Sermon for the Feast of the Transfiguration of Our Lord - Mt 17:1-11

 

Transfiguration

                                                                                                         Mt 17:1-9                                                                                                               1/25/26

 

 

          Each Sunday our Gospel lesson is a chunk of text that has been set before us.  It is a pericope – a word that comes from the Greek, meaning “to cut around.” It is a portion of text that has been cut out from the whole and has been placed before us for our consideration on that Sunday.

          Now of course, our focus is going to be on what is in that text.  But one of the most helpful things I learned at the seminary about reading the Gospels is that the meaning – the message – is not only found in what the text itself says. Instead, it often includes what comes before and the text. Quite often, the meaning of what we are reading is shaped by what has just happened or been said.

          That is certainly the case this morning. And in our text, Matthew goes out of his way to signal this to us as he begins by saying, “And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves.” Now Matthew almost never gives us a time reference. The fact that he does so here should lead us to ask: “Six days after what?”

          The answer to this question takes us back into chapter sixteen where Matthew tells us, “Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?”  Our Lord asked what people were saying about him. And disciples answered, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”  The people were saying that Jesus was some kind of prophetic figure.

          But then Jesus asked the really important question. He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”  He confessed that Jesus was not just a prophet. Instead, he was the Christ, the Son of God. And then Jesus answered him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven.”

          Peter was exactly right. Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. And Jesus made it clear that Peter had not figured this out on his own. Instead, God the Father had revealed it to him. We see here yet one more evidence for why the Small Catechism’s explanation to the third article of the Creed says: “I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ my Lord or come to him, but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel.” Faith in Jesus – that he is the Christ, the Son of God – can only be given by the Father through the work of the Spirit. Fallen sinners can never arrive at this on their own.

          This was great stuff. Peter had clearly confessed that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. He was the Savior for whom Israel had hoped. But then Matthew tells us: “From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”  Jesus confirmed, that yes indeed, he was the Christ, the Son of God. And then he began to explain to the disciples that he was going to suffer and die.

          This is not what first century Jews expected about the Christ. It is certainly not what Peter expected. In fact, Matthew tells us that Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” He tried to tell Jesus how things were supposed to work.

          But Jesus shut him down. He turned and said to Peter, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” Our Lord said that Peter’s ideas did not come from God. Instead, they came from Satan.

          Two weeks ago we celebrated the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord.  There when Jesus was baptized, the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus like a dove. God the Father spoke words that were based on Isaiah chapter 42 as he said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” We saw that in this event the Father designated Jesus as the Servant of the Lord. He identified him as the One who took our sins as if they were his own in order to be the suffering Servant – the One who was pierced for our transgressions and was crushed for our iniquities.

          The devil was determined to do everything he could to derail Jesus’ mission. We will see during Lent that this was his purpose when he tempted Christ. It is the devil’s will that is heard in Peter’s words as he denies suffering and death for Jesus.

          Jesus rebuked Peter’s denial of suffering and death for the Christ. And then he went one step further. He added that those who followed Jesus would also experience suffering and death. He said, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

          Our Lord had said that he would suffer and die. He said that those who follow him must expect to take up the cross – that they too would experience suffering and death. But he had also said that he would be raised on the third day. And then he added, “For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done. Truly, I say to you, there are some standing here who will not taste death until they see the Son of Man coming in his kingdom.” Christ announced that he would come in glory to judge. He even said that some of those standing there would not die before seeing Christ in glory.

          In our Gospel lesson we learn that six days after these events, Jesus took three of his disciples – Peter, James, and John – with him up onto a high mountain by themselves. Matthew reports: “And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.”

          At Christmas we rejoiced in the mystery of the incarnation. Conceived by the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ was born of the virgin Mary as the One who is true God and true man.  Jesus lived as a man in this world. But he never ceased to be God. And in this moment he openly revealed his divinity to the disciples as his face shown with the brightness of the sun, and his clothes became white as light.

