The light of Christ shines in the Church

Posted on January 6, 2014 by Rev. Paul Rydecki

Sermon for the Epiphany of Our Lord

Isaiah 49:1-7  +  Isaiah 60:1-6  +  Matthew 2:1-12

Now.  Now, after Christmas is over and all the decorations are put away, it’s time to go back to Bethlehem one last time for the Epiphany—the appearance, the revealing, the manifestation of Jesus to the wise men.  The visit of the wise men is full of mystery and wonder.  Who were these magi?  From what nation did these Gentiles come? How many were there? And how did they know to mark the birth of the King of the Jews by a certain star?   And who told them that the King of the Jews was any concern of theirs? We can’t be certain about those things; the Holy Spirit chose not to reveal them, chose to focus on other things, more important things, like, what is the significance of the wise men’s visit?  What does it prove?  What does it matter?

It matters very much, especially to us Gentiles, because it proves that what God had said through the Prophet Isaiah was already beginning to come true in Jesus’ infancy.  A glorious light had arisen in Israel at the birth of Christ, a light that was intended to break the darkness of both Jew and Gentile as the Light of Christ shines into all the world, and Christ is revealed as the Savior of all.

Arise, God cries out to Israel. Shine! For your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you… the LORD will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you.  The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.  Now, just as Jesus’ spiritual healing of sinners is pictured by means of His physical healing of the sick, so, too, the spiritual light of Christ is pictured by means of the physical light of a star, or, some bright object in the night sky.  God made a real light appear in the sky to herald the birth of His Son, who is the Light of the world.  Through Isaiah, God had identified the Messiah as His Servant Israel, who was sent to save Israel.  We heard about that yesterday morning a little bit.  But through Isaiah, we also heard this evening that it wasn’t enough for God to have Christ save the Jews only.  That was too small a thing.  So He sent Him to be a light to the Gentiles.  And somehow, some way, maybe through Isaiah’s prophecy, God made it known to the Gentile wise men that the star they saw in the East signaled the birth of the King of the Jews, and that the King of the Jews was born for them, too.

So they packed up their gifts and prepared their rations and made the long journey.  They probably didn’t have the star to guide them most of the way, but that was OK.  They saw it when it first rose in the sky and they knew where to go—to the land of Judea, the land of the Jews.  And naturally, they went to Jerusalem, the capital city and the home of kings.  Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.

It says that When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.  Now, isn’t that something! Foreigners, Gentiles, non-Jews notice the sign of the birth of the King of the Jews and are so excited about it they travel hundreds of miles to worship Him.  When the Jews hear about it, they’re troubled. And so it would go throughout Jesus’ life, to the point that, after the Jews crucified Him, the Gospel was still taken first to the Jews, and was still rejected by most of them, while many of the Gentiles welcomed the Gospel with open arms.  It’s as God said through Isaiah in chapter 49, Thus says the LORD, the Redeemer of Israel, their Holy One, to Him whom man despises, to Him whom the nation abhors, to the Servant of rulers: “Kings shall see and arise, princes also shall worship, because of the LORD who is faithful.

There’s a continual warning in that for us in the Christian Church.  Those who are surrounded by the Gospel for a long time, like the Jews were, can eventually become tired of it and grow apathetic toward it, and even become opposed to it.  It’s not a matter of lacking knowledge, either. The priests and scribes knew the prophecies of Scripture. They were able to direct the wise men to Bethlehem as the birthplace of the Messiah.  They knew the Scriptures, but they no longer acknowledged their deep need for the Christ to save them from their sins. May God always guard us from getting so “used to” the Gospel of Christ that we take it for granted.

As soon as the wise men heard that the Scriptures revealed Bethlehem as the King’s birthplace, they believed and started on their way again. And now, it says, the star showed up again and pointed them to the very house where Jesus was—definitely not a normal star.  Why didn’t the Jews notice such a strange sight—a light in the sky pointing to a house? Well, maybe they were unable to see it.  The light of Christ blinds those who think they can see already and opens the eyes of those who sit in darkness. The wise men believed in Christ and so were given all the light they needed to find Him where He was, and they rejoiced exceedingly.

They fell down and worshiped the Baby.  They offered precious gifts—gold and frankincense and myrrh.  As Isaiah said,  They shall bring gold and incense, and they shall proclaim the praises of the LORD. And that was it.

It’s a simple story, isn’t it?  Not hard to understand—if you pay attention to the prophecies about the Christ, like the ones we heard from Isaiah, and take them to heart. Christ was born for all men, Jews and Gentiles, because all are sinners, both Jews and Gentiles.  Christ died for all men, shed His blood for all men, and calls all men to Himself as the Savior and Redeemer of sinners.

How does He call?  He sends forth His Light and His Truth.  And what is His Light?  His Light is His Word. How does He send it out?  Through the Church and her ministry.  God the Father has caused the Light of His Son, Jesus, to shine to all nations by the working of His Spirit in the Word.

To where specifically does He call us? He calls us to actual churches, throughout the world, to hear actual preachers proclaim His Word in truth and purity.  Here He calls us to repentance and faith in His Son. And once He has called us through the Word, He calls us again to very specific places—to the Sacraments, to real water and a real Meal on the altar, to the real Absolution of Christ spoken by an ordained pastor to individuals.  This is where His light leads us, to find Christ here in His Sacraments, to have our faith strengthened here, to receive salvation from Christ here, which is the true Christian worship of the King.

Here He also sanctifies us and makes us kings and priests, who are given the privilege of offering gifts more precious to God than gold, frankincense and myrrh. As St. Peter says, You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy.

Here in the Church we offer ourselves to God as living sacrifices.  Yes, the gold—the money—you put in the offering plate is part of it, but only as a token of your whole self.  All your works of service to your neighbor in accordance with the Word of Christ are offerings to the King. Every deed of service and love as a husband, wife, son, daughter.  Every attitude of respect and honor toward parents, toward authorities.  Faithful, hard work at your job.  Honest and fair treatment of your employees.  Helping your neighbor in his or her need. Your songs of praise. Your time spent in God’s Word. God has sanctified all these things for the members of His Church.  All are acceptable and pleasing in God’s sight, being cleansed by faith.

