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Matthew 5:13-20

¹³ “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.

¹⁴ “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵ Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. ¹⁶ In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

¹⁷ “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. ¹⁸ For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. ¹⁹ Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. ²⁰ For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

Grace, mercy, peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Identity is a word that seems to be getting thrown around a lot today – and not in a good way. Discussions about identity cause all sorts of questions about who and what we are. And be careful, especially on social media, that you don’t label someone. You don’t want to be perceived as being judgmental!

But everyone is someone (obvious statement for the day), so everyone has an identity. But what is it that gives you your identity? While the world argues about if your identity comes either from biological facts or from how you perceive yourself, let’s listen to what Jesus says about your identity.

Jesus, the eternal Son of God in the flesh, has something to say about your identity. Jesus, the Word incarnate, has something to declare to you. “You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world.” Notice, Jesus does not say, “You will be salt and light.” He does not say, “You should be salt and light.” He simply says, “You are. You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world.”

God doesn’t ask nicely if you want to be salt and light. He doesn’t invite you to accept the fact that you are salt and light. He simply declares it. God is powerful enough, His Word has the potency to make whatever He says to be so. When God said, “Let there be light,” there was. So when Jesus says, “You are salt. You are light,” you simply are. You are what Jesus says you are.

But let’s imagine, let’s suppose, that you don’t believe what Jesus says here. Maybe, you don’t feel particularly salty or overly light. What happens then? What happens when you don’t believe God when He says, “You are the salt of the earth”?

Well, Jesus answers that. When salt loses its saltiness, it isn’t good for anything anymore. So, that non-salty salt is thrown out and trampled down under people’s feet.

And what happens when you don’t believe God when He says, “You are the light of the world”? Jesus has an answer for that too. First, things become absurd. It is like trying to hide a huge city set way up high on a hill. Then, it becomes dangerous. It is like putting a dry basket over a flame. What happens when you put a basket, when you put fuel, over a burning lamp? Fire breaks out and burns everything up.

Too often, we don’t believe God when He declares things about us. And that unbelief ignites all sorts of evil around us. The Bible is full of tragic stories about when people do not believe what God says about them.

The first one is the most tragic. God said Adam and Eve were good – very good. But they turn around and instead of believing what God said, they believe Satan’s lie that they should be something more than what God said they were. And from that moment on, all sin, all wickedness, and all evil springs simply because we do not believe what God has said, what God has declared about us.

Our sinful flesh, the world, and the devil tell us, “Don’t be too salty; you’ll raise our cholesterol and give us a heart attack. Dim that light a bit; it’s just too bright.” And, all too often, we listen and oblige. That’s why Jesus comes once again to declare you to be His salt and light in this world.

So, stop disbelieving. Stop doubting what Jesus says about you. Repent of your sin. Repent of your unbelief.

Jesus says, “You are the salt of the earth.” Salt isn’t salt for itself. Salt is salt to make things salty. So, you salt of the earth, salt the earth.

How? By being what Jesus has declared you to be. Be forgiven. Be righteous. Be the dash of flavor that makes life in this fallen, sinful, bland world a little more tasteful.

Jesus says, “You are the light of the world.” So, shine. Shine out. Jesus, who is the light of the world, commands your light to shine. Jesus flips the switch so your good works will shine in the darkness. And others will see your good works and give glory to God.

And what good works should you do? Well, there is good news here – you don’t have to make any good works up. Simply look at the Commandments, look at the Law which does not perish, not an iota, not a dot of that Law will perish until it is all fulfilled.

God says, “You will have no other gods before Me.” So do the good work of believing God. Fear, love, and trust in Him above all things. He is saying, “Bet all your chips on Me being a good God to you.”

God says, “You will not take My name in vain.” Do the good work of calling upon His Name whenever you have any need. Do the good work of praising His Name.

God says, “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.” Do the good work of hearing God’s Word which declares you, to be a sinner, but which also declares that you, sinner, are made righteous because of Jesus’ death and resurrection.

God says, “Honor your father and mother.” Do the good work of recognizing the gifts that God gives you in those in authority above you. First, in your parents but also in the other authorities over you who provide for you and protect you.

God says, “You will not kill.” Do the good work of defending the lives of others by helping and befriending your neighbor.

God says, “You will not commit adultery.” Do the good work of loving your spouse.

God says, “You will not steal.” Do the good work of assisting your neighbor in keeping his property and living.

God says, “You will not bear false witness against your neighbor.” Do the good work of speaking the truth. Be honest. Defend your neighbor when others gossip.

God says, “You will not covet.” Do the good work of not longing for and craving what God hasn’t given you. Instead, do the good work of being content with what He has given you.