          Matthew tells us that this was not all. He adds: “And behold, there appeared to them Moses and Elijah, talking with him.” Moses and Elijah were two of the greatest figures in the Old Testament. Both of them had encountered Yahweh at Mt Sinai, and had spoken with him. Now they were present there with Jesus on the mountain as he shown with the glory of God and they talked with our Lord.

          Peter was rarely at a loss for words, and once again he had something to say. He said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good that we are here. If you wish, I will make three tents here, one for you and one for Moses and one for Elijah.” Jesus had just spoken about suffering and death. But now Peter was in the presence of this glorious scene, and it was so much better. He suggested that they set up things to stay there. His proposal about building shelters for Jesus, Moses, and Elijah seemed to place all three on the same level.

          Yet while he was still speaking a bright cloud overshadowed them. This was an indication of God’s presence as a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.” God the Father spoke the same words that he had spoken about Jesus as his baptism.  They were words that identified Jesus as the Servant of the Lord – the suffering Servant who bears the sins of all in death. Yet now the Father speaks them about Jesus as he shines in divine glory.

          Just before the transfiguration, Peter had confessed that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Then Jesus had told the disciples that he was going to suffer and die. To Peter this seemed to be an impossible contradiction, and he rebuked Jesus because of this.

          Now we see Jesus shine with the revelation of his divine glory, as God the Father speaks the exact same words as at his baptism. They are words that identify Jesus as the suffering Servant, but they are spoken about the One who stands before them in glory as the Son of God. And God says, “Listen to him.”  To what are they to listen? It is what Jesus has just said - that is he is going to suffer and die, and then be raised on the third day.

The transfiguration of Jesus demonstrates that in God’s plan suffering, death, and glory are not contradictions. Jesus Christ took our sins as if they were his own in order die on the cross. He went to the cross to receive God’s condemnation against sin in our place. The just God justly condemned our sin in the flesh of Christ. He did so as Christ died in the shame, weakness, and humiliation of the cross.

On Good Friday, the death of Christ on the cross appeared to be the pointless death of a pathetic figure.  But in the Gospel we learn that the cross was God acting in a saving way for us. It was God acting powerfully in his love to reconcile us to himself by giving us atonement – by removing the sin that stood as a barrier to fellowship with the holy God.

We now know this because on the third day God raised Jesus from the dead. Easter was the proof that the cross had been God at work for us. In the glory of the Lord’s resurrected body we see that for God suffering, death, and glory are not contradictory.  God’s glorious saving action had occurred through suffering and death. And now, in the resurrection of Jesus death has been defeated and the glory of the resurrection that will be ours has begun in Christ.

Matthew tells us that when God the Father spoke, the disciples fell on their faces and were terrified. But then Jesus came and touched them, saying, “Rise, and have no fear.” Then we learn that when they lifted up their eyes, they saw no one but Jesus only.

In the account of the transfiguration, we hear the Lord saying the same thing to us. We learn that for us too, suffering, death, and glory are not contradictions. Christ, the One who passed through suffering and death into the glory of the resurrection, says, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.”

Being a Christian means that we are willing to accept the cross in our own life. Thankfully we don’t live in a place like Nigeria, Sudan, or Syria where there is the real possibility that someone will kill you because you believe in Jesus Christ. But the cross of suffering occurs in other ways.

Confessing that you believe in Jesus Christ will bring contempt and disdain from our culture which will dismiss you as being “religious.”  Abstaining from sex outside of marriage and refusing to live together before marriage makes dating more difficult because it means you need to find a person who shares these beliefs.  Saying that homosexuality and abortion are sinful will bring the world’s condemnation.  Setting aside Sunday morning as the time when you attend the Divine Service will mean saying no to world’s view that Sunday is just another Saturday.

Following Jesus Christ does mean that we will have to take up the cross.  Paul told the Philippians, “For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake.” But we do so in the confidence that the cross is not a contradiction of the glory that is already ours in Christ. Baptized into Christ the risen Lord we are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession. We are the sons and daughters of God because of Jesus.

