Old and New summarizes the little gallery below. Pic #1 shows an elderly Simeon and Anna receiving what they were promised in the New Covenant; Pic #2 is the mundane tradition of saying goodbye to the Old as Father Time welcomes the New Year; Pic #3 reminds us of the Old Testament passes away when the New Testament was established in the forgiveness of sins; and, Pic #4 shows Moses and Jesus with the Bible text of John 5:46, with the reminder of what St. Paul also wrote: "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believeth" Romans 10:4. This brings me to my address for this morning, the first Sunday after Christmas Day:

“Saying Goodbye to the Old and Bringing in the New”
Luke 2:25-32 “And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord's Christ. So, he came by the Spirit into the temple. And when the parents brought in the Child Jesus, to do for Him according to the custom of the law, he took Him up in his arms and blessed God and said: ‘Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, According to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, And the glory of Your people Israel.’” NKJV

Dear Christian friends: It used to be in years past that each New Year we saw in the media the image of a bearded, old man with his staff drudging along to the end of his course and a chubby, diapered, smiling baby in a top hat taking the old man’s place. For those of the newer generation who might not know what I’m talking about, this was the media’s method of saying that the past year is now gone and the New Year starts fresh; it is the end of the old and the beginning of the new. And as the New Year quickly approaches, I want you to reflect upon the old man in the temple named Simeon who for a long time lived under the Old Covenant or Testament that was now passing away to make room for the New Covenant now being revealed to his eyes.

Here, in today’s text, Simeon holds in his hands the Incarnate Word of the New Covenant, Jesus, the Christ child. Here is the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies, in the fullness of time, being experienced as Simeon is blessed by the New before he passes away. It is as St. Paul wrote to the Galatians in today’s Epistle to the Galatians 4:4-5, “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”

Hebrews 8:7-13 explains why Moses (representative of the Old Covenant) cannot stand alongside Jesus: “None of them shall teach his neighbor, and none his brother, saying, 'Know the Lord,' for all shall know Me, from the least of them to the greatest of them. For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more. In that He says, ‘A new covenant,’ He has made the first obsolete. Now what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away.”

The text according to Luke brings us to the fact that Jesus was now only 40 days old, as determined in the rites after childbirth in Leviticus 12. Joseph had brought Mary to the temple in Jerusalem to perform the rites of purification and to sacrifice that which was appropriate for a new-born son. The temple was a very busy place with many visitors and yet it was this one family of Mary, Joseph, and Jesus that Simeon took notice.

Unlike the imagery of the bearded, old man, known as Father Time, turning away and walking into oblivion, this old man, Simeon, in the temple turns to the New baby Jesus and embraces him in his frail arms. This surprises Mary and Joseph as the old man breaks unto a joyful song of worship and adoration: “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; For my eyes have seen Your salvation which You have prepared before the face of all peoples, a light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel.” The old tired eyes of Simeon were permitted to look upon the Christ child, his own Savior, in the flesh. Simeon, who had been kept under the Old Covenant, now holds in his arms the long-awaited consolation of Israel that now releases him to die in peace. The New (Covenant) is here; the Old (Covenant) must now pass away.

The Bible also says that there was another elderly Israelite present nearby who happened to hear Simeon prophesy and sing his song of praise. She was a widow by the name of Anna who was 84 years old. Like most widows of her day, she was dependent upon the alms and gifts that were given her out of the love of those that came to the temple. Why did such a baby cause so much a stir in a couple of old people? It was that both Simeon and Anna had the hope of meeting this special child for a long time. And now the Holy Spirit had told Simeon that he would not die until he has seen the Messiah, the very Christ of God.

Simeon was indeed a dying breed in Israel; he was one who read the Scriptures of the Old Testament with wisdom as they foretold the birth of the Messiah. The great majority of the Jews had twisted the prophecies of the Old Testament to read what they wanted them to read. The Jews were much like the liberal Christians of today who believe and teach that people can’t be free in Christ unless they are first freed from a racist and unjust society. (This is known as liberation theology and, more recently, social justice theology.) The Jews of Simeon’s day were much like the Jesuits of the Roman Catholic Church that imported rebellion in third world countries to overthrow earthly governments instead of seeing that Christianity is the New Covenant made known in the forgiveness of sins.