Will you fail to do these good works? Yes. Resoundingly, yes. When you fail to do these things, God says you are a sinner. But still believe that. Believe that you are a sinner becauseJesus has come, not for the righteous, for you, sinner. Believe that He has fulfilled the whole Law and gives His righteousness, His good works, to you.

Believe what Jesus says about you. You are forgiven. You are His beloved child. You are His salt. You are His light. Believe Jesus because you are what Jesus says you are. Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Listen here.

Matthew 5:1-12

¹ Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. ² And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

³   “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

⁴   “Blessed are those who mourn,
for they shall be comforted.

⁵   “Blessed are the meek,
for they shall inherit the earth.

⁶   “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they shall be satisfied.

⁷   “Blessed are the merciful,
for they shall receive mercy.

⁸   “Blessed are the pure in heart,
for they shall see God.

⁹   “Blessed are the peacemakers,
for they shall be called sons of God.

¹⁰ “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

¹¹ “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

Grace, mercy, peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Dear Henning,

Today, you are baptized. Today, Jesus has washed you in a saving flood. Today in your Baptism, you were buried with Jesus into His death so that, just as Jesus is risen from the dead, you too would walk in newness of life. Today, you have received the washing of regeneration and the renewal of the Holy Spirit.

Now and for the rest of your life, the Word of God will continually show you your sin in the Law. Hear that Word and repent. Repent and continue to listen to the Word of God. Hear the Gospel which always and continually points you to Jesus and what He has done for you. Listen to that Gospel. Listen to the word of the cross. It is foolishness in the ears of those who refuse to repent. But not for you. For you and all your brothers and sisters in Christ it is the power of God.

Jesus’ words in this text are the Gospel. Jesus is announcing blessings upon you and all your brothers and sisters in Christ here today and throughout thousands of other places across the world where these same words are being preached.

Henning, by proclaiming these blessings upon you, Jesus is speaking you and all believers into His kingdom. So Henning, and all of you here, listen to what Jesus says. By these words of Gospel, Jesus is proclaiming that you are saved.

Jesus says, “Blessed are the poor in spirit for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus says when you have a bad spiritual life, when you aren’t praying enough, when you aren’t loving enough, when you know that you bring nothing to the table and have nothing to offer God, Jesus says you are blessed because He gives you the kingdom of heaven. Jesus has come not to call the righteous, but sinners.

Jesus says, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” As you recognize that you are living in a world of sin and death, you know things are not as they should be and so you mourn and cry out to God. Jesus says that you shall be comforted because Jesus has come and fixed everything that is broken.

Jesus says, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” When you are weak, when you have no strength, when you recognize you are powerless against all the evil in this world and the evil within yourself, you are blessed. Though you are small, weak, and meek, you will inherit the earth.

Jesus says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” When you are starving for the righteousness you do not have, when you are parched in desert of your sin, Jesus says you are blessed. Christ will satisfy every hunger and quench every thirst you have by giving you His righteousness.

Jesus says, “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.” Because Jesus has already made you part of His kingdom, you will have mercy upon others – even though you aren’t aware of it. Jesus will continue to pour out upon you His mercy. And because Jesus has made you pure in heart you will see God.

Jesus says, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” As Jesus has given you His peace, you will make peace among others. And you are blessed.

Jesus says, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” All you believers, the world is going to hate you because you believe Jesus has made you righteous. But don’t mind it. No matter what the world says, yours is the kingdom of heaven.

And so you can know that He means all these words for you, Jesus finishes by saying, “Blessed are you. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter kinds of evil against you falsely on My account. Rejoice and be glad for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

When you take your stand upon the Word of God and others hate you because of it, Jesus says that you are blessed. God has counted you worthy of suffering persecution for His great name. It is nothing new for the people of God to be reviled in this world.

Blessed are you. Hear that again, “Blessed are you.” Blessed are you when people hate you because of what the Word of God says. In each of these Beatitudes, by saying you are blessed, Jesus says you are saved.

You will be tempted to not believe what Jesus says here. But believe it because these are Jesus’ words of Gospel to you. Scripture says (1 Cor. 1:30-31) that, because of what God has done for you, you are in Christ Jesus, “who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, ‘Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.’” Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Listen here.

