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Rev. Steven S. Billings
Epiphany 3
Sermon
1-21-2007

St. Luke 4:16-30

 

16 And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up; and as was His custom, He entered the synagogue on the Sabbath, and stood up to read. ¹⁷ And the book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to Him. And He opened the book, and found the place where it was written, ¹⁸ "THE SPIRIT OF THE LORD IS UPON ME, BECAUSE HE ANOINTED ME TO PREACH THE GOSPEL TO THE POOR. HE HAS SENT ME TO PROCLAIM RELEASE TO THE CAPTIVES, AND RECOVERY OF SIGHT TO THE BLIND, TO SET FREE THOSE WHO ARE DOWNTRODDEN, ¹⁹ TO PROCLAIM THE FAVORABLE YEAR OF THE LORD." ²⁰ And He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant, and sat down; and the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed upon Him. ²¹ And He began to say to them, "Today this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing." ²² And all were speaking well of Him, and wondering at the gracious words which were falling from His lips; and they were saying, "Is this not Joseph's son?" ²³ And He said to them, "No doubt you will quote this proverb to Me, 'Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we heard was done at Capernaum, do here in your home town as well.'" ²⁴ And He said, "Truly I say to you, no prophet is welcome in his home town. ²⁵ "But I say to you in truth, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up for three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land; ²⁶ and yet Elijah was sent to none of them, but only to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow. ²⁷ "And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian." ²⁸ And all in the synagogue were filled with rage as they heard these things; ²⁹ and they rose up and cast Him out of the city, and led Him to the brow of the hill on which their city had been built, in order to throw Him down the cliff. ³⁰ But passing through their midst, He went His way.

 

Jesus stood up in the Temple and preached good news to the poor. He announced that He had been sent to heal the brokenhearted. He proclaimed freedom for the prisoners, recovery of sight for the blind, and release for the oppressed. And when He proclaimed this unmerited favor of God, this grace, this peace that surpasses and defies all understanding, "the people drove Him out of town, and took Him to the brow of the hill on which the town was built, in order to throw Him down the cliff" (Luke 4:29).

What is it about grace that exposes such sordid passions in the hearts of men? Is it simply that grace defies the human compulsion to attain things by our own merit? Is it the cynical notion that there's no such things as a free lunch? Is it that God's grace in Christ Jesus is all-inclusive, that is to say, that it is for all people? Or, is it that grace presupposes its own need? In other words, is it that grace presupposes the existence of sin, the all-consuming justice of God, and the need for repentance? What is it about grace that it exposes such contemptible notions in the hearts of men?

When Jesus read from the scroll of the prophet Isaiah, He concluded His reading by saying, "today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing." Even as He offered them grace, the people accused Him of blasphemy!! As surprising as that may seem, it demonstrates very well a divine truth concerning the depravity of the human condition. Strangely enough, the sound of grace, at least to our human ears, IS blasphemy!! We don't take kindly, you see, to the acquittal of the guilty. In fact, we consider such a thing to be a miscarriage of justice, an INjustice. Ingrained into the very fabric of our hearts is the notion that someone has to pay, someone has to atone for every last wrong perpetrated upon the innocent. "Blessed (writes the Psalmist) are those who keep justice, and he who does righteousness at all times" (Ps. 106:3). Robert Durst, the heir to a New York real estate fortune, was acquitted of murdering his neighbor Morris Black. It seems quite remarkable, doesn't it, that a man could take a human life, dismember the body, and yet, be acquitted of any wrong-doing? Right or wrong, innocent or guilty, the whole incident stirs passions over the issue of justice. Is there justice in this world of ours? Can we expect a day of reckoning for the guilty?

The cry for justice is indelibly written on our hearts. Someone has to pay. Someone has to atone for every last wrong perpetrated upon the innocent. And so, as Jesus proclaimed that "the year of God's favor had come," and in that favor "prisoners would be set free," He was accused of espousing a despicable doctrine. Grace, you see, by human standards, is a scandalous proposition, precisely because it is free, and because it serves to acquit the guilty. And yet, we are "saved by grace through faith." When does grace cease to offend, so that it takes hold of a person and they begin to look in faith to Jesus Christ for their hope and salvation? Earlier I said that grace presupposes its own need, that it presupposes the existence of sin, the all consuming justice of God, and the need for repentance. Jesus said: "do not give what is holy to the dogs; nor cast your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn and tear you in pieces" (Matt. 7:6).

The Gospel, the grace of God in Christ Jesus conveyed upon a lost and condemned world, is the very pearl upon which the swine will trample if the way has not been properly prepared. A short time ago a retired Lutheran pastor was attacked on the street by another man. What was it that brought on such an attack? The pastor walked up to the man and asked him if he knew that Jesus Christ loved him and that He died for him.

Jesus said, "I have been anointed to preach good news to the poor." This, of course, isn't simply a reference to those who are poor financially. After all, He wasn't sent to simply preach good news to the monetarily challenged. (How's that for politically correct speech?) No, He was sent to preach good news to the "poor in spirit." God's Law, you see, properly applied, will leave each and every one us grasping for hope, looking for some tidbit of comfort to set our hearts at ease. The Law never relents!! It always demands!! It always commands: Do this or die!! What does God require of you? Well, Jesus clearly told you in His Sermon on the Mount. "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect." That is the standard. That is the haunting demand of God's Law. And yet, as the Apostle Paul says, "what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do." (Romans 7:15) And so, as God's Law pushes you down, and you look further and further into your own heart for that morsel of comfort, you will find, rather, a poverty of spirit that has nothing, absolutely nothing, to offer.

In Seven Great Statesmen, Andrew D. White tells of the death of Hugo Grotius, the great Dutch and Swedish political figure of the early 1600s. His account touches the deep places of the heart. On his way home from a journey Grotius was shipwrecked on the Pomeranian coast. Gravely ill, he managed to get as far as Rostock. There the famous scholar, jurist, and diplomat lay on his deathbed. The local Lutheran pastor, learning of his presence, came to see him. He greeted the dying man kindly, then simply read to him our Savior's parable of the Pharisee and the publican, ending with the words "God, be merciful to me, a sinner!" At that the dying statesman opened his eyes and exclaimed, "Dear Lord, I am that publican!"

Such is the confession of the "poor in spirit." But then, Jesus steps forth in His Temple and offers you Himself, that the sordid passions of your heart that fight and war against grace might instead be overcome by it. Jesus, who proclaims good news to your impoverished, desperate soul, becomes the all-consuming riches of your life, for without Him there simply is no life. Scripture says, "for you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though He was rich, yet for your sakes He became poor, that you through His poverty might become rich" (2 Cor. 8:9).

Jesus, the very One who gives His own riches to make the poor in spirit wealthy, also proclaims "liberty for the captives." Since the demand for justice is indelibly written on our hearts, it is quite understandable when we sense that we are cheated when justice is not served. And yet, in this one instance, we rejoice in being so cheated!! In this instance, you see, justice prevails, but not at the expense of the unjust. Rather, it prevails through the sacrifice, through the atonement, of someone else. And so, in the end, the scandalous proposition of grace would finally triumph, for Jesus would win the victory over sin, death and the devil in the scandal of the Cross!! The Innocent would die that the guilty may go free!!

 

"Since Christ has full atonement made
And brought to us salvation,
Each Christian therefore may be glad
And build on this foundation.
Your grace alone, dear Lord, I plead,
Your death is now my life indeed,
For you have paid my ransom."

 

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Rev. Steven S. Billings
Epiphany 2
Sermon
1-14-2007

St. John 2:1-11

1 And on the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there; ² and Jesus also was invited, and His disciples, to the wedding. ³ And when the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to Him, "They have no wine." ⁴ And Jesus said to her, "Woman, what do I have to do with you? My hour has not yet come." ⁵ His mother said to the servants, "Whatever He says to you, do it." ⁶ Now there were six stone waterpots set there for the Jewish custom of purification, containing twenty or thirty gallons each. ⁷ Jesus said to them, "Fill the waterpots with water." And they filled them up to the brim. ⁸ And He said to them, "Draw some out now, and take it to the headwaiter." And they took it to him. ⁹ And when the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the headwaiter called the bridegroom, ¹⁰ and said to him, "Every man serves the good wine first, and when men have drunk freely, then that which is poorer; you have kept the good wine until now." ¹¹ This beginning of His signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory, and His disciples believed in Him.

