves as a warning against government censorship. Many fear the government may begin limiting freedom of speech until society can no longer freely address so-called controversial topics. Eventually, the government controls not only your words, but also your thoughts on certain issues. Except that’s not what Fahrenheit 451 is about. The author, Ray Bradbury, went on record to say that his book is “a story about how television destroys interest in reading literature.” (http://www.laweekly.com/news/ray-bradbury-fahrenheit-451-misinterpreted-2149125) Already in 1953, Bradbury feared people would grow so addicted to television that they would stop reading books. When Bradbury shared this interpretation at a lecture at the University of California-Los Angeles (UCLA), students protested. They insisted that he was wrong. They told him, the author, that his book only references government censorship. Can you imagine what it must feel like when someone tells you, the author of your own book, that you have it all wrong? More than that, if you reject the author’s interpretation, it means that you have injected a new message into that book—a message never there to begin with. You are believing a message that does not come from the author. You are believing a message that you created. And if you believe a message you created, then you will receive an entirely different outcome than what the author ever intended. When it comes to what you believe about your status before God, look to what God, the divine Author, so clearly reveals. Stand on Scripture. Find God’s heart revealed. Gain certain confidence. You have heard me say it before: You and I live in a postmodern society. That means society teaches there is no absolute truth; there is no set standard of what is universally “right” and what is universally “wrong.” So, if I choose to wear a dress today, you cannot tell me that my clothing style is wrong. By you insisting that I change, you have now created a fixed truth that there is certain clothing reserved only for men and certain clothing reserved only for women. Yet, to me and my thinking, I may feel that dresses are not exclusive only to women or men. If I believe one thing about dresses, then that becomes a truth by which I will live. If you believe dresses do not belong on men, then that is a truth by which you live. We have two differing truths, but two differing truths that are both valid and equal because we feel strongly about our beliefs. Your society feels truth is constantly changing and truth changes based on a person’s individual beliefs. If you feel something is true, then it must be true— and no one can tell you that you are wrong. So, if you feel God will let you into heaven because you are a good, moral person, then this must be true. God must let you into heaven because you think this is correct. Or you may feel that God will give you eternal life because you are sincere in your beliefs— you sit in a church building, you listen to the Pastor, you are dedicated to behaving like a churchy-person. If you feel this is what God looks for in a person, then you must be right; sincerity in religious practice will give you eternal life. Or, you may cling to a tightly-held belief— even if it contradicts what God says. If you do not want to be judged for your lifestyle, then simply say, “I do not think God would judge me.” Therefore, you would believe that God accepts the way you live. If you want God to bring all people to heaven, then say: “I feel God will save everyone.” Your feeling, then, is considered true. If you want to skip worship, then simply state: “I think God knows why I’m sleeping in and he doesn’t care.” You can feel better about your life because you just said God doesn’t care. This is how postmodern thinking not only shapes your civilian life, but also how it can affect our views towards Scripture. We begin telling God, the divine Author, that he has it all wrong! Yet, here’s the question: How do you know if your personal beliefs are right? A roomful of students told Ray Bradbury that his interpretation of his own book was wrong! Yet, Bradbury revealed an undeniable truth: He is the author. As the author, he put down his intentions in writing. Students may believe what they want, but their beliefs cannot change the purpose of his book. When it comes to Scripture, and to its teachings, God reveals an undeniable: He is the Author. You may want God to condone your lifestyle, but God has still said: “Be perfect like me” (Matthew 5:48). You may feel that God loves you because you are a good person and because you are here today, but God still says: “All have sinned and all fall short of reaching heaven with me” (Romans 3:23). If you try to make up reasons as to why God forgives you, you may feel they are right, but God will still call them “wrong.” Clinging to your own personal belief— no matter how much you want to believe it is true— can still leave you standing apart from God forever. A monk named Martin Luther dreaded that. He was terrified that God hated him— because he knew the Bible clearly teaches: God punishes sin— and he was a sinner. Luther never knew how to remove that guilt. His priest told him to confess his sins, to pray, to beat himself, to stare at bones of dead church leaders, to pay money, to do good things, to give up money— do all these things and his guilt would diminish. It did not. Luther never knew how to remove that guilt. Making up solutions never fills you