John 1:29-42a

²⁹ The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! ³⁰ This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’ ³¹ I myself did not know him, but for this purpose I came baptizing with water, that he might be revealed to Israel.” ³² And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. ³³ I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ ³⁴ And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”

³⁵ The next day again John was standing with two of his disciples, ³⁶ and he looked at Jesus as he walked by and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God!” ³⁷ The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus. ³⁸ Jesus turned and saw them following and said to them, “What are you seeking?” And they said to him, “Rabbi” (which means Teacher), “where are you staying?” ³⁹ He said to them, “Come and you will see.” So they came and saw where he was staying, and they stayed with him that day, for it was about the tenth hour. ⁴⁰ One of the two who heard John speak and followed Jesus was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother. ⁴¹ He first found his own brother Simon and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which means Christ). ⁴² He brought him to Jesus.

Grace, mercy, peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Dear Eloise,

As you grow, your parents, your sponsors, and your church will teach you about a lot of lambs in the Bible.

You will learn about Abel and how he tended his flock of lambs and offered one of his flock as a sacrifice to God. You will learn that God accepted the blood of Abel’s lambs but had no regard for his brother’s offering of crops. Abel believed that God accepted the blood of another for his sin. But God did not accept Cain’s sacrifices of whatever he thought was best.

You will learn about when God commanded Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. You will hear about how Abraham laid the wood for the sacrifice on Isaac’s shoulders. You will hear Isaac say to his father, “Behold, the fire and the wood, but where is the lamb?” And Abraham will respond, “God will provide Himself – a lamb.” And God does provide (Gen. 22:7-8).

You will learn about how God’s people sat in slavery in Egypt. God told His people that He will send one final plague where all the firstborn in the land will be killed. But you will hear God provide for His people. He instructs them to take a lamb a year old and kill it and take some of the blood of the lamb and smear it on their doorposts. This blood is a sign for when the angel of death passes through the land, he will pass over every house that is shielded by the blood of the lamb (Ex. 12:1-13).

You will learn about God telling His people to observe the Day of Atonement. Each year on that day, the priest is to set aside two lambs. One lamb, the priest laid his hand and confessed the sins of the people. That lamb is then taken and released into the wilderness bearing their sin. The other lamb is sacrificed. The blood of that lamb is used to make the people clean (Lev. 16:1-34).

Eloise, pay attention to all these stories about lambs because they all point to one Lamb – to Jesus, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

Like Abel’s lambs, God accepts the death of Lamb of God Jesus in your place. Like the lamb that God provided for Isaac, God provides Lamb of God Jesus for you. Like the blood of the lambs that covered the people’s door, the blood of Lamb of God Jesus marks your door and death passes over you. Like the lamb released in the wilderness, Lamb of God Jesus removes your sin from you. Like the lamb that cleansed the people on the Day of Atonement, Lamb of God Jesus cleanses you from all of your sins.

John says that he came baptizing for the purpose that Jesus would be revealed to Israel – God’s people. And at Jesus’ baptism, He is recognized. The heavens were opened, the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus in the form of a dove, and God the Father said, “This is My beloved Son with whom I am well pleased.”

Eloise, today when you were baptized, the heavens were opened and the Holy Spirit descended upon you. Today, when you were baptized, God placed His name on you. Today, Eloise you came to recognize Jesus who is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. That means that He takes away your sin, and the sin of all your brothers and sisters in Christ here today.

Eloise, your sins have been washed away today. Lamb of God Jesus has washed away the sin you were born with, the sins you have committed since you were born, and the sins you will commit throughout your life.

Satan will tempt you. The devil will try to point you to everything but Jesus. All of us, as your brothers and sisters in Christ, have experienced this too. But do not listen to the devil. Do not listen.

Instead, always look to Lamb of God Jesus. In your Baptism, you have been united with Jesus’ death which means that you are also united with Jesus’ resurrection. This same Lamb of God Jesus will come again to raise up you and all believers. Look only to Him. Let Lamb of God Jesus be the object of your faith. Let Him be your hope. Let Him, and Him alone, be your salvation.

All you believers, behold Jesus. Behold Him who was in the beginning before anything else, the One who was with God and was God. Behold Jesus who made all things, yet became flesh. Behold Jesus who is the light and life of all.

Behold the one in whom you believe, the one who gave you the right to be children of God not born of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God. This Lamb, and this Lamb alone, has taken away the sin of the world. He has taken away your sin. Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

(This sermon was preached on the occasion of the Baptism of Eloise Mae Frech.)

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Matthew 3:13-17

¹³ Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. ¹⁴ John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” ¹⁵ But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. ¹⁶ And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; ¹⁷ and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Grace, mercy, peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

No question about it. John the Baptizer was a bold man. He preached, “Repent,” and that takes guts. John preached the Law in such a way that Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were coming to him, confessing their sins, and being baptized (Mt. 3:5-6).

John, the last of God’s prophets, lived out in the wilderness wearing camel skins and eating locusts and honey. Yet he had the boldness to call even the Pharisees and Sadducees, the religious elite, to repentance calling them a brood of vipers.

