Survey
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
God in Sikhism wikipedia , lookup
God in Christianity wikipedia , lookup
Divinization (Christian) wikipedia , lookup
Salvation in Christianity wikipedia , lookup
Religious images in Christian theology wikipedia , lookup
State (theology) wikipedia , lookup
God the Father wikipedia , lookup
Binitarianism wikipedia , lookup
Christian pacifism wikipedia , lookup
God the Father in Western art wikipedia , lookup
ISAIAH 7:14 (10-17) “CHRIST OUR LIGHT COMES FROM JESSE’S DESCENDANT, THE VIRGIN MARY” Sunday, December 23, 2007 4th Sunday in Advent [Romans 1:1-7; Matthew 1:18-25] In the name of the Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. [Amen.] (Isa 7:14 ESV) “ Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.’” INTRODUCTION: Dear fellow anticipants of Christ’s Christmas birthday celebration. The letters that spell the common word “sad” form an acronym that identifies a problem that plagues many people, including myself. That condition is “Seasonal Affective Disorder.” The MayoClinic.com website tells us that, “… people with seasonal affective disorder experience a much more serious reaction when summer shifts to fall and on to winter. … fall's short days and long nights may trigger feelings of depression, lethargy, fatigue and other problems. Seasonal affective disorder is a type of depression, and it can severely impair your daily life.” The most common treatments for SAD are light and exercise. However, more serious cases of it may call for additional types of treatment including prescription medications and psychotherapy. The Old Testament Reading for today reveals another SAD condition … Spiritual Affective Disor- ISAIAH 7:13-14 (10-17) Page 2 of 17 Sunday, December 23, 2007; Advent 4 der. King Ahaz was its victim. Its major symptom was his hypocritical rejection of God’s gracious offer to give him certain evidence of His divine reality. On this fourth and final Sunday of Advent God calls us to examine ourselves in the light of His Spirit-inspired Holy Word to determine not if but when and where we reject His gracious offer to give us certain evidence of His divine reality. That is, Are we prepared to once again celebrate His humble birth by Spirit-given striving to overcome devilish temptations, worldly distractions, and sinful thoughts, words, and deeds? Are we prepared to greet Him upon His final arrival to judge the living and the dead also by Spirit-given striving to overcome devilish temptations, worldly distractions, and sinful thoughts, words, and deeds? Are we in a state of continual Spirit-guided repentance whereby we recognize, grieve, and confess our rebellious sinfulness against Almighty God that deserves His temporal wrath and eternal punishment separated from Him in the fiery pit of hell? Do we ISAIAH 7:13-14 (10-17) Page 3 of 17 Sunday, December 23, 2007; Advent 4 thankfully acknowledge and humbly receive His compassionate forgiveness that results in salvation and eternal life with Him in the glorious mansions of heaven coupled with a Spiritgiven desire and pledge to replace our rebellious sinfulness with sanctified obedience of His Holy Will? Well, the time is now short before this 2007 annual celebration of Christ’s incarnation. Hopefully, gifts are all bought and wrapped and, if necessary, mailed or shipped, cleaning is all done in anticipation of the arrival of special guests, and meals are all mapped out and perhaps even prepared for those festive banquets. For the children among us it probably feels like an eternity since Advent began on December 2, merely 21 days ago. For the adults among us it probably feels like the time has flown by with not enough of it to complete everything on our to-do lists. On the one hand, we can now begin breathing a sigh of relief that the event itself is only two days away and we look forward to relaxing and enjoying it. On the other hand, we may be feeling fear, fright, and frustration that unforeseen delays, ISAIAH 7:13-14 (10-17) Page 4 of 17 Sunday, December 23, 2007; Advent 4 personal procrastination, and pesky obstacles have prevented and are even now preventing us from doing everything we wanted, although not necessarily needed, to do. Regardless of that situation, let’s now focus our attention where it needs to be, namely, that … Transition: CHRIST OUR LIGHT COMES FROM JESSE’S DESCENDANT, THE VIRGIN MARY, so let us repent the fact that Our Human Pride Rejects God’s Grace and celebrate the fact that God Sent Immanuel to Rescue Us. I. OUR HUMAN PRIDE REJECTS GOD’S GRACIOUS OFFERS. [10-13: “Again the Lord spoke to Ahaz, ‘Ask a sign of the Lord your God; let it be deep as Sheol or high as heaven.’ But Ahaz said, ‘I will not ask, and I will not put the Lord to the test.’ And he said, ‘Hear then, O house of David! Is it too little for you to weary men, that you weary my God also?’”] King Ahaz was the most wicked king that ruled the Southern Kingdom’s two tribes of Judah and Benjamin. He was a descendent of King David but did not share King David’s love and reverence for the one true God. Nevertheless, God graciously invited him through the Prophet Isaiah to request any sign whatever that would prove to him the true God’s protective presence. Sadly, King Ahaz’s hard- ISAIAH 7:13-14 (10-17) Page 5 of 17 Sunday, December 23, 2007; Advent 4 hearted self-reliance caused him to reject that kind divine invitation. Such “sign-giving” by God was nothing new. Four commonly-known examples are the signs He gave through Moses to Pharaoh and the Egyptians … the ten plagues, the sign He gave to King Hezekiah … making time go backward, the sign He gave Gideon … the fleece being dry or wet on consecutive mornings, and the miracles Jesus Himself would perform … healings, resurrections, feedings, and stormstillings. The fact is, even today … A. God graciously gives reassuring signs. Those signs are so seemingly simple that we often miss their grand and glorious significance. They are His Blessed Sacraments of … Holy Baptism and Holy Communion that His Holy Word empowers. The common gift God offers in those signs is grace, that is, His love that we neither deserve or merit nor can obtain on our own. In those signs God grants us His free gifts of forgiveness of sins, salvation, and eternal life that Jesus Christ gained with His ISAIAH 7:13-14 (10-17) Page 6 of 17 Sunday, December 23, 2007; Advent 4 Holy life, innocent suffering, crucifixion death, and triumphant resurrection from the dead in victory over sin, Satan, and death itself. We undeserving sinners receive such undeserved gifts by the additional undeserved gift of trust in Jesus Christ that the Holy Spirit gives us. That’s the magnificent mindchallenging miracle He works in the lives of newborn babies through Holy Baptism [as He will do tomorrow with Josiah Bailey and Logan Krauss; as He did at the beginning of this worship service with Josiah Bailey and will do after the 10:00 o’clock worship service with Logan Krauss; as He did with Josiah Bailey in today’s 7:30 worship service and will do with Logan Krauss after this worship service] and nurtures through Holy Communion in us who have attained not an age of accountability but an age of discernment. That is, we are able to read, mark, study, learn, and inwardly digest God’s Holy Word by means of which our faith is not a blind faith but an enlightened faith. ISAIAH 7:13-14 (10-17) Page 7 of 17 Sunday, December 23, 2007; Advent 4 You see, the sacraments are all about Advent activity. That is, Advent’s focus on Immanuel’s approach, arrival, and coming to us is the very thing that happens in the sacraments. Jesus comes to us, claims and keeps us as His own possessions, and connects us to His atoning death and resurrection. That’s why the sacraments are not obediencebased activities that we do for God but gracebased activities through which God advents to us. At the same time, it is also necessary that we be fully informed and duly warned that … B. Unrepentant rejection of God reaps His rejection. As was the unfortunate case with King Ahaz, people today often unrepentantly reject God’s gifts of mercy and grace. Like him, people today also depend on their knowledge, strength, understanding, power, education, wealth, relationships, and untold other worldly resources. Such misplaced trust pales in the presence of Almighty God and even insults and offends Him. ISAIAH 7:13-14 (10-17) Page 8 of 17 