John.1.1-18; The Nativity of Our Lord; December 25, 2022;

Life in Christ Lutheran Church, Grand Marais, MN;

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 any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. There was a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to bear witness about the light, that all might believe through him. He was not the light, but came to bear witness about the light. The true light, which gives light to everyone, was coming into the world. He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him. He came to his own, and his own people did not receive him. But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God. 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. (John bore witness about him, and cried out, “This was he of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me ranks before me, because he was before me.’ ”) For from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father’s side, he has made him known.” (John 1:1–18, ESV)

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

"In the beginning was the Word…" It's how the Gospel of John begins. It's more than just poetic language. St. John wants us to know something more about Jesus Christ then is apparent from a simple telling of what Jesus did and said. By beginning his Gospel in this way, he ties it very directly to Moses telling of the creation (Genesis 1:1-3). "In the beginning God… And God said, 'Let there be light,' and there was light." There in eternity is God, before all things were created. And there together with God is The Word. And God and The Word are one and the same and yet "with" one another tells us they are separate. The Word is the one through whom God creates all things. God speaks all things into existence, and he does so through The Word. John wants us to see a complete unity in the persons of God (The Creator) and the Word (the one through whom all things were created) and the Spirit (in Genesis, hovering over the water). They are one in being, activity, and purpose. And it is this Word that God, the Creator, sends to redeem the whole sin corrupted creation. God creates through the Word and God redeems through the Word. The world is saved through the very same creative power, The Word, that was there "in the beginning."

"And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, the glory of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." The Word became flesh in Mary's womb. The Word became flesh, born, nurtured, taught, ate, slept, laughed, cried, lived, and died as is the way with all human flesh. This Word made flesh is none other than Jesus Christ whose life, death, and resurrection are the telling that John here begins. So, in everything else he relates he wants you to see God in the flesh, God the creative Word, at work creating and redeeming.

It's exactly what Martin Luther so eloquently wrote:

I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death...

Then St. John says "In him was life". The life of creation is found in none other than Jesus Christ, the only Son of the Father. For through him all life was created. Through God's creative Word all life, all things created, came into being. So, when the task of saving all creation was necessary it makes sense that the one through whom all life was created takes up the task. And he takes it up by bringing life into the midst of death. At the funeral of his friend Lazarus Jesus spoke to Mary, Lazarus' sister, and said,

“I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,” (John 11:25, ESV)

And Jesus, the Word, spoke the name of dead Lazarus and life went into him again. Lazarus walked out of the grave by the creative word of God. In Jesus Christ is life.

In his coming, in the flesh, the Word made flesh "shines in the darkness". Jesus shines the light of life in the world. The light that he brings Is the Good News that he indeed has "purchased in one me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil". These three are the Unholy Trinity. These three are the darkness that we have brought upon ourselves. And this too goes back to Genesis. The first human beings to live and breathe brought death by their rejection of the one who created them. They brought death to us all. Don't think you escape from the death they brought. Your own sin and selfishness put you in the very same darkness. Every day you reject God just as they did. Every day you choose yourself over others. Every day you would push God aside and be god yourself. Every day your sin pushes you closer and closer to death. Every day death threatens to take away all that you have. And every day Satan himself accuses you of your sin before God and reminds you that death is your due punishment. And more than that tells you of your earned destination apart from God in hell. And so, it would be without the Word Made Flesh. As John says this Word dwelt among us, born of the Virgin Mary redeemed me a lost and condemned person, purchased in one me from all sins from death and the power the devil.

The Word made flesh is good news for you, and me. Because we do not receive the death we deserve but instead grace upon grace. Think about it this way. If Jesus Christ were a simple human being is promises would be good is any other persons. All that he did would be worth what any single person can do. He is certainly a good example for you to follow. He cared for those who need it caring. He didn't discriminate between rich and poor or any other man-made distinction. His love was the same for all people. But if then he was only human, his death then would only be for himself, and would only mark the end of all that he did. Jesus is not a mere man. He is

true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary.