Jesus called John the Baptizer the greatest of those born of women (Mt. 11:11). Yet, John knew his place. John rightly confessed, “The one coming after me is greater than I am. I am not even worthy to carry His sandals.”

But when Jesus came to John to be baptized, well, John flinched. “Excuse me? You want me to do what? Look, this isn’t right, Jesus. I need to be baptized by You! How can I with my dirty thoughts, my filthy hands, and my unclean heart, how can I baptize You? You should just baptize Yourself.”

In John’s hesitation to baptize Jesus, we see John’s sinful pride rearing its ugly head. If John truly believed that he wasn’t worthy to carry Jesus’ sandals (and he wasn’t), then who does John think he is to question his Lord when Jesus tells John to baptize Him? How dare John say, “Look, Jesus, You’ve got it all wrong”?

We can all sympathize with John because we all shirk and attempt to evade our responsibilities. Too often, we parents don’t want to do the work of raising our children. It is too exhausting. Instead of giving our children discipline, attention, and love, we buy them off with devices to distract them so they will leave us alone and we can amuse ourselves.

As spouses, we do the same. We find all sorts of excuses to get out of serving one another – washing the dishes, changing the bed sheets, and scrubbing around the toilet.

As Christians, we fill our lives with things that are good in and of themselves. But our lives get stuffed by commitments, the tournaments, and the traveling. Something must give, and sadly the easiest thing to put off is being at church, gathering with one another, and hear and rejoicing in God’s Word.

And I can tell you, on good authority, that your pastor does this too. It is all too easy to put off calling someone who is hurting and ministering the Gospel to them under the guise of having too many other things to do. Forgive me.

For all of us, there are ample reasons to repent. Repent, and hear what Jesus says to John. “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.”

God had called John to baptize Jesus, to anoint Jesus for His work of being the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Anyone could have baptized Jesus. The act didn’t require a lot of skill, training, or experience. But God had called John to do it in order to fulfill all righteousness.

In the same way, God gives us tasks, duties, and vocations in His kingdom. It was fitting for Jesus and John together to fulfill all righteousness. And it is fitting for you to do the good works that God has called you to in your vocations.

Now, you have probably heard me use that word ‘vocation’ before, but to define it again is probably helpful. Your vocations are the many different functions you have and are defined by your relationships to others. Parent, spouse, child, neighbor, citizen, student, employee, employer – all of these are vocations. In all your vocations, God gives you good works to do.

If you are a parent, God has given you the good work of feeding, clothing, protecting, and providing for your child(ren). As a citizen, God has given you good works like paying taxes, voting, and coming to a complete stop at stop signs. If you are a customer at a grocery store, God has given you the good work of buying food and not shoplifting by tasting the grapes before you purchase them. Wherever you are, God has called you to a particular vocation where you can be His light shining in this dark world by doing good works.

And God gives you great freedom in these good works. At the risk of sounding sexist: mothers, God commands that you feed your children. But you have the freedom to decide whether to cook a lavish meal of salad, pot roast with potatoes, carrots, and onions finished off with homemade cheesecake or to simply grab some corn dogs out of the freezer and throw them in the oven. Either way, you have been a faithful mother by providing for your children.

In all our vocations, we remember that we are not worthy to do these good works, but God has called us to them. And in doing them, we join with God to do good in an evil world. Also, in doing them, God gives us the greatest joys.

When you have fed, bathed, swaddled, and finally gotten your infant to sleep, you stand over the crib in joy and peace that God has entrusted that little life to you. When you celebrate with your co-workers after that grueling, month-long project, God is blessing you and them with that happiness and sense of accomplishment. When you lay next to your spouse and fall asleep in their arms, you have comfort and peace of knowing that God has joined to you the bone of our bone and flesh of your flesh.

Will you fail in these vocations? Yes. You will sin and fall short of the calling that God has given you. But always remember, of all the vocations, all the callings which God has given you, the first, the primary, the most unchanging vocation God gives to you is your Baptism.

Abby, on this day of your Baptism, and all of you baptized believers here, remember this. Before anything you are a Baptized child of God. You belong to Him. He has placed His Name upon you. Jesus has joined you to Himself – joined to His death, buried you in His tomb, and raised you in His resurrection.

Where you lack, Jesus provides. Where you fail, Jesus fulfills. God will provide what you need as you carry your cross and follow after Him. You are His child. You belong to Him, and He is well-pleased with you. Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

*This sermon was preached on the occasion of the Baptism of Abigail McClintic.