Sunday, December 23, 2007; Advent 4 After all, He created and gives all good gifts. And, He graciously grants them to us as signs of His love for us and to enable us to more fully honor and serve Him by helping, assisting, and supporting one another here in this earthly life. When someone obstinately rejects God’s offered signs, He will righteously reject them resulting in the loss of His eternal heavenly riches. It is, therefore, ever so important that we confidently realize that … Transition: CHRIST OUR LIGHT COMES FROM JESSE’S DESCENDANT, THE VIRGIN MARY, so let us repent the fact that Our Human Pride Rejects God’s Grace and celebrate the fact that God Sent Immanuel to Rescue Us. II. GOD SENT IMMANUEL TO RESCUE US. [1517: “He shall eat curds and honey when he knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For before the boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose two kings you dread will be deserted. The Lord will bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days as have not come since the day that Ephraim departed from Judah—the king of Assyria.”] We are presently in the beginning weeks of the festival portion of the liturgical church year. In it we celebrate Immanuel’s ISAIAH 7:13-14 (10-17) Page 9 of 17 Sunday, December 23, 2007; Advent 4 birth, death, resurrection, and ascension. It’s all about His rescue activity. Only the sinless Son of God could and did accomplish what was necessary to rescue us from sin, Satan, and death itself. And He willingly accepted that assignment by which He redeemed and reconciled us to His heavenly Father, Who is also our heavenly Father. Instead of doing so with a magnificent show of power, strength, and force, … A. Immanuel rescued us by humbly assuming our humanness. That’s right! He confused all who were looking for a great and mighty battle-ready warrior to arrive on the scene and lead a successful coup against earthly armies. Oh, don’t be mistaken … He definitely had power, strength, and force. But He laid such aside in this worldly realm. Instead, the heavenly hosts who sang the joyful message of Immanuel’s birth to the shepherds that first Christmas long ago wielded His power, strength, and force. The confusing irony is that He chose to not use those heavenly hosts. Rather, he chose to advent this sin-darkened world as an un- ISAIAH 7:13-14 (10-17) Page 10 of 17 Sunday, December 23, 2007; Advent 4 known homeless Baby born in King David’s city of Bethlehem. His birth was not announced to the masses and the royalty but to lowly shepherds as they carried out their wearisome responsibilities. In addition to His humble humanness, … B. Immanuel rescued us by humble submission. He didn’t live a life of comfort, prosperity, or social status. He didn’t recruit and rally an army of rebellious renegades to rise up against the mighty Roman military machine. Instead, He comforted the distressed, healed the infirm, encouraged the fainthearted, confronted sin, and declared forgiveness. In addition, He humbly submitted to His earthly parents when they sought Him and found Him in the temple at age 12 and He humbly submitted to His heavenly Father when He sent Him to Calvary’s cross at age 33. Today He calls us to humbly submit to Him as Lord and Savior. That is, cling to Him alone by Spirit-given faith for rescue from the evils of this life, ISAIAH 7:13-14 (10-17) Page 11 of 17 Sunday, December 23, 2007; Advent 4 redemption from Satan and the world, and reconciliation with Himself and the Father. Let’s follow His example by placing ourselves below others, serving one another instead of expecting to be served, and providing for those who cannot provide for themselves. As we do so we will experience the joy of His Advent presence about which Pastor Cole so eloquently spoke last weekend, knowing that … Transition: CHRIST OUR LIGHT COMES FROM JESSE’S DESCENDANT, THE VIRGIN MARY, so let us repent the fact that Our Human Pride Rejects God’s Grace and celebrate the fact that God Sent Immanuel to Rescue Us. CONCLUSION: In today’s Epistle Reading, the Apostle Paul identified himself as one who was (Rom 1:1-4 ESV) “… set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord … .” In our Baptism, God set