Most of the Jews were also expecting a military-type hero in their day who would overthrow the Roman government and bring the Jews back into power under, what they thought would be, a Theocratic ruling government on earth, much like today’s Islamists believe as well as Dominionism in the Evangelical movement. But Simeon believed God, that he would see his spiritual hero that was his personal Salvation. Yes, Simeon and Anna were among “all they who looked for the redemption in Jerusalem.” So, this arriving of the holy family in the temple brought to both of them exceeding joy before their passing from this life into their new heavenly homes.

But what about you this Sunday after Christmas as you wait for the New Year? In what lies your hope? It is a fact that many people, even Christians, suffer depression after Christmas Day. This is the reality in which many people understand the Christmas holiday. Many treat Christmas as a birthday party (even if it is Jesus’ birthday); and like all birthday parties, it comes only once a year, with a brief time of happiness only to be followed by the longer time of realizing that you are just another day older and closer to death’s door.

Year after year people treat Christmas like a once a year party that they build up to the season of Advent, which should be treated as a time for repentance according to John the Baptist, and finally climaxes in the Big Day that is celebrated with extravagances of materialism and mounds of goodies to eat and lots to drink. It is then, on that “glorious” day, that Santa comes to all the little pagan girls and boys (who have, of course, been nice the whole year and not naughty) and then…poof! The magic is over for another year. And now all that the world has to look forward to is popping the cork on champagne bottles, kissing the nearest person and singing about Auld Lang Syne. Yet even today, there remain a few people like Simeon and Anna that understand Scriptures and realize what the prophecies of old present as the truth of the Messiah’s birth in Bethlehem.

Friends, Christmas isn’t just some innocuous story of a sweet Jewish baby who teaches us how to love everyone; Christmas is rather a matter of a blessing and a saying goodbye to the Old while bringing in the New. It is the Birth of births, a new beginning manifest within the world. It is doing away with those conditional covenants of the past and showing an unconditional testament, a New Covenant known only in the forgiveness of sins. Christmas is seeing your Savior, who alone was born to die so that you might be born-again, that you might have a second birth from above!

The liturgical Church traditionally celebrates 12 days of Christmas culminating in the day of Epiphany when Christ is made manifest to the Gentiles. This is when the Magi, who sought the significance of the holy birth prophesied in Isaiah 60:1-6, came and worshiped the Christ Child and offered Him their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

As it was prophesied in Isaiah 60:1-6, in the KJV: Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For, behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side. Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee. The multitude of camels shall cover thee, the dromedaries of Midian and Ephah; all they from Sheba shall come: they shall bring gold and incense; and they shall show forth the praises of the Lord.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with celebrating Christmas with elaborate traditional ways; BUT, if this is all Christmas means to you then you sadly have missed the joy of celebrating the Mass of Christmas. You may have well just stayed with the Old and have nothing to do with the New for you have no real hope beyond what you can see and have in this present life…and for many people, that thought is depressing; but Simeon teaches us how important it is to have Jesus as our sure Foundation so that we can continue to build our life upon Christ the Rock of our salvation and, at the end, die in this faith.
In Christ we have everlasting light and life so that at the close of our own earthly journeys we can also say with confidence, “Lord, lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace according to Thy word.”

And what have we learned from Anna? Well, we also learned to live a life of dedication to our Lord, worshiping on a regular basis the Consolation of Israel, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. For it is here, in God’s House that you can hear His precious word of life and often partake of His precious body and blood in the Sacrament of Holy Communion. It is in the Word of God that you view the real tree of Christ-Mass. For it is as Paul says (1 Cor 1:22-24) “For Jews request a sign, and Greeks seek after wisdom; but we preach Christ crucified, to the Jews a stumbling block and to the Greeks foolishness, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.”