Isaiah prophesied to Israel, Your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be nursed at your side.  Brothers and sisters in Christ Jesus, you are the sons and daughters who have come from afar, not to the land of Israel, but to the House of Israel, to the Head of Israel, which is Christ, to the New Jerusalem, to the Church of the living God.  You are the ones who now bring gold and incense and proclaim the praises of the Lord.

That’s why we celebrate Epiphany.  The Light of Christ went out from Israel already at the time of His birth, and it has been going out through the Church ever since, reaching you and me in our time and place.  Epiphany is a celebration of God’s grace that has brought the Light of Christ to us Gentiles, bringing us into the house of Israel.  In the words of Isaiah, O house of Jacob, come and let us walk in the light of the Lord! A blessed Epiphany to you! Amen.

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Christ is saved to be our Savior

Posted on January 5, 2014 by Rev. Paul Rydecki

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Sermon for the Sunday after New Year

Isaiah 42:1-9  +  1 Peter 4:12-19  +  Matthew 2:13-23

I know you’re anxious to hear again the story of the Magi—the wise men from the East who followed the star to where baby Jesus was so that they could worship Him and present their gifts to the newborn King.  So make sure you come tomorrow evening for our Epiphany service and hear again the joy and the wonder and the meaning of their visit.  Today’s Gospel transports us to a time soon after the wise men left. It’s a story of divine protection, but also of diabolical evil, and great human wickedness.  The flight of the holy family to Egypt.  The massacre of the children of Bethlehem—the “holy innocents,” as they’re sometimes called. And the return of the holy family to Nazareth.

King Herod, you remember, had commissioned the wise men to come back to him and report the exact whereabouts of the newborn “King of the Jews” so that Herod could “go and worship Him.”  But Herod had lied.  He was afraid that the newborn Christ would threaten his kingdom, so he was plotting an execution.  But an angel had warned the wise men to avoid Herod on their way back.  Of course, he would eventually figure out that they had snuck out of Judea, and then his wrath would turn toward Bethlehem. So an angel warned Joseph in a dream, Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.

There is divine providence at work. God knows the evil intentions of wicked men and He is able to save His children out of their hands.  As Revelation 12 paints the picture for us, the devil stood like a dragon at the birth of Christ, hoping to devour Him as soon as He was born.  But the Father rescued His Son from the devil’s grasp, and He used Jesus’ earthly father Joseph to do it.

When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, and was there until the death of Herod.  Godly Joseph wasted no time.  He didn’t stop to doubt the Lord’s Word, or to worry about how they would be provided for in a foreign country.  He didn’t argue with the Lord, “Why don’t You just kick Herod off his throne so he can’t hurt us anymore?” He just got up and did everything in his power to protect Jesus, trusting the Lord’s Word and obeying the Lord’s command.

And Matthew tells us that this was a fulfillment of what the Lord had said through the prophet Hosea hundreds of years earlier, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”  The whole verse from Hosea says, “When Israel was a child, I loved him, And out of Egypt I called My son.”  Later, when the Jews would deny that Jesus was the Son of God, they might have pointed to a passage like this from Hosea and say, “See!  Jesus can’t be the Son of God. It says in Scripture that God called His son out of Egypt. But Jesus has never been called out of Egypt. Therefore, Jesus can’t be the Son of God.”  But down to every last detail, God made sure that every prophecy would be fulfilled in Jesus, including this one, so that man is without excuse when he rejects Jesus as the Christ.

More than that, in Hosea God was talking about Israel, how Israel was God’s son, in a sense, and how God had rescued the young nation of Israel from the famine in Canaan by sending Jacob to live in Egypt for awhile. And eventually, God called Israel out of Egypt and brought them into the land of Canaan.  The problem was, as God continues through Hosea, that after God called Israel out of Egypt, Israel, for the most part, proved faithless. “They sacrificed to the Baals, And burned incense to carved images.”

But now Matthew says that Jesus is the fulfillment of Hosea’s prophecy, the true Israel who is God’s Son, not “in some sense,” but properly and from eternity.  Jesus is to the rest of Israel as the head is to the body.  But where Israel failed, Jesus would succeed.  Where Israel complained and disobeyed God for 40 years wandering in the wilderness, Jesus would never complain and would obey God throughout 40 days of temptation in the wilderness. Where Israel doubted and disbelieved and rejected God’s Word, Jesus remained the Righteous One, and so became the Savior of Israel, just as St. Paul says in Ephesians 5 that Christ is the Head of the body, the Church, and its Savior.  All the grace of God that was shown to the people of Israel was for the sake of Christ, the Head of Israel, so that all who are joined to Christ by faith receive grace and mercy and every benefit that Christ has earned for them, even eternal life.

But the benefits of Christ that He offers to the world hadn’t been earned just yet—not when He was a baby.  If Herod had been successful at getting rid of baby Jesus, then there would have been no crucifixion, no New Testament in the blood of Christ. So God protected the Christ-Child so that the Christ-Child could grow up and die at the right time, so that He might bear the sins of all the wicked, including yours and mine, and save us from our sins through faith in His name.

It wasn’t Jesus’ hour to die yet, but it was the hour for the baby boys of Bethlehem. Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. What evil is this!  What utter madness! For a king to target innocent children and slaughter them, all in his rage against baby Jesus.  Such is the devil’s hatred of Jesus, the Head of Israel, and such is his hatred of the body of Israel, too, of all those who are connected to Christ.

Matthew speaks of this as a fulfillment of Jeremiah’s prophecy about Rachel mourning for her children.  Rachel was the wife of Israel, of Jacob, who died in childbirth near Bethlehem almost 2,000 years before Jesus was born. Her mourning for her children is a symbol of the suffering of the Israelites, of the murder of these innocent children in Bethlehem, and really, of the persecution of the Church in every age.

But the thing is with Rachel, she dies in childbirth.  She dies in mourning and despair.  She doesn’t see any good. She thinks all is lost. What good is there in the world when innocent children can be slaughtered by a vengeful king—or slaughtered in the womb by a depraved society like ours that has embraced wickedness and death?