with peace. Trying to do more good than bad does not erase the bad you did do. How do you remove guilt? How can you be sure you can go to heaven? Stand on Scripture and find God’s heart revealed. Our reading says: For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last. How do you remove feelings of guilt? How can you fill your heart with peace? How can you know for sure that you will enter heaven? God says, “Look in the gospel.” The word “gospel” means “good news.” The “good news” is that Jesus rescues you from the consequences of your actions. You will never discover this truth by digging into your emotions. You will never recognize this truth by trying to live as a perfect person. You will only find this truth in Scripture because only in the Bible is a righteousness from God revealed. God reveals to you this one chief truth: Jesus lives a “right” life. Jesus never calls the Bible a book of lies. Every time someone asks him to “prove” his teachings, he points to Scripture. When he needs comfort or guidance, he embraces what God clearly says. Jesus lives a “right” life. Even though Jesus lives the “right” life God demands, Jesus still dies on the cross. He steps into your place, is treated harshly by God, and suffers so that you never will. When it comes to understanding why God forgives you, Stand on Scripture and you find God say: “I forgive you because Jesus paid your punishment. Stand on Scripture and you will find God’s heart revealed. As you see what God so clearly says, you will gain certain confidence. Look again to our verse: I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes… This gospel, this good news that Jesus rescued you from the hellish effects of sin, is not just a happy message that you read in a newspaper and then throw away. This news is powerfully life-changing— literally. In the Greek, the word for “power” (δύναμις) is where we get our word “dynamite. That little phrase: “it is the power of God” says Scripture works like dynamite. You read and hear Scripture, and Scripture blasts open your heart to trust that only Jesus makes you “right” before God. When it comes to understanding what you believe, Stand on Scripture. Point to what God, the divine Author, has so clearly said. Point to his clear words which tell that Jesus lived, died, and rose for you! When you Stand on Scripture you will always be certain of how God sees you. You will always know that Jesus has done enough to bring you into heaven. For a man like Martin Luther, he Stood on Scripture for his confidence of eternal life. He did not try to do things to earn God’s forgiveness. He did not try to feel forgiven. He pointed at God’s unbreakable truth. This is what it means to be a Lutheran. Like Luther, when wonder how you stand before God, you Stand on Scripture. Stand on Scripture when you are crushed by guilt and gain certain confidence. In Scripture God says: “I forgive you” (1 John 4:19). He does not say that you must “feel” forgiven— as though your emotions must convince you that all is well between you and God. He does not say that you must earn his forgiveness— that you must do more good than bad. Rather, God points you to the cross and asks: What happened there? Jesus died. That’s a fact, a historical event. Why did Jesus die? Scripture says that he dies as you Substitute, stepping into the punishment you deserved (Isaiah 53). Since Jesus died in your place, it means you do not die forever. You are forgiven— not because you feel this to be true, but because God says it is true (2 Corinthians 5:21) Scripture has that dynamite power to blast away doubts and fears about eternity. Stand on Scripture and gain certain confidence when you confront various ideas about God. Human beings always have and always will create new thoughts about how God should act. Someone may think all religions lead to the same God. Yet, those beliefs, as sincere as they are, are not capable of making people right with God. Someone may feel good works are enough to enter heaven, but that person cannot force God to agree with him. Only Scripture has the ability to free your soul from the pits of despair and to fill you with peace. Scripture has that dynamite power to blast away lies about God. Stand on Scripture and gain certain confidence forever. As you get older, you may ask yourself: “Will God really forgive me?” You may feel that God is lying to you. You may think God wants something more from you. Point to Scripture, stand on what God has so clearly said. God made a specific promise to you— and God will never break that promise. Scripture has that dynamite power to blast away fears that God has hidden something from you. When you Stand on Scripture you will never be wrong. Yes, a postmodern world may disagree with God’s truth. Yet, the fact remains: God is the divine Author. He has revealed his intentions about sin and forgiveness, heaven and hell in Scripture. Scripture reveals God’s heart— the heart which moved him to send a Savior from sin. Scripture reveals the completed action: Jesus died for your benefit. Scripture reveals God’s feelings towards you so that you may have certain confidence in an ever-changing world. When it comes to matters of what you believe about your status before God, look to what God, the divine Author, so clearly reveals. Stand on Scripture. Find God’s heart revealed. Gain certain confidence.
agonizing minutes. By the end, five young girls lay dead and another five lay critically injured.