 

"And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, 'they have no wine.'" The occasion, of course, was a wedding. It took place in the little village of Cana, in the province of Galilee. One of the worst things that could have happened at a wedding feast would be to run out of wine. And that's precisely what happened here. Mary pointed out the faux pas to see what Jesus would do about it. As she did, the other guests must have looked on with great anticipation and expectation, wondering what, if anything, He would do.

Jesus told the servants to take the six stone waterpots that were there for the Jewish rite of purification, or ceremonial washing, and fill them up with water. Each pot, we are told, would hold about twenty or thirty gallons. And so, with Jesus' instruction, the servants went off to draw something like 120 to 180 gallons of water. When the pots were filled they brought them to Jesus.

"Draw some out now (Jesus said), and take it to the headwaiter." And when the headwaiter tasted the water which had become wine, and did not know where it came from, he said to the bridegroom: "Every man serves the good wine first, and when men have drunk freely, then that which is poorer; you have kept the good wine until now."

Prohibitionists and pietists would argue that Jesus would never provide wine simply so that hearts could be made merry. And yet, God's Word has already declared that wine is among God's many and varied gifts, given to "make glad the heart of man." (Ps. 104:15) And so, He who would give His own blood, "in, with, and under" the fruit of the vine to gladden our hearts with salvation, here gives the good wine, so that the hearts of those gathered to celebrate the joining of a man and woman in the sacred bond of marriage might be made glad. Jesus, you see, is not above celebrating the Father's good gifts. His piety, in other words, the way in which He lives out his life includes celebration, joy and laughter.

This is the first of the signs that Jesus performed during the three years of His Galilean ministry. John records in his gospel, a number of other "signs," or key miracles, revealing Jesus as God_in_the_flesh. I would like to refer now to this first "sign" and the last "sign," as we consider this morning the grace of God in His "Power and Will to Give."

Let's begin with the last "sign" in John's gospel. And from there we'll work our way back to this first sign, in which Jesus turned water into wine. In the 11th chapter of his gospel, John tells us about the raising of Lazarus from the dead. Martha had pleaded with Jesus to come to her house because her brother Lazarus was greatly ill. When Jesus arrived at the house, He found that Lazarus had already died, and in fact, He found that he had been dead and in the tomb for four days. John tells us that when Jesus came to the tomb of His friend "He groaned in His spirit," and that "He wept." In other words, Jesus cried over the loss of such a close and dear friend.

And then, all at once, His power to give life and salvation was revealed. At the sound of His voice, even death and the grave had to submit and give up its prey. "Lazarus," (Jesus said) come forth!" "And he who had died came out bound hand and foot with grave clothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. And Jesus said 'Loose him, and let him go.'" What a phenomenal sign of Jesus' power!! "I am the resurrection and the life (He said). He who believes in Me, though he may die, yet shall he live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die."

It is this same Jesus, dear friends, whose power reigns over death and the grave, who forms your faith and life. Death's power to bind you in misery has been trumped, for God's power is far greater than the fear of life's last gasping breath. A noble Christian woman, as she lay dying, overheard the doctor whisper, "She's sinking fast." The dying woman smiled and replied, "I'm not sinking; I can't sink through a Rock." Death has met its match in Christ, the Rock upon whom the church is built. Death, Scripture says, "has been swallowed up in victory." Death has been consumed by Jesus, even as it consumed Him on the cross.

It is this power of God to give life and salvation which makes us so incredibly confident. Seldom do we doubt that God can do what He promises. Our doubt, indeed, the sin of which we must continually repent before God, involves not so much our trust in His power to give, but rather, our trust that He is willing to give. We've fallen prey to the tempter, who first plagued Adam in the Garden with the notion that God could not be trusted with the direction of our lives. And so, we wonder if our needs, our cries, our pleas, are of any consequence or concern to Him. We wonder if His all_sufficient power to save extends beyond the great spiritual struggles and battles of life to the everyday, mundane things that fill our days. We wonder if God is as attentive to us in the still small hours of the night as He is when we gather here before His altar.

In our sin, we come again to the sign of the good wine at the wedding in Cana of Galilee, for He who spared the good wine to the last, has spared, and poured out, for us also the good wine, that we might have the forgiveness of our every sin. As you, friends, consume this good wine, poured out for you here, you are again brought to trust that, just as there is no limit to God's power to give you His salvation, neither is there a limit to His will to give. Here you learn again and again how freely and confidently you may take your petitions to God in prayer, knowing that even the little mundane things of your life are important to Him. "God will cause all things to work together for good to those who love Him and have been called according to His purpose." Everything in your life, you see, is significant to God as He takes you from this vale of tears to the heavenly home that He has already prepared for you.

Consider if you would, what it was that first moved Jesus to reveal His glory to the world. Remember, this incident at the wedding in Cana is the first "sign" of Jesus' glory. So, what was it that first moved Him to reveal His glory? Of all things, it was the danger of embarrassment for the host of a wedding feast, wasn't it? Well, it was that, plus His concern for the gladdened hearts of the guests!! You might be inclined to wonder what possible interest Jesus could have in such seemingly trivial things. And yet, in such wonder, you come precisely to the point û "Come, my soul, with every care, Jesus loves to answer prayer; He Himself bids you to pray, Therefore will not turn away. You are coming to your King, Large petitions with you bring; For His grace and power are such None can ever ask too much." (LW 433)

God's power and His will to give. To consider God's will to give is really to look into the heart of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. God willed that His Son suffer and die in your place. He willed that you be declared righteous as His Son was declared sinful. Come today, beloved, and take what God wills to give you. The good wine has been poured once again. "He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how shall he not with Him also freely give us all things?" (Rom. 8:32) In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Rev. Steven S. Billings
Epiphany Sunday
Sermon
1-7-2006

St. Matthew 2:1-12

 

1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, ² "Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east, and have come to worship Him." ³ And when Herod the king heard it, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. ⁴ And gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he began to inquire of them where the Christ was to be born. ⁵ And they said to him, "In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it has been written by the prophet, ⁶ 'AND YOU, BETHLEHEM, LAND OF JUDAH, ARE BY NO MEANS LEAST AMONG THE LEADERS OF JUDAH; FOR OUT OF YOU SHALL COME FORTH A RULER, WHO WILL SHEPHERD MY PEOPLE ISRAEL.'" ⁷ Then Herod secretly called the magi, and ascertained from them the time the star appeared. ⁸ And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, "Go and make careful search for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, that I too may come and worship Him." ⁹ And having heard the king, they went their way; and lo, the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them, until it came and stood over where the Child was. ¹⁰ And when they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. ¹¹ And they came into the house and saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell down and worshiped Him; and opening their treasures they presented to Him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. ¹² And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed for their own country by another way.

 

The Feast of the Epiphany on January the 6th originated among the Christians of the East, as a triple celebration of the Nativity, the Baptism, and the first Miracle of Christ. In each case, the focus of the Day was the incarnate manifestation of Divine Glory, the appearance of God in the flesh.

Western influence has moved the Nativity to its familiar location in December, and the Epiphanies of our Lord are celebrated among us in the course of a Season. Ideally, this provides an opportunity to consider more thoroughly the significance of the Word-made-Flesh. At any rate, it does allow the Visit of the Magi to stand alone on center stage on its own day, which we, as in many congregations, transfer to the nearest Sunday. And well it should stand alone, for the worship of the Magi in the House of Christ is a beautiful portrait of our own confession: a recognition of His incarnate Deity (God in Man made manifest). In this respect, the Magi are the perfect hinge between Christmas and Epiphany, because they teach us the proper response to the Nativity and prepare us for the Season now dawning.

It is clear that Saint Matthew has recorded this story, by inspiration of the Holy Spirit, in such a way as to proclaim and teach the theology of Christ. Dr. Martin Luther, for example, was pleased to see these Magi from the East as a fulfillment of the Prophecy from Isaiah (in which case we know more about these foreign visitors from the Old Testament than the New). Also suggestive are parallels with the visit by the Queen of Sheba to the earlier son of David, King Solomon; indeed, Jesus Himself will call attention to that narrative at some point later in the Gospel According to Saint Matthew. But one greater than Solomon is here!

Indeed, the Almighty and Eternal Son of the living God is here revealed in the human flesh and blood of Jesus. The fact that the Magi come to worship Him as such demonstrates their faith in His Divinity. "For thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve." But notice how carefully Saint Matthew describes the object of their worship as "the young Child with His Mother." It is the true-God-in-the-Flesh to Whom they pay homage, that is, the Child born of Mary.