Listen to this quote from Luther in his Table Talk (no. 5562. Spring of 1543) explaining: To Believe and to Comprehend Are Not the Same: When Dr. Jonas said that the mind of man cannot comprehend articles of faith and that it is enough that we begin only to assent, the doctor [Martin Luther] said, “Yes, dear Dr. Jonas, if one could believe them the way they’re written, our hearts would leap for joy. That’s certain. Accordingly, we won’t arrive at the place where we comprehend them. In Torgau a wretched little woman once came to me and said, ‘Ah, dear Doctor, I have the idea that I’m lost and can’t be saved because I can’t believe.’ Then I replied, ‘Do you believe, dear lady, that what you pray in the Creed is true?’ She answered with clasped hands, ‘Oh yes, I believe it; it’s most certainly true!’ I replied, ‘Then go in God’s name, dear lady. You believe more and better than I do.’ “It’s the devil who puts such ideas into people’s heads and says, ‘Ah, you must believe better. You must believe more. Your faith is not very strong and is insufficient.’ In this way he drives them to despair. We are so constructed by nature that we desire to have a conscious faith. We’d like to grasp it with our hands and shove it into our bosom, but this doesn’t happen in this life. We can’t comprehend it, but we ought to apprehend it. We should hold to the Word and let ourselves drag along in this way.”

Although you may not be able to comprehend the doctrine of the Incarnation in this life, you can still apprehend it as Simeon and Anna did when they beheld the Lord’s Salvation in human form; and as you apprehend it, according to God’s written Word, Christmas will continue to be with you throughout the remainder of this year, into the New Year of 2020… and always! Amen.

Love
Luther, in his commentary on Galatians 5:13-15 may help with grieving and love. Luther says: “But if one must concede absolutely that love of oneself is ranked first here, I at least shall ascend to a higher level and say that love of this kind is always wrong so long as it is in itself, and that it is not good unless it is outside itself in God; that is, that with my affection for myself and my love of myself completely dead, I look for nothing but that God's completely undefiled will be done in me.” Love, in other words, always has a place to go, namely, what is taught; love of God and love of neighbor never within self.  Love, dear Christians, always has a place to go.

Scenes of Christmas is thematic for the little gallery below: Pic #1 is the event of the angel's announcement to the shepherds in the field of the night of Jesus' birth along with the angelic choir singing of God's peace proffered to all mankind; Pic #2 shows Luther and his family singing of Christmas, possibly one he himself wrote, "From Heaven Above to Earth I Come"; Pic #3 shows Luther and his family around the Christmas tree with his friend, the reformer Phillip Melancthon; Pic #4 is "Madonna and Child and Chalice" by Eric Gill (1929) showing that this Baby of Mary took on human form (God Incarnate) to be a sacrifice for the sins of the world (hence the chalice); and, poinsettias traditionally showing the star (shape of the flower) as rising, and the color reminding us of Jesus' blood. This brings me to this morning's address:

Christmas Day 2019 “The Word of the Father Born to You!”
Luke 2:8-14 NKJV 8 Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. 10 Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. 11 For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: 14 “Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

Dear Christian friends: Scripture tells us that the shepherds in the fields were terrified at the sight of the Christmas angel. The glory of the Lord shone around them and they were rightly terrified because they were sinners deserving only God’s wrath and judgment. When confronted with the purity and holy radiance of God's presence we would also have been greatly afraid, for as it is written “without holiness no one can see God.”

Yes, it is true that our God is a consuming fire (Deuteronomy 4:24) and nothing, absolutely nothing, can stand before Him that is not perfect and holy! This is what the blessed shepherds knew, and this was their cause for fear. But the angel immediately gave them these words, “Do not be afraid!” You now have a Savior, God Himself, in the flesh, who has become your Elder Brother and great Friend. The Lord Jesus, who by His incarnation, is the One who has come to deliver you from the fear of sin, death and hell. It is Matthew who records the meaning of the name of Jesus: Matthew 1:20-21, tells us “an angel of the Lord appeared to him (Joseph) in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.’” Therefore, the very name JESUS means “Savior.”

Do you, this Christmas morning, doubt that the tiny Babe of Bethlehem is the Savior who came down from heaven? Then go to the Holy Gospels and see the divine assurance written for your salvation. How, for your sake, God worked within history to put it in the mind of the greatest living ruler, Caesar Augustus, to decree a census for the taxation of the whole world just so that the prophecies of old could have fulfillment in this Baby born in Bethlehem of the lineage of David. We are privileged to see how God sets in motion events to help us comprehend this great event of Jesus’ birth. For the Savior is God Himself as well as true man, born of the virgin in order to save us from our sins. Jesus is Immanuel, meaning that He is literally God with us.

