Category: Advent Sermons

Posted on

Son of Mary, Son of God

Text: Luke 1:26-28
Date: Advent IV + 12/24/17

In a way, smashing the Fourth Sunday in Advent, the last-ditch effort to prepare us for the celebration of Christmas, immediately up against that celebration in only six hours should give us the sense of awe and wonder His mother Mary encountered at the angel Gabriel’s visitation. It was the sixth month since her relative Elizabeth had conceived God’s gift of Jesus’ forerunner, John the Baptist. Mary would have nine months to let this all sink in, not just six hours as for us. This is the greatest, most important, pivotal fulfillment of all of God’s promises of a Savior. Continue reading “Son of Mary, Son of God”

Posted on

Come to Enlighten Us

Text: John 1:6-8, 19-28
Date: Advent III B + 12/17/17

St. Mark kicked off a new season of Advent proclaiming how God has come to save us and to lead us in the Person of His Son, Jesus. To give us a deeper insight into the Savior, today St. John the evangelist shares the stage. In the first chapter of his Gospel he continues to tell us the testimony or witness of John the Baptist. Actually, he does this by telling us who the Baptist is not. For the purpose of both the evangelist and the Baptist is to bear witness to Jesus, the Son of God. The evangelist says this most clearly in the twentieth chapter of his book, “that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (Jn 20:31). The Baptist says his purpose is to tell all, especially those who will not believe, that nevertheless, though the Savior has come, He remains to them “one you do not know” (Jn 1:26). Actually, we are all by nature in the same boat with the priests and Levites who confronted the Baptist, in that all people, all sinners are by nature spiritually blind to God. It is only as we are enlightened to the light that we can believe and be saved. In Jesus God has come to enlighten us. Continue reading “Come to Enlighten Us”

Posted on

Come to Lead Us

Text: Mark 1:1-8
Date: Advent II B + 12/10/17

In today’s Collect we pray that the Lord make ready the way to come to us and enable us to serve God with pure minds. In other words, we pray that the Lord would Come to Lead Us, lead us to faith and holiness. How does God come to lead us but through His chosen means of grace, namely, His Word and Sacraments. Continue reading “Come to Lead Us”

Posted on

Come to Save Us

Text: Mark 11:1-11
Date: Advent I Series B + 12/3/17

Last year we were guided by the Gospel of Matthew under the general theme of the Second Petition of the Lord’s Prayer, “Thy Kingdom Come.” Today as we begin the year of Mark our secondary theme is the Third Petition, “Thy Will Be Done.” For God’s Will is, above all, as St. Paul wrote to Timothy “of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim 1:3-6). As the catechism says, this good and gracious will of God “is done even without our prayer, but we pray in this petition that it may be done among us also.” Indeed, it was done without our prayer, even before we were created. It was done and accomplished for us ages ago in Christ. It is done among us also by way of holy baptism and faith in God’s Word, the proclamation of Christ today. This salvation entails God coming to break and hinder “every evil plan and purpose of the devil, the world, and our sinful nature,” “and when He strengthens and keeps us firm in His Word and faith until we die” (Small Catechism). Continue reading “Come to Save Us”

Posted on

Thy Kingdom Come – Let the Earthbound Soul Arise

Text: Matthew 11:2-15
Date: Advent III + 12/11/16

The Advent call of John the Baptist begins to answer our prayer, “Thy kingdom come.” The Advent candles are a repentant purple in many churches, a hopeful blue in others, but this Sunday the hope and joy of the Gospel shines through with the pink or rose colored candle. Today’s Introit begins, “Gaudete,” “Rejoice…and I will hope continually.” Today’s Advent hymn bids us, “Let the Earthbound Soul Arise.” Continue reading “Thy Kingdom Come – Let the Earthbound Soul Arise”

Posted on

Jump for Joy (Is God Still in Control?)

Text: Micah 5:2-5a
Date: Advent IV + 12/20/15

Is God still in charge? And how can we tell? God’s word is full of promises, promises of salvation of healing of blessing and of peace. Yet we ask “Is God still in charge?” because a lot of the time we do not see His salvation, healing, blessing or peace. Continue reading “Jump for Joy (Is God Still in Control?)”

Posted on

A Bold Witness

Text: Zephaniah 3:14-20 / Luke 7:27-28
Date: Advent III + 12/13/15

If last Sunday we needed to look very carefully to find the good news of the Gospel at all with the Baptist thundering at us “you brood of vipers” calling us to repentance, this Sunday, “Rejoice Sunday,” blasts the bright light and great goal of God’s plan of salvation before us. Jesus speaks words of praise for John the Baptist. St. Paul calls us with the Philippians to rejoice in the Lord. So the third part of the sermon of the prophet Zephaniah was chosen because it speaks of the great victory of God’s plan that awaits us, saying, “Sing aloud,” “shout,” “rejoice and exult with all your heart.” No wonder the third blue Advent candle turned rose! We need to hear these bold words especially today, for it seems every time we turn around or turn on the radio or TV these days it looks like everything is falling apart and we’re losing. God’s word says, “No. Do not despair. Fear not. Let not your hands grow weak for the Lord your God is in your midst.” Continue reading “A Bold Witness”