Having come to the end of Advent, the Church year continues with the 1st Sunday after Christmas on 12/31/06. The three assigned readings are Exodus 13:1-3a, 11-15 (consecration of firstborn); Colossians 3:12-17 (put on love) and Luke 2:22-40 (Simeon and Anna). Chosen to examine more deeply is Colossians 3:12 which reads, “Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering.”

Perhaps at first glance, the paradox of this verse is not as obvious as it should be through eyes of faith. There are more obvious paradoxes in the Scripture such as one God yet three Persons; Jesus is divine yet human; the cross is the worst and best day of history and so forth. However, Colossians 3:12 contains a paradox that is contrary to the thinking of every other religion in the world.

The paradox is as follows: While encouraging his readers to put on tender mercies, kindness, humilty, meekness and patience, at the same time Paul refers to his readers as holy! Here is the apparent inconsistency–if believers are being encouraged to put on good works, then how can such people already be considered as holy? In every other religion of the world, first you do good works, then the god is able to consider you as holy. Christianity appears to have things backwards.

It is possible to regard a Christian as part of the elect without yet being holy and also as being beloved by God prior to doing perfect works. But the key word, which is the same in the Greek as used for the “Holy” Spirit is the word “holy” applied to individuals who are being encouraged to do good works. From the point of view of the Law we are not holy as we look at our sinful works, words and thoughts which leads us to confess that we are poor, miserable sinners deserving nothing but temporal and eternal punishment!

The key to understand this passage, as always, is the distinction between Law and Gospel. For under the Law we are accused of falling short of the glory of God. However, the Gospel is quite different. It speaks of a Savior Who came and did two things for us that we were unable to do for ourselves. These two gifts we receive can be distinguished by remembering the distinction between the passive and active obedience of Jesus Christ.

The passive obedience points to Christ’s willing death on the cross. That provides us with the gift of the forgiveness of sins as He takes away the curse of the Law that was upon everyone of us. His active obedience points to Christ’s perfect obedience while on earth which is then transferred to us in baptism dressing us in His robe of righteousness.

So from God’s point of view–which is the only one that counts–believers in Christ are already considered holy. Holy, not because of their own works but because of the works, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ Who died so that we will never really die and Who lives so that we live eternally. Thus, as a child can be assured that nothing she does can make her a child of her parents, at the same time her parents can encourage her to be obedient. Obedience therefore is not a cause of our being holy but a consequence of the gift of holiness given to us by grace, through faith on account of Jesus Christ!

The day before Christmas in 2006 is also the 4th Sunday in Advent with the three readings being Micah 5:2-5a (Bethlehem); Hebrews 10:5-10 (Establishes the second) and Luke 1:39-56 (Mary visits Elizabeth). Chosen to apply this Sunday is Hebrews 10:8 with special attention to, “Sacrifice and offering, burnt offerings, and offerings for sin You did not desire nor had pleasure in them.”

I’m confident that this verse would have come as quite a shock to the thousands of Israelites who regularly offered sacrifices to God prior to the time of the arrival of the Messiah. Of course, even when Jesus came to fulfill all those Messianic prophecies, there was no joy in Judea to hear that offerings and sacrifices no longer cut it with the holy God. You can only imagine the reaction of the Luke 18 Pharisee who regularly thanked God that he was not like sinful publicans as he followed the rules on fasting, Sabbath worship, tithing, etc. etc.

The writer to the Hebrews is in essence doing a Law/Gospel distinction. By the time that the new religion of Judaism had broken on to the scene after the Babylonian captivity, it was not just that the temple had been replaced with synagogues, priests with rabbis and doing sacrifices with the reading of the Law. What made matters worse was that salvation was encouraged through a keeping of the Law and specifically all those ceremonial laws as found in the books of Moses.