The angel’s message includes the words, “Is born this day.” The Savior of the world was born a certain day in history, a certain place in time. He was born into poverty, even though by His divine nature He is the Ruler and Creator of all things. He assumed His human flesh from the lowly Virgin Mary, a simple virgin who submitted to the will of the Lord. Mary and her husband, Joseph, were not materially wealthy. No, Jesus was laid in a manger, a simple feeding trough for animals. If Joseph were rich, he would have used his influence in order to shelter the pregnant virgin appropriately. But even eight days later Jesus was presented in the temple to be circumcised according to the law. And the offering for the purification of Mary was two pigeons after her childbirth – two pigeons and not the year-old lamb of Leviticus 12:6-8. It wasn't until the twelfth day, according to tradition, that the wise men came and offered their very expensive gifts to the new-born King, the Day of Epiphany commonly known as the Gentiles’ Christmas.

Our Savior had to have a lowly birth, otherwise if He came in all His glory and majesty we would have had to cry for the mountains to fall on us to hide us from His great glory. But now, God has been born, the Word incarnate, God made man has been manifested. Our God took on human flesh in order to identify with and die for His creation. What great love God has shown to us and what greater love would He show later when He takes our sins with His body to that old rugged cross of Mount Calvary. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only-begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life!”

The phrase, “This day”, points to a specific day in history when the Savior took upon Himself human flesh, born of the Virgin. “This day” points objectively to the day that Salvation appeared to mankind in human form; that is the essence of the Gospel, and that is Good News! Your Savior was born on that first Christmas Day in Bethlehem. But “This day” includes not only the day of Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem but also the day of resurrection in every believer’s heart for which this message is directed. This is the second birth, the “born-again” or literally, “born from above” experience that makes a Christian like unto His Lord, Jesus Christ. This is what Charles Wesley had written about in the tune later composed by Felix Mendelssohn, a 19th Century Jew who converted to Lutheranism, “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.” In the third verse he writes, “Mild He leaves His throne on high, Born that man no more may die; Born to raise the sons of earth; Born to give them second birth!”

That was the day when salvation was found lying in a manger wrapped in swaddling cloths. Years later that same Baby would say to a tax collector named Zacchaeus, “Today salvation is come to your house.” And this Christmas morning you gather here to worship the Christ who comes “this day” again into your hearts. I recall the days of my youth, the large decorated church, the choirs, the instrumental ensembles with the resplendent pipe organ, and the friendly crowds. But those days of old can never compare to “this day,” for the true beauty is not found in the beautiful church buildings, the well-tuned choirs, or marvelous assembles; the true beauty is not found in the stained glassed windows or the robes that the ministers wear. No, indeed. But the true beauty is found in believing in Him alone who saw you and me, worthless sinners, and was born this day for us!

The wondrous act of salvation has always been in the Incarnate Word, the Word of the Father made flesh. The wondrous act of salvation is the very act of saving sinners through the New Covenant in the forgiveness of sins. Salvation has been revealed in the appearance of the very Son of God. As the Psalmist says (79:8-9), “O, remember not the former iniquities against us; let Thy tender mercies go speedily before us, for we are brought very low. Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of Thy name; and deliver us and purge away our sins, for Thy name’s sake.” And that name’s sake was and is forever Christ Jesus by whom we own the name, Christian. That is why the prophet Habakkuk, 3:18, speaks, “Yet will I rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation.”

The angel’s message also states, “To you.” “To you, sinful man!” If we heard that correctly with the ears of faith, we would have reason for rejoicing, yet we should realize that those two words, “To you,” depend on your possessing God’s promise of forgiveness and salvation by faith. The fact that you are a sinner gives you great reason to rejoice in the Good News that Christ is the friend of sinners and came to earth in order to atone for the sins of the world and, especially to offer you salvation.