Let's give the Magi credit, then, for such astute theological insight. They didn't have the benefit of Nativity scenes and Christmas pageants to guide their steps; there was no script for them to follow. Their prostrate worship in the presence of a poor little infant is an astounding confession of faith. Would that we, with all our Bibles and theology, had less pride and more reverent humility in the presence of Christ Jesus (who is here with you, even now, in His human flesh and blood). For "the Word became Flesh and dwelt among us." Only in this way have we "beheld His glory, the glory of the one and only Son." Only in this way has He "revealed the Father to us."

But there is more to it than even this astounding revelation of God in the Flesh. In contrast to the worship of the Magi, those who hear the Gospel from Saint Matthew already know what Herod really has in mind for the Christ Child, and how he will slaughter the Holy Innocents in his vain attempt to destroy the newborn King of the Jews. And even though the Christ Himself will be delivered from that menace, you see and hear in this the foreshadowing of His Cross.

Thus did He come to His own, but His own did not receive Him; He was in the world, and the world was made by Him, but the world did not know Him. Rather, He is under attack from the start, and, as such, the Epiphany of His Divine Glory is manifested under persecution, suffering, and the pain of death. It's all foolishness to the world; but for you, by faith, it is the grace and power of salvation.

Even the description of Christ as the "King of the Jews" foreshadows the epitaph on His Cross. Indeed, it is precisely there, on the Cross, that He will conquer the kingdoms of this world and take His throne as the everlasting King of Jews and Gentiles alike – the Lamb once slain for sinful men.

Christians from at least the second century onward saw all of this revealed in the gifts presented to Christ by the Magi. So also Martin Luther, for example, who interpreted the gifts in this way:

 

"The sacrifice of gold signifies the confession of the Magi that Christ is a King; the frankincense, that He is a Priest between God and man; the myrrh, that He died and was buried. These three aspects apply to the humanity of Christ, but in such a way that He is God and that all of this happened to Him in mortal flesh because of His Divinity."

"For He could not be the King over all things for our good, if He had not first reconciled God with us and quieted our conscience, so that He might rule and do His work within us in peace and quiet, as in His own Kingdom. Therefore He also had to be our Priest. But if He was to be a Priest and reconcile us with God, He had to satisfy God's righteousness for us. But no other satisfaction was possible than for Him to offer Himself and die and in His own Person conquer sin together with death. Thus, in dying He became our Priest, and through His Priesthood He received the Kingdom."

 

All of this our dear Lord Jesus Christ has suffered and achieved for you and for me. That is to say, in Him, "God became Man, so that man might (by grace) become divine (in Christ)." He became like you in every way, only without any sin of His own. He lived a human life on your behalf (under the Law, and under the burden of your sin); and by His sacrificial death, He destroyed forever the power that death and the devil held over you. Therefore, also, by His bodily Resurrection from the dead, and by His Ascension into heaven as the One who remains (now and forever) true Man, He has raised you up with Himself to the everlasting Life and Salvation.

This is the great "Mystery" of the Christian faith (as described by St. Paul): the forgiveness, life, and salvation of Christ, especially in His incarnational revelation of the true Divine Glory – certainly, in the Incarnation itself, and most especially by the Cross, but so also in His Church on earth, in the preaching of the Gospel and in His Holy Sacraments. Thus, the "Mystery of Christ" has been revealed to His New Testament Apostles and Prophets, including Saint Paul; and these, in turn, have made known the Mystery of Christ to His Church.

Such is the grace and mercy given by the Spirit of Christ to His Ministers of Preaching and the Sacraments down to our own day, as well. And this is no small thing, that the human proclamation of the Gospel is in fact a bodily manifestation of the full Divine Glory in Christ; that the pastoral administration of such earthly things as water, bread and wine – with nothing but a few simple Words – is a very real participation in the unsearchable riches of Christ.

However foolish and humble all of this might appear to human eyes, it is a demonstration in the Church of Divine Wisdom, which makes the principalities and powers sit up and take notice. For in Christ, you have access to the heights of Divine Glory, where even the holy angels dare not tread.

But now, as someone who is given to follow in the footsteps of Christ, the incarnate Son of God, you should also understand that to share in His Divine Glory (in this life on earth) means precisely nothing more and nothing less than to share in His Cross and suffering. For now, your participation in His glory is not "in spite of" the Cross, but rather in the Cross itself (first of all), and then, by extension, in your sacrificial love and service to others. For these (the Cross and sacrifice) are the true glory of Christ and the manifestation of His full divinity as the only-begotten Son of the Father.

Consider the example of the Magi. Though they saw nothing but a rundown shack and a poor young Mother with her poor little Babe – not much of a king; more pitiful than one of their own servants – still, they did not falter; but with a great, strong faith, they cast out all the misgivings of common sense, and, following nothing but the Word of a Prophet and the witness of a star, they accepted Him as a King, fell on their knees, worshiped Him, and presented their treasures.

Do not be offended, therefore, by the lowly estate of your neighbors (and of the Christian Church, for that matter), but rather see Christ in them. For the everlasting Kingdom of Christ is found among the lowly and the despised, in persecution, misery, and under the Cross. Those who look for Christ anywhere else will never find Him. The Magi discovered Him – not at Herod's court, not with the high priests, not in the great city of Jerusalem – but in that little town of Bethlehem, with lowly folk, with Mary and Joseph. In a word, they found Him where no one in all the world would ever have expected.

Like the Magi, you are granted to recognize the true Divine Glory in the Cross of Christ, and in His humble flesh and blood, solely by the revelation of His Word (received by faith alone). For though the star attracted the attention of the Magi, it was nevertheless what the Word of God said about that Star (the Prophecy of Balaam in Numbers 24) that set them on their way to Jerusalem. And it was not the star at all, but the Prophecy of Micah, that finally sent them to the Child in Bethlehem.

So, aside from the historical fact of the star (as an astronomical phenomenon), let us be far more attentive to the theological implications contained in the words of Saint Matthew and the Magi. The real "Star" of the story (pardon the pun) – the Star of true significance – is the Morning Star now rising in your heart by His grace. It was the Child, after all, and not the star, which the Magi sought and worshiped. In Him are the Prophecies of Balaam and Micah fulfilled and made more sure.

Thus, the startling contrast in this Holy Gospel: The chief priests and scribes know where the Christ is born – and they certainly know (or they ought to know) more than pagan Magi who and what this Christ will be – and yet, they are content with their knowledge, content to stay at home in Jerusalem with their Bibles, while the very Christ of God waits less than ten miles away (in the flesh). . . .

The Magi, on the other hand, receive the Word of God as it is meant to be received, in such a way that it drives them and compels them to seek out the Christ, their Savior and their God-in-the-flesh, to find Him and worship Him. The Magi rely on the Word, to be sure, but they are not content with Scripture for its own sake. They cling to it solely for the sake of Christ, to Whom it points and leads.

Those in our own day who think it sufficient (or even preferable) to stay at home with their Bibles and forsake the Divine Service of Christ in His Church have missed the whole point. They search the Scriptures, because they think that in them they have eternal life; but they do not find it, because they don't allow themselves to be led by the Word to the Word-made-Flesh.

But, No! Like the Magi, follow the guidance and direction of the Word to the place where Christ is present for you; enter the House of Christ, and see Him cradled in the bosom of His Church. And here, in this "Bethlehem" (in this "House of Bread"), receive His holy presence with thanksgiving.

It is not simply a matter of architecture, but a truly theological proclamation of Divine grace, when Saint Matthew writes that the Magi "entered the House and saw. . . ." Called by the Word and Spirit of God into the House of the Lord, they are enlightened by His grace and grafted into the true house and lineage of Abraham (the children of Abraham by faith in Christ). Their lives are fundamentally changed; they return to their earthly homes by an entirely different way – having been called away from the false belief and treachery of Herod (who is, by the way, no longer described as "the king").

No longer are these Magi guided by the majesty of heaven, but rather by the Star Who has risen for them – in the flesh – here on earth. They had come to worship Him and offer gifts, but He has blessed them with the richest gift of all: a participation in His Divine Life. Sacrificing themselves by repentance and faith, they have received all things in heaven and on earth from Christ the King.

So also for you: Your too-frequent failure to believe the Word, to follow the Star, to worship the Lord as you should – your tendency to live far more like Herod than the Magi – is resolved and forgiven, not by greater efforts or "New Year's" resolutions on your part, but solely by the ultimate Epiphany of God in the Flesh: His sacrificial death upon the Cross in your stead, for your salvation.