Maybe you remember hearing about this school shooting; schools now lock their doors during operating hours because of it. Maybe you remember something almost more shocking than the shooting itself: the Amish community forgave the shooter. They consoled the shooter’s devastated father. They comforted his grieving wife and set up a fund for her family. They even attended the shooter’s funeral. A father of one of the victims even said: “[Roberts] had a mother and a wife and a soul and now he’s standing before a just God.” (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Nickel_Mines_School_shooting) Could you forgive something like that? It would be difficult, wouldn’t it? It’s difficult enough to forgive the driver who has cost you thousands of dollars in damage to your car because he was texting while driving. It’s difficult to pick up the phone and call your brother who accused you of being love-less. It’s difficult to even look at the teacher who disrespects your efforts in school. It can be difficult to let this debt against you go. It leaves you wrestling with so many emotions. On the one hand you understand the need to forgive, but on the other hand the drive, the passion to forgive is missing— and you’re left with this seething, pent-up anger inside. You want to leave this prison of hatred, but how can you do so while still properly dealing with the wrong committed against you? How Can I Forgive? How could Joseph ever forgive his brothers? He has eleven of them! And they unleashed horrors in his life! They alter the future of his life because they hate him. And Joseph has done nothing wrong! His father, Jacob, favors Joseph more than any other child. He hands him a fine coat crafted out of exotic colors and the finest of linens. He keeps Joseph home and out of the fields so that no harm comes to him. And Joseph’s brothers watch this! Why doesn’t their father love them all the same? Why is Joseph treated differently? Because this treatment is not fair. They hate it. They hate him. They hate Joseph so much that they plot out ways to kill him— literally: kill him. Have you ever reached the point when all you daydream about are ways to kill your brother or sister or mom or dad? That you actually devise a plot to lure him out to a desolate location? That you craft an elaborate story of how a wild lion jumped out of the brush and ripped him to pieces? That you point to a dried out cistern as the perfect hiding place for the body? (37:18-20). The brothers do! When their plan goes into motion and Joseph arrives at the desolate location, they don’t kill him. They do not kill him because there is no money in that. Instead, they sell him to a group of slave-traders for 20 shekels of silver. They place Joseph into a life of slavery for $252.72. How can you ever forgive someone who sells your personal freedom and any hope of a future for just a day’s wage? That’s not all there is; it gets worse. Because his brothers sell him into slavery, Joseph becomes a slave for the supreme commander of the Egyptian army. Joseph does well; his owner respects him. Yet, when his master’s wife lies about Joseph’s seductive ways, he’s thrown into prison. He’s forgotten; no one remembers an innocent man remains locked up. His brothers are the reason he rots in jail. How can you ever forgive that? How can you ever put such hatred behind you? How can you ever talk to them, let alone look at them ever again? Because that’s what happens. In our reading, Joseph finally stands in front of his brothers. He’s no longer a slave; he’s second-in-command over all of Egypt. Pharaoh had pardoned him and promoted him to the position of overseeing food distribution during a seven-year-long famine. The brothers now stand in front of him, begging for food. They do not recognize him, but he recognizes them. This is it, right? This is where you get your revenge. Your adversary cowers in front of you and you hold their future in your hand! You can make their life more miserable than the pain they inflicted on you! That’s what feels fair! That feels right! And that’s what our hearts may wrestle with doing. Make them slaves to you! The sibling who ripped into your reputation and your character— well, let her know you didn’t appreciate it. Hold a grudge! Stop calling her so she feels a hole in her life. Stop sending birthday cards so that she has a miserable day knowing that her sibling does not like her. Fasten her to the chains of guilt so that she must approach you first, bow down, weep and beg for your mercy and your favor! The one who costs you money, hold his guilt over his head! Don’t forgive him, but always mention the accident so that he feels compelled to sing his apologizes! That woman who hurt your family, well, give her the cold shoulder so that she realizes she cannot be friends with everyone. That she’s not as popular as she thinks she is. That you control her happiness. That’s what makes sense, right? That’s what our heart can lunge at! When someone hurts you, get even— no, inflict worse pain on anyone who crosses you— because, after all, you did nothing for them to start treating you poorly. They hurt you first and you had to suffer. So, make them suffer longer, feel more miserable, and hurt even more. That feels right and fair. That feeling of revenge makes it difficult to forgive. Even Joseph’s brothers expect revenge. They themselves admit it! “What if Joseph holds a grudge against us and pays us back for all the wrongs we did to him?” They make up a letter from dad saying: “I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.” They even try to punish themselves: “We are your slaves!” They know they deserve terrible punishment for their actions. Joseph stands in front of them, the second-most powerful man in the ancient world. Fingers lifting off his headdress. Index finger and thumb sliding off his signet ring. Chin rising so that his eyes look down at his brothers. This is it; this is where you get even. He opens his mouth, sighs, and announces: “Don’t be afraid. I forgive you.” How do you forgive something like that so quickly? He lost years because he was a slave! He is kept away from his family! He lives in another land! Yet, no grudge! No resentment! No anger! Just ““Don’t be afraid. I forgive you.” How Can I Forgive like that? Well, look at the words of Joseph. In verse 19 he says: Am I in the place of God? Joseph puts the motivation of our forgiveness into its proper perspective. If forgiveness is tied to what you feel is fair, then God should treat you fairly. That means, there is no reason for God to forgive the broken promises to be a more patient person. There is no reason for God to look past the times we locked his Word away so that it could not reach our ears, mind, and hearts. There is no reason for God to cancel out the many times we hated hearing his promises that we trusted in our own efforts and decisions. God would have every right to lock us up as eternal slaves in hell! That is what disobedience deserves. That would be fair. Yet, God, in mercy, cancels out our incredible debt. He allows his Son to suffer because evil men lied about his reputation. He allows his Son to be imprisoned to the cross because the Jewish nation hates him, the non-Jews reject his authority, and his disciples are too afraid to stand up for him. God forgets his Son on the cross, leaving him to cry out alone. God sends Jesus to pay your debt of millions owed him. God sends Jesus so that you are set free from hell’s bondage, set free from guilt, set free for eternal life! This is where forgiveness starts. How Can I Forgive? Do not start by looking at the person who hurt you. Start by looking at the God you and I hurt first. God would have every right to damn us to hell, but in mercy, he forgives. The first thing he says on Easter Sunday is: Peace be with you! Do not fear divine revenge. Do not be afraid that God will remember your wrongs and hold them against you. Live in the peace of knowing that God has taken your sins and has removed them from you as far as the east is from the west! See how much God has cancelled out! See that you stand before him a debt-free servant! You have been forgiven eternal death. Be compelled to forgive those whose actions against you do not result in you damning them to hell. To “forgive” means releasing someone from a personal grudge. The picture behind “forgiveness” is that of “lifting up and carrying away.” When Joseph reads the letter: “Forgive your brothers…” he is asked to lift up the baggage of hurt feelings, take them away, and leave resentment and bitterness behind. If you forgive someone, it means you do not seek revenge; you are not fighting to get even or to make someone’s life miserable for the sake of making their life miserable. If you forgive, you are announcing that person is set free from owing you repayment. So, does that mean you should shrug off and not pursue justice against those who wrong you? No, it doesn’t. Sin has consequences. Consequences may result in punishment. A change in that person’s life may come as a result of their actions. The son who takes advantage of your generosity may have to go without. No, not because you want him to become homeless and beg for food; rather, he you are teaching him how to better manage his money. The friend who lies, may lose your trust. It is not that you treat them poorly. Rather, the result of their lies means that you cannot expect him to be completely honest with you. The one who commits a crime, you forgive—meaning that you will not repeat that crime against them. You are announcing that they do not need to fear your wrath and anger. Yet, their actions may result in them repaying with time behind jail or restitution. How Can I Forgive? Announce that you hold no ill will against that person. Maybe you still feel angry. Maybe you really don’t want to see the person who wronged you—yet. What do you do? You pray. You pray because forgiveness is not a natural feeling. What is natural is to feel revenge and to get even with those who harm you. The power to forgive others may not come overnight. So, pray, ask God to put words in your mouth, patience in your heart, and kindness in your life. Even our Prayer of the Day addresses the need to pray over this. Lord, let your mercy and grace always lead us, let it motivate us in life and let it be our closing words. Let us show your mercy; let us reflect your undeserved love to others. And so we pray, “Father, forgive us our trespasses and move us to forgive those who trespass against us. It can be difficult to forgive. It’s difficult to forgive someone who has wreaked such havoc in your life. Yet, before anger takes a foothold in your heart, remember the havoc God has removed from your personal account. God, in mercy, releases you from an eternal prison in hell. He restores to you the rights of children! Set free from sin, you are motivated to forgive others. Set free from sin, you ask for the ongoing strength to forgive. Look to your Savior and find strength in How You Can Forgive.