But all is not lost.  If Jesus is a Messiah for this life only, then He is a failure from the time of His birth.  If His kingdom is of this world, then He is a not a King worth having.  Or, as St. Paul says, If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men the most pitiable.  But now Christ is risen from the dead, and has become the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep.  The children of Bethlehem were members of Christ.  They were Israelites, surrounded by the faith-creating Word of God.  The righteousness of faith was sealed to them in the Sacrament of circumcision on the 8th day, just as Jesus had been circumcised on the 8th day.  They were united to Christ, and so they were saved, not for this world, but for the next.  For as wicked as Herod’s actions were, God turned it into good for those children, and for His Son Jesus.

Yes, at that time the children of Bethlehem suffered and died while Jesus was saved. But He was only saved for a time, so that He could grow up and suffer and die, as they did, at the hands of wicked men.  But with His suffering, He would purchase their salvation.  With His death, He would actually conquer death for those children of Bethlehem and for all who believe in Him.  As the members of Christ’s body suffer and die, so the Head also suffered and died.  As the Head rose from the dead, so the members, too, will rise to new life.

As for the wicked and unbelieving, they will swiftly see their end. God sees to it that their days fade away and they are no more.  History says that Herod died not long after this massacre, and that his death was a painful and wretched one.  The wicked perish, but God’s Son, the Head, and the members of His Body live forever.

After Herod died, God sent word to Joseph again. Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who sought the young Child’s life are dead.  Time to go back to Israel. The Child has work to do there.  If He is going to be the Head of Israel, He has to grow up in Israel.  If He is going to save Israel, He has a Law to obey, a Temple to visit, a ministry to perform, a cross to take up, and a death to die. All in good time.

Joseph, again the vigilant father, listened to God’s Word and did nothing without God’s direction, even in choosing the town where the family would live. To Nazareth they went, surely not intending to fulfill prophecy, but fulfilling it nonetheless. And he came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”

“Spoken by the prophets,” it says.  There is no single Old Testament prophet who wrote these words.  It may be a reference to Nazareth being a despised village from which nothing good can come, as Nathanael would later say when he heard that Jesus was from there.  There are plenty of Old Testament references to the Messiah being despised.  But more likely it’s a reference to the Hebrew word nazer, which means, Branch.  Just last week you heard the prophecy of Isaiah,     There shall come forth a Rod from the stem of Jesse, And a Branch (a nazer) shall grow out of his roots.  Here He is, the Branch who grew from the stem of Jesse—the seed of David who would grow up to be the Savior of all.  Isn’t it ironic that this name “of Nazareth” should follow the Seed of David throughout His whole life, from the time of His first persecution by King Herod and right up to His death on the cross, where that inscription was written above His head, “Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews”?

King of the Jews, indeed, and of all who put their trust in Him. This world is still full of evil, and God’s people—the body of Christ—are still under attack from the devil and from the world.  The massacre of the righteous still isn’t over. But God’s ways are perfect, and His timing is just right. We don’t see His whole plan.  But we do see Jesus, saved as a young Child in order to be our Savior. For now, as St. Peter said, rejoice to the extent that you partake of Christ’s sufferings, that when His glory is revealed, you may also be glad with exceeding joy. Amen.

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Luther Sermon for Epiphany 1

Posted on January 3, 2014 by Rev. Paul Rydecki

SERMON FOR THE FIRST SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY

This sermon appeared in the editions of Luther’s works in 1528 and 1540, and in the complete Wittenberg Edition of 1563 , volume 4, fol. 487 ff.; also in the Eisleben supplementary volumes, volume 1, fol. 140 ff. It also appeared four times in pamphlet form during the year 1523. The first time under the title: “A Sermon on the Gospel of Luke, 2 chapter. On the Sunday after the day of the Three Holy Kings; in which is set forth how they fare who are true Christians; also how we are to seek Christ only in the Temple, that is, in the divine Scriptures. Doctor Martin Luther.

Preached in Wittenberg, 1523.

TEXT: Luke 2:41-52 (KJV)

AN EXAMPLE OF THE CROSS AND OF CONSOLATION UNDER THE CROSS.

I. AN EXAMPLE OF THE CROSS.

OR SANCTIFIED SUFFERING.

1. This is a Gospel that presents to us an example of the holy cross, showing us through what experiences those have to pass who are Christians, and how they ought to bear their sorrow. For he who desires to be a Christian must expect to help bear the cross. For God will place him between the spurs and thoroughly test him that he may be humble and no one will come to Christ without suffering. Of this we have here an example, which we ought to imitate and shall now consider.

2. Although the holy mother Mary, who was highly blessed and upon whom many favors were bestowed, had undoubtedly the greatest delight in her child, yet the Lord so ruled that her joy was not without sorrow and like all others she did not attain complete blessedness until she entered heaven. For this reason she had to suffer so much sorrow, pain and anguish on earth. It was her first great sorrow that she had to give birth to her child in Bethlehem, in a strange town, where she found no room with her babe except in a stable. Then her second sad experience was that soon after the six weeks of her purification she was compelled to flee with her child into Egypt, a strange country, which was indeed a poor consolation. She undoubtedly experienced many more like trials, which have not been recorded.

3. One of them is related here, when her son caused her so much anxiety, by tarrying behind in the temple and letting her seek him so long, and she could not find him. This alarmed and grieved her so that she almost despaired, as her words indicate: “Behold, thy father and I, sought thee sorrowing.” For we may well imagine that thoughts like these may have passed through her mind: “Behold this child is only mine, this I know very well, and I know that God has entrusted him to me and commanded me to take care of him; why is it then that he is taken from me? It is my fault, for I have not sufficiently taken care of him and guarded him. Perhaps God does not deem me worthy to watch over this child and will take him from me again.” She was undoubtedly greatly frightened and her heart trembled and was filled with grief.

4. Here you see what she experienced. Although she is the mother of a child in whom she might have gloried before all mothers, and although her joy was immeasurably greater than any she had ever felt, yet you perceive how God deprives her of all happiness, in that she can no longer call herself the mother of Jesus. In her great dismay she probably wished, she had never known her child and was tempted to greater sins than any mother had ever committed.

5. In the same manner the Lord our God can take from us our joy and comfort, if he so desires, and cause us the greatest sorrow with the very things that are our greatest joy, and, on the other hand, give us the greatest delight in the things that terrify us most. For it was the greatest joy of Mary that she was the mother of this child, but now he has become the cause of her greatest sorrow. Thus we are afraid of nothing more than of sin and death, yet God can comfort us so that we may boast, as St. Paul says in Romans 7, that sin served to the end that we became justified and that we longed for death and desire to die.