Jesus Himself put it this way: “You have made the temple a den of robbers!” For sure, anytime we offer to God our offerings and sacrifices as a way of earning our way into His good graces, we have added to the cross of Christ. And, of course, when you add to the cross of Christ, you subtract from it. Many Israelites had confused the Law with the Gospel in making their ceremonial obedience as a foundation for their salvation rather than as a response of a grateful heart to God for already being totally saved through the works, sufferings, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

In verse 9, the taking away of the first to establish the second refers to the eradication of that old covenant swearing in ceremony of Exodus 24 which based one’s salvation upon the promise to obey all that God commanded. Of course, a few chapters later these same folks ended up creating a golden calf to worship!

The new covenant based not on the sacrifice of animals but the sacrifice of God Himself assured the believer in Christ not only of the forgivness of sins but also of the everlasting fellowship with the God Whom he had considered as an enemy just shortly before a Spirit-empowered conversion. Jesus, Who knew no sin became sin for you that you might become the righteousness of God because of Him. How sweet the sound that indeed saved a poor wretch as me and…you!

One week before Christmas, on December 17, 2006, is the 3rd Sunday in Advent with the following three assigned readings: Zephaniah 3:14-20 (Sing daughter of Zion); Philippians 4:4-7 (Rejoice in the Lord always) and Luke 7:18-35 (Is Jesus the Coming One?). Philippians 4:6 is the passage to interpret and apply which reads, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God.”

The apostle Paul tells the Philippians not only to rejoice always in the Lord but also to be anxious for nothing. On what basis is our anxiety taken away? Perhaps the whole verse provides the answer. Is it that by our prayer and supplication in letting our requests be made known to God that He will answer our prayer and take away that which causes us anxiety?

Perhaps we are anxious about finding a job, passing a course, getting married and the list goes on and on. Then does it mean that when we pray, God will find us a job, make sure we pass the course and provide us with a spouse? Today such a theology is referred to as the “Word-Faith” movement. Such a theology teaches that if you only have sufficient faith, whatever you ask in prayer will be given. If it is not, that means that you do not have sufficient faith!

However, the king of theology–context–contradicts such a conclusion. For verse 5 reveals that “the Lord is at hand” and verse 7 reveals that not God’s answer to our prayer but His “peace” which “surpasses all understanding, will guard and keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Thus, regardless of how God answers our prayer, we are to be anxious for nothing because God is at hand and His peace guards us!

Under the Law our anxiety levels are in dependent as to how we regard the treatment we are receiving from God. If things are lousy, we are anxious; if things are turning out okay, we are no longer anxious. You see everything depends then on our perception. But the Christian’s anxiety disappears not because of the evidence that we perceive God is with us but rather because of the faith that trusts His promise that He will never forsake us and that His peace guards us through Christ Jesus.

Not by sight but by faith (trust) in the presence and promises of God results in our anxiety levels as low. For the greatest despair that could ever come upon us is being forsaken by God Himself. That will never be experienced by the believer because Jesus took upon Himself being forsaken in our place! Realizing that all the promises of God surround the believer at all times, we are moved to rejoice always not in the sense of being happy and giddy but of being content and able to cope with all that the world, the devil and our flesh throws at us. With the Lord at hand along with His peace, nothing can separate us from the love of God. We are anxious for nothing!

Moving right along to the second Sunday of Advent for Series C in the revised Lutheran lectionary (series of Bible passages), the three readings assigned for Sunday, December 10, 2006 are Malachi 3:1-7b (The messenger who will prepare the way for the Messiah); Philippians 1:2-11 (He Who began the work will complete it) and Luke 3:1-20 (John the Baptist ministry). Chosen to apply is Malachi 1:7 which reads, “‘Yet from the days of your fathers you have gone away from My ordinances and have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you,’ says the Lord of hosts.”

That doesn’t sound very Christian, does it? Maybe that’s why some people consider the God of the Old Testament as Law while the God of the New Testament is Gospel. However, since the true Triune God authored both testaments, such a distinction is improper. The proper distinction is definitely that between law and Gospel. But how so?