We have been born again of water and the Spirit, and now the Spirit of Christ is at work in us.  It is the Holy Spirit who enables us live in joy, hope, and peace no matter what the circumstances may be. As Paul told the Romans, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

We are able to take up the cross and follow Jesus because we know that the glory he has as the risen Lord will be ours as well.  Christ passed through the death of the cross and then rose from the dead on Easter.  Because he did, we will too.  He is the firstborn of the dead. On the Last Day he will return in glory and raise up our bodies as we share in his resurrection.

The transfiguration of our Lord shows us that suffering, death, and glory are not contradictions for our Gospel God. Six days earlier Jesus Christ had announced his suffering and death. But now on the mountain he reveals his divine glory to Peter, James, and John. Jesus stands in glory as the Father again identifies him as the servant of the Lord – the suffering Servant.  The suffering and death of Christ was the means of God’s saving action for us. And then in Jesus’ resurrection he began the glorious bodily life that will be ours as well.

 

   

 

 

 

 

         

 

 

 

 

 

Sermon for the Second Sunday after the Epiphany - Jn 2:1-11

 

   Epiphany 2

                                                                                                            Jn 2:1-11

                                                                                                            1/18/26

 

 

            A number of years ago we had an emergency on a Sunday morning. As many of you will remember, at that time we had an early and a late service.  After the early service, it was necessary to reset the altar to prepare for the Lord’s Supper to be celebrated at the second service.

            A congregation member was doing this in the normal fashion when she realized that we had run out of wine.  There was no way to purchase more on a Sunday morning. Our house is less than a minute drive from church, and so Amy went home and grabbed the bottle that we had there. Between the wine that remained in the cruet and the wine in the bottle from our house we had enough to get by.

            Like many congregations, we use Mogen David Concord wine for communion. This is characterized as a sweet wine. The only wine we had at home was a Cabernet Sauvignon, which is of course a dry wine. The combination of those two wines produced a taste that was just nasty. We did indeed have wine for celebrating the Sacrament using the chalice, but it was definitely not good wine.

            In our Gospel lesson this morning we learn that Jesus was at a wedding where they also ran out of wine. However, in that setting Christ works his first miracle as he turns water into wine. And in this case he provides wine that is better than the wine that had run out.

            Our text begins by telling us: “On the third day there was a wedding at Cana in Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there.

Jesus also was invited to the wedding with his disciples.”  The Gospel of John does not narrate the baptism of Jesus that we observed last Sunday. However, it does provide information about some of the things that happened while Jesus was south in Judea being baptized by John.

            John announced that the baptism of Jesus had been the event when he knew for sure who Jesus was.  He declared, “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”

            We learn that some of Jesus’ disciples had been first associated with John – people like Andrew, Peter, and Philip.  Now, Jesus had returned to Galilee and his disciples were there with him. Cana is about six miles from Nazareth, and Mary had been invited to a wedding there. We are told that Jesus and his disciples were also invited.

            A wedding is a joyous occasion. It is also a source of tension because those involved want everything to be just right. My niece will be getting married this coming summer and so we are getting a first hand look at all of the preparations and decisions that have to be made.  When you have invested all of that time, effort, and money in a wedding, you want the special day to go perfectly.

            Things did not go perfectly at Cana.  As the celebration progressed, they ran out of wine. Now to be sure, many of us like wine. But wine had an even bigger role in first century Jewish culture than anything we have experienced.  To run out of wine at a wedding was a social disaster of the first magnitude.

            Mary and Jesus had been invited to a wedding at a different village six miles away. This probably indicates that there was a family connection. Mary was concerned about this situation. And she brought the matter to Jesus.

            She told our Lord that they had run out of wine.  However, his response seems surprising. He said, “Woman, what does this have to do with me? My hour has not yet come.”  Jesus asked why this was a concern for him as he framed his purpose as the hour that was to come.

            The reference to his “hour” signals that we are to understand what Jesus does here in light of his death. Twice in John’s Gospel we learn that opponents are unable to seize Jesus “because his hour had not yet come.”  It is only at Holy Week that Jesus’ hour arrived. He said, “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? But for this purpose I have come to this hour.”