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John 1:1-14

¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was in the beginning with God. ³ All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. ⁴ In him was life, and the life was the light of men. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

⁶ There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. ⁷ He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. ⁸ He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light.

⁹ The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. ¹⁰ He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. ¹¹ He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. ¹² But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, ¹³ who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

¹⁴ And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.

Grace, mercy, peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

The opening to John’s Gospel tells us the nativity story as a cosmic battle. John doesn’t tell us about Joseph or Mary. He doesn’t mention the shepherds and angels. He doesn’t even set the scene in Bethlehem. Instead, John tells us, “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God.”

It could have stayed that way, but because of our sin, because of our lies, because we decided to reject God in the Garden of Eden, it didn’t. Instead, the eternal, holy Word which was God, this Word became Flesh and dwelt among us.

You often see this verse over a picture of the nativity with animals, shepherds, angels, and Mary and Joseph all gathering around the Word made flesh, the divine Infant, lying in the manger. And that is fitting. But that is not the picture that John as gives it.

John’s view of the birth of Christ is holistic. John views the nativity in the perspective of the whole creation through all eternity. John says that the world which was created through this eternal Word made Flesh, did not recognize Him when He arrived. The Word made flesh came to His own, but His own did not receive Him.

God came to us just as He came to Adam and Eve in the Garden. And we reacted the same as they did when they hid themselves, shaking in fear because of their sin. They ran from God because they were under the delusion that He might not be good just as we did. But because they were His, God pursued them and restored them just as He did for us.

Even though we did not know Him, even though we did not receive Him, God remained merciful, gracious, faithful, and steadfast toward us.

Jesus, the Word made Flesh, came to His own. He endured our hatred and murder. He did not flinch from enduring the cross. He did this because you are His own and He was not willing to give you up.

To all who do receive Him, who believe in His Name – the name Jesus which means “Yahweh saves” – to them He gave the right to become children of God.

And so, dear Harper, today on the day of your Baptism, through the washing of water with the Word, you became a child of God. Harper, you became a child of God because He became a child of a woman. Harper, Jesus, your God and Savior, became Flesh and dwelt among us so that you and all your brothers and sisters in Christ could be His own, dear children.

Harper, you were born into the family of God today – born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

Harper, and all you saints here today, the Word became flesh and dwelt among us becoming our Life, our Light, and our Salvation. He has washed you clean. He has declared you forgiven. Your God has done all of this because He would not let you go.

You are His. He created you for Himself. And He has made you His child.

The Word became Flesh and dwelt among us full of grace and truth. And here, coming to us once again, is that same Word full of grace and truth. He comes now, not in a manger, but in bread and wine. He comes to you, His children, to feed you, to nourish you, to forgive you.

Rejoice! The Word became flesh. He has made you His child. The eternal God is among you to save you, forgive you, and make you His own today and for all eternity. Amen.

The peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Listen here.

Matthew 1:18-25

¹⁸ Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way.

When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. ¹⁹ And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. ²⁰ But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. ²¹ She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” ²² All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet:

²³   “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son,
and they shall call his name Immanuel”

(which means, God with us).

²⁴ When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, ²⁵ but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus.

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

If you have a nativity set, it is based on Luke’s account of Jesus’ birth. It has the stable, the manger, the shepherds, the animals. It has a Mary and Joseph bowing reverently toward the peaceful infant Christ. Your nativity set is not based on our text from Matthew 1 because nativity sets based on Matthew wouldn’t sell very well. A Matthew nativity set would have a Joseph figure wringing his hands over the divorce papers sitting on his table.

Joseph is in a mess. His legally-bound fiancé is pregnant, and Joseph knows that he is not the father. Joseph is a just man, a respectable man, an honorable man. It is very possible that Joseph had paid several years’ savings to become engaged to Mary. Legally, Joseph could have taken Mary into court and gotten his money back. Instead, Joseph resolves to quietly divorce her so she doesn’t get stoned for her apparent adultery. Joseph knows that this will bring him public shame and disgrace, but he is willing to do it anyway. Joseph is not willing to put Mary to shame.

Into that mess, God sends His angel to Joseph saying, “Do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She shall bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus for He will save His people from their sins.”

Notice two things about these words from the angel. First, God doesn’t command Joseph to marry her. God simply says, “Do not fear to take her as your wife.” Joseph could still have gone through with his plan of quietly divorcing Mary. God simply reassures Joseph that Mary had not been unfaithful – no matter what the gossips of Nazareth said. This means that Joseph willingly takes up the cross of caring for the Son of God and His mother.