At first reading it appears that God is willing to make a deal. “You return to Me and I will return to you. Until you return, I will forgetaboutyou!” How do we get around that apparent interpretation of the text. The problem is not that the Bible is so hard to understand; it is that we are so hardened not to want to understand it as God meant it to be understood.

The text is obvious. If you don’t return to God; He won’t return to you. But is that not contrary to everything we have learned about the Christian faith? Our God is not one of justice Who will give you what you deserve. He is one of mercy and grace in that He not only does NOT give you what you deserve but also DOES give you what you do not deserve. But that makes this text even more confusing.

For on the one hand God does promise to return to us. But it appears that He will do so only after we make the effort to return to Him. And that is where the problem lies. Our old Adam interprets the text to mean that it is “I” who must make the EFFORT to return to him. However, once we understand the Law as the demands from God that we can never fulfill, our understanding of the text changes radically. If we are not the ones to fulfill the demands of the Law, how can we return to Him first?

Perhaps the following analogy is helpful. A nurse completes her hospital shift and is driving home. Her car is hit by another vehicle driven by a drunk driver. The ambulance radios the hospital that the nurse is in serious condition. The emergency room physician states that if she will return to the hospital, they will treat her. But she is not only injured; she is unconscious. How can she possibly return to the hospital since that is the demand to be met prior to being treated? Easy. The ambulance transports her to the hospital.

We are to return to God before He returns to us. How so? The ambulance is none other than our Savior, Jesus Christ. He returns us to God the Father by the words from the cross, “Father, forgive them for they know not what they do.” But we need not even go to the New Testament books and the cross to hear that promise of the coming of the Messiah. We only need to look six verses ahead of our text of Malachi 1:7 and read of the Lord, the Messenger from God, the Christ, “Who will come to His temple and purify the sons of Levi, purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer to the Lord an offering in righteousness.” (verses 2 & 3).

That is why God the Father says to God the Son, “This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased.” For Jesus does for you what you were unable to do for yourself. He returns you to God through faith in His promises so that God now returns to you. And the beginning of that blessed work we celebrated this past March 25 with the conception of the Virgin Mary so that on this December 25 we celebrate His birth. For, you see, He was born to die for you!

This coming 1st Sunday in Advent, 12/3/06, marks the beginning of a new series of the 3-year lectionary in two ways. First, it begins Year C and second, it begins the new Revised Lutheran Lectionary which this Blog will use. The Old Testament reading is from Jeremiah 33:14-16 (The LORD our Righteousness) and the Epistle is 1 Thessalonians 3:9-13 (Establish blameless hearts). There are two options for the Gospel; the first being Luke 19:28-40 (Palm Sunday) and the second being Luke 21:25-36 (Son of Man and Judgment Day). The passage chosen to analyze is Luke 21:36, “Watch therefore, and pray always that you may be counted worthy to escape all these things that will come to pass, and to stand before the Son of Man.”

The season of Advent (from the Latin verb “venire” meaning “to come”) refers to the coming of our LORD Jesus Christ (1) in the Bethlehem stable; (2) into our hearts at conversion and (3) on Judgment Day. This text from Luke 21 speaks of Judgment Day. The first problem with verse 36 is that some Greek manuscripts read, “that you may be counted worthy” from the verb “kataxioo” while others read, “that you may have strength” from the verb “katischuo”. The New King James uses the first while the English Standard Version uses the second.

To be counted worthy would be something that God decides on the basis of our relationship to Him through faith in Jesus Christ and would not cause much of a difficulty. That’s why we will instead deal with the other translation that gives the impression that on the Day of Judgment you need to pray that you will have strength to escape hell itself. What is this strength that provides a way of escape?

In all other religions of the world except Christianity, the strength is YOUR resolve and obedience to follow the Will of God in some way. These religions attempt to give you information as to how to have sufficient strength to overcome the wrath of their gods on the Day of Judgment. But Christianity is different in that God gets all the credit for our salvation, not us. How then can we understand those English translations that prefer “pray that you have strength to escape”?