us apart to be His missionaries who tell the Good News about Jesus to each ISAIAH 7:13-14 (10-17) Page 12 of 17 Sunday, December 23, 2007; Advent 4 other and others who don’t yet know Him. Let’s faithfully do so standing on the divine promises that Christ fulfilled in His coming to us. Let’s realize that He truly is the Son of David and the Son of God. Let’s revel in the fact that He defeated the devil, the world, and our sinful flesh. And, let’s rest in the security of Immanuel’s advent to us through Word and Sacraments. Today’s Gospel Reading revealed about Joseph, who was Mary’s husband and the so-called “earthly father” of Jesus, that (Matt 1:20-23 ESV) “… 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. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel’ (which means, God with us).” We confess in The Apostles’ Creed, (LUTHER’S SMALL CATECHISM WITH EXPLANATION, © 1991 CPH, page “I believe in Jesus Christ, … born of the Virgin Mary … .” Our Synodical Catechism presents the following question and answer regarding that item, (Ibid., page 128) “130. What do the Scriptures teach of the birth of Christ? They teach that Jesus Christ, the Godman, was born of the Virgin Mary.” 115) ISAIAH 7:13-14 (10-17) Page 13 of 17 Sunday, December 23, 2007; Advent 4 Among the proof texts that are given are today’s Old Testament Reading (especially Isaiah 7:14) and this Gospel Reading (especially Matthew 1:23). Through them the Holy Spirit has provided for us the Old Testament prophecy and its New Testament fulfillment that identify Jesus Christ as Immanuel, which means “God is with or among us.” Yes, God continues to come to, arrive, approach us in the Person of Jesus Christ, who (Ibid., page 124) “… was anointed to be our Prophet, Priest, and King.” He clothed Himself with our human flesh as the sinless Son of Man, who atoned for our sins and thereby provided the necessary cure for our Spiritual Affective Disorder. Let’s now foster that cure by living in the bright holy light of Jesus Christ, about whom Holy Scripture tells us the following. (Isa 9:2 ESV) “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.” (John 1:4-5 ESV) “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 8:12 ESV) “Again Jesus spoke to them [the selfrighteous scribes and Pharisees], saying, ‘I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.’” (Acts 26:15, 17 ESV) “And the Lord said [to Saul, whom He later renamed Paul], ‘I am sending you [to the Gentiles] to open their eyes, so that they may turn from darkness to ISAIAH 7:13-14 (10-17) Page 14 of 17 Sunday, December 23, 2007; Advent 4 light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’” (2 Cor 4:6 ESV) “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” Let’s faithfully nurture the faith the Holy Spirit gave us by reading and hearing God’s Holy Word and properly partaking of Christ’s Holy Supper. Then let’s vigorously exercise that precious faith by following Immanuel’s own direction when He said in His Sermon on the Mount, (Matt 5:16 ESV) “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.” Let’s do so ever recalling and ever rejoicing that Christ Our Light Comes from Jesse’s Descendant, the Virgin Mary as we repent the fact that Our Human Pride Rejects God’s Grace and celebrate the fact that God Sent Immanuel to Rescue Us. God grant it all for the sake of Jesus Christ, His humble Son, our holy Savior. Amen. In the name of the Triune God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. [Amen.] ISAIAH 7:13-14 (10-17) “CHRIST OUR LIGHT COMES FROM JESSE’S DESCENDANT, THE VIRGIN MARY” ISAIAH 7:13-14 (10-17) Page 15 of 17 Sunday, December 23, 2007; Advent 4 INTRODUCTION: “_____” is an acronym that identifies the ailment, “Seasonal Affective Disorder.” The most common treatments for SAD are _______ and __________. The Old Testament Reading for today reveals another SAD ailment … __________ Affective Disorder. King _____ was its victim. Its major symptom was his __________ of God’s gracious offer to give him certain evidence of His divine reality. I. [10-13] OUR HUMAN PRIDE REJECTS GOD’S GRACIOUS OFFERS. King Ahaz’s _____-hearted _____-reliance kept him from accepting God’s kind divine invitation. “Sign-giving” by