Athanasius wrote in his treatise, “On the Incarnation”:
“You must understand why it is that the Word of the Father, so great and so high, has been made manifest in bodily form. He has not assumed a body as proper to His own nature, far from it, for as the Word He is without body. He has been manifested in a human body for this reason only, out of love and goodness of His Father, for the salvation of us men.”

St. John explicitly says that the Word became flesh. In that phrase alone resides how one views man and creation. St. Athanasius, is his treatise on the Incarnation, presented a two-fold purpose of the Incarnation: Putting away death from us, renewing us again; and, Being unseen and invisible, manifest and makes Himself known by His works to be The Word of the Father, Ruler and King of the Universe.

Therefore, “God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets, has in these last days spoken to us by His Son, whom He has appointed heir of all things, through whom also He made the worlds.” In other words, God says to us, Behold! here is my Son; He is My Word to you that guarantees the healing of your wounds, for He alone lasts forever and is forever! As Revelation 21:4 assures us, “And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away."

Friend, you have a claim on this Christ child. You were given just as much a right to have this Jesus as our own as did Ste. Mary, St. Joseph, St. Paul and St. Peter – or any other great saint that had ever lived. As John the Baptist proclaimed, “Behold! the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" Are you not in this world? The last time I looked you were. Therefore, John the Baptist here is saying that you are made God’s heavenly child, born a second birth because of that one birth of that heavenly Child, Jesus the Christ. Jesus is yours! Jesus is mine! He was born of Mary and is born to you; born to be your Elder Brother and your Savior. To you He is born, not to the angels who rejoice for your sakes, but to you…personally.

Firmly hold on to this great possession otherwise this birth in Bethlehem is nothing more than another mere Christmas decoration to be displayed outdoors before the world to pass by and say, “Isn’t that nice.” Resolve, therefore, to possess this Word of God, the Babe of Bethlehem, to be your own, who was born to you. Amen

1 Peter 4:3 (KJV) 

³ For the time past of our life may suffice us to have wrought the will of the Gentiles, when we walked in lasciviousness, lusts, excess of wine, revellings, banquetings, and abominable idolatries. 

Luther comments on this passage: "This is tantamount to living in human passions. Therefore as long as we live from now on, we must see to it that we do what pleases God. For we have our enemy in our flesh. He is the real rascal, not only the gross things but above all the illusion of reason, which Paul calls prudentia carnis, that is, 'the mind of the flesh' (Rom. 8:6)."
Luther, M. (1999). Luther’s works, vol. 30: The Catholic Epistles. (J. J. Pelikan, H. C. Oswald, & H. T. Lehmann, Eds.) (Vol. 30, p. 120). Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House.

What we see below is prudential carnis and indeed quite sinful. The following should serve as a warning to these non-Lutheran Lutherans and non-Christian Christians who would dare involve Dr. Luther's name in such shameful conduct. The one photo is of a transgender, Latina, ELCA pastor (sic) who thinks he/she is above anyone's judgement of his/her faith and conduct after he/she was ordained a Lutheran pastor with much pomp and ceremony with the laying on of hands by many pastors of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (sic) just this last week. The second photo is from the 2018 ELCA youth gathering mocking the Holy Sacrament. This blasphemous attitude among ELCA's youth should not come as a surprise to anyone, since they have leaders that seem to act the same way. Martin Luther would never have tolerated such conduct not even in the day of grace. ELCA should be called upon to repent or the top leaders will have to answer on the last day when all will stand before the judgment seat of God. Do a favor to all the other Lutherans who wish to remain Christian and take the name "Lutheran" out of your synod's name. BTW Pastor Nicole Garcia, to use a phrase from the darling Greta Thunberg, "How dare you!" How dare you call our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ a "son of a bitch"! Those are your very words directed to the One who will be your Judge on the Last Day. Repent and believe the Gospel.