            Mary had turned to Jesus and he seemed to have rebuffed her. But her trust in Christ did not waiver. She said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”  Here Mary is a model for us, just as she is when the angel Gabriel announced that she would bear the Christ. At that time she trusted and believed God’s Word that was going to change her life. Now, she seems to be rejected and ignored by Jesus. But she does not cease to trust that Christ is able to address the problem. In fact, she tells the servants to carry out whatever direction Jesus provides.

            John tells us that there were six stone water jars present at the wedding for the Jewish rites of purification.  These were large vessels holding twenty to thirty gallons. Christ had the servants fill the jars. Then he told the servants to draw some out and take it to the master of the feast.

            You have to wonder what the servants thought about this task. Why would you take water to the master of the feast to taste? Yet what the master of the feast tasted was not water, but instead wine because Jesus had worked the miracle of turning the water into wine. And in fact the master of the feast called the bridegroom and said, “Everyone serves the good wine first, and when people have drunk freely, then the poor wine. But you have kept the good wine until now.”

            In the Gospels we learn about many different miracles that Jesus performed. He heals the sick, gives sight to the blind, and raises the dead.  But the Church places this miracle before us on the Second Sunday after Epiphany because of the words at the end of our text: “This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.”

            John describes Jesus’ miracle as a sign. In this Gospel Jesus’ miracles are signs that call forth faith. They reveal who Jesus is.  John tells us that the signs manifest Christ’s glory.  This is language that resonates with the theme of the season of Epiphany – the appearing of Christ and his saving work.

            This statement about glory calls us back to the Gospel lesson for Christmas Day. There John begins his Gospel by saying about the Son of God: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not anything made that was made.” After describing how the Son – the Word – made creation, John then went on to say: “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.”

            In the Old Testament, the glory of God was his perceptible presence at the tabernacle and then temple. John tells us that the Son of God became flesh – that in the incarnation God became man without ceasing to be God. And then he adds that the apostles have seen his glory.

            In our text, John calls Jesus’ miracle a sign, and says that by this miracle Jesus revealed his glory.  On the surface that makes sense. Christ turns water into wine. He works a miracle that only God can do. Certainly, this reveals his glory as the Son of God.

            But John is leading us to understand that Christ revealed his glory in a very specific – and unexpected way. In our text we see Jesus speaking to Mary as he addresses her as “woman.” Mary is not seen again in the Gospel until chapter nineteen when hanging on the cross Jesus says to her about the disciple whom he loved: “Woman, behold, your son!”

            The miracle of turning water into wine is sign. It reveals Christ’s glory. And like all of the signs it points to the manner in which Christ will reveal his glory on the cross. Jesus said during Holy Week, “Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” Then John adds: “He said this to show” – literally, “to sign” - by what kind of death he was going to die.”

            Jesus Christ reveals his saving glory by dying on the cross. That is the hour when he is glorified. Our Lord said, “The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”

            In the chapter before our text we learn that after John had baptized Jesus, he saw Christ coming toward him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”  Later he called Andrew’s attention to Jesus by again identifying him the Lamb of God. 

            Jesus called sin slavery. He said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who practices sin is a slave to sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son remains forever. So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.” Christ set us free from sin by his death on the cross.

We were unable to free ourselves. Conceived in sin, we continue to live in sin.  Indeed, we spoke the verse from John’s first letter at the beginning of the service when we said: “If anyone says that he has no sin he deceives himself and the truth is not in him.”

But Christ was our Passover lamb.  In Exodus the Israelites killed the Passover lamb and marked their residences with its blood. The blood of the lamb caused God’s judgment to pass over the Israelites as they were spared death. The shedding of Jesus’ blood in death has caused God’s judgment to pass over us. Because of Christ’s death for us we are not condemned for our sin.  Instead, we are forgiven before God and so have eternal life. The next chapter of the Gospel says, “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.”

Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”  Then he added, “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.” We have life through faith in Christ because on the third day God raised Jesus from the dead. This is life that we have now – life with God that death cannot end. 
And it is life that will continue when Christ raises up our bodies on the Last Day.