Scripture interprets Scripture. In this situation we examine how the Greek words for “strength” and for “escape” are used elsewhere. For the word “strength” Matthew 16:18 quotes Jesus saying the following, “…on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it.” The word “strength” is translated as “prevail.” That means that not even Hell itself has the strength to overcome the Church! Our strength is not of ourselves; it is that of the Church–the body of believers with Christ as our Head. He prevails for us not only here on earth but also on the Day of Judgment in which He testifies to the Father that all believers in Him have had their sins forgiven and are worthy to enter heaven.

For the word “escape” we go to Hebrews 2:3, “…how shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him.” What is this salvation that was spoken by the Lord? It is none other than the Gospel which only Christianity reveals that in Christ, all believers have not only had their sins forgiven but also are wearing that robe of righteousness received in their baptismal adoption.

The strength we need to escape the wrath of God is none other than the accomplished work of Jesus Christ in dying for our sins and rising for our justification. We are prepared for that Day of Judgment not with our own strength but by the promises and strength of God Himself Who continues to work in His holy Church of saints who receive the precious Word and Sacraments as the revealed means God uses to save.

This is not only the Last Sunday in the Church Year on 11/26/06; it is also the last time we will be using the present 3 year lectionary system of readings. Next week all the readings will be from the new 3 year lectionary system referred to as the Revised Lutheran Lectionary. For this Sunday there are 2 choices for the Old Testament reading: Isaiah 51:4-6 (Salvation has gone forth) and Daniel 7:13-14 (Ancient of Days); 2 choices for the Epistle reading: Jude 20-25 (Keep you from stumbling) and Revelation 1:4b-8 (Alpha and Omega); and 2 choices for the Gospel reading: Mark 13:33-37 (No one knows the time) and John 18:33-37 (Pilate and Jesus). The text chosen to analyze is Isaiah 51:4 which reads, “Listen to Me, My people; and give ear to Me, O My nation: for law will proceed from Me, and I will make My justice rest as a light of the peoples.”

Do you really want a god of justice? The theme for this Sunday is the great and awesome Day of Judgment. Every religion of the world teaches that on that Day God will judge you on the basis of His justice; that is, giving you what you deserve. Except for Christianity. It is not that the Christian faith has no concept of the justice of God; it is just that it is so different from any other religion.

As every other religion which has a personal god teaches, on that last Day the god will examine your life as to your own works and give you what you deserve. The more obedient you have been on earth; the greater your chance for salvation. But for the Christian your own works will not be the measure of whether or not you are saved. Instead, through faith in Jesus Christ, you will be declared to have received the righteousness of Christ that He achieved while on earth. A glorious exchange will have taken place at your conversion when God took your sins, placed them on the cross of Christ and gave you His robe or righteousness.

That God is “just” is correct but not according to the understanding of the world. His justice is not that He gives you what you deserve for that would be temporal and eternal punishment for your sins. Instead, he justly forgives you not on account of anything you have contributed to the process of salvation but because of the gift of the death and resurrecction of Jesus Christ. For Jesus did what you and I are unable to achieve; that is, pay for our sins and remove the curse of the Law from us which reads, “In the day that you sin, you shall surely die.”

Jesus took that curse upon Himself as is evident from His own words from the cross, “My God, My God, what have You forsaken Me?” In that way, God’s justice for you and me becomes a light that rests on us who were once in the darkness of unbelief. What a joy to realize that on the Last Day the believer has nothing to fear for He enters into everlasting Paradise wearing the robe of Christ’s righteousness forever and ever.

As the church year draws to a close, the three appointed readings for the 3rd Last Sunday in the Church Year are Daniel 12:1-3 (the Last Day); Hebrews 10:11-16 (the new covenant) and Mark 13:1-13 (Hated for His sake). The passage chosen to apply in the sermon is Daniel 12:2 which reads, “And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt.”