"Signs" is the theme for the little gallery at the bottom. Pic #1 was transmitted in 2014 by the Hubble telescope that caused us to smile; Pic #2 is called Hubble's cross reminding us of Jesus' atoning sacrifice for the sins of the whole world; Pic #3 shows stressful signs in space as Hubble captures two galaxies colliding; and Pic #4 brings us down to the signs on earth as this photo captures the deadly tsunami of 2004. This brings me to this morning's address:

“Signs Precede the Last Day" Luke 21:25-36 NKJV
"And there will be signs in the sun, in the moon, and in the stars; and on the earth distress of nations, with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; 26 men’s hearts failing them from fear and the expectation of those things which are coming on the earth, for the powers of the heavens will be shaken. 27 Then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory.28 Now when these things begin to happen, look up and lift up your heads, because your redemption draws near.” 29 Then He spoke to them a parable: "Look at the fig tree, and all the trees. 30 When they are already budding, you see and know for yourselves that summer is now near. 31 So you also, when you see these things happening, know that the kingdom of God is near. 32 Assuredly, I say to you, this generation will by no means pass away till all things take place. 33 Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away. 34 "But take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness, and cares of this life, and that Day come on you unexpectedly. 35 For it will come as a snare on all those who dwell on the face of the whole earth. 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."

Dear Christian friends: Are you already rejoicing in the celebration of birth of Jesus without any thought of how you are to meet Him on Last Day when He comes as Judge? St. Peter wrote: “But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up.”

There will be a day coming when all mankind will be accountable for the lives they have lived, good or bad. This day is commonly known as Judgment Day.

Unfortunately for the lawless sinner the very signs in the heavens and on earth that foretell of the imminent coming again of the Son of Man are the same signs that will bring to an end all things and, at the same time, will reveal all things. When our Savior Jesus Christ who is “The Way, The Truth, and The Life” comes again all will worship Him; some will still adore Him, while many others will still curse Him. But this one thing is certain, namely, all will bend the knee in worship of the only true God.

So the Lord has given us these few weeks, prior to celebrating Christmas, to reflect on the two Advents of the Lord Jesus Christ: The first when He came as a little baby, God in the flesh, to bring those tidings of peace and goodwill to all mankind; and the second, when He comes again as Judge. Remember that this season of Advent is a penitential season.

You should live in a sincere penitential state, continually drowning the old man daily and rising to a newness of life. It was for repentance that Jesus warned His listeners in Luke 13:1-5, when He said “There were present at that season some that told him of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans, because they suffered such things? “I tell you, No: but, except you repent, you shall all likewise perish. Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, do you think that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? I tell you, No: but, except you repent, you shall all likewise perish.”

Concerning verse 31, the late Lutheran commentator, R.C.H. Lenski, writes, “So all the signs of which Jesus speaks proclaim that ‘the kingdom of God’ is near. A beautiful parable, indeed! To the children of this world, who scorn this kingdom, every sign that this world, in which all their treasure rests, is breaking up must bring dismay. But the treasure of the disciples is in the kingdom, and every sign that proclaims its consummation must fill them with joy”

The unbeliever will be frightened when the tribulations in the heavens and on the earth usher in the coming of the Son of Man in all power and glory! For the name, “Son of Man,” is the apocalyptic name that was also recorded by the prophet Daniel in one of his visions during the first year of the reign of King Belshazzar of Babylon. As Daniel said (Daniel 7:13-14):
"I was watching in the night visions,
And behold, one like the Son of Man,
Coming with the clouds of heaven!
He came to the Ancient of Days,
And they brought Him near before Him.
Then to Him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom,
That all peoples, nations, and languages should serve Him.
His dominion is an everlasting dominion,
Which shall not pass away,
And His kingdom the one
Which shall not be destroyed.”

And there it is, my friends: The Son of Man, the apocalyptic name for the Jesus, was given the glory from the Ancient of Days! And the words that God spoke through another prophet, Isaiah 42:8, are these, namely, “I am the Lord; that is My name. And My glory will I not give to another, neither My praise to graven images.” The hypocrites who feign the worship of Jesus, and those who blaspheme Jesus’ name, need to be afraid and to tremble at the sign of His coming on that last and dreadful day because, as Revelation 1:7 says, “Behold, He comes with the clouds, and every eye shall see Him, and they also who pierced Him; and all the kindreds of the earth shall wail because of Him. Even so. Amen.”