In our text John says, “This, the first of his signs, Jesus did at Cana in Galilee, and manifested his glory. And his disciples believed in him.” Jesus’ miracles are signs that reveal his glory. They point us to Jesus and his saving glory of the cross.

John says at the end of chapter twenty, “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”  The Holy Spirit has called us to faith. And now we continue to see the signs that reveal Jesus’ saving glory in the Scriptures.  It is this Spirit given word which sustains us in faith.

So take the time this week to read God’s Word each day.  There the Spirit reveals the saving glory of the cross – the cross on which the Lamb of God was slain who takes away the sin of thew world. There the Spirit reveals the risen Lord in whom we have the assurance of eternal life. As Jesus said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sermon for the Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord - Mt 3:13-17

                                                                                                Baptism of Our Lord

                                                                                                Mt 3:13-17

                                                                                                1/11/26

 

           

On Tuesday we entered into the season of Epiphany as we celebrated how the magi were first prompted by a star, and then later followed the star to see the Christ. The word “epiphany” is based on a Greek word that means “to appear.” During Advent prepared to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. At Christmas we rejoiced in how God sent his Son into the world as the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.  Now in Epiphany we consider how the incarnate Son of God began to reveal is saving glory.

On this Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord, our Gospel lesson tells about the baptism of Jesus. This is a good place to begin during Epiphany because the baptism of Jesus marks the start of our Lord’s ministry. It is the beginning of God’s salvation appearing in Jesus Christ.  It is the first step, and in this case the first step determines all the rest.

Matthew begins this section of the Gospel by saying, “In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” John showed up in the wilderness and he called upon all to repent. He said this was necessary because the kingdom of heaven – the reign of God – was about to arrive.  He announced that God was about to carry out his end time action. This would mean salvation for God’s people, and judgment for sinners. All people needed to confess their sin and turn in faith toward God in preparation for it.

As I have mentioned in the past, John did something unique – something no one had seen before. He baptized people.  John specifically identified the act of receiving his baptism with repentance. He said, “I baptize you with water for repentance.” By receiving John’s baptism, people demonstrated their repentance and faith in God as they looked for his reign to arrive. Matthew tells us, “Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.”

The baptism of John is the last place we would expect to find Jesus. After all, the angel Gabriel had told Mary: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy— the Son of God.”  Jesus Christ is the holy Son of God.  True God and true man, he committed no sin. Yet now he comes to receives a baptism of repentance.

Our Gospel lesson begins with the words: “Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him.” John clearly did not understand this.  In fact, Matthew tells us that John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”

However, Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Each of them had a role to play.  John was the baptizer.  Jesus was there to receive John’s baptism. And this was necessary to fulfill all righteousness.

Righteousness is an interesting word in the Scriptures. As we mentioned in Bible class last Sunday, it can mean doing what is according to God’s will – doing what God says is right. But it is also used to refer to God’s saving action. For example, in Psalm 98 we hear: “The Lord has made known his salvation; he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.” And that is the meaning that we have here. Jesus was saying that his baptism was part of God’s end time saving action.

John consented and baptized Jesus. Next Matthew tells us, “And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” 

After Jesus’ baptism two things happened. First, the heavens were opened to Jesus. This is language that in Scripture describes divine revelation. He saw the Spirit descend like a dove and come to rest upon him. Second, God the Father spoke saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” Together these two things left no doubt about what was happening.

In Isaiah chapter 42 Yahweh had said, “Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.” The Father’s words draw upon this verse as he carries out the very action of placing his Spirit upon Jesus. God identifies Jesus as the Servant of the Lord.

Jesus the sinless Son of God begins his ministry by submitting to a baptism of repentance. He goes to a baptism in which everyone else is confessing their sins.  He does so because he enters the water in order to take our sins upon himself.  Isaiah said of the Servant in chapter 53, “All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.”