So, all that he did is worth the infinity of God's worth. All that he did has the eternity of God's eternal existence. And all his promises are covered by God's ability to do everything he promises. So, when Jesus lives and keeps the law perfectly, as he did, he keeps the law perfectly enough for all people for all time, and that includes you. Jesus kept the law perfectly for you. And when he suffers and dies on the cross, as St. John will explain in great detail, his death is enough to cover the punishment of all people for all time, and that includes you. Jesus suffered and died on the cross for you. With his perfect life accounted to you and the eternal punishment of hell taken away from you your death is no longer a separation from God but eternal life with God. That is an eternal life in a perfect creation made for perfect people. And that's God's promise to you through Jesus Christ you will be raised from death is a perfect person to live forever. This is grace piled upon grace piled upon grace. And this grace is brought by the Word made flesh. Everywhere he went he proclaimed this grace. But nowhere does the power of the Word made flesh speak stronger than it does when Jesus pronounces your forgiveness in his simple word of the cross.

When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit.” (John 19:30, ESV)

Jesus’ word is the most simple that can be spoken. In the daily language of the day "it is finished" is one single word, τετέλεσται. And this single word spoken by the Word that is God is the word that brings to you everything that Jesus promised. He speaks it and he bows his head in death. And then to prove his work and his identity he doesn't remain dead but like Lazarus, the one he raised from death, he walks out of the tomb resurrected. It is just as John said,

In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (John 1:4–5, ESV)

This is the Light of Life that we read in St. John's Gospel. Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Matthew 1:18-25; The Eve of the Nativity of Our Lord; December 24, 2022;

Life in Christ Lutheran Church, Grand Marais, MN;

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus. (Mt 1:18-25, ESV)

Grace and peace to you from Our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Well, now the time is really getting close. In my family, when I was growing up, we opened our Christmas presents after the Christmas Eve Service (Usually a Christmas Program that we participated in). We couldn’t wait to get home and tear our presents open with “unbridled avarice” (to quote one of one of my favorite Christmas movies). I know, I know, we all say that Christmas is about giving. We all say that the true joy of Christmas is in giving gifts, “it’s better to give than to receive.” But just ask any kindergarten kid who has spent any time salivating over the presents under the tree and they’ll tell you what Christmas is really all about. Christmas is for getting. “It’s better to receive than to give.”

Sometimes, giving is a tricky prospect anyway. Just ask any husband who’s made the fatal mistake of buying the wrong gift. In Reader’s Digest, Herb Forst gives hard learned advice on giving your wife a gift: “Don’t by anything [for your wife] that plugs in, it’s seen as utilitarian. Don’t buy anything with sizes, the chances you’ll get the size right are one in seven thousand. Don’t buy anything useful. Don’t by anything that involves self improvement or weight loss. These things are seen as suggestions. Don’t buy jewelry. You can’t afford the jewelry she wants and she doesn’t want what you can afford.”

If the gift wasn’t really important, we wouldn’t even think that was funny. (Maybe some of you don’t!) We all know that our hearts are set on the things that we will receive on Christmas. It’s about the getting. An American Express poll showed that “no gift” was preferable to a gift of fruitcake. In our minds “it’s the thought that counts” doesn’t really add up. A gift of clothes given to a child is opened with greater enthusiasm if it is given in a hard box.

Today I want you to set aside all the things you have to do, you know the last-minute shopping and the like. I want you to think about what you’re getting for Christmas. Now, I don’t want to be misunderstood. I’m not saying that giving is unimportant. It’s just that really if we get right down to it, the real meaning of Christmas isn’t found in what we give, it’s found in what we have received. So, I want you to forget, for a moment, that you give gifts to other people in a few days. Forget about all the buying, and the wrapping and the shipping and the delivering. Today, I want you to think about a gift, for you. You see, that’s what the text today tells us about. It says, Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. With just that opening phrase we see it already in our minds: The wooden shed, the cattle and sheep, shepherds, Mary and Joseph, and the Gift, a baby in a manger. But, the gift of Christmas isn’t that we now have a quaint story about an unusual birth to delight children of all ages. The birth of Jesus Christ is about something much more. The gift of Jesus is that God became human flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:1ff). The gift of Jesus comes out clearly in the text where we read a different name for Jesus. The name is Immanuel, which means “God with us.”

