Category: Advent Sermons

Text: Malachi 3:1-7b
Date: Advent II +12/6/15

Malachi. The name means “messenger.” In the Old Testament canon he brings the last message God’s people will hear for the next 400 years! And what was that message? It was predicting the coming of another messenger which happened “in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas.” Anyone else? St. Luke runs the credits at the beginning of his record. Malachi’s prediction was coming true as a real messenger appeared in a real place at a real time says St. Luke. “The word of God came to John the son of Zechariah in the wilderness. And he went into all the region around the Jordan” preaching. Continue reading “Offerings in Righteousness”

Text: Jeremiah 33:14-16 / Luke 19:28-40
Date: Advent I + 11/29/15

Welcome to a new church year wherein we begin again to proclaim the entire story of the Truth, the truth of the one, true God, the truth of our creation by the Creator, the truth of our condemnation because of sin and unbelief, the truth of our redemption by the Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Today we begin again to proclaim God’s truth. And just in time, too! For the days are dark. Continue reading “The Lord is Our Righteousness”

Text: John 1:6-8, 19-28
Date: Advent III + 12/14/14

Today, for the second Sunday in a row, we hear about John the Baptist. But as soon as St. John mentions him at the beginning of his Gospel the Baptist immediately deflects all attention from himself onto the coming Savior. John was sent from God his sole purpose to be a witness. A witness testifies on behalf of someone or something else than self. Three times the Evangelist uses the word “witness.” One thing we take away from this today, therefore, is that this is also the task of the Church and of every Christian, to bear witness. Continue reading “Joyous Light of Glory (Phos Hilaron)”

Text: Matthew 1:18-25
Date: Advent IV + 12/22/13

Come let us walk in the light of the Lord.

We are going to take advantage of an interesting wrinkle in the lectionary for this year as the exact same Gospel reading is appointed for both today, the Fourth Sunday in Advent, and for Christmas Eve, St. Matthew’s account, as he calls it, of “the birth of Jesus Christ.” On Christmas Eve we will marvel together at the glorious event of the birth of the Savior. Today, however, let us contemplate (as the Name Day of our congregation) the doctrine of The Incarnate Word. It is summarized in the Nicene Creed in the words, he “came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary and was made man.” We say those words every Sunday at every celebration of the Mass. It is an article of faith, faith initiated, inspired and worked in us by God the Holy Spirit through the divine revelation of God’s Word, the Bible. We will see on Christmas Eve how important this revelation was for the virgin’s husband, Joseph. Today we need to see how important this doctrine of the two natures of the Christ is for us. Continue reading “He Came Down from Heaven”

Text: Matthew 11:2-15
Date: Advent III + 12/15/13

Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord, for the once blind eyes are being opened to see it and the deaf ears to hear the thrilling voice announcing the coming of the kingdom of God. We need this light and this voice because they are like no other. This light, as our brother John said, “shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5). Or has it? Continue reading “A Thrilling Voice”

Text: Matthew 3:4; Isaiah 11:5
Date: Advent II + 12/8/13

“Come, let us walk in the light of the Lord” (Is 2:5). For God is searching us out and calling us out of the darkness of our sin and the dark prospect of our grave, calling us into His marvelous light (1 Peter 2:9). That search and that call began already in the garden of Eden after sin had entered the picture. God searched for Adam, saying, “Adam, where are you?” (Gen 3:9), and He called to both of them promising a Savior and clothing them with forgiveness. So to this day God searches for every soul of His creation lost in the darkness of sin and calls to all to repent, believe and be saved. Continue reading “The Leather Belt”

Text: Isaiah 2:1-5
Date: Advent I + 12/1/13

Shall we start another new year? Shall we do this all over again? Shall we like a battle-worn army continue to march, limping and hobbling, not only because of physical ailments but with all the signs and effects of sin, all forgiven of course, bandaged and supported by God’s grace, sin still hampering and weighing down our progress? Is it worth it? Oh, yes it is, and oh, yes we shall! For on this first Sunday of telling the whole story of God and His world again we continue to be drawn to a light like none other. Especially in a day when it seems the world is increasingly antagonistic toward God’s people—the increased ancient attacks of Islam, the political correctness of many who would rather eliminate anything, any word, any mention of God from the public square—especially in a day when the Christian Church seems to be becoming weaker and smaller and poorer in the unbelieving darkness around us, the prophet Isaiah shines a light, a hopeful light of the great reversal of things waiting for the last day when (believe it or not) all nations shall be attracted to God and shall flow into His dwelling like a river. Sound too good to be true? Then, come, let us walk in the light of the Lord. Continue reading “Walk in the Light”

Text: Hebrews 5:5, 10
Date: Advent IV + 12/23/12

Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord, because it is the way in which he came that makes His coming a blessing to us. That is, though this is the God who once came to speak with Moses in a burning bush and who came to lead His people out of Egypt in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night, the Lord of Hosts Isaiah saw in the temple with great fear and trembling, now He comes to us as one of us. The Spirit of Christ says in Psalm 40, “a body have you prepared for me.” Today we prepare to celebrate that moment in time when the Father fashioned a sinless body for the Son as the fruit of Mary’s womb. Today our Epistle tells us the reason He was given a human body, namely so that He could be the “once for all” offering and sacrifice that takes away your sin and the sin of the world. Amid our Advent praises there begins already today the lilting rhythms of carols of the season, saying, Joy to the world! Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord. Come, Lord Jesus! Continue reading “The Embodiment of God's Love”

Text: Luke 7:18-28
Date: Advent III + 12/16/12

Blessed is the King who comes in the Name of the Lord! For when He comes we rejoice. And He rejoices over us (Zeph 3:14, 17)! The Third Sunday in Advent is called “Rejoice Sunday” as the Introit announces, “Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.” Like John the Baptist in prison, however, we are not always in the mood to rejoice. Our expectations are often contradicted, our hopes suppressed, our happiness challenged, our security threatened. We question even those things we thought most reliable, that we were most convinced of. “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” The true joy of this day, however, comes as the Word of God lifts our eyes once again above our own weakness to the One who came to save us, who comes now to give us freedom, hope and life, and who is coming again in the fullness of His glory. Blessed is the King who comes in the Name of the Lord! Continue reading “Rejoice in What You Have Heard”

Text: Luke 3:3, 10 (3:1-14)
Date: Advent II + 12/9/12

Blessed is the King who comes in the Name of the Lord! For when He comes among us we are changed. He comes to us before we are able to come to Him. God sent John the Baptist “proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” And we are among the crowds through the ages who have come out “to be baptized by him.” John’s baptism was preparatory to our baptism into Christ. But by John’s preaching we are called to repudiate our old way of life and be converted by faith to God’s gift of newness of life through the forgiveness of our sins. May we hear once again God’s call through John that we may be blessed by the King who comes in the Name of the Lord. Continue reading “God Begins His Work in You”