Jesus gave the parable of the fig tree to show the nearness of the Son of Man, the season we have now in these our latter days. The fig tree is also used in the simile in Revelation 6:12-14, and it states that “the stars of the heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs when it is shaken by a mighty wind.” Scripture goes on to tell of the consummation of time, “When the sky receded as a scroll when it is rolled up.” Godless men, who have no fear now, will have something to fear because they will not even have the mountains, yes, not even a rock under which to hide from the righteous Judge. It is not until the heavens and earth pass away that there will be that White Throne Judgment as recorded in Revelation 20:11-15. It will be a terrible experienced for the impenitent sinner to stand naked, without any earthly props, before the Mighty God and Son of Man.

But for true Christians, who rejoice in the goodness of the Lord, the Last Day of the coming of the Son of Man is a Day to be desired and anticipated with great joy. Is Jesus not coming to you to bring recompense and the fullness of salvation? Is Jesus not the friend of sinners? You will, after all, be transformed in the twinkling of an eye, and have your hearts filled with ineffable joy!

For Jesus said that heaven and earth will pass away but that His words would by no means pass away, and these words include what was said in John 14:2-3: “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

For the Christian, the last day will not be a day of horrors but, on the contrary, one of total joy knowing that we will be received by Jesus, the Son of Man, into Heaven. There we will be with Him and all the saints forever, free from sins, trial, pain, and tears. The exhortation is nevertheless issued by our Lord Christ to “take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be weighed down with carousing, drunkenness and the cares of this life, and that Day come upon you unexpectedly”. In other words, this warning is the same thing Jesus said in His sermon on the Mount to “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you.” It’s as though Jesus is continually saying to us, “Don’t worry; I want you to be joyful because of Me.”

When we are not burdened down with the worries of this world, then it is relatively easy to anticipate the coming of the Son of Man. In the second petition of the Lord’s Prayer we pray, “Thy Kingdom come,” and with those words we eagerly look forward, and upward, to the second coming of the Son of Man on the clouds.

Luther has these words of wisdom: “Even though the Lord’s Prayer is prayed on all sides throughout all the world by countless numbers of people, there are really few who pray it correctly. For all but a few would prefer that there should never be any day of the Lord’s coming. So men devise and engage in many prayers, babble all the churches full in all the world...But basically all this amounts to saying, ‘May Thy kingdom not come!’ or, ‘May it not come yet!’ Tell me, is not such a prayer real blasphemy, of which the Psalmist declares, ‘Let his prayer be counted as sin!’? (Psalm 109:7).”

Christians will let all things go except their salvation that is of the Lord Jesus Christ. And for this reason will Christians look up, while others will faint out of fear, when these terrible wonders and great signs precede the coming of the Son of Man. If you truly wish to be without sin, you cannot help but desire to see the Lord coming back and His kingdom ushered in. But in order to be able to lift your head up in these last days, you must be free of fear, for fear, as the Bible says, has to do with torment. 1 John 4:17-18 says, “Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the Day of Judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love. We love Him because He first loved us.

Dear friends, you cannot be fearful if the Lord has perfected you in His love, which He has openly displayed for you on Calvary’s cross for your sins! God is love and you are God’s in Christ Jesus, being buried with Him in your baptism and raised again with Him to a newness of life! God is love, and you are God’s in Christ Jesus, who being made man, but without sin, is seated as your Judge! So don’t be afraid for you have already passed over from death into life in the hearing of the Gospel message; you have been judged and found worthy already in the hearing of the Gospel by faith in Christ Himself!

Jesus Himself was recorded by John (5:22-26) to have said: “For the Father judges no one, but has committed all judgment to the Son, that all should honor the Son just as they honor the Father. He who does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent Him. Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life. Most assuredly, I say to you, the hour is coming, and now is, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who hear will live.”

Oh, what glorious and comforting words the Gospel has for them whom believe; and, these are they that have come forth from the very lips of Jesus! What a joy it is to be a Christian in these latter days, even in the days of tribulation!