6. The great sorrow of the mother of Christ, who was deprived of her child, came upon her in order that even her trust in God might be taken from her. For she had reason to fear that God was angry with her and would no longer have her to be the mother of his Son. Nobody will understand what she suffered who has not passed through similar experiences. Therefore we should apply this example to ourselves, for it was not recorded for her sake, but for our benefit. She is now at the end of her sorrows; therefore we should profit by her example and be prepared to bear our sorrow if a similar affliction befall us.

7. When God vouchsafes to us a strong faith and a firm trust in him, so that we are assured he is our gracious God and we can depend upon him, then we are in paradise. But when God permits our hearts to be discouraged and we believe that he takes from us Christ our Lord; when our conscience feels that we have lost him and amidst trembling and despair our confidence is gone, then we are truly in misery and distress. For even if we are not conscious of any special sin, yet in such a condition we tremble and doubt whether God still cares for us; just as Mary here doubts and knows not whether God still deems her worthy to be the mother of his Son. Our heart thinks in the time of trial thus: God has indeed given me a strong faith, but perhaps he will take it from me and will no longer want me as his child. Only strong minds can endure such temptations and there are not many people whom God tests to this degree. Yet we must be prepared, so that we may not despair if such trials should come upon us.

8. We find many examples of this in the Scriptures, as for instance in Joshua 7:6-7. God had given to Joshua great and strong promises, telling him that he would exterminate the heathen and charging him to attack his enemies courageously and vigorously, which he also did. But what happened? When his faith was strong he,sent three thousand men against a city to take it. They were proud, seeing that it was a small city with only a few people to defend it. When the men of Israel approached, the enemy sallied forth from the city and defeated the people. Then Joshua fell to the earth upon his face before the ark of Jehovah until the evening, lifting up his voice and lamenting before God, saying: “Alas, O Lord Jehovah, wherefore hast thou at all brought this people over the Jordan, to deliver us into the hand of the Amorites, to cause us to perish?” His faith had become weak and he was utterly discouraged, so that God himself had to raise him up again. Thus God deals with his great saints, whom he sometimes deprives of Christ, that is, of their faith and confidence.

9. But God does all this out of his superabundant grace and goodness in order that we might perceive on every hand how kindly and lovingly the Father deals with us and tries us, so that our faith may be developed and become continually stronger and stronger. And he does this especially so as to guard his children against a twofold danger which might otherwise threaten them. In the first place, being strong in their own mind and arrogant, they might ultimately depend upon themselves and believe they are able to accomplish everything in their own strength. For this reason God sometimes permits their faith to grow weak and to be prostrated, so that they might see who they are and be forced to confess: Even if I would believe, I cannot. Thus the omnipotent God humbles his saints and keeps them in their true knowledge. For nature and reason will always boast of the gifts of God and depend upon them. Therefore God must lead us to a recognition of the fact that it is he who puts faith in our heart and that we cannot produce it ourselves. Thus the fear of God and trust in him must not be separated from one another, for we need them both, in order that we may not become presumptuous and overconfident, depending upon ourselves. This is one of the reasons why God leads his saints through such great trials.

10. Another reason is, that he wants to give us an example. For if in the Scriptures we had no examples of saints who passed through the same experiences, we should be unable to bear our trials and would imagine that we alone are thus afflicted, that God never dealt with any one in this manner; therefore my suffering must be a sign of God’s displeasure with me. But when we see that the Virgin Mary and other saints have also suffered, we are thereby comforted and need not despair, for their example shows that we should calmly and patiently wait until God comes and strengthens us.

11. We find many examples of similar trials in the Scriptures, and here we might refer to the words of David in Psalm 31:22: “As for me, I said in my haste, I am cut off from before thine eyes,” just as we sometimes think that God does not want us. Such trials are unendurable and severe beyond measure, wherefore the saints passing through them lament greatly, for if God would not deliver them they would be in hell. Compared with these trials other temptations and sorrows are trivial, as for instance when our possessions and honors are taken from us, or when the innocent babes were murdered and Jesus was forced to flee into Egypt. The prophet speaks of this in Psalm 94:17: “Unless Jehovah had been my help, my soul had soon dwelt in silence.” So great is the terror and anguish of such visitations. But God permitted them that we might lay hold of these examples, be comforted and saved from despair. At the end of our lives we must also pass through like trials. Therefore we must be armed and prepared for them.

II. AN EXAMPLE OF COMFORT UNDER THE CROSS.

12. Such is the narrative and example of the great sorrow as it is portrayed in this Gospel, but we are also shown where comfort may be found. The parents of Jesus lost him, going a day’s journey and seeking for him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance, but found him not. They return to Jerusalem and after a search of three days he is found by them in the temple. Here God has pointed out how we can find consolation and strength in all our sorrows, and especially in these great trials, and how we can find Christ the Lord, namely by seeking him in the temple. Jesus said to his parents: “Knew ye not that I must be in my Father’s house?”

13. The words of Luke “and they understood not the saying which he spake unto them” are especially to be noted here. With these words he silenced the idle talk of those who exalted and praised the Virgin Mary too highly, asserting that she knew everything and could not err. For you see here how the Lord permits her to seek her child for a long time in vain, till she finds him in the temple after three days. In addition to this, Jesus seems to reprimand her when he says: “How is it that ye sought me? knew ye not that I must be in my Father’s house?” She understood not the saying which he spake to her. Consequently all the idle talk to which we have referred is nothing but falsehood, and the Virgin Mary does not need this fabricated and mendacious praise. God concealed much from her and led her through many trials, so that she might remain humble and not think herself better than others.

14. But the consolation of which I have spoken is that Christ is only found in the temple, that is to say in the house of God. But what is the house of God? Is it not the whole creation? It is indeed true that God is everywhere, but he is especially present in the Holy Scriptures, in his Word, more than anywhere else. We learn therefore here that nobody can presume to derive any comfort from anything but the Word of God; you will find the Son only in the temple. Now look at the mother of Jesus who does not yet understand this and does not know that she must seek for him in the temple. When she sought for him among their kinsfolk and acquaintance, and not at the right place, she did not find him.