At first reading, this passage sounds like every other religion in the world that speaks of some going to eternal life and others to eternal death. In verse 2 those who go to hell are described as receiving everlasting shame and contempt. The reason is obvious. The shame and contempt is in light of their countless sins. But who of us have not sinned by thought, word or deed? What hope is there for any of us?

Verse 1 speaks of those who are delivered as those who are “found written in the book.” Note that it does not read those who write themselves into the book. No, their names are found in the book because they were written by someone else. And that someone else is none other than God Himself. How though could He be blind to the fact that all are sinners and fall short of the glory of God?

The answer is found in Hebrews 10:17 in which the new covenant reveals that “their sins and lawless deeds I will remember no more.” So God isn’t blind; He’s just forgetful? How can the all-knowing, omniscient God forget anything? However, we jump to the wrong conclusion if we imagine that “forgetting” in this verse has something to do with the memory. It rather has to do with an action.

Two five-year olds are wrestling on the floor. One hits the other who responds, “I’m not going to forget that!” What does he mean? He means that he is going to get even. So also, if God remembers your sins, He holds you accountable for them; if He forgets your sins, you are forgiven. How can that happen? It happens because of the sufferings, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ Who took upon Himself the punishment you and I should have received.

Through faith in the work of our Savior, Christ Jesus, God no longer regards believers as sinners. We are justified in His sight which means we are accounted as righteous. The righteousness is not that of our own but that from Jesus Christ Himself. As verse 14 of Hebrews 10 reveals, “For by one offering (that of Christ) He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.” Salvation is a gift including the faith that God implants in our hearts to cling to Jesus and Him alone for eternal salvation.

For November 5, 2006, the three chosen readings are Isaiah 53:10-12 (God bruised Jesus); Hebrews 4:9-16 (rest for God’s people) and Mark 10:35-45 (sitting on His right hand). While some congregations will also celebrate this Sunday as the Sunday of All Saints, the text chosen to preach about is Hebrews 4:13 which reveals, “And there is no creature hidden from His sight; but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account.”

To give account not only sounds a littly scary as I pen this on Halloween night but downright legalistic. That is, what account can I possibly give to God except that I have been a poor, miserable sinner deserving nothing but temporal and eternal death? Doesn’t sound very reassuring, does it? Sounds more like every other religion in the world that speaks of Judgment Day as the experience when you will learn whether you have accounted sufficiently for yourself to go to heaven.

What is interesting with this verse is the original Greek word for “account.” It is “logos” as used in John 1:1, “In the beginning was the Word (logos)” referring, of course, to Jesus Who became flesh for us. However, “logos” also has a number of other meanings depending on the context. In this verse it means “account” as found in these other passages:

“Give an account of your stewardship, for you can no longer be steward.” (Luke 16:2)

“So then each of us shall give account of himself to God.” (Romans 14:12)

“They (unbelieving Gentiles) will give an account to Him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.” (I peter 4:5)

So it is clear that the context points to the Day of Judgment when you have to give an account to God of your works. Scary? How does this differ from all other religions which speak of giving an account to a god of your works. Are you ready? Have your works been sufficient to merit heaven or….?”

Obviously, we need help. And the help comes in keeping in mind what is absolutely unique only to the Christian faith; that is, the proper distinctions between Law and Gospel. All other religions are those of the Law in which salvation is based on your contribution of works to merit heaven. But Christianity promises salvation not to those who work but to those who believe in Jesus Christ as Savior.

In the very next verses we find the answer to our dilemma. For we do have a High Priest Who did for us what we were unable to do for ourselves. In essence, through His perfect obedience and substitutionary death on our behalf, He merited heaven for His followers.

For you see, the acocunt of works that we present to God is not that of our own but that of Jesus Christ Who exchanged His perfect works for our sins. Judgment Day is not a Halloween Eve we need to fear but rather to that which we can come boldly to the throne of grace and obtain mercy and find grace which helps us in our need to provide God with an account of works that will result in our entrance into heaven!