Second, the Child Mary is carrying is a Son. His name shall be Jesus, which means Yahweh saves. This Baby will save God’s people from their sins. Matthew tells us that this is all to fulfill what was spoken in Isaiah, “Behold the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means God with us). Those two names together are so beautiful. Immanuel = God with us. And Jesus = Yahweh saves. God with us not to condemn, destroy, or punish us. God with us to save us from our sins. This beautiful name is God’s wonderful promise to which Joseph will cling for the rest of his life.

So Joseph does take Mary to be his wife. He becomes the guardian and provider of Mary and of Jesus. And in doing so, Joseph lived a life filled with suffering.

Unfortunately, the truth doesn’t stop the gossips. When Joseph brought his desperately pregnant wife to Bethlehem for the census, none of his relatives or friends were willing to take them in for fear that they would share their shame. From there, Joseph and his family were forced into exile in Egypt. But even when they returned home, Joseph probably heard people whispering about him and his wife and their Son the rest of his life. The rumor mill is always running.

Yet Joseph endured all of that suffering and shame because of God’s promise. And Joseph clung to that promise that this Child, entrusted into his care, would save him from his sins.

Whatever suffering, whatever pain, whatever hardship comes your way, endure it. Take strength in God’s promise that He is with you in Jesus to save you from your sins. That is the central truth of the Incarnation. That is the meaning of Christmas.

Jesus. Immanuel. God is with you to save you from your sins. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Listen here.

Matthew 11:2-15

² Now when John heard in prison about the deeds of the Christ, he sent word by his disciples ³ and said to him, “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” ⁴ And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: ⁵ the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. ⁶ And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.”

⁷ As they went away, Jesus began to speak to the crowds concerning John: “What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed shaken by the wind? ⁸ What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothing? Behold, those who wear soft clothing are in kings’ houses. ⁹ What then did you go out to see? A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. ¹⁰ This is he of whom it is written,

“‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way before you.’

¹¹ Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. ¹² From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. ¹³ For all the Prophets and the Law prophesied until John, ¹⁴ and if you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah who is to come. ¹⁵ He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

John preached that Jesus is coming, that the reign of God is at hand, that God is about to act. John pointed at Jesus and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” This is all exciting news – a cause for rejoicing. What God had promised right after the Fall into sin – that the seed of the woman would crush the serpent’s head – it’s finally happening. That promise, the one that God continued to make and expand for centuries and millennia, is finally being realized.

This is more unique than the Cubs winning the World Series or the Vikings winning the Super Bowl. Start dancing in the streets. Throw a parade. But, hang on, we’d better wait. Before we start blowing the confetti and popping the champagne corks, look – there in prison, in Herod’s dungeon – there sits John the Baptizer. We should probably wait for him.

John hears about what Jesus is doing, but he isn’t free to witness it himself. John hears what Jesus is doing, and as great as all of that is, it’s hard to be too happy about it when you are sitting in a dank, dark prison. So, John sends his disciples to ask Jesus, “Are You the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?”

Now, there are two ways to look at the motive behind John’s question, and they both center around the question, “Who is doubting?” Is it John or his disciples?”

In our Old Testament lesson (Is. 35:1-10), God promises that the Messiah would come with vengeance and save His people. God had also promised that when the Christ came, those in prison would be released (Is. 42:7). So John might be asking this question because he is in prison. So, maybe, Jesus isn’t really the Messiah. John may be the one doubting. Others think that John is sending his disciples to Jesus because they are doubting because John, their beloved teacher, is still in prison.

Either way, it doesn’t matter who is doubting. Either John or his disciples are offended by Jesus. Jesus is offending some because it looks like Jesus either doesn’t care that John is still in prison, or that Jesus can’t do anything about it.

So today, this text should cause us to ask ourselves, “Does Jesus offend me?”

We know the answer to that question should be a resounding, “No.” We aren’t supposed to wrestle with doubt. We aren’t supposed to let the messes in our lives cause us to question Jesus and His promises to us. But, be honest, we all do. We all struggle with doubts and are offended by Jesus when our life doesn’t match up with what we have heard in His promises.

So, what do you do when the messes of your life are all you can see? What do you do when you lie awake at night full of anxiety because the demons in your mind will not be quiet? What do you do when you lose your job, when your spouse dies, when your kids abandon the faith and turn their back on God? What do you do when the doctors run all sorts of tests and still can’t tell you what is wrong with your body?

What do you do when Jesus lets you down? What do you do when you cannot pray because Jesus has seemed to fail you? What do you do when Jesus doesn’t bust you out of the prison of suffering and doubt, and it looks like He has left you there to rot? What do you do when Jesus becomes offensive?