15. Therefore I have often said and say again, that in the Christian church nothing should be preached but the pure Word of God. With this the Gospel agrees when it says that they did not find the Lord among their kinsfolk and acquaintance. It is therefore wrong to say that we must believe what the councils have decreed, or what Jerome, Augustine and other holy fathers have written. We must point out the place where Christ may be found, which he himself points out when he says that he must be in his Father’s house, which means that he can only be found in the Word of God. We should therefore not believe that our conscience may trust in the teachings of the holy fathers or derive comfort from them. Now if they say to you: Should we not believe the holy fathers? you may reply: Christ is not found among the kinsfolk and acquaintance. It would indeed be well if Christians generally were to heed this example from the Gospel and use it as a maxim against every doctrine that does not agree with the Word of God.

16. But in order to emphasize this more and to make it clearer, let us see what other doctrines have been proclaimed that do not agree with the Word of God. Up to this time we have had three different systems of doctrine. The first and coarsest is that of St. Thomas (if indeed he be a saint). This was taken from the system of pagan science and art which was written by that great light of nature, Aristotle. Now they say that his philosophy is like a bright, shining plate, and the Word of Christ is like the sun. And as the sun shines upon the plate, causing it to gleam and glitter all the brighter, so the divine light shines upon the light of nature and illumines it. With this beautiful simile they have introduced pagan doctrines into the Christian church, which have been taught and cultivated by the great universities and in which teachers and preachers have been instructed. The devil has taught them to speak in this way. Thus the Word of God is trodden under foot, for when it is given full play, it subverts all these satanic doctrines.

17. In the second place, they have taught and prescribed human laws, called the institutions and precepts of the holy Christian church. Thereby these fools have thought to lead men to heaven and to be able to comfort and pacify our conscience. These human laws prevail to such a degree that like a great deluge they cover the whole world and have submerged everything else, so that it is almost impossible that any one may be saved from going down to hell. For they clamor unceasingly as though they were insane: This has been decreed by the holy councils and that has been commanded by the church; we have observed this a long time, shall we not believe it now?

18. Therefore we should reply to this from the Gospel, as I said: Even if Mary, the Holy Virgin, had done this, it would not be surprising if she had erred. She was the mother of God, and yet she did not know where to find Christ; she sought him among her kinsfolk and acquaintance and failed to find him. Now if she did not succeed in finding Christ among her kinsfolk, but had finally to come to the temple, how shall we expect to find him outside of the Word of God in human doctrines, in the decrees of the councils or the teachings of the scholastics? Bishops and councils have undoubtedly not possessed the gift of the Holy Spirit in as large a measure as Mary. If she erred, why should not they also be mistaken who fancy to find Christ elsewhere but in his Father’s house, that is in the Word of God?

19. If therefore you find one who adheres to these two different systems of doctrine, believing them to be right and trusting in them, ask him whether he is quite confident that they will comfort his soul in the hour of death or under the judgment and the wrath of God, whether he will be able to say then with a conscience undaunted: This has been declared and decreed by the pope and the bishops in their councils, I depend upon that and am quite certain I shall not fail? He will soon be obliged to say: How can I be so certain of this? Thus, when it comes to the point and you are in the presence of death, your conscience will say: It is indeed true, the councils have decreed this, but what if they were mistaken, and who knows whether they were right? Then when you are in such doubts, you cannot hold out, and Satan will assail you and hurl you to the ground, so that you lie there helpless.

20. In the third place, besides these two theories they have also pointed us to the Holy Scriptures and said, that above every other doctrine the laws and decrees of the pope in matters of faith must be observed. But here they except the teachings of some of the holy fathers, who have interpreted the Scriptures, and whom they have exalted so highly that they place them on the same level with the pope of Rome, or a little above him, asserting even that they could not err, and clamoring: How could it be possible for the holy fathers not to understand the Scriptures? But let these fools say what they wish, always remind them of the words of Christ: “Knew ye not that I must be in my Father’s house?” We must above all things have the Word of God and cling to it, for Christ will be there and in no where else. Therefore it is in vain that you seek him elsewhere. For how can you convince me that Christ must be found in the writings of the holy fathers?

21. This Gospel is therefore a severe thrust at every doctrine and every comfort of any kind that is not derived from the Word of God. You may therefore say: It matters not how highly you exalt reason and the light of nature, I reserve the right of not putting my trust in it. The councils have issued decrees and the pope or the holy fathers have taught what they wish, but that does not concern me; I will not depend upon them. We will soon agree if they decide and propose what they please, but grant me the liberty to say: If it pleases me, I shall observe it, but not as something that is especially meritorious. They will however not grant us this right; for they are not satisfied to let us use our own discretion in these things, but demand in addition that we base our trust and comfort on them, teaching that if we trust in them, it is as much as if we place our confidence in Christ and the Holy Spirit. We can not tolerate their delusions according to which they think that they are doing a good work who keep their laws, and again, that it is a sin not to keep them. For they declare that the precepts and doctrines of the pope and the church come from the Holy Spirit and are the Word of God, for which reason we ought to believe and observe them. But this is an obvious and shameless lie; for how can they prove it?

22. But, they say, the Christian church is always led by the Holy Spirit, who will not permit the church to err or go wrong. To this we answer with what we said before: However good the church may be, it has never possessed the Spirit in as large a measure as Mary, who although she was led by the Spirit, erred nevertheless, so that we might learn from her experience. If she herself is uncertain, how can you make me certain?

Whither should we then go? We must also come into the temple, that is to say we must cling to the Word of God, which is secure and will not fail us and where we will certainly find Christ. I must therefore always be with the Word, if I cleave to it. If the Word of God goes conquering through death and remains alive, I must also pass through death to life, and nothing can hinder or destroy me, neither sin nor death, nor the devil. The comfort and boldness I derive from the Word of God cannot be engendered by any other doctrine, for none can be compared with it.

23. Therefore it is necessary that we understand this clearly and not place our confidence in human doctrines and the teachings of the holy fathers.