Joseph almost missed it himself. He had to be told about Jesus. The angel appeared to him and cleared it up. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins. That’s what “God with us” was coming to do. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (Jn 3:16, ESV)

In 1946 at the Los Alamos atomic laboratory, Dr. Louis Alexander Slotin and seven co-workers were doing experiments with plutonium. These pieces were harmless unless they were put together in the wrong way. Anciently that’s exactly what happened flooding the room with dangerous radiation. Dr. Slotin acted at once yanking the pieces apart with his bare hands. He knew what he was doing; he knew that he was exposing himself to an overwhelming dose of radiation. But by reacting so quickly he saved the lives of his seven colleagues. Nine days later he died.

When God became Immanuel—truly, physically, with us as the Son of a virgin—he didn’t come into the world as a safe laboratory experiment. He didn’t come here to see how things were going. He became a part of our world—our sinful, corrupt world, dangerous and dripping with death. He came, God with us, to save us from our sin, by taking on himself the poison of it. He came, as our gift from God, to expose himself to the lethal dose of our punishment. He gave his life for ours. (from an illustration by Scott D. Johnson, Conover NC, Concordia Pulpit Resources, Vol. 15, No. 1).

God came among us, in Jesus, to shed his blood on the cross, to suffer and die for the sins that you and I live in every day. As joyful as the season is suppose to be, it’s easy to see our sin as the holiday stress sneaks up on us: A short temper; a misspoken word of hurt; the “Holiday” excuse for neglecting our regular daily tasks; selfishly looking over our gifts with “unbridled avarice”; pushing the limits of credit without means to pay. Leave it to a holiday to bring out the worst in people. Stress only brings to the surface what’s deep inside. To be a sinful human is to live with a selfish heart. To be a sinful human is to struggle to do the right thing when you want to do the wrong thing, or to do the wrong thing when you want to do the right thing. To be a sinful human is to live every day with the knowledge that we don’t live up to even our own expectations for ourselves. To be sinful human is to know that the only thing that is ever going to bring all that to an end is death. I saw a definition of “Death” as “to stop sinning, suddenly”. That’s the nature of sin. Its hold on you, its power over you, is in the fact that it brings death. Old Satan whispers it in your ear every chance he gets. “You’re a sinful person and you deserve to die. God can’t stand sin so he can’t stand you.”

But that’s what the gift of Jesus is all about. “God with us” came to deal with sin in the only way it can be dealt with. Born in that manger was a man who was God, human in every way except for sin. His perfect life and innocent death were given for your sin. The author of Hebrews says it like this:

Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. (Heb 2:14-15, ESV)

Sin hasn’t any power over you anymore because Jesus death for sin is your death for sin.

And there’s more. “God with us” isn’t just talking about the baby in the stable. It’s not only that Jesus walked and talked and healed and feed people who live at the time when he was born. His perfect life and death weren’t just for people who lived when he lived. He is still with us, today. He talks and heals and feeds us every day. I know you’ve heard about the gift that keeps on giving. Well, “God with us” is just that because his gift didn’t end with his death on the cross. He rose again from death. He was dead and buried in the grave, but “God with us” came alive again to be with us always.

God is with us here in his living, breathing, Word. It’s not just a story about Jesus. It’s not just a tale about his birth and death and resurrection. It’s the truth about what God has done to deal with our sin. When the Word about Jesus fills our ears, the Holy Spirit fills our hearts and minds and gives us faith to believe, and faith to hold on to what Jesus has done. “God with us” is the power to believe.

God is with us here in his sacraments, too. They aren’t just empty actions that we do. In fact, they are nothing that we do. They are nothing less than “God with us.” When a human pours water on another person’s head and speaks God’s Word of forgiveness, God is there making the promise of forgiveness true for that person. Again, the Holy Spirit creates faith. Again, God is the power to believe. And how much more can God be with us than in the very Body and Blood of Jesus, in, with and under bread and wine given for us to eat and drink. Even though we can never understand how it is true, we receive the precious gift of the very blood shed, and the very body beaten for us in the Lord’s Supper. There “God with us” brings forgiveness of sins as we open our mouths and eat and drink.