Frist, and most importantly, don’t hide your doubts. Don’t simply go through the motions of what you think a Christian should do. Don’t project your anger at Jesus toward others. Drop your pretenses. Just be honest about how you are angry at Jesus.

Instead, listen to the word that Jesus sends to John. “The blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by Me.”

Even though Jesus didn’t restore sight to every pair of blind eyes on earth during His ministry, in healing the ones that He did, He showed that He is the Son of God to bring healing to this fallen world.

Even though Jesus didn’t cleanse every leper and exorcise every demon in the world during His ministry, by cleansing those that He did, He revealed that He has the power and authority to remove the uncleanness of your sin and cast out your evil by the word of His forgiveness and absolution.

And even though Jesus didn’t tear down the walls of John’s prison, He did tear down the walls of the devil and the walls of condemnation when He went to the cross. There, on that cross, Jesus became the Messiah who took your condemnation and clothed you in His forgiveness. Jesus wasn’t maybe the Messiah you wanted, but He proved Himself to be the Messiah you needed.

On the cross, Jesus proved Himself to be the Messiah who has made you eternally whole, eternally clean, and eternally holy. And at the empty tomb, Jesus proved Himself to be the Messiah who perfectly did the Father’s will. He laid down His life and picked it back up again so that you can have eternal life with Him forever and ever.

When you are offended by Jesus, remember, that in the cross and the empty tomb, He has defeated all your doubts, all your afflictions, and all your diseases.

The Scriptures don’t tell us why God removes the afflictions of some but not others. But what we do know from the Scriptures is that Jesus is coming again to make all things new.

Jesus didn’t tear down the walls of John’s prison. Instead, in His eternal wisdom, God allowed John to be beheaded. But when Jesus returns, He will place John’s head back on his shoulders and John will live eternally with his Messiah. And just as Jesus has done this for John, He has done it for you. “Be strong; fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance with the recompense of God. He will come and save you” (Is. 35:4). Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Listen here.

Matthew 3:1-12

¹ In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, ² “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” ³ For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
make his paths straight.’”

⁴ Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵ Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, ⁶ and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

⁷ But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸ Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. ⁹ And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. ¹⁰ Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

¹¹ “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. ¹² His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

You didn’t think you would get through Advent without hearing from John the Baptizer, did you? God promised to send His messenger preparing the way before Him. Well, here he is – proclaiming the coming of the King, removing every obstacle, and making every path straight. The leveling and excavating is under way.

They say, “You are what you eat.” John’s diet of locusts has a locust effect, but John’s diet of honey also has a sweet effect too. John preaches, “Repent. Repent for the reign of heaven is at hand.”

Scripturally, the call to repent is much more than we often think it is. So, here is the broadest definition I can give to the command, “Repent,” ready?

Repentance is believing what God says about your sin. God says two things about your sin. First, God says that your sin separates you from Him, that your sin is punishable, that your sin is damnable. But God also says that your sin is forgiven because of what Christ has done.

Because we are sinners, we mostly think of the first part of repentance.

Repent. Turn around. Repent. Stop doing what you were doing – living by the desires of your flesh. Repent. Everything that you are pursuing, everything that you think is so important, everything that the world chases after, it will all be thrown into the fire and consumed. Repent. You cannot find paradise and peace with God by searching. Repent. Bad trees do not and cannot bear good fruit. Repent.

As sinners, none of us want to hear this. We would rather move beyond this message of repentance. We get tired of being hacked at and chopped away by the Law. But, in this life, you never move beyond your need for the Law because you never stop sinning.

You need God’s Law to continue its work in you because as the axe of the Law flies, we are all driven, we are toppled to lean on Christ and the mercy of God.

This is the second, and most important part of repentance. Repentance, turning away from trust in yourself and your own works and efforts leads you to trust in what Jesus has done for you.

Through the Gospel, the Holy Spirit creates faith in you so that you turn away from your sin and to God’s mercy. And God’s mercy knows no end because of the holy, innocent, and bitter sufferings of Jesus.

God hasn’t unleashed the full fury the axe of the Law to damn and destroy you in your sin. Instead, God chipped, swung, and hacked all of His wrath on Jesus.  The very Jesus who is the Lamb of God that John points you to – the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world (Jn. 1:29). This very Jesus is the one who is the propitiation for your sins and the sins of the whole world (1 Jn. 2:2). This very Jesus is the one who knew no sin but became sin for you (2 Cor. 5:21).

The voice of John still cries out in the wilderness because it cries to you who are in the wilderness of your sin.

Sinner, you are the bad tree who bears bad, rotten fruit which is really no fruit at all. But because you believe in Christ, you are now the tree that bears the fruit of the Spirit. You receive what God gives to you. You now bear the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.