God has demonstrated this by many other examples in order to teach us not in the least to depend upon men, as the saints also may sometimes make mistakes. We read for instance in Acts 15:5f that not more than eighteen years after the ascension of Christ the apostles and the majority of the Christians held a conference. The question was raised whether the Gentiles should be compelled to submit to circumcision. There stood up the leaders of the sect of the Pharisees who believed and said: It is necessary to circumcise them, and to charge them to keep the law of Moses. There was a great commotion and all seemed to hold the same opinion. Only Peter, Paul, Barnabas and James were opposed to this view, and Peter especially rose up and said unto them: God has given the Holy Spirit unto the Gentiles who have heard the Gospel from me, even as he did unto us; and he made no distinction between us and them, cleansing their hearts by faith. Now if they received the Holy Spirit and were not circumcised, why would you force them and put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear? But we believe that we shall be saved through the grace of the Lord Jesus, in like manner as they.

24. You notice that many Christians were at this council who were true believers, at a time when the church was in its youthful vigor and almost perfect, and yet God permits them all to err with the exception of three or four men. If these few men had not protested, erroneous doctrines would have been taught and a law not in accordance with the Gospel of Christ been established. Yet we are such blind fools as to say continually: The councils and the church have commanded this or that, and as they cannot be in error, their decrees must be observed.

25. Later on we read that even the most prominent leaders, both Peter and Barnabas, fell into error and all the other Jews with them. Then Paul alone rose up and rebuked Peter publicly, as he himself writes in Galatians 2:11. Now if these holy councils and holy men erred, why should we put our trust in our own councils? For they cannot for an instant be compared with the councils held by the apostles.

26. Why does God permit these things to occur? He does it that we may not depend upon or derive comfort from the words and doctrines of men, however holy they may be, but place our confidence only in the Word of God. If then even an apostle came or an angel from heaven, as St. Paul says in Galatians 1:8-9, who would preach another Gospel, we should openly declare it is not the Word of God and refuse to listen to it. Do not forget that the child can be found in no other place but the temple, or the house of God. Mary indeed sought him among the kinsfolk, who are the great, learned and pious people, but she did not find him among them.

27. There are many similar examples and types elsewhere in the Gospel which point out the same truth, namely, that nothing should be taught but the Word of God and no other doctrine should be accepted, because Christ can be found only in the Scriptures. Thus we read in the Gospel for Christmas, Luke 2:12, where the angel, who announced the birth of Christ, said to the shepherds: “And this is the sign unto you: Ye shall find a babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, and lying in a manger.” Why does he not direct them to Mary and Joseph, but only points them to the swaddling clothes and the manger? The reason is that God will not point us to any saint, not even to the holy mother herself, for they may all err. Therefore a special place must be pointed out where Christ is, namely the manger, where he surely may be found, even if Joseph and Mary were not present.

This signifies that Christ is completely wrapped in the Scriptures, just as the body is wrapped in the clothes. The manger is the preaching of the Gospel, where he is lying and where he is apprehended, and from which we take our food. Now it would indeed appear that the child should lie where Joseph and Mary are, these great and holy people. Yet the angel points only to the manger, which he will not have overlooked or dishonored. It is an insignificant and simple expression, but Christ is found in it.

28. The same truth is also pointed out in other narratives, as for instance in that of holy Simeon, who had received a promise from God that he should not see death, before he had seen the Lord Christ. He came in the Spirit into the temple, found the child and received him into his arms. But here it is only emphasized that he finds Christ in the temple. From all this we learn that God would warn us against human doctrines, however excellent they may be, advising us not to depend upon them, but cleave to the only true guide, the Word of God. Lay aside everything else. Their declarations and decrees may indeed be good and right, but our heart cannot trust in them.

29. This then is the comfort we derive from this Gospel in our great trials, of which we have spoken above. We know that consolation may be found only in the Scriptures, the Word of God. For this reason God caused this to be recorded, so that we might learn these lessons, as St. Paul writes to the Romans: “For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that through patience and through comfort of the Scriptures we might have hope.” Romans 15:4. Here he says that the Scriptures are comforting, that they impart patience and comfort.

Consequently there can be nothing else that comforts the soul, not even in the most trifling temptations. For everything else with which man comforts himself, however great it may be, is altogether uncertain, and the heart inquires constantly: Who knows whether it is right? if I only were sure about it! etc. But when the heart clings to the Word of God, it may say without any wavering: This is the Word of God, which can not lie nor err, of this I am certain. And this is our greatest struggle that we keep and hold firmly to the Word; for if that is taken from the heart, man is lost.

30. Let us then be prepared for their representations and expostulations to the effect that the Christian church can not err, so that we may know how to meet them, and say: Here is not the word of man, but the Word of God.

We read in this Gospel that his mother, Mary, was filled with the Holy Spirit, and yet she erred. Likewise we read in the Acts that there was a Christian council of such who believed and who had the Spirit, and yet they stumbled and would have established an unchristian law, if others had not protested. We should therefore not believe any council or, saint, if they come without the Word of God. This is then the sum total of this Gospel, and if anything else is to be said on it, we will let those explain it who have leisure; but he who studies it faithfully, will easily understand it.

31. Some have broken their heads over the meaning of the words of Luke where he says that Christ advanced in wisdom and grace, for they assume that as true God he possessed all wisdom and grace from the time of his conception. But here they have shamefully altered the text with their commentaries. Therefore refrain from such idle talk and let the words stand just as they are without any commentary. We must understand them simply as saying that he grew continually and waxed strong in the Spirit, just as any other man, as we have explained it more fully in the Gospel for the Sunday after Christmas.

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Sermon for New Year’s Day

Posted on January 1, 2014 by Rev. Paul Rydecki

Jesus’ Circumcision is part of Jesus’ name

Isaiah 55:1-13  +  Galatians 3:23-29  +  Luke 2:21

It’s good for us Christians to celebrate the New Year.  Our God has provided for all our needs during one more whole trip around the sun in 2013, and we will depend on His providence and grace as we make our next trip around the sun in 2014.  But we have something special for which to praise God today on the 8th day of Christmas.  It was on the 8th day of Jesus’ birth that our Lord was circumcised and received His legal name, the name that the angel gave before Mary gave birth, the name Jesus—“The Lord will save.”  It’s recorded for us in one little verse of the Bible, Luke 2:21—the circumcision and the naming of Jesus.  It seems like more of a footnote than a major event, and yet, without this verse, without that event, there is no salvation for you and me.  With that verse, the name of Jesus begins to be fulfilled.  The name of Jesus, “The Lord will save,” is only true if He is circumcised on the 8th day.