It is by that Divine Glory that He comes to dwell with you this evening, in this place – giving you the very flesh and pouring out for you the precious blood of His holy Passion. God grant you His grace, that you may follow the example of the Magi in receiving these gifts . . . confessing the Divine Kingship of Christ, your Lord and Savior, and praising His goodness with your lips and with your lives. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Rev. Steven S. Billings
New Year's Eve
Sermon
12-30-2006

Romans 8:31b-39

 

31 If God is for us, who is against us? ³² He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? ³³ Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the one who justifies; ³⁴ who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, yes, rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. ³⁵ Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? ³⁶ Just as it is written, "FOR THY SAKE WE ARE BEING PUT TO DEATH ALL DAY LONG; WE WERE CONSIDERED AS SHEEP TO BE SLAUGHTERED." ³⁷ But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us. ³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, ³⁹ nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

 

A letter appeared not long ago in Good News magazine, which read as follows:

 

I want to talk to you about my brother, who was baptized, confirmed, went to church until he got out on his own, but now does not go to church. Some people have suggested that he might no longer be saved. My concern is whether he is or not. Good News magazine talks about how baptized people are saved, but my brother now has nothing to do with the Church. Please clear up my confusion.

 

The response from the editor was this:

 

Of course, I will not attempt to determine for you whether or not your brother is a believer in our Lord Jesus Christ. I will, however, give you a way of thinking about God's gift of Baptism that I pray will be helpful not only in your own understanding, but also as you continue to speak about God's gift of salvation with your brother.

First of all, you are right that God most certainly creates faith and salvation in His gift of Baptism. The Scriptures not only call Baptism a "washing of rebirth" (Titus 3:5) and a "washing away of sins" (Acts 22:16), but God's Word also declares, "Baptism now saves you" 1 Peter 3:21). Your heavenly Father also adds His promise that no one can take away from you the salvation He gives. As St. Paul wrote:

"I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39).

With these words, God assures us that His gift of salvation cannot be taken away from us by any enemy or power – not even the most elemental powers of the universe!

However, the Scriptures also make it clear that a Christian can throw away the gift of salvation that God gives. David fell from the Christian faith when he committed adultery and murder (2 Samuel 11), and he needed to be re-converted again by the Holy Spirit working through the word of Nathan's preaching (2 Samuel 12). This is how Martin Luther described David's situation:

"It is necessary to know and teach that when holy people – aside from the fact that they still have and feel original sin and also daily repent of it and struggle against it – somehow fall into public sin (such as David, who fell into adultery, murder, and blasphemy against God), at that point faith and the Spirit have departed. The Holy Spirit does not allow sin to rule and gain the upper hand so that it is brought to completion, but the Spirit controls and resists so that sin is not able to do what it wants. However, when sin does whatever it wants, then the Holy Spirit and faith are not there. As St. John says [1 John 3:9]: 'those who have been born of God do not sin, and cannot sin.' Nevertheless, this is also the truth (as the same St. John writes [1:8]): 'If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth of God is not in us'" (Smalcald Articles, part 3 article 3.43-45, emphasis added).

With these words, Martin Luther follows the Scriptures and distinguishes between two types of sinners: repentant sinners and unrepentant sinners. Everybody always has sin, and sin remains inescapable, even for Christians! (Luke 5:8; Romans 7:15, 18-24; 1 John 1:8-9). Those who by the power of the Holy Spirit daily repent of their sin and wish to be free of it are counted righteous before God for the sake of Christ (Psalm 32:3-5, Proverbs 28:13, 1 John 1:9). The unrepentant – those who are no longer bothered by their sins, or refuse to take them seriously – forfeit every blessing that God gives in Baptism. This includes forgiveness, life and salvation. For this reason, the early Lutheran Reformers wrote simply and clearly: "Rejected here are those

who teach that whoever has become righteous cannot fall again" (Augsburg Confession, Article XII).

Here are some analogies to help you think about what Baptism is and what it is not. I hope and pray that these will especially be helpful to you as you speak to your brother about God's wonderful gift of eternal life that comes through Baptism.

What Baptism is Not: * Baptism is not a prison cell, in which you become confined against your will. * Baptism is not a magical incantation, like Abracadabra, that turns you into something you might not want to be. * Baptism is not a tool you carry around just in case you need it, like the ice scraper underneath your car's front seat.

What Baptism Is: * Baptism is your passport or your entry visa that allows you to enter a place that you could never enter on your own – God's eternal life. * Baptism is a coat or a shirt that God places on you to cover your sins so that they no longer can be seen by Him. * Baptism is like the oxygen tank worn by the person suffering from emphysema – it sustains every moment of your life.

By way of another analogy, think about the loving grandmother who gives her grandchild a brand new suit for Christmas. The suit is his, given freely by the grandmother's love. However, the suit will do the boy no good if he hangs it in his closet and forgets about it, never even putting it on!

In the same way, Baptism is God's gift of salvation (1 Peter 3:21), given freely by His great love for us (John 3:15, 2 Corinthians 5:21, 1 Peter 1:3). However, the gift will do us no good if we "hang it in the closet," forgetting about it and never wearing it!

Here is one last analogy: During the 1960s, when Cold War fear gripped our nation, the United States government built an impenetrable bomb shelter at the Greenbriar hotel in White Sulphur Springs in West Virginia. Because the United States Senate and House of Representatives were to be hidden there in the event of a nuclear attack, the bunker was buried under 20 feet of dirt. Its concrete walls were two feet thick, reinforced with steel. Special doors were made of concrete and steel, and the locking mechanism was placed on the inside of the doors. Once the doors closed, the bunker became impossible to enter. The only way the doors could open was if someone on the inside opened them and let the enemy in.

God's gift of Baptism is a lot like that congressional bunker in West Virginia. Baptism is your impenetrable fortress, created by God Himself, in which you will be kept safe and sound from every evil attack. This is why St. Paul can so confidently say:

"I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39).

Yet, just like the congressional bunker, you can "open" those safe and secure baptismal "doors" that protect you and you can let the enemy in! You can even walk out of the "bunker" of your Baptism, as it were, and allow all your spiritual enemies to devour you. As the Small Catechism warns, when these enemies are given the opportunity, they will lead you into "false

belief, despair, and other great shame and vice" (Lord's Prayer, Sixth Petition).

If I were to have the opportunity to speak to your brother about his Baptism, I would emphasize for him the miraculous gift that God gave to him so many years ago when he was baptized. On that great day, God dressed a sinner in a suit of righteousness and perfection, covering over every sin and blemish with the precious blood of Christ. When your brother was

baptized, God "resuscitated" – or better, He resurrected – a person who was once dead in sins (Ephesians 2:1) and now made alive in Christ Jesus (Ephesians 2:5). When your brother was baptized, God placed him in an impenetrable fortress of salvation that no enemy will ever be able to destroy.

If, for some reason, your brother has opened the doors of the fortress and let the enemy in, I would call him to repentance by warning him of the great dangers to which he has exposed himself: the devil, the world, and his own sinful nature. These dangers, unguarded by the forgiveness of God which comes through His Word and through Baptism, will end only in your brother's eternal condemnation.

Then, with as many exhortations and Bible passages as he allows me to show him, I would proclaim to him again the salvation that Christ has prepared for him through suffering and death. I would call upon your brother to return to the blessings of his Baptism, God's impenetrable fortress and God's passport to eternal life. Through His gift of Baptism, God makes St. Paul's words into your brother's words and your words and my words:

"I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39).

As we look to a new year, may we all remember the wondrous work our God has performed for us, and how He shields us with Himself through the great gift of Holy Baptism, so that whatever this year brings, we know that nothing that transpires will be able to separate us from His love. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Rev. Steven S. Billings
Christmas Day
Sermon
12-25-2006

St. Luke 2:1-20

 

1 Now it came about in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. ² This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. ³ And all were proceeding to register for the census, everyone to his own city. ⁴ And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, ⁵ in order to register, along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. ⁶ And it came about that while they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. ⁷ And she gave birth to her first_born son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. ⁸ And in the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields, and keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. ¹⁰ And the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people; ¹¹ for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² "And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths, and lying in a manger." ¹³ And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, ¹⁴ "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased." ¹⁵ And it came about when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds began saying to one another, "Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us." ¹⁶ And they came in haste and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. ¹⁷ And when they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. ¹⁸ And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. ²⁰ And the shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.