Brothers and sisters, repent. Believe what God says about your sins. Believe that your sins are evil and damnable. But don’t stop there. Believe that what Jesus has done is for you. Believe that Jesus suffered God’s wrath, punishment, and damnation in your place. And let that repentance cause you to bear fruit. Fruit of love toward God and love for your neighbor.

Let the axe of the Law fly. Jesus has suffered in your place. Let the axe fly. Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Listen here.

Matthew 21:1-11

¹ Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, ² saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. ³ If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” ⁴ This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying,

⁵   “Say to the daughter of Zion,

‘Behold, your king is coming to you,
humble, and mounted on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”

⁶ The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. ⁷ They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. ⁸ Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. ⁹ And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting,

“Hosanna to the Son of David!

Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
Hosanna in the highest!”

¹⁰ And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” ¹¹ And the crowds were saying, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”

Grace, mercy, and peace to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Jesus didn’t tell His disciples to find a chariot and a mighty war horse to chauffeur Him into Jerusalem. He could have, but He didn’t. Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem was not a red-carpet event. He didn’t make His way on top of a long runner of fine, royal fabric. Again, He could have, but He didn’t. Instead, Jesus told the disciples to find a donkey and a colt – common beasts for common, poor people. And your Savior entered Jerusalem passing over the cloaks of the people who welcomed Him and over the palm branches they found nearby.

Imagine the equivalent today: Imagine the president not riding in black, fancy, armored limos and SUV’s but in a baby-blue ’98 Malibu surrounded by a fleet Impalas. Imagine that on Inauguration Day, the dais wasn’t covered in red carpet but ln a layer of flannel shirts and raked up leaves. You would think that the country full of poor, backwards yokels.

When Jesus rode into Jerusalem as King, He came in humility but not because His kingdom is humble and lowly. Jesus came humbly because He wants you to know that His kingdom is for the humble and lowly.

See what kind of God you have. Your God is not an engineer who creates the world, sets it in motion, and leaves it to spin itself out of control. No. Instead, your God is a gardener who tills, fertilizes, and prunes. Your God is a shepherd who tends, leads, feeds, protects, and searches. Your God is a loving Father doting on you, delighting in you, caring for every one of your needs, and knowing every hair on your head.

You do not need to get your God’s attention with your works and efforts, you already have God’s attention. He knows every one of your needs, and He does something about it.

This first Sunday of the Church year, this first Sunday of Advent, we are preparing ourselves for the coming of our Savior. And it is fitting that we read about Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday. Advent isn’t just about getting ready to meet the baby Jesus in a manger. Instead, we are getting ready to meet the crucified and risen Lord who humbly rode on a donkey into Jerusalem to die but who also rode out of Joseph’s tomb alive (Rev. D. Petersen).

Though Jesus is divinely powerful, though He commands the entirety of the heavenly host, though you have sinned against Him and disobeyed Him, and though you have run after other false gods, Jesus is not coming as Judge. Instead He is coming humbly and gently. He is seeking you and your salvation because, despite your unworthiness, He has deemed you worthy to be part of His kingdom. This same Jesus will arrive again in glory and power to judge the living and the dead. But, today, He still comes humbly, gently, lowly, and with grace through His Word and in Baptism.

Dear Eleanor and Greta,

Today is a day to celebrate and be glad. You have been adopted into a loving, caring family. Your parents have chosen you to be their children. You have the unique privilege of never having to wonder if your parents wanted you or not. You will always know that your parents have intentionally brought you into your family and have promised to care for you and love you.

Eleanor and Greta, what your parents have done is a small picture of what your God has done for you today. Though you were sinners, though you were in open rebellion against Him, your God has come to you. He has washed away your sins. He has placed His name on you, and He now calls you His beloved child. He has brought you into His family and promises to be your loving Father today and for all eternity.

Dear Eleanor, Greta, and all you Baptized children of God,

God the Father who created the heavens and the earth; God the Son who has purchased and redeemed you with His holy and precious blood; and God the Holy Spirit who calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies you; does not think of you as someone who is unworthy. Instead, your God looks at you in the midst of your lowliness, and says, “Though the world may not value you, I do. You will always have a place in My kingdom.”

Dear saints, though you have nothing to offer God, though you are unimportant in the eyes of the world, and even though the world looks at you and thinks that you could be replaced by any other body, this is not what your God thinks about you. The God who entered Jerusalem that Palm Sunday does not think about you that way.

Instead, your God and Savior looks at you and says, Though the world may not value you, I do. You are the reason I wanted to have a kingdom in the first place. Therefore, you will always have a place in My kingdom for eternity (Rev. H. Fiene). Amen.

The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.