Jesus’ baptism is the first step of his public ministry.  It is the first step that determines all the rest. He enters the water of his baptism in order to take on the role of the One who will bear our sins.  He does so because we are not holy. We are people who do not trust God to guide our lives. We do not put God and his Means of Grace first. We put ourselves before our spouse, and speak angry words when called out on this. We lust, and covet, and hate.

Jesus does none of these things. But he takes them as if they were his own. From the moment of his baptism our Lord’s entire ministry was directed towards one moment. It was directed towards his crucifixion on Good Friday. Peter confesses that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. Then Matthew tells us: “From that time Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised.”

On the cross, Christ fulfilled the words of Isaiah, “But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” God condemned our sin in the flesh of Jesus Christ.  The Lord Jesus died in order to redeem us from sin – to free us from it. Paul told the Ephesians that “in him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses.”

The baptism of Jesus fulfilled Isaiah chapter 42. But that was not all. At Nazareth Jesus himself said that he was the fulfillment of Isaiah chapter 61 in which the prophet wrote, “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound.”

Jesus was anointed with the Spirit at his baptism to bring the good news of more than just freedom from sin. He came to open the prison of death itself. Sin brings death. It did for Adam.  And it has for everyone since.

In Luke’s Gospel immediately after telling about the baptism of Jesus, he provides a genealogy of the Lord. It is a genealogy that ends with: “the son of Adam, the son of God.” Jesus is the second Adam who came to reverse all that occurred because of the first one.

Adam’s sin brought death. Jesus died to win forgiveness for us. And then on third day God raised Jesus from the dead. He rose with a body transformed so that it can never die again. He rose as the beginning of the resurrection that will be ours on the Last Day. St. Paul told the Corinthians, “For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.”

John the Baptist began the practice of baptism. Jesus received John’s baptism as he fulfilled all righteousness – as he carried out the end time saving action of God. That saving action was accomplished by his death and resurrection. And then Jesus transformed baptism into the means by which he delivers the salvation that he has won. The risen Lord told the disciples, “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”

Jesus was baptized in order to die. Now through baptism we share in his saving death. Paul told the Romans, “Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” Your sins are forgiven because you have been joined to Christ’s death through baptism. Notice that Paul says that something actually happened in baptism. You were baptized into Christ. You were baptized into his death. You were buried with him.

Jesus is about more than death, and so baptism is as well. The Spirit descended upon Jesus at his baptism, and in this we see that baptism is the source of Christ’s Spirit in our lives. Jesus told Nicodemus that a person must be born again – born from above – to see the kingdom of God. Then he added, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”

Through the water and the Word of baptism the Spirit creates new spiritual life. Paul told Timothy that baptism is “the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit.”  It is the continuing source of the Spirit’s work in our life and that is why Paul can say of baptism, “We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”

The Spirit of God who raised Jesus from dead dwells in you through baptism. Paul told the Romans, “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” The resurrection power of the Spirit is at work in you because you are the baptized child of God.

And this leads us back to that first meaning of righteousness that I mentioned earlier: doing what is according to God’s will – doing what God says is right. You have received the righteousness of God – the saving work of God in Christ. So now through the work of the Spirit, seek to live in righteousness. Walk in newness of life.  Paul put it this way to the Romans, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”

So, help and support your spouse, putting his or her needs ahead of your own. Obey your parents and listen to their guidance. Work as unto the Lord and not unto man in your vocation – giving your best effort because it helps your neighbor. Forgive others, as you have been forgiven in Christ.

Today we see that the baptism of Jesus marks the start of our Lord’s ministry. It is the beginning of God’s salvation appearing in Jesus Christ.  It is the first step – the first step that determined all the rest in his death and resurrection.  Now through baptism you have received the salvation that Christ has won. His Spirit enables you to walk in the ways of the Lord – the same Spirit by whom he will raise our bodies from the dead on the Last Day.