While this Sunday is also the 21st Sunday after Pentecost, most churches will celebrate the Festival of the Reformation. Those three readings are Jeremiah 31:31-34 (remember their sin no more); Romans 3:19-28 (no one justified by the law) and John 8:31-36 (the truth shall make you free). The verse for our consideration is John 8:31 which reads, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.”

What makes this verse problematical is the word “if.” Normally, we think of an “if” as pointing to a condition which we must meet. For example, “If you get to the cinema at 5:00 pm, you will see the entire movie.” Note how the condition must be met by YOU or else you won’t see the entire movie. Thus, it appears to make sense that to become a disciple of Jesus you are required to meet the condition of abiding in His word.

How can we justify that interpretation with the rest of the three passages making it clear that God forgives our iniquity (Jermeiah 31:34); that no work we do can justify us (Romans 3:20) and that the Son makes us free (John 8:36)? As has been our custom for this entire blog series of sermon reviews, the solution is found in making the proper distinctions between Law and Gospel.

Those who live under the Law are those who are required to meet the demands of God. Those demands can be in the form of Ten Commandments, ceremonial laws, civil laws or the need to abide in His word! Those who live under the Gospel are those who repent of their inability to meet ANY of the demands from God yet rejoice in the revelation that what is impossible for us is not impossible for God.

For in Christ, the Ten Commandments and the entire law is fulfilled which fulfillment is then transfered to us as our sins are transfered to the cross. But how can the demand to abide in the Word be something done by God if we are the ones to abide? The answer can be realized by asking this question. “When believers find themselves in heaven, to whom will they give all the credit for their salvation?” The unanimous answer will be the Holy Trinity.

For it is indeed the Father Who created us, the Son Who redeemed us and the Holy Spirit Who not only brings us into the one true faith but keeps and holds us in that same faith. John 8:31 therefore is understood not as a command we are to fulfill but rather a promise from Jesus Himself as to the blessing of being a disciple of His because of the work of the Holy Spirit. This is most certainly true.

The three readings in the 3-year lectionary assigned for this 20th Sunday after Pentecost are Genesis 2:18-24 (Creation of Eve); Hebrews 2:9-11 (12-18) Jesus lower than angels) and Mark 10:2-16 (Divorce and remarriage). Chosen to anaylze for this week is Hebrew 2:18 “For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted.”

There is a wrong way and a right way to understand every theological passage in the Bible. The wrong way is from the point of view of living under the Law in which you are responsible for being saved with God giving some help. The right way is from the point of view of living under the Gospel in which God gets all the credit. At first reading it certainly does appear that verse 18 of Hebrews 2 fits into the first category in which Jesus is to be understood as a Helper or Aider in our salvation.

However, context–the queen of interpretation–cannot permit that God is only a Helper to us in getting saved. For verse 10 speaks of Jesus as the “author” of our salvation; verse 14 reveals that through His death He destroys the devil who has the power of death and in verse 15 Jesus is given the credit for releasing those of us who through the fear of death–because of our sins–were all our lifetime “subject to bondage.” The “bondage” refers to the curse of the law that through sin we deserve eternal death; that is, separation from God.

So if verse 18 cannot refer to or being aided by God in becoming saved, to what does it refer? Again the context of that very verse spells out that God provides us aid during those times in which the believer is being tempted. In fact, the verse that comes to mind is 1 Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you except such is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able; but with the temptation will also make the way of escape that you may be able to bear it.”

Note well Who is driving the verbs in the sense of Who is responsible for being faithful, for not permitting more than you are able to endure and Who makes the way of escape. The answer is God Himself. With that context we can preach that though we do not contribute anything to our becoming saved, through the power of the Holy Spirit the believer is aided in times of comfort. Through faith in the promises of Jesus, we are given the strength to endure through temptations by the One Who has had personal experience with suffering and temptation as we have.