Category: General

At the end of Moses’ life, to His apprehensive people God promised to send a prophet like Moses. Jesus fulfilled that prophecy in more ways than anyone expected. Today we move from confession of our weaknesses to confidence in God’s protection, thanks to the presence of Christ in Word and Sacrament.

Today’s Scriptures make us aware of God’s use of time. From eternity He planned to save us and in Jesus accomplished our salvation. He is with us in the present moment, coming through the hearing of His Word and as we receive our Lord under bread and wine. He has promised to accompany us with His Spirit through each day until we join Him in eternity. The past, present, and future are highlighted as we come together in worship this day.

The early winter darkness in the northern hemisphere provides the perfect backdrop for the candles and glow of the Christmas celebration. But as the glow of Christmas fades, the darkness is still there. The life of faith in this world is a constant struggle between the darkness of sin and the light of new life in Christ. Fortunately we are not left powerless for the struggle. “For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ” (Galatians 3:27). Joined to the Lord as in a wedding we become a new person in Christ and are given the new family name: Christian. In that name we glorify God with all that we have, fully confident of His love.

In today’s Old Testament Reading, young Solomon demonstrates wisdom beyond his years when God asked, “What shall I give you?” “Give Your servant an understanding mind . . . that I may discern between good and evil,” responded Solomon. Wise as he was, Solomon still faltered—later on he welcomed other gods into the holy city, gods that ended up being her destruction. In the Gospel, we encounter another youngster, Jesus, at age twelve. He, too, is wise beyond His years, sitting in the temple, listening to the teachers, and asking questions. Unlike Solomon, He never faltered. He “increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52). Later on, He redeemed us through His blood, shed on the cross, and forgave our trespasses according to the riches of His grace. Rather than welcome other gods, Jesus was and is true God, come to save us. We gather today at the beginning of a new year, and we are blessed. God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing, including the blessing of the wisdom of knowing Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. “Come and worship, come and worship; Worship Christ, the newborn King” (LSB 367)

Not only has the Lord come to a manger in Bethlehem, but now He has also come to His own temple in Jerusalem. The building that itself was to be a sign of God’s presence among His people now becomes the very place where Jesus is presented to the Lord. Promised for centuries, salvation has come, and all nations shall see the glory of the Lord. As Simeon beholds this glory in the face of Jesus Christ, he embraces redemption in his arms. Through the Word you will hear today, you, too, will embrace Christ and His saving work. Sing of His glory! God has come to you!

This Sunday in the Church Year is often called “Good Shepherd Sunday.” The appointed Psalm for the day is Psalm 23, which is among the most well-known psalms. The Gospel from John 10 records Jesus revealing Himself as the Good Shepherd. While fewer and fewer people are familiar with what it is like to take care of sheep, this metaphor of God’s protection and provision has become a great source of comfort and hope. God grant that you find such blessed comfort as you dwell securely here in the house of the Lord.

READINGS

To God alone be glory! All three lessons for this Fourth Sunday in Advent give us cause to glorify God. We give glory to God for the Christ who first came in the womb of the virgin at Bethlehem. We give glory to God for the Christ who continues to come to us through His Word and Sacraments, the means of grace. We give glory to God for the Christ who will come again on the Last Day. Our doxology is no generic praise and thanksgiving but the specific doxology to the Father for sending His Son with gifts of forgiveness, life, and salvation. This is the mystery, once hidden, and made plain in Christ.

If you light the candles of an Advent wreath at church or at home, it’s likely that the color of the candle you light this Sunday is pink. It’s also likely that this is the only pink candle on the wreath. Pink is a color of joy. In fact, this Third Sunday in Advent is commonly referred to as “Rejoice Sunday.” But don’t confuse the joy we celebrate this Advent with a passing happiness. No, the joy we have this Advent is greater. It lasts always. That’s what today’s Epistle assures us when Paul writes, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you” (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18). Only in Jesus, the coming Savior, can we rejoice in good times and bad times, busy times and quiet times, sick times and healthy times. In Christ, we rejoice always!

Throughout the ages, God has sent messengers with special messages for His people. Many centuries before the birth of Jesus, the prophet Isaiah told of how God would comfort His people. The ministry of Jesus was announced by the strong spoken messages of John the Baptizer in the wilderness. After the ascension of Jesus, written messages such as those of Peter, John, Paul, and James encouraged the first Christians into ongoing lives of faith and witness. Through His Word, the timeless messages of God come to us anew each week and in each changing season of the Church Year.

READINGS

This is the First Sunday in Advent and the beginning of a new Church Year of grace. Our Church Year counts time differently than the secular calendar. We are tied to the fullness of time in which God sent His one and only Son into the womb of the virgin, born to save us. The First Sunday in Advent is the Sunday on or closest to November 30 (St. Andrew’s Day). Today, we begin a journey not simply to the manger but the familiar journey that takes us to the manger, the cross, and the empty tomb. It is not merely a remembrance of what took place so long ago but also preparation for what is to come—our Lord’s return in glory to lay claim to His Church for all eternity. Encouraged by the Spirit, we devote ourselves to faithfully keeping what God has made known to us and showing forth our living faith in words and acts of repentance and holy living. But each Advent is a reminder that we are one step further from Bethlehem and one year closer to our Lord’s coming again.