 

Sermon for the Feast of the Epiphany of Our Lord - Mt 2:1-12

                                                        

                                                                                                    Epiphany

                                                                                                    Mt 2:1-12

                                                                                                    1:6:26

                                                                                               

 

 

          They were fortunate to catch Herod the Great in town.  Our text tonight begins with the words: “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

          The magi came to Jerusalem looking for the king of the Jews who had been born. Instead of a young child, they found Herod the Great, and they interacted with him. There was actually a good chance that they could have arrived in Jerusalem and found no king there.  Herod had built a palace in Jerusalem. However, he had also built palace complexes at Caesarea on the Mediterranean Sea, at Masada in the Judean wilderness, and Herodium.  He ruled from these various palace locations in his kingdom.

          Matthew signals the unexpected character of the arrival by saying, “Behold! Magi from the east came to Jerusalem.”  Now you will note that I have not used the language of our translation by calling them “wise men.” Instead, I am using a word that is based on the Greek being translated here: “magoi.” We are used referring to them as the “wise men,” which since the Enlightenment of the 1700’s has had very positive associations.

          However, when Matthew wrote these words, Jews did not view the word “magi” in a positive way. Magi were people who were learned, but not in anything that really mattered. They were foolish men who were experts at nonsense, since so much of it was tied up with astrology and pagan religion.  The fact that Gentile magi showed up in Jerusalem looking for a newborn king of the Jews was shocking.

          We are probably not going to be quite so negative in our evaluation of the magi. Magi were in fact keen observers of the heavens – they were learned in matters that today we would call astronomy. But to be sure, this learning was mixed up with what we would now call astrology. It was a learning that was heavily involved in what we call the occult.

          The magi came from the east and said, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”  The magi said that their journey had been prompted by something they had seen in the sky – “a star at its rising.”  They had seen some kind of astronomical event which signaled to them that a king of the Jews had been born.

          Most likely the magi came from what we know as Iraq or Iran. These were the lands of the Babylonians and Persians, and after the events of the sixth century B.C. sizeable numbers of Jews lived there. In this setting a learned individual could come into contact with the Scriptures of the Old Testament.

          In the book of Numbers we learn that Balak the king of the Moabites hired Balaam a diviner and practicer of the occult to curse the Israelites. But Yahweh used Balaam instead to speak his words and to bless Israel. In fact in chapter 24 we learn that the Spirit of God came upon Balaam and prompted him to speak. In that chapter he said, “I see him, but not now; I behold him, but not near: a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel.”

          God had spoken through a Gentile diviner. He provided something new and unexpected – a star at its rising. And now God used those words in Scripture to prompt Gentile magi to seek a newborn king of the Jews because of what they had seen.

          Through God’s providence, Herod the Great was in Jerusalem when the Gentiles showed up. He was not thrilled to hear that a king of the Jews had been born.  He was troubled, and so was everyone else because when Herod got troubled about usurpers of his throne, people died.

          Herod had spent great amounts of money turning the temple in Jerusalem into one of the wonders of the ancient world. However, this was not an action prompted by faith in God. Instead, Herod sought the favor of the Jews whose land he ruled. At the same time, Herod also spent money to build pagan temples in Gentile areas.Her

          Herod was not a man who had faith in the Lord. But in this case he thought the Scriptures might be useful. So he assembled the chief priests and scribes of the people and inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They pointed to the prophet Micah as they answered: “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet: ‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.’”

          We hear in our text that with this information in hand, Herod inquired secretly from the wise men about when the star had appeared.  After our Gospel lesson on Sunday, you know exactly what he was doing. He was determining the relative age of the child, if he in fact existed, in order to eliminate him. But Herod hoped that the magi would do the work of finding the child for him.  He said, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.”

          Herod sent the magi to Bethlehem to find the child. And it is at this point that Matthew again calls our attention to another unexpected event as he writes: “And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was.”  The magi said that their trip had been prompted by the sight of “a star at its rising.” However, they had not followed the star to Jerusalem. They believed that this astronomical event signaled the birth of the king of the Jews, and so they went to where you expected the king to be: in Jerusalem.

          But now, something new and different occurred. They again saw this star, but this time it behaved in a way that actually guided them.  Matthew tells us, “When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.”