God was nothing _____; He had done so often in the past. A. God graciously gives reassuring signs. They are none other than His blessed Sacraments of Holy __________ and Holy __________ that are empowered by His Holy _____. The common gift God offers in those signs is _______. We sinners receive such gifts by the _______ in Jesus Christ that the Holy Spirit gives us. That’s the miracle He works in the life of a newborn baby through Holy _______ and nurtures through Holy __________ in us who have attained not an age of accountability but an age of _______________. The sacraments are all about _______ activity … Immanuel’s approach, arrival, and coming to us is the very thing that happens in the sacraments. Jesus _______ to us, takes up residence in us, and __________ us to Himself. That’s why the sacraments are not __________-based activities that we do for God but _______-based activities through which God advents to us. B. Unrepentant rejection of God reaps His rejection. People today often unrepentantly _______ God’s gifts of mercy and grace. Misplaced trust pales in the presence of Almighty God and even insults and __________ Him. He created and gives all good gifts as _______ of His love for us and to _______ us ISAIAH 7:13-14 (10-17) Page 16 of 17 Sunday, December 23, 2007; Advent 4 to more fully honor and serve Him by helping, assisting, and supporting one another here in this earthly life. When someone obstinately __________ God’s offered signs, He will righteously _______ them resulting in the loss of His eternal heavenly riches. II. [15-17] GOD SENT IMMANUEL TO RESCUE US. We are presently in the beginning weeks of the __________ portion of the liturgical church year. It’s all about His _______ activity. Only the sinless Son of God could and did accomplish what was necessary to _______ us from sin, Satan, and death itself. He willingly __________ that assignment by which He redeemed and reconciled us to His heavenly Father, Who is also our heavenly Father. A. Immanuel rescued us by humbly assuming our humanness. He had _______, strength, and force. His forces were the __________ hosts who sang the joyful message of Immanuel’s birth to the shepherds that first Christmas long ago. He chose to _____ use those heavenly hosts. He chose to _______ this sindarkened world as an unknown homeless Baby born in King David’s city of Bethlehem. B. Immanuel rescued us by humble submission. He didn’t live a life of __________, prosperity, or social status. He didn’t recruit and rally an _____ of rebellious renegades to rise up against the mighty _______ military machine. He went about comforting the distressed, healing the infirm, encouraging the fainthearted, confronting _____, and declaring __________ to the repentant. He humbly submitted to His __________ parents and His __________ Father. He calls us to humbly _______ to Him as Lord and Savior. Cling to Him alone by Spirit-given _______ for rescue, redemption, and reconciliation. Follow His __________ by placing ourselves below others, serving others instead of expecting to be ISAIAH 7:13-14 (10-17) Page 17 of 17 Sunday, December 23, 2007; Advent 4 served by them, and providing for those who cannot provide for themselves. CONCLUSION: (Rom 1:1-4 ESV) In our __________, God set us apart to be His missionaries. Stand on the divine __________ that Christ fulfilled in His coming to us. Realize that He truly is the Son of _______ and the Son of _____. Revel in the fact that He __________ the devil, the world, and our sinful flesh. Rest in the security of Immanuel’s _______ to us. (Matt 1:20-23 ESV) Jesus Christ is __________ … “God is with or among us.” God came to, arrived, approached His people in the _______ of Jesus Christ. He atoned for our sins and thereby provided the necessary _____ for our Spiritual Affective Disorder. Let’s now foster that cure by living in the bright holy _______ of Jesus Christ. (Isa 9:2; John 1:4-5; John 8:12; Acts 26:15, 17; 2 Cor 4:6 ESV) Faithfully __________ the faith the Holy Spirit gave us by reading and hearing God’s Holy Word and properly partaking of Christ’s Holy Supper. Vigorously __________ that precious faith by following Immanuel’s own direction. (Matt 5:16 ESV) Amen.