 

The non-Christian world is looking forward to the start of a new year in about a week, but for the Church, we are already four weeks into our annual pilgrimage through the life of Christ and His people. Every year, we begin with the remembrance of Holy Advent, a time of anticipation, of looking to how Christ came and how He will soon come for us...and how He comes to us today through the Gospel and the Sacraments to bring us forgiveness, life, and salvation, to make us ready for His return.

We go through this cycle each year because the hardness of our hearts demands it, because we are so quick to forget, so easily lead away by other concerns, so unable to remember each day and moment what our dear Lord Christ has done for us...so feeble in our attempt to serve, obey, and praise Him. And, if we understand this purpose of the Church Year, we thank God for it, we thank Him for this repetition that the Lutheran Church goes through each year, because instead of hammering us incessently for what we do wrong, it enlightens us to why we can delight in what Christ has done right...how His perfect life was lived in our place and how His bitter suffering and death paid for our sins, so that eternal life is ours! In this, we have comfort and a reason to desire to thank and praise the Triune God at all times.

Really, what this yearly observance does – and what all the feasts and holy days, such as this Feast of the Holy Nativity – what they do for us is to keep us from getting 'too adult' to receive grace, too involved in civil and social religion to have a childlike faith, the sort of faith that Jesus praised, saying that it is of those who believe like little children that the Kingdom of God consists. A day like today ought to bring us to awe, and the festivals that follow should keep us in awe of what an incredible thing God has done so that He could be our God and so that we could be His people. To hear what St. Luke records is never a thing that can be done without growing childlike; the more we understand it, the smaller we become and the greater the grace and mercy of God become. How could He do such a thing for a sinner like me?

For sinners Christ came; for sinners, God took on human flesh and human responsibility, to fulfill the Law while sin and death and temptation surrounded Him. As a Man, God lived and walked and worked for us...and suffered and died for us. Here He comes as a tiny infant, the Creator of all things, making Himself utterly dependent upon the institutions He had set up at creation: the parents upon whom He relied for sustenance, the government upon whom He relied for protection, the Church upon whom He relied for instruction in the Word...and all of these failed Him! Yet, He remained faithful; He kept the Law; He redeemed all whom He created, living for each one of us from the very start. Even His infant breath was lived in perfection, with no selfish thoughts or desires...perfectly faithful, to make up for the times that we are faithless.

We get sentimental at Christmas...and this can be a good thing or a bad one. If our sentimentality, if our warm feelings, are so wrapped up in humanity that we neglect the awe and wonder of God taking on our flesh, coming in the form of a servant, we put ourselves in violation of the First Commandment, no longer fearing, loving, and trusting in Him above all things. God grant that, instead, we learn from the words of the poet to have the same awe as the shepherds, to have the need to have our fear at being confronted by God soothed through the message of the angel, "Fear not, for I bring you glad tidings of great joy that shall be to all the people!"...for herein, in the birth of a Savior in the city of Bethlehem, herein is God's glory apparent in highest measure, as in human flesh He appears to bring us peace, to rest His favor upon us.

The English poet John Betjeman encourages us well:

 

["Christmas" by John Betjeman]

 

The holly in the windy hedge
And round the Manor House the yew
Will soon be stripped to deck the ledge,
The altar, font and arch and pew,
So that the villagers can say,
"The church looks nice," on Christmas Day.

 

Provincial public houses blaze,
And Corporation tramcars clang,
On lighted tenements I gaze
Where paper decorations hang,
And bunting in the red Town Hall
Says, "Merry Christmas to you all."

 

And London shops on Christmas Eve
Are strung with silver bells and flowers
As hurrying clerks the City leave
To pigeon-haunted classic towers,
And marbled clouds go scudding by
The many-steepled London sky.

 

And girls in slacks remember Dad,
And oafish louts remember Mum,
And sleepless children's hearts are glad,
And Christmas-morning bells say, "Come!"
Even to shining ones who dwell
Safe in the Dorchester Hotel.

 

And is it true? And is it true,
This most tremendous tale of all,
Seen in a stained-glass window's hue,
A Baby in an ox's stall?
The Maker of the stars and sea
Become a Child on earth for me?

 

And is it true? For if it is,
No loving fingers tying strings
Around those tissued fripperies,
The sweet and silly Christmas things,
Bath salts and inexpensive scent
And hideous tie so kindly meant,

 

No love that in a family dwells,
No caroling in frosty air,
Nor all the steeple-shaking bells
Can with this simple Truth compare--
That God was Man in Palestine
And lives today in Bread and Wine.

 

[British poet John Betjemen, 1906-84]

 

The poet pauses in wonder, because this final truth is too great to take in: that God would once be willing to lie in a manger, and that, seeing our lives that speak rejection of Him in volumes, He would yet be willing to come to us again and again, His body and blood being made present in, with, and under the bread and the wine that come from this altar to be received by us...or, possibly, to once again be abused by us. "Is it true?" the poet asks, and we have no reason to doubt that he believes it, believes with childlike faith...but he asks because he sees in himself, as in all men, the tendency to live as if it were not so, or as if there were other truths and other realities that could validly compete with it.

No, he and we rightly conclude, there is nothing that can compare with this truth: that God was willing to come in human flesh, to be Man in a far more excellent way than we ever could, to make up for all our failings and to win for us salvation...and to come to us every week in His body and blood, to come to us even though we do not always come to Him when He presents Himself: even though we fail to hear His Word, to treasure His dear Supper, still He comes, all gracious and in deepest humility, to serve His servants, to wash the feet of those whom He has Bathed, so that the dirt of this world and the weariness it brings might again be removed from us, all our sin taken away.

 

Yes, 'tis true--it is true!
This most tremendous tale of all,
The Baby in the ox's stall!
Maker of stars and seas of blue
Became a Child on earth for you!
Let nothing in your life or care
Be thought to with this Truth compare--
That God was Man in Palestine
And comes to you in Bread and Wine.

 

1. All praise to Thee, eternal God,
Who, clothed in garb of flesh and blood,
Dost take a manger for Thy throne,
While worlds on worlds are Thine alone.

 

3. A little Child, Thou art our Guest
That weary ones in Thee may rest;
Forlorn and lowly is Thy birth
That we may rise to heaven from earth.

 

8. Welcome to earth, Thou noble Guest,
Through whom the sinful world is blest!
Thou com'st to share my misery;
What thanks shall I return to Thee?

 

13. Ah, dearest Jesus, holy Child,
Make Thee a bed, soft, undefiled,
Within my heart, that it may be
A quiet chamber kept for Thee.

 

14. My heart for very joy doth leap,
My lips no more can silence keep;
I, too, must sing with joyful tongue
That sweetest ancient cradle-song:

 

15. Glory to God in highest heaven,
Who unto us His Son hath given!
While angels sing with pious mirth
A glad new year to all the earth.

 

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Rev. Steven S. Billings
Christmas Eve
Sermon
12-24-2006

St. Luke 2:1-20

 

1 Now it came about in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. ² This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. ³ And all were proceeding to register for the census, everyone to his own city. ⁴ And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, ⁵ in order to register, along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. ⁶ And it came about that while they were there, the days were completed for her to give birth. ⁷ And she gave birth to her first_born son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. ⁸ And in the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields, and keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. ¹⁰ And the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people; ¹¹ for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² "And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths, and lying in a manger." ¹³ And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, ¹⁴ "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased." ¹⁵ And it came about when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds began saying to one another, "Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us." ¹⁶ And they came in haste and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. ¹⁷ And when they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. ¹⁸ And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. ¹⁹ But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. ²⁰ And the shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them.

 

Dear highly favored ones, do not be afraid, for I bring you good tidings of great joy, which is for all people. Today, a Savior has been born to you; He is Christ the Lord. So, if I say a thing or two tonight that troubles or upsets, remember how the angels spoke that evening to the shepherds. It is not for fear that angels show up, speaking to poor sinners. It is not for dread, despair or any other shameful thought that comes to mind that pastors open up and speak the way they do. Don't be afraid! It is all Good News for you to hear what must be said this evening! And it is all the better that it comes through one like me! A sinner. No better, and most likely, somewhat worse than all of you.