You remember where the rite of Jewish circumcision came from, I think.  Genesis chapter 17.  I’ll read a few verses, but I’ll make one change in the NKJV’s translation, because the NKJV misses the importance of it.  Where the NKJV has “descendants,” the Hebrew and the KJV simply had the word “seed.” I’ll explain the importance of that shortly.

When Abram was ninety-nine years old, the LORD appeared to Abram and said to him, “…I will establish My covenant between Me and you and your seed after you in their generations, for an everlasting covenant, to be God to you and your seed after you. This is My covenant which you shall keep, between Me and you and your seed after you: Every male child among you shall be circumcised; and you shall be circumcised in the flesh of your foreskins, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between Me and you. He who is eight days old among you shall be circumcised, every male child in your generations, and My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant. And the uncircumcised male child, who is not circumcised in the flesh of his foreskin, that person shall be cut off from his people; he has broken My covenant.”

God gave Abraham the sign of circumcision as a sign of God’s promise to be Abraham’s God and to give the earth to Abraham’s Seed. Circumcision was also a sign of Abraham’s faith in God’s promise, and it was to be a lasting sign of faith in God’s promise for every generation of Abraham’s descendants until the promised Seed Himself, the Christ, would be born and circumcised on the 8th day.

That’s the Holy Spirit’s own interpretation of Genesis 17 as He inspired the Apostle Paul to write in Galatians 3: Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ. All the other physical descendants of Abraham were only counted as his descendants through their faith in the Seed, the Christ.  Christ is the Seed of Abraham and the Heir of all the promises God made to him.  The Jews eventually twisted circumcision into a good work by which they thought they were earning God’s favor, but that was never right.  It was always a sign pointing to God’s promise, pointing to the coming Christ who would earn God’s favor for them, and pointing to faith in Christ as the only way for sinners to gain God’s favor.

So when that 8-day-old baby, the Child of Mary, was circumcised, He fulfilled God’s covenant agreement.  He became the legal Heir of Abraham.  No one else, only Jesus could claim the right of the inheritance promised to Abraham. He fulfilled the requirements of the Law and became the legal owner of all things, and the one human being who could boast having God’s favor.

But the Gospel is that you and I, too, who have not kept God’s holy Law and have earned only God’s wrath and disfavor, can boast having God’s favor through faith in the Seed of Abraham, because the Seed of Abraham, on the night in which He was betrayed, took bread and wine and instituted a New Covenant, a New Testament in His blood.  In that New Testament, He bequeathed His inheritance to all who believe in Him.  He bequeathed His righteousness and His holiness.  He bequeathed His life.  He bequeathed His status as Son of God. He bequeathed His Father’s house.

And it all begins by the first shedding of Jesus’ blood on the day of His circumcision.  As we sang in the hymn, “O blessed day when first was poured the blood of our redeeming Lord.”  “A foretaste of His death He feels.” Circumcision symbolizes the passing on of the sinful flesh from father to son.  It symbolizes the cutting away of sin from the heart.  It symbolizes the need for blood to be shed for sins to be forgiven.  But baby Jesus inherited no sin.  Baby Jesus had no sin that needed cutting away from His heart.  Baby Jesus had no sins that needed to be atoned for by the shedding of blood.  Instead, He allowed Himself to be the victim on that day for sinners, for you and me. See again how God has humbled Himself and taken the sinner’s place so that sinners can take the place of “sons of God.”

That’s what St. Paul went on to say in Galatians 3, which you heard in the Epistle: For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.

By allowing Himself to be circumcised and to endure that first taste of pain and that first shedding of blood on the 8th day of His birth, Jesus began His work of salvation—which is what His name means.  He  finished earning salvation for us by shedding the rest of His blood on the cross.  And now He continues His work of salvation through Holy Baptism.  He has given us a better Sacrament than that of circumcision. Unlike circumcision, Baptism is for all nations and is proclaimed to all nations.  Baptism is for boys and girls, men and women.  It’s for 8-day olds and 80 year olds and 8 minute olds.  Baptism, unlike circumcision requires no pain or bloodshed, because all the pain for our sins has already been endured by Christ, and all the blood that needed shedding has already been shed by Him.  What we’re left with in Baptism is “a life-giving water, rich in grace, and a washing of the new birth in the Holy Spirit.” Baptism is God’s promise to count you as part of Jesus, as part of the Seed of Abraham.  And all who believe and are baptized will be saved.

There’s Jesus’ name again: The Lord will save.  The Lord Jesus now has saved you by faith, through Baptism in Himself.  It all began on the day of His circumcision.  It began with the shedding of His blood.  Here—here from this altar Jesus will give you some of that same blood of the New Testament—just a few drops.  A few drops of the same blood He shed on the day of His circumcision.  Here He brings it to you again for your salvation.  Surely the Lord will save.  Let us praise the holy name of Jesus!  And let us make two things—the receiving of His body and blood for the forgiveness of sins and the loving of our neighbor—our first and foremost priorities for this next trip around the sun.  Amen.

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Now are the days fulfilled

Posted on December 29, 2013 by Rev. Paul Rydecki

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Sermon for the Sunday after Christmas

Isaiah 11:1-15  +  Galatians 4:1-7  +  Luke 2:33-40

Merry Christmas to you on this fifth day of Christmas!  Now are the days fulfilled, as we just sang in the hymn.  Now are the days fulfilled, as St. Luke wrote in his Gospel: So it was, that while they were there, the days were completed for [Mary] to be delivered.  And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger. Now are the days fulfilled for the growing of the Branch that Isaiah prophesied. Now are the days fulfilled, as Simeon and Anna realized with joy on that day so long ago in the Temple in Jerusalem, 40 days after Jesus’ birth.  Now the days are fulfilled.  God has truly kept His Word.  He has sent His Son into the flesh.  The promised Seed of the woman has been born.  And there is just as much reason for us to rejoice as there was for Simeon and Anna on the day of Jesus’ presentation.