          We usually assume that the star guided the magi to Bethlehem. But it is helpful to recognize that the text never actually says this.  It says that the Christ had been born in Bethlehem, and that on this basis Herod sent the magi to Bethlehem, but it never actually says that the magi arrived in Bethlehem. It is also worth noting that Bethlehem is only six miles from Jerusalem. The magi certainly didn’t need a star to lead them there.

          It is possible that instead the star led them to Nazareth. This may explain why the magi rejoiced greatly when suddenly the star appeared and started to guide them. It also fits well with the information that Luke provides us in chapter two about the circumstances of Christ’s birth.  We can’t know for sure. The one thing that is clear that in a new and specific way the star that they had seen previously at its rising now guided the magi to the location of the Christ.  God acted through a star to reveal not just that the Christ had been born, but also to lead the magi to him.

          Matthew tells us: “And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.”  The magi came and offered homage to the king. They also brought valuable gifts.

          Epiphany is sometimes called “the Christmas of the Gentiles.” Jesus Christ is born, and on Christmas Eve the angels announce this good news to Jewish shepherds. But on Epiphany we celebrate how God revealed Jesus to the Gentile magi.

          On Epiphany we are reminded of a fact that we often take for granted: Jesus Christ is the Savior of those who are not Jewish. God called Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob. He took their descendants Israel into a covenant with himself. If you don’t descend from Israel – if you are not Jewish – then he did not make a covenant with you.

          In Isaiah’s prophecies we learn that that Servant of the Lord is Israel. Yet somehow, his is also not Israel – he is a figure other than Israel. In chapter 49 Yahweh says, “It is too light a thing that you should be my servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make you as a light for the nations, that my salvation may reach to the end of the earth.”

          God describes how his salvation must reach to the ends of the earth. We hear a description of this in our Old Testament lesson tonight in which God says through Isaiah: “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the Lord will arise upon you, and his glory will be seen upon you.”

          The darkness that covers the peoples is the sin and death that has enveloped us since the fall of Adam.  It is the sin that cuts us off from the holy God bringing his eternal judgment and damnation. At Christmas we celebrated how God sent his Son into the world to deliver us from these things. The Word became flesh as the Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit, and born of the virgin Mary.

          The Son of God became man, without ceasing to be God. He took on our humanity in order to take our place – to take our sin and receive God’s judgment as he died on the cross. He redeemed us from sin. And then God renewed our humanity by raising Christ from the dead with a body that can never die again. Jesus is the second Adam who delivers us from all that occurred in the Fall.

          God had worked through Israel, but his saving purpose was never limited to Israel. Isaiah says in the Old Testament lesson: “And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.”  In our Gospel lesson we see that God brings the magi to the Christ.  He shows that the salvation present in Jesus is for all peoples. They bring gifts to the Lord, just as Isaiah says, “A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall bring good news, the praises of the Lord.”

          God’s salvation in Christ is for you.  All most none of you descend from Abraham and Israel, but God has acted in the death and resurrection of his Son to give you forgiveness and eternal life. And this raises the question: What is your response? The magi made the trip to Jerusalem. They then followed the star to the place where Jesus was located. Finding the Christ was a priority for them.

You have come to the Divine Service on a Tuesday night because you are doing the same.  You have come to the place where Christ is present through his Word and Sacrament. This is the pattern that needs to continue to guide your life. It is the pattern that you need to encourage in your family members and friends.

The magi came to the place where Christ was and brought gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. They brought valuable things and gave them to the Lord. This causes us to consider how we respond to the blessings God has given us. Do you bring gifts to the Lord that reflect sacrificial giving?  Do you give what is valuable, or something quite small that allows you to go through the motions? The offering we give is a response to the blessings God has given to us. It we are walking by the Spirit, then it will be an offering that is proportional to the way that God has blessed us. It is what we return to the Lord to support the proclamation of the Gospel in this place.

The Feast of the Epiphany of the Lord announces that the Gospel is for all people. God has acted in his Son Jesus Christ to free us from sin and death. He worked through Israel to accomplish his saving purpose for all nations. Through the good news of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ we have forgiveness and resurrection on the Last Day. This is light we share with all those around us.