It occurred to me to speak this way, not long ago, when I was corresponding with a Christian brother in the Virgin Islands, and he asked me if in America we had, well - how did he put it? - HEALTHY women, winged and dressed in white atop our Christmas trees. You see, he wondered . . . Where are the men in black? The "fallen" guys God gives to His people? The ones with collars on, not halos? The ones whose feet, not wings, are talked about in Holy Scripture: "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation."

My friend was pointing out a problem in our day. The Bible never speaks of lady angels. Always men, with names like Michael and Gabriel. Don't ask me how we got it turned around. I'm just glad to see it straightened out a bit on TV where some angels – four of them – show up – all guys – in little albs – with headsets on and flying in formation by each tire. It's a car commercial. The angels there are air force types, high tech and highly trained and dedicated to protection.

Tonight, there isn't any talk of angels standing guard or going off to fight for us. They do that, the Bible says. But tonight, the Holy Ones show up as preachers. Ministering spirits speaking God's Good News, and pointing out the Savior, where He is, and how He may be found. And there's singing. That's great news for all of us, for you and I can join them, with all the heavenly chorus, singing: "Glory to God in the Highest, and on earth, peace, goodwill toward men."

If an angel came to you this evening, how would he speak? What would he say? We know that well enough already, don't we? You heard it when I opened up my mouth and said: "Don't be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all people."

Even in the beginning, when an angel showed up in the Garden, with a flaming sword in hand, that was not for fear and dread and the despairing of God's people. It was so that Adam and Eve would not turn again and eat from the Tree of Life, and live forever in their sin. It was for salvation! So, when the angels speak – when the Glory of the Lord shines round about us – showing us how much above our ways are God's, how different are His thoughts than ours – that is not to drive us to despair.

It will, of course! Just let the angels sing their Holy, Holy, Holy in the throne room of our God, let heaven shake a bit and fill with smoke, and any sinner's gonna tremble! Isaiah, in the 6th chapter of his prophecy admits it: "Woe is me! I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty!"

Tonight, we need not have the heavens part to get a picture of the woe that we are due! The Holy Scriptures tell us: "For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say 'No' to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope – the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for Himself a people that are His very own, eager to do what is good."

How much would one of God's Most Holy angels have to add to that, before we start to tremble? Before we learn repentance? To confess our sins? Our love of what is wrong? Our wallowing in wickedness?

Tonight, if we DON'T learn to tremble at our sins, then angels are for nothing but our judgment. Read your Bible. It tells us that the angels wield the sword in wrath as well!

So, what would one of them proclaim right now – to sinners like us; who leave too much undone, who do too much that we should simply stop; who go on saying 'yes' to things we should say 'no' to? There isn't any doubt. He would say: "Do not be afraid!" It is GOOD News that the angels bring, even when they're pointing out our sin! Even when they're telling us about our love of wickedness, our love of evil, our shameful going on as if God didn't matter and as if we mattered most, our giving in to what can only bring us misery – even when the angels tell us that all of that can only drag us off to hell – it is not for our destruction. It is for our life!

Go back and read Isaiah 6, how one of God's Most Holy Ones brought coal – a fiery brand – from off God's Altar, the place of Sacrifice – and carrying it in tongs (for even angels cannot touch the Holiness of God!) – the angel put it to Isaiah's lips, a sinner, saying: "See, this has taken away your guilt; your sin is atoned for!"

Do not be afraid, therefore, dear sinners. God has come to earth; the highest, most Holy, most Glorious God – from Whom the angels hide their faces! But He has come to earth FOR YOU! The Glory of God in the Highest brought low for the peace of the earth; for peace ON earth, good will to men!

You and I do not flee wickedness the way we should. We should perish for that. Many will, but not because their wickedness is any worse than ours. Men will die the death that they deserve because of this: They will not have the Peace God brings to earth. They will not have the Glory of the Highest wrapped in low-down places, where it does not scorch or destroy, but saves!

To the earth is born a Savior, Who is Christ the Lord! He is God Most High, but He is God Who's destined for the altar; destined for the flames; destined to be strung up on a cross to die for sinners. And after the wrath of God is poured out on God's Son, He'll rise again. And He'll ascend back to the right hand of the Father. And then, He'll put Himself – His Roasted Flesh, His Flame-kissed Blood – where it can touch the lips of sinners, brought to them by Ministers that God sends, so that men might have their sins absolved and live with God's Salvation on their lips.

You simply have to read Isaiah chapter six. But for tonight, be satisfied with Luke, chapter 2! For there, poor shepherds get Good News from God's Most Holy Angels. The shepherds come, directed by the preaching and the pointing of the Holy Messengers of God. And where do they go? To Bethlehem! To the City of David. Bethlehem means "House of Bread." And there, in the Bread House, is the Glory of God. The Majesty of God. The Wonderful One, the Counselor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.

But do not be afraid. He is lying in a manger, and a manger is a place for eating. Even dumb animals get that much! The Bread of Life Come down from Heaven, in the Bread House, lying in a food trough!

Dear Christians, listen to this lowly angel, the sinful messenger whom God has given you tonight: You've got a God sized-right for sinners. A mouth and ear-sized God. And that is for your blessing. Apart from such a God, there's nothing but the fearful prospect of His punishment. Apart from where the Glory of the Highest is brought low to earth, there's nothing but a woeful future, and the hope that whatever man-made thoughts, religion, opinions people have, well – Hope they pass the test and quench the flames! Good luck with that!

But don't despair. Don't be afraid. I simply cannot be a proper angel if I do not point you from whatever thinking leaves you on the outside, in the darkness, where the shepherds were before the Angels spoke and pointed them to Bethlehem. But I won't point you to THAT city. I won't even point you to the manger. There's no point. God has given us the places where He is for you and me: In the preaching of the Gospel, in the speaking of the Holy Absolution, in the Waters of Holy Baptism, and in the Eating and the drinking of Christ's Flesh and Blood in bread and wine. Through these, and only through these, is it proper for you to hear: "Despite your sin, your waywardness, your love of what is wicked – Do not be afraid, for I bring you good tidings of Great Joy!"

That is pointing you to where Isaiah had the peace of God, where Shepherds had the Savior. That is being an angel. You can be that, too, as surely as the shepherds were when they told others what they'd heard and seen. That is why its good that little ones dress up like angels from time to time; a good reminder, like the HEALTHY winged-women in our homes. But, so that you remember that the Messengers of God aren't cute – just look at the one God's put into this pulpit! What's important is that they point us to where the Savior is – where His Body and His Blood are all wrapped-up for our forgiveness. Angels can wear wings and albs and halos if they want to – even headsets, I suppose. But this is what they're good for most of all: Preaching a Savior Who is all the way down to earth for you, all the way into your own flesh and blood. All the way to the cross for you. And though He is risen and ascended, He is still all the way down to earth enough for your ears and your mouths. You see? All this has taken away your guilt, dear Christians, and by it the payment for your sin has been made. In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Rev. Steven S. Billings
Advent 4
Sermon
12-24-2006

St. Luke 1:39-56

 

39 Now at this time Mary arose and went with haste to the hill country, to a city of Judah, ⁴⁰ and entered the house of Zacharias and greeted Elizabeth. ⁴¹ And it came about that when Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb; and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. ⁴² And she cried out with a loud voice, and said, "Blessed among women are you, and blessed is the fruit of your womb! ⁴³ "And how has it happened to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me? ⁴⁴ "For behold, when the sound of your greeting reached my ears, the baby leaped in my womb for joy. ⁴⁵ "And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what had been spoken to her by the Lord." ⁴⁶ And Mary said: "My soul exalts the Lord, ⁴⁷ And my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior. ⁴⁸ "For He has had regard for the humble state of His bondslave; For behold, from this time on all generations will count me blessed. ⁴⁹ "For the Mighty One has done great things for me; And holy is His name. ⁵⁰ "AND HIS MERCY IS UPON GENERATION AFTER GENERATION TOWARD THOSE WHO FEAR HIM. ⁵¹ "He has done mighty deeds with His arm; He has scattered those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart. ⁵² "He has brought down rulers from their thrones, And has exalted those who were humble. ⁵³ "HE HAS FILLED THE HUNGRY WITH GOOD THINGS; AND SENT AWAY THE RICH EMPTY_HANDED. ⁵⁴ "He has given help to Israel His servant, In remembrance of His mercy, ⁵⁵ As He spoke to our fathers, To Abraham and his offspring forever." ⁵⁶ And Mary stayed with her about three months, and then returned to her home.