Therefore, you are enjoined to watch and pray, trusting that our Lord Jesus Christ has perfected us in His love. And it is in that love, and only in that love, are you truly made worthy to stand before Him, the Son of Man. And if it were not for that one other sign in the Old Testament, that one sign prophesied by Isaiah (Isa.7:14) to that wicked King Ahaz of Judah, we would have all perish eternally. But those who believe have heard and know of that sign of signs and wonder of wonders that Isaiah gave; therefore, profess with me that quintessential sign recorded by the prophet in Isaiah 7:14: “Behold! The virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and shall call Him – Emmanuel! Amen.

Advent.1 Text: Matthew 21:1-9 The facets of love is descriptive of the little gallery below. Pic #1 is the 1914 antique print, Christ's Entry into Jerusalem, by Bernhard Plockhorst From Our Christian Heritage by Nelson Beecher Keyes and Edward Felix Gallagher; Pic #2 tells why Jesus entered Jerusalem in the Latin superscription: High Priest Victim of Love; Pic #3 is Luther's seal in which first is placed a black cross in the heart to remind us that it is faith in the Crucified Christ that saves us so that anyone who believes from the heart will be justified (Romans 10:10); and Pic #4 gives the reason why faith is important in the love God for our salvation; since through the Christian, love spreads to our fellow man.

The Council of Trent, of the Roman Catholic Church, was held in three sessions between 1545 and 1563 in Trento, Italy. It was convened by the opposition of the Reformation to deal with rascals of the likes of Martin Luther. The council defined and made very clear their Church's doctrines while at the same time supposedly strengthening the authority of the papacy. The pronouncements and anathemas (i.e. condemnations) of Trent were intended as a Counter-Reformation. The abominable 6th Session, which was held in 1547, dealing with the canon laws on Justification, is celebrated by the Roman Catholic Church every January 13th. Martin Chemnitz, the second Martin of the Reformation, wrote an extensive evaluation of the decrees of Trent. Kramer translated his works and Concordia Publishing House published the works in 4 volumes in 1971. Martin Chemnitz, examined this Canon Law on Justification and wrote, “in the Pauline epistles, especially those to the Romans and to the Galatians, in almost every verse we hear it said that a man is justified by faith, through faith, out of faith; faith is said to be imputed for righteousness. It is called ‘the righteousness by faith’ in Romans 4:11; ‘righteousness through faith’ in Romans 10:6; ‘righteousness in faith,’ or (what is more significant) ‘that depends on faith’ in Philippians 3:9; ‘the righteousness through faith for all who believe’ in Romans 3:22; ‘We have believed in Christ Jesus in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the Law’ in Galatians 2:16.” And then Chemnitz states, “Because these things are most manifest, the papalists cannot deny them. Therefore they seek various sophistical arguments in order that, although they cannot deny the words that teach justifying faith, they may nevertheless by weird explanations rob the churches of their true and comforting meaning.” (Examination of the Council of Trent, part 1, pp. 552-53.)...BTW As you can see, Martin Chemnitz, like Martin Luther, never said a word concerning any "Universal Objective Justification" prior to or without faith as C.F.W. Walther taught.

The pastors in a small "Orthodox-Lutheran" consistory must have had poor marks in H.S. English and comprehension as they condemned me for saying that they are screwy regarding their view on Universal Objective Justification (cf. doctrinal articles on the olcc.us website in their antithesis #5): "We reject the notion that any of the following statements are contradictory: All ARE justified. A man is justified by faith alone. Without faith, the debt of sin remains." A grade school student used to know and conjugate the verb to be: "Are" in the above quote is the 3rd person plural of the verb to be in the present tense. "All ARE (presently) justified." Now these would-be teachers of our Christian youth would tell them that this statement is NOT contradictory with the following statements: "A man IS justified by faith alone" and "Without faith, the debt of sin REMAINS." If I were a student in their class, I would be spending a lot of time in detention because I would not be able to quit laughing at such folly. If the debt of sin "remains" that means it CONTINUES to be something; so just how are all justified (meaning having their sins absolved) when, without faith, their sins remain? Huh!? These pastors of the OLCC must think so poorly of their students that they say they must believe that these statements are not contradictory. As Pink Floyd said, "We don't need no education...all in all you're just another brick in the wall" of Universal Objective Justification. Be it known that a man is justified by faith alone!