The feast of the Presentation falls on a Sunday this year, February 2nd, 40 days after Christmas, so we’ll save our discussion of the Presentation itself and the related Levitical laws for that time.  Today our Gospel turns our attention to the encounter of the holy family with Simeon and Anna on that same day.  Old Simeon and Anna are the ideal representatives of the Old Testament remnant, the faithful leftovers in Israel who lived in daily repentance and devotion to the Lord, who waited long years for the days to be fulfilled in which the Lord would fulfill His promise to send the Messiah.

Simeon, Luke tells us a little earlier, was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.  He had been given a special revelation by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.  So he waited. And then finally, one day, Mary and Joseph come to the Temple carrying a one month old baby.  And God makes sure that Simeon is there to see Him, and to recognize Him. Now are the days fulfilled!

That’s when Simeon took the baby Jesus up in his arms and blessed God and sang the words of the Nunc Dimittis that we sing every Sunday. Again, that part of Luke’s Gospel will be read on the Feast of the Presentation. Today’s Gospel picks up the story just after Simeon sang those words about Jesus.

It says that Joseph and His mother marveled at those things which were spoken of Him. Of course they did.  Everything about Him since the moment of His miraculous conception was marvelous.  The angel’s words to Mary and Joseph about the child who would be born.  Elizabeth’s greeting to Mary when Mary went to visit her. The shepherds visiting them on the night of Jesus’ birth and their marvelous story of angels appearing to them in the fields.  The wise men, too, may have already visited them yet by this time with their strange tale of following a star to worship the newborn King.  And now, Simeon’s excitement at seeing their son.

The next words he said must have made them marvel even more.  Then Simeon blessed them, and said to Mary His mother, “Behold, this Child is destined for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign which will be spoken against  (yes, a sword will pierce through your own soul also), that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.” So far, Mary and Joseph had been told that Jesus would be a King and the Savior of His people.  This was the first time anyone had told them that He would cause “the fall and rising” of many, or that He would be spoken against. And this omen about a sword piercing Mary’s soul—an obvious reference to Jesus’ crucifixion, with His mother right there watching, helpless.

And so the reality of Christmas begins to set in.  It’s the joy of God fulfilling His promise to send His Son to make peace between God and man.  It’s also the realization that God sent His Son to suffer persecution and death. Christmas is nothing without Good Friday and Easter, and Good Friday and Easter are nothing without Christmas.

We are reminded of that in the Church Year by the feasts that are assigned to the three days after Christmas: St. Stephen, the first martyr.  St. John the Apostle, who lived to see all the other apostles be slaughtered.  And yesterday, the Feast of the Holy Innocents—the baby boys of Bethlehem who were slaughtered by King Herod in his attempt to kill Jesus.  Yes, He was a sign that was spoken against, even from His childhood.

And He did cause the fall and rising of many in Israel.  How many people have stumbled over Jesus!  He is, in the words of St. Peter, “a stone of stumbling” and “a rock of offense. They stumble, being disobedient to the word.”  People stumble over Jesus and fall, because they love theirs sins too much to listen to Him, or because they trust in themselves and their own works to save them.  They stumble over Jesus because He claims that only His words are true and life-giving, and that the only way to be justified before God is by faith in Him.

Many stumble over Jesus and fall.  But, as Simeon said, He is also destined for the rising of many in Israel.  That word “rising” in the Greek is the same as the word for “resurrection.” This Child is destined for the resurrection of many in Israel!  All who acknowledge that they have sinned against God and deserve only His wrath and condemnation, but who look to Christ alone for salvation, are forgiven by God and are raised up by His Holy Spirit to new life, eternal life!  As St. Peter also says, Behold, I lay in Zion A chief cornerstone, elect, precious, And he who believes on Him will by no means be put to shame.

Simeon’s prophetic words have come true.  Now are the days fulfilled.  Christ is born.  Christ is crucified.  Christ is risen.  And throughout history, men have either stumbled over Him and fallen, or trusted in Him and been raised up to new life.  And so it will be until the end of days.

Mary and Joseph weren’t finished marveling on that day of Jesus’ Presentation.  Anna also surprised them.

Here was this old Israelite woman—over a hundred years old if you add up the years Luke gives us.  Here was a woman who had lost her husband over 80 years ago and had spent those years, not in mourning, not in shaking her fist at God or “moving on,” but in prayer and devotion.  She did not depart from the temple, Luke says.  So she must have been well-known in Jerusalem.  Hardly a trip to the temple could be made without someone saying, “There’s old Anna.  She’s always here.”

And see how God blessed her on that day.  She waited for the Lord, and the Lord made sure that she didn’t miss what she had been waiting for.  And coming in that instant she gave thanks to the Lord, and spoke of Him to all those who looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

“To all those who looked for redemption.”  Everyone in Jerusalem knew Anna.  But not all were looking for the Lord’s redemption.  The self-satisfied Pharisees and the secure sinners thought they were doing just fine on their own.  They weren’t looking for the Lord’s redemption.  But the sinners who recognized their sins and had heard God’s Old Testament promises of a Savior—they were looking for the Lord’s redemption, and how happy they must have been to hear Anna’s announcement: Now are the days fulfilled.  The Christ has been born.  Redemption has come.

That’s what Paul wrote to the Galatians.  When the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.  God had promised long ago through the prophet Isaiah, The Redeemer will come to Zion, And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob. Now are the days fulfilled.  Christ has been born of a woman, born under the Law, so that by His perfect obedience to the Law He might redeem those who have broken God’s Law and stand condemned by it.  That’s you.  That’s me.  That’s everyone. As St. James says, whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all.  You sinners, born of woman, are law-breakers.  But God’s Son, born of woman, is the Law-Keeper.  And by faith alone in Him, you are redeemed, and you, too, are counted as Law-keepers, because God now sees you in Christ.  You sinners were not born into God’s house.  No one is born into God’s house, except for God’s Son, Jesus Christ.  And  now the days are fulfilled, and God has sent His Son, so that, by faith in Him, you have received by adoption what He has by right.  You—baptized believers—are now sons of God and heirs of heaven by faith in Christ Jesus.

Rejoice today with Simeon and Anna.  Now are the days fulfilled, and God has kept His Word.  He will always keep His Word.  All of His promises are Yes in Christ.  So keep Him as the treasure of your heart, and let no sin or anger or bitterness or affliction turn your eyes from your Redeemer.  Amen.

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