 

"Blessed is she who believed the Word of the Lord," sings Elizabeth, with reference to dear Mary, recalling her confession in response to the Archangel Gabriel: "Behold, the handmaiden of the Lord. Let it be unto me according to Your Word!", and reiterated later in the Gospel According to St. Luke (11:27–28): "Blessed is the womb that bore You, (Jesus,) and the breasts that nursed You!" Yea, rather, blessed are they (and she!) who believe(s) the Word of God and keep(s) it!

Mary's Magnificat this morning is a confession of this very faith in the Word of God – not only her faith in the general providence and gracious salvation of the Lord, but also, and especially, her faith in the particular Word and promise that God has given to her in Jesus her Lord, that is, that she would conceive and bear the Son of God.

It is, therefore, especially appropriate that we hear and receive this particular Word of the Gospel on this particular day, in which one of our own will – during the candlelight service this evening – be born again by the washing of the water with the Word in Holy Baptism.

Note the parallels between the conception and birth of Jesus by dear Mary, by the power of God through His Word and Holy Spirit, and the "conception" and "new birth" of catechesis and Holy Baptism within the Church, also by the power of the same Word and Spirit!

And note, also, the parallels between the Incarnation and gift of the Son of God, our Lord Jesus Christ, in the flesh, from and through the body of His Mother Mary, and the gift of His true flesh and blood in the Sacrament of the Altar, by the power of His Word.

Not only for Shane this evening, but for each of you personally this morning and throughout your Christian faith and life, it is this particular Word of the Lord, which He has spoken and still speaks to you in Holy Baptism and also in Holy Communion and Holy Absolution, before which you bow and to which you cling in humble but confident faith: "Let it be unto me according to Your Word!" This beautiful confession, and that of the Magnificat, are necessarily by faith in the Word of God, and not by sight, nor by feeling, nor by human experience in this world.

Compare and contrast, for example, the confession and praise that Mary gives to God in her inspired hymn, with the harsh reality of her circumstances over the next nine months and beyond – suspected by her fiancé, and of all the townspeople, not the least of which being her own parents, of being unfaithful and sexually promiscuous – a charge that could have been punishable by being publicly stoned to death! And ultimately, witnessing the crucifixion of her own dear Son! No, the visible circumstances of the birth and life of her Son would hardly engender faith or hope of any kind!

Likewise, in your life, not only "in spite of" the fact that you are a Christian, but because you are a Christian (a disciple of Christ the Crucified), you also suffer hardship and carry the Cross. You suffer loss. Don't we all? It seems in this life we lose more than we gain. New friends comes, old friends go. A child is born, a soul succumbs to death. You finally get a raise, the government takes more and you end up with a net loss. It just seems like it's difficult, next to impossible, to get ahead in this world. And if finance isn't your bane, something else is. Your marriage and home life are constantly under attack. Getting the children to behave seems an impossible task. Siblings fight – even supposedly grown-up ones! Pettiness, jealousy, greediness, sarcasm, anger, and on and on – at home, at work . . . even at church. You begin to wonder if there's any place you can go, or anyone in this world that will give you peace. All of this causes you to be tempted severely to doubt and deny the Words and promises of God, which He has given to you in your Baptism and here at His Altar.

And yet, it is by and with and in the Cross that His Salvation is accomplished and given to you; precisely in His own humility and weakness, His innocent suffering and death by crucifixion, that He has done great things and shown strength with His arm. And, as such, it is by and from and with His Cross that He has defined, and given, and filled the Sacraments of Holy Baptism, Holy Communion, and the Word of Holy Absolution, with forgiveness and life and salvation in Him.

So it is especially in, with and under the Cross that your dear Lord has not forgotten or abandoned you, but is actually nearest of all to you. So, there too, you humbly confess at all times, "Let it be unto me according to Your Word!"

Of course, being the poor, miserable sinners that we are – and this was surely true of Mary, as well – there are times when our faith wavers and flickers and gives in to doubt, perhaps even to the very brink of despair, when the Cross lies especially heavy upon us.

But the Lord does not leave us in our doubts. Instead, just as He comes to us in the first place, by and with His Word and Spirit, in His own flesh and blood, in order to call us and bring us to faith in Him, so does He continue to come in His own flesh and blood, crucified and risen – by His means of grace, His Ministry of the Gospel – Word and Sacrament – to forgive our sins by giving us Himself as our Savior, and thereby to restore our faith and confidence in Him.

Just as He was conceived as the Fruit of blessed Mary's womb, and was born of her at Christmas, so does the same, dear Lord, Jesus Christ, give Himself to you this morning. Here at this Altar, He opens up to you the holy wounds of His Cross, in order to give you His own body and pour out for you His blood, for the forgiveness of all your sins, for life and salvation in Him. Thereby is He "born in you" today, giving His flesh and blood to live and dwell within your own body and life, both now and forever. To which you and I can only say and confess: "Amen. Let it be unto us according to His Word!" In the Name † of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Rev. Steven S. Billings
Advent Mid-Week 3
Sermon
12-20-2006

Hark, a Thrilling Voice Is Sounding

 

One of the things I have tried to do during our Advent services this year is to give you some background about some of the classic Advent hymns of the Church. The challenge in doing this is that there is not always a lot of history on these hymns. Tonight’s hymn is one such hymn. We do not really know who wrote it. Some people have credited Ambrose, author of "Savior of the Nations, Come," but most scholars have determined that its author is anonymous. We are not sure, either, of when it was written, but it is generally accepted that it was written somewhere between the fifth and tenth centuries, between 400 and 1000 AD. Its first use came in the tenth century and was used during Lauds, a morning prayer office (not entirely unlike Matins, but prayed at sunrise). The hymn, quite possibly sung as a canticle, was used during Lauds beginning with the First Sunday in Advent and ending on Christmas Eve. In an old Spanish rite, it was used in Vespers (the office prayed at sunset), and was the hymn sung each Wednesday. This hymn was translated into English by a mid-nineteenth century Anglican-turned-Roman Catholic priest named Edward Caswall. The composer of the tune is also unknown, though it first appeared in a hymnal approximately 300 years ago.

The first line of this hymn, as Caswall translated it, originally read, "Hark, an awful voice is sounding." But the word awful was replaced, no doubt because there is nothing awful about it for those who believe in Jesus Christ. For us, the news that Christ is near is thrilling indeed! The thrilling voice that is sounding is the voice crying out in the wilderness, "Prepare the way of the Lord." It is the voice of John the Baptist. The thrilling voice of the forerunner of Christ is also sounding a message of repentance: "Cast away the works of darkness." In stanza two we react, startled at the solemn warning to repent. It is not a warning we are used to receiving. But even as we are adjusting our ears to hear this Advent message of repentance, we prepare our souls to greet the Christ who shines upon the morning skies.

In the third stanza we sing of the coming of the long-expected Lamb of God, coming "with pardon down from heaven." The Latin word translated as "pardon" is gratis, from which we get the English word "grace." This is important, as we look at the second half of this stanza: "Let us haste, with tears of sorrow, One and all, to be forgiven." Why should we be in haste to be forgiven? We are in the last days, and the Lord will come again soon, at which time there will be no second chances for forgiveness. Why are we to be in sorrow? We should be in sorrow because we need to be forgiven. We should be in sorrow because we have sinned. We have all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. As sinners, we are in sorrow that we, in and of ourselves, cannot come to Him; we dare not even begin to approach His throne, because we are poor, miserable sinners, and have deserved nothing but temporal and eternal death and punishment. When we think of what we by our sins have deserved, that we should spend eternity in hell, we should be in sorrow to the point that we are on our knees, trembling, and crying out to the Lord: "Make haste, O God, to deliver me. Make haste to help me, O Lord." And so we "haste, with tears of sorrow, One and all, to be forgiven."

Because we in our sorrowful, sinful state cannot come to our Lord, He comes to us. "Lo, the Lamb, so long expected, comes with pardon down from heaven." The Lord, who once lay in a manger and wore swaddling clothes, came to bring pardon, peace, forgiveness, life, and salvation. Behold, He comes to bring about forgiveness. He comes to bring us His peace, that peace that the world cannot give. He came not in haste but at the time appointed by our heavenly Father, coming in the fullness of time. And at the right time, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. "Once He came in blessing, All our ills redressing; Came in likeness lowly, Son of God most holy; Bore the cross to save us, Hope and freedom gave us" (TLH 74:1).