So that’s what I mean when I say I want us to think about what we are getting at Christmas. That’s what I mean when I say that Christmas isn’t about what we give but what we receive. So, as the day approaches think about Jesus, think about Immanuel, “God with us.” And look forward to getting something wonderful for Christmas. Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Matthew 1:18-25; December 18, 2012; Weekday Advent Service Four;

Life in Christ Lutheran Church, Grand Marais, MN;

Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph, being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). When Joseph woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord commanded him: he took his wife, but knew her not until she had given birth to a son. And he called his name Jesus. ” (Matthew 1:18–25, ESV)

(Thanks to Paul Robinson, Concordia Journal, Volume 36, Number 4, Page 365-366)

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Are you afraid of angels? Well, maybe you should be. We hear about angelic visits in the accounts in the bible leading up to Christmas and they all seem to elicit the same response. The first thing the angels say is “Fear not!” Just look at the result when angels speak. The Magi traveled great distance. Young Mary would have a very special baby. Joseph was told to go ahead and take Mary as his wife in spite of how the local town’s folk’s tongues would wag. When angels speak people’s lives are turned upside down. When angels speak, important God events, life changing events happen. We should be afraid, especially since we so often value the world’s stuff rather than God’s. We should be afraid because we bask in the glow of technology, security, and the honor and praise of today’s society.

Just look at Joseph again. He decided to save his reputation (and hers) and divorce Mary quietly. It was the right thing to do. It would save him the embarrassment from those who would count months. But there’s more. Joseph was also very concerned for Mary. A public accusation would lead to more than public embarrassment for her it was more than a matter of loss of honor, but likely a loss of her life. The quite divorce would allow her to flee to another place where the child could be born in secret. But this isn’t what God had planned. The angel’s words to Joseph turned his life upside down. He was told that there was more going on here than meets the eye. He was to marry his betrothed just as he had planned, but not just for her sake, or his, but because it was all part of God’s plans to save the world. This child, unique in every way, is more than a human being. He is God himself, Immanuel, God-with-us, born to save God’s people from their sins.

Joseph took the angel’s words to heart. But that didn’t make things easy. How did he explain the baby to his friends and family? We don’t know. The marriage didn’t end his troubles either. They were required to travel to Bethlehem when Mary was far along in her pregnancy; a crowed town that afforded no shelter for his family; and a nighttime flight to Egypt to protect the child from the murderous King Herod. The announcement by the angel was just the beginning.

All of this trouble points to the whole purpose Jesus is born. It all points to the cross. Martin Luther says the text here is the creed. “…conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary…” and soon after follows the cross. “For as soon as the Christian life is begun or anything else of Christ, the next thing, the cross, is at hand.” (WA 27:475-76)

In our lives the cross is always at hand. We see it very clearly at this time of year. The season of joy is often interrupted by trouble. We let our focus shift from Jesus born for our forgiveness, to what we are told is much more important; success; comfort; money; things. These can never satisfy. They leave only the desire for more. The season of joy is often interrupted by sorrow and loss. The empty place at the table, the missing loved one, weather it is the first year or the tenth, is highlighted by the season. Fake joy doesn’t fill the emptiness. The season of joy is often interrupted by uncertainty. Every year it seems that the true God, found in Jesus Christ alone, is more and more sidelined. How long until we are forced to choose him or our way of life?

But just like Joseph we have the word of God in the midst of all this trouble, sorrow, and doubt. The words spoken by the angel to Joseph were not only for him. It is good news for all people. “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel”

This promise, Immanuel or “God-with-us”, stands even today, even as the Christmas season brings fear, pain, trouble, doubt, and loss. It stands because God-with-us is God himself come to deliver us from the cause of it all. Jesus Christ, “conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified dead and buried.” Again Luther makes it plain:

What does this mean?
I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death,
that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity.
This is most certainly true.

It is because of cross and Jesus death there for the forgiveness of our sin, that this season is really a season of joy. Forgiveness sets us right with God. Forgiveness sets us right with each other. And forgiveness is what the angel is telling Joseph is about to come. This is the real reason for the season. This is the real joy. Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.