After all, I’m assuming you consider this day significant. You are here today, maybe even dressed in a new outfit. You may be planning an Easter brunch or Easter dinner for after service. Perhaps a part of you is excited to sing some favorite Easter hymns. Yet, what is it about Easter that sets it apart as “special?” How do the events of this one single day change life as you know it?
Come & See! the empty tomb of the risen Savior and then discover your newfound life in the risen Savior. What do you think Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were up at the crack of dawn looking for? Look at the first verse of our reading: After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week [they] went to look at the tomb. They are on their way to tuck fine-smelling spices into the linens wrapping the body (Luke 24:1). If you are carrying burial spices to a tomb, then you expect to find a dead body. If you expect to find a dead body, then you expect the dead body to remain dead. If you expect a dead body to remain dead, then you expect this body will be forever out of your life. So here it is: The women are not expecting to lead Jesus home, eat Easter brunch with him, sit around the table, and hear him teach. They expect to find the dead body of Jesus Christ, to finish burial customs, and then leave it behind in the cemetery as they walk home. Really, that is no different from what we expect to experience in cemeteries. On their journey there, There was a violent earthquake, [because] an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. When the women arrived, they saw the angel and the angel [immediately] said to the[m], “Do not be afraid.” What reason to be afraid! The women had seen what happened to Jesus. He is crucified! The noontime sky turns pitch-black. Earthquakes split stones and rip buildings in two! Jesus shouts out: “My God, why have you forsaken me!” They had witnessed just how serious God is over sin! May I confess something to you? I have never gone hunting. I have never sat in a deer blind, huddled next to the heater, with rifle in hand, looking and aiming for deer. I have never hunted. Yet, I think I know what the point of hunting is: to shoot the deer. Right? To aim a rifle at (or near the heart), pull the trigger, and make sure the bullet strikes home. So, does it matter if you miss? What if you find a 10-point buck, aim, fire, and miss? The big buck scampers off into the woods. Is it a big deal? Of course it is! The point of hunting is hit the mark, to strike the bull’s-eye. Missing the mark is to fail. Or, as the Bible teaches, missing the mark is to “sin.” That’s what “sin” means: to “miss the mark” of being as perfect as God. If it is a big deal to miss shooting your 10-pointer, then be sure it is a big deal missing God’s standard of perfection. God is not laughing when you pick just the right word to destroy the ego of your boss. He does not look past the fact that global tensions send you running for help in your government, rather than placing trust in his Word: “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). When you think you are sitting alone with the bottle or online or any other substances, your God sits right beside you. He declares: The soul who sins will die (Ezekiel 18:4). Yes, you can try to ignore the wrongs you have done. You can point to others who struggle with the same addictions (as you) and shrug off your consequences. You can try to create your own rules and believe that God must love you— in spite of your behavior. Yet, nothing you say or think can change what God, the Lord of death and life has to say about sin: the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). That is why the fiercest fighters of the day— the seasoned Roman soldiers wrapped in armor and armed with the finest of deadly daggers, were so afraid of [this holy angel] that they shook and became like dead men. That is why these women running to the tomb trembled before this heavenly messenger. That is why, my friends, sin is a big deal. It misses the mark of God’s perfection and earns eternal death. But that is why the events of Easter change life as you know it. God knows the fear that can plague our minds and so he sends his angel with a message for you: “Do not be afraid!” That means right now. This is not a suggestion, it is a command! “Do not be afraid,” because Jesus was crucified— once, in the past. He was crucified to die the death you (and I) deserve. Our words “missed the mark” of being perfect words to encourage, but Jesus suffers our consequences. Our trust misses God and fixates other objects, and yet the life of Jesus is cut dead. The wages of sin is death, but Jesus uses his life to pay for the consequences of our sins (Romans 6:23). This is what makes Easter change life. The women expect to find only another dead body, thinking that Jesus is just like everyone else. He is not. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. His heart beats. His brain functions. Breath rushes into his lungs. Blood courses through his veins. Muscles contract. He opens his eyes, sits up, swings his feet over the side of the stone slab, stands up, and leaves the tomb! He lives! And he lives to declare to you and me that the wages of sin have been paid in full. Where there is nothing more to pay for guilt, there is nothing more owed to God. It means you will not die forever, but rather you will rise to eternal life! If you wonder if this is really true, then Come & See the empty tomb of the risen Savior. The stone rolls away like a coin on its edge, spins, and falls down. You can see inside the tomb. What is in there? Nothing! No more sins holding Jesus down in death. Our wrongs have been removed as far as the east is from the west! Seeing the empty tomb of the risen Savior means that he has fixed death. Since death is no longer a fearful consequence, you can discover your newfound life in the risen Savior! The women hurried away from the tomb… because they have new news to share! The dead in Christ come back to life! Yet, they still run out of the cemetery afraid yet filled with joy. Then suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. What a message! Just think about it. These are women who heard he would rise again on the third day, but still carry burial spices in their hands because they doubted Jesus would actually come back to life. These are women who wailed in utter despair because they feared he was still dead. These are women who think Jesus failed his mission to bring them to God. Out of all the things Jesus could have said regarding the fear of the women, out of all the reasons he could be angry with them women, he sends greetings of peace. Jesus says, “Do not be afraid.” You— you do not need to be afraid! Jesus is not against you; he is for you! He does not afflict you with cancer because you were not the best parent. He does not call your loved one to heaven because you fight with your family. Your accident is not the result of making God angry. Jesus has restored a right relationship between you and God! So you can “Stop being afraid!” Stop probing the very recesses of your heart, hoping to figure out a way to rise up into the presence of God! Stop searching for comfort in human advice or to manmade remedies. Stop thinking your Jesus is dead, lifeless, and unable to help you—because he is not dead. He has risen, risen indeed to proclaim you at peace with God! In case you still worry that Jesus meant something else, then listen on. “Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.” Go and tell… who? “My brothers.” Jesus is not speaking about going to his literal family (—his mom and dad, brothers and sisters). Rather, these are Jesus’ disciples— his followers who completely failed him at the end of Holy Week. One disciple gets caught in this mob— and he wants to escape so much that he wiggles out of his clothes and runs away naked! Peter promises to cling to Jesus, but denies knowing him three times. Every single disciple abandons him, not standing by his side, offering refreshment, or working to free him! If there were ever a time for Jesus to make life a living hell, this would be it. Instead, he calls them: “My brothers.” People who will live in his house, share the same view towards life, and share the same Father in heaven. It means your relationship with God has changed entirely! Come & See your newness of life in the risen Savior. The empty tomb reveals a Savior who conquers death— literally. He does not leave his body behind and live on in our hearts (as some disembodied spirit). He rises— body and soul united— and Jesus is your brother, your family member. Because of the events of Easter you have a right relationship with God. You can bring every worry, anxiety, fear to him in prayer and know that he is listening. You can face challenges and illness, confident that this is not a punishment for a specific action. You know God will stand beside you to strengthen and heal. You can even walk into a cemetery and trust that you will rise to eternal life. This is not some unfounded hope or wish. Rather this is a certain truth (1) demonstrated in the empty tomb of Jesus and (2) promised by Jesus himself. Come & See the newness of life you have in the risen Savior. Christ is Risen! He is risen indeed! So what? Do you have a concrete, specific answer now? Easter changes life as you know it. Because Jesus lives, it means you also will live in heaven forever! Because Jesus lives, it means you can approach God as your Father—and approach him without fear or trembling. You stand in a right relationship with God. Not because you are trying to make up new methods. Not because you are trying to convince yourself this is true. But because Jesus tells you so and because Jesus shows you so. Come & See! the empty tomb of the risen Savior and live your newfound life in the risen Savior. (from our mid-week Lenten series)
No one’s there. Noisy Main Street doesn’t cut through the mountain. There are no mountaintop subdivisions jam-packed with homes. This is not like a high school cafeteria, where there’s groups of people walking past you talking and chattering— and you’re off to the side in your little group. No one is here— only Peter, James, John, and Jesus. It’s quiet, peaceful, serene. Can you picture it?
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