In the fourth stanza of our hymn, we look forward to the Last Day, "when next He comes with glory / And the world is wrapped in fear…." Yes, the world, the unbelieving world, will come face to face with their Judge and will live in eternal death and condemnation. They will be wrapped in fear, while we are robed in the righteousness of Christ, and He will shield us with His mercy. It is not a question of if He may have mercy on us but that He will and does shield us with His mercy. Our Lord hides us in His mercy, and no one can snatch us out of our heavenly Father’s hand. He has called us by name from the moment of our baptism in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. We belong to Him, and He draws us nearer to Him with His words of love, words of Gospel, words of forgiveness, words that tell us that our He has forgiven us for the sake of His Son, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Having received this forgiveness and moved by the Holy Spirit, we give "Honor, glory, might, dominion, To the father and the Son, with the everlasting Spirit, While eternal ages run" (st. 5).

In less than a week we will celebrate the Nativity of our Lord. The purpose of Advent is to prepare our hearts once again to celebrate the birth of the Savior of all mankind. During this penitential season we reflect upon our own sinfulness and our need for a Savior. Soon we will rejoice that the Savior of the Nations has come, that Emmanuel has come and ransomed us, and that the thrilling voice is sounding that Christ is near and will come again and gather us to be with Him. Shortly, we will "all with gladsome voice / Praise the God of heaven, Who, to bid our hearts rejoice, His own Son hath given" (TLH 97:1). In the Name of the Father and of the + Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

Rev. Steven S. Billings
Advent 3
Sermon
12-17-2006

St. Luke 7:18-35

 

18 And the disciples of John reported to him about all these things. ¹⁹ And summoning two of his disciples, John sent them to the Lord, saying, "Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?" ²⁰ And when the men had come to Him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to You, saying, 'Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?'" ²¹ At that very time He cured many people of diseases and afflictions and evil spirits; and He granted sight to many who were blind. ²² And He answered and said to them, "Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM. ²³ "And blessed is he who keeps from stumbling over Me." ²⁴ And when the messengers of John had left, He began to speak to the multitudes about John, "What did you go out into the wilderness to look at? A reed shaken by the wind? ²⁵ "But what did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who are splendidly clothed and live in luxury are found in royal palaces. ²⁶ "But what did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and one who is more than a prophet. ²⁷ "This is the one about whom it is written, 'BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER BEFORE YOUR FACE, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY BEFORE YOU.' ²⁸ "I say to you, among those born of women, there is no one greater than John; yet he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." ²⁹ And when all the people and the tax_gatherers heard this, they acknowledged God's justice, having been baptized with the baptism of John. ³⁰ But the Pharisees and the lawyers rejected God's purpose for themselves, not having been baptized by John. ³¹ "To what then shall I compare the men of this generation, and what are they like? ³² "They are like children who sit in the market place and call to one another; and they say, 'We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not weep.' ³³ "For John the Baptist has come eating no bread and drinking no wine; and you say, 'He has a demon!' ³⁴ "The Son of Man has come eating and drinking; and you say, 'Behold, a gluttonous man, and a drunkard, a friend of tax_gatherers and sinners!' ³⁵ "Yet wisdom is vindicated by all her children."

 

Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of Mary, is "the Coming One" – the Christ or Messiah – as His Words and works proclaim: His teaching and miracles together with His Word & Sacraments.

He is Immanuel – God-with-us – in the flesh, who comes to heal our diseases, to cast out evil spirits – and to bestow His Holy Spirit – to raise the dead, give sight to the blind, to the deaf, and to preach the Gospel to the poor.

He comes to take all the hurt and the heartache upon Himself, to carry it away in His own body to the Cross, and to put it all to death and bury it forever; thereby conquering sin, death and hell, and rising from the dead to open up heaven and to grant eternal life to you and all believers in Him. He comes to engender faith, to make disciples, to cleanse from sin, to raise from death, and to open up your ears and your heart to His saving Word of the Gospel.

All of this is great and marvelous . . . glorious indeed; but none of it can be separated from the way and the means by which He comes – namely, by way of His messengers, whom, like John the Baptist, He calls and ordains and sends before His face to prepare His way – and to prepare you! – by the preaching of the Law and the Gospel; and to put you to death and raise you to life by the Baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, to die and be buried and rise again with Jesus.

It is by these ministers of His Word and Sacrament, through this ministry and by these means of grace, that He bestows all of His gifts from His Cross and Resurrection; it is by these ways and means that He forgives your sin and gives you life in place of death, and thereby gives you faith.

But, like Jesus Himself, His messengers and servants of the Word are not what the world expects, nor anything the world admires or respects or wants anything to do with. These ministers of Christ, their ministry and their very life in this world, are marked by the Cross of Christ, which is and remains an absolute scandal and offense to the world – and no less so to your own old Adam, and to your own natural wisdom, reason and strength – as in the case of John the Baptist, who was thrown into prison and eventually beheaded; and of course, Christ Jesus Himself was treated shamefully and crucified.

However, the one who is born again through Holy Baptism – into that very Cross of Christ – is greater than anything and everything the world has or would ever be able to offer. For example, among those born of women in the natural way, poor, despised John – languishing in prison, waiting to die – is the greatest of them all: a prophet, and more than a prophet, the Forerunner of the Christ Himself, and a true servant of the Word. And yet, those who are born again – by the washing of the water with the Word and Spirit – borne by the Church of Christ into His Kingdom – are greater than John. Which is to say that, even as great and glorious as the Office of the Holy Ministry is, the glory and dignity and honor of those who are baptized into Christ Jesus, who are the children of God – the sons of God in Christ Jesus – through Holy Baptism . . . their glory, in Him, is all the greater!

To say it again, you and your glory, dignity and honor, as one baptized into Jesus, are greater than even that of John the Baptist and all of the Holy Apostles and ministers of Christ – in so far as their office and ministry are concerned; in Baptism, all are one!

Now, the proud and self-righteous have no use for the Cross of Christ, nor any use for Baptism into His Cross; and, as such, they blaspheme the Lord and reject His good and gracious will for them. They refuse to heed His call to repentance, and thereby also reject His forgiveness of sins, and this includes not only those who refuse to be baptized, but also those who refuse to live the daily significance of baptism – the daily drowning of contrition and repentance.

But those sinners – like you – who are called by the Word and Spirit of God, through His messengers, to repent and to believe the Gospel of the Cross, who are baptized into that Cross of Christ, are forgiven and cleansed and justified, by grace alone, for Christ Jesus' sake; and through Holy Baptism are born again – as each and all of you are born again, and are dearly-beloved children of God. And the baptized "sons of God" in Christ Jesus are dressed in His splendid righteousness, and live with Him in His royal house, in His church on earth and forever in heaven.

All of this is in accordance with the Lord's own divine Wisdom, which is foolishness to the world – and utterly contrary to it; that is to say, by the Wisdom of Christ and His Cross, which puts you to death in Christ, in order to give you life with Him in His glorious Resurrection from the dead, and whereby the Lord justifies, not those who supposedly keep the Law and try to live by its righteousness of works, but those who have been called to repentance and faith in Christ, who is the Savior and Redeemer of poor, miserable sinners like you and me.

It is precisely by this scandalous salvation of sinners – by the Cross and Baptism of Jesus Christ – that God is justified and glorified for His good and gracious mercy and forgiveness. As Solomon writes in the Book of Ecclesiastes, there is "a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance." There is the wedding, and there is the funeral. There is the fasting, then the feasting, each in its own time – sorrow and contrition over sin, and new life in Christ through His forgiveness. Confession and Absolution. Good Friday and Easter. The Cross and the Resurrection of our dear Lord Jesus Christ. In fact, such daily dying and rising is the definitive cycle of the Christian faith and life, as signified by your Baptism into the Cross and Resurrection.

So, on the one hand, there is the appropriate austerity and fasting of repentance – like John the Baptist, neither eating nor drinking – which characterizes the Season of Advent – while the world around us wants to party! – but then, on the other hand, in the coming of Christ Jesus – as at Christmas – there is true rejoicing, and forgiven sinners are given to eat and drink with Him in His Kingdom forever – while the world glumly returns to its daily grind and drudgery.

Indeed, forgiven sinners like you – who have been born again as the children of God – are given not only to eat and drink with Christ Jesus, your Savior, but to feast on His holy Body and precious Blood, the very fruits of His Cross, unto eternal life.

Rejoice, then, in the Lord who feeds you. He is near to you. And in His peace and comfort, He guards your heart and mind to life everlasting with. In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen

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