Christmas 1 - G - 2014 - Names

Isaiah 61:10-62:3

Galatians 4:4-7

Luke 2:22-40

Grace, Mercy and Peace to you from God our Father through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Our text today is from the Gospel lesson just read, especially these words, “On the eighth day, when it was time to circumcise him, he was named Jesus, the name the angel had given him before he had been conceived.”  Thus far our text. 

Dear friends in Christ.  “What’s in a name?  That which we call a rose By any other name would still smell as sweet.”  We have all heard this line, spoken by Juliet to her star crossed lover Romeo, in that classic Shakespeare classic that so many of us had to read in our high school English classes.  Juliet speaks these words to Romeo to tell him that even though his last name is one which her family hates, that she will love him anyways, and even marry him.  For to her, the name doesn’t mean anything, it is the person who has the name that she loves.

So often in our world today, that is the way we view things.  Celebrities have named their kids ridiculous things – and yes these are real celebrity kids names.  Like Pilot Inspektor – with a k in Inspektor or Moon Unit Zappa, or even Moxy Crimefighter Gillette.  They have the idea that names don’t mean anything, so why not have some fun with them.  Anyways, their children can just change them later on in life to something more normal.  And so it seems that Shakespeare was write (ha ha ha) what is in a name?

But in our text today, we see the power of a name, the importance of a name in God’s eyes.  FOR TO GOD, NAMES REALLY MEAN SOMETHING.  When God gives a name, it is for a purpose, and He will see that name out. 

God uses names throughout the bible.  Adam was named after the dirt of the ground.  Abraham’s name means father of many peoples.  Israel’s name means struggles with God.  God changes people’s names left and right to tell us what they are going to do in their lives. That is why our text today is so important. 

We often read the words in all of the Gospels that say, “He was named Jesus” and don’t think about what that means.  But in ancient Israel, it was important.  And in our text today it is especially important, for the baby in the manger is named and circumcised all on the eighth day.  Three important things happening all in one sentence of scripture and all for your salvation. 

It is the eighth day, the day of eternity, the day of recreation.  The number eight stood for recreation for Ancient Israelites.  God created everything in seven days, and here on this day, the eighth day of his human life, God begins his work of recreating the world of sin. 

And how does God plan to recreate this world of sin?  We all know the answer, through the shedding of blood, by which he purchases and wins each of us from this world.  And so God made Flesh, Immanuel sheds his very first blood as he is circumcised.  Already, at only eight days old, the very blood of God is shed. 

It is only fitting then that he receives an important name.  He receives the name Jesus, the name that means, “The Lord Saves.”  For that is exactly what he is doing.  The Lord Saves his people.  And in our text today, we see a preview of why he has come, we see a beginning to the work for your salvation.  We see God’s plan.  We see your rescue. 

For you are in a difficult situation.  You are not able to save yourselves.  Scripture gives us horrible names that describe our sin.  God has his prophets give us the name “Lo Ammi” which means “not my people”, for we are not his people in our sin.  We receive the name “Lo Ruhamah, which means not pitied, for God has no sympathy for those in sin, they are sinners because of their fault, their own fault, their own most grevious fault.  Right after our Old Testament lesson today, we hear that because of our sin, we are called Desolate, and Deserted.  We are Foresaken.  We have these names and we deserve them because of our sin.  For we truly have sinned in throught word and deed. 

How good then, that God sends someone name, “The Lord Saves”  How wonderful that God sends Immaneul, God with us.  And that in our text today, he sheds his blood as he receives this name, all on the day of re-creation. 

Dear friends in Christ.  Jesus will save you.  He will give you a new name, a name that is not Desolate, for Jesus is come.  A name that is not Forsaken, for you have been saved.  A name that is not sinner, or pittied, or any other despicable thing.  But instead you have been renamed with a name that means something.  For Jesus has saved you from your sin.  He has shed his blood for you.  And he gives you a new name, Forgiven. 

He gave you that name, as you were baptized into the holy name of the Trinity, Father Son and Holy Spirit.  You received God’s name upon you, marking you as one belonging to him, as one receiving his benefits, as inseparable from him.  You receive God’s name and are rescued from you sin.  That is what our text is about a name that really means something.  The Lord Saves – Jesus – the name above all names.  The name of your savior, the name of your rescue from sin. 

Names mean something with God.  Jesus name means something, you are God’s now.  Amen. 

Advent 4 - O - 2014 - The Promise of a King

2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16    Romans 16:25-27        Luke 1:26-38

Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.  Our text today is the Old Testament Lesson just read, especially these words, “And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me.  Your throne shall be established forever.”  Thus far our text. 

Dear friends in Christ.  Forever is a long time.  We have all made light of this fact by saying “that car ride took forever,” “it took forever for the sequel of my favorite movie to come out,” or even, as we may admit, “that sermon took forever in church!”  We doubt forever could happen, and we use it as an excuse when things seem to fall apart in our lives.  Forever is a long time, so long in fact that we often say, “nothing lasts forever.” 

And yet, in our text today, God promises David forever.  “Your throne, David, will be established forever.”  In other words, there will always be a Davidic king ruling.  One of David’s children or grandchildren will always be a king.  It will be that way forever.  God has said so, David, he has made you a promise. 

What is David to do?  Should he doubt God’s word, should he tell God, “Well Lord, nothing lasts forever, so your promise must not be true.”  Nothing lasts forever, so don’t you have a different promise for me?  Nothing lasts forever, so will my throne really be established. 

If you look at the history recorded in scripture, it would seem that should this have been David’s view, if he had been a cynic, he would be right.  During the reign of David’s grandson, the kingdom of Israel divided into two different kingdoms, that began warring with one another.  These kings, some of whom were descended from David, turned from God and turned from faith before finally the kingdom of David was destroyed and taken into captivity by the Babylonians.  After all nothing lasts forever, right? 

So often we too have that same view.  For we too have a promise of “forever” in our lives.  God has promised that he will be with us “forever”, never leaving nor forsaking us.  God has promised that we shall live with him “forever,” and yet we see loved ones passing away.  God will love us forever, and yet, sometimes we don’t feel like it do we?  He will forgive us forever, and yet sometimes we still feel guilty for things we have done wrong (sometimes rightly by the way.   Is God really keeping his promises to us, or is forever just too good to be true? Is it true that nothing really lasts forever?

Dear friends in Christ, when God says something is forever, he means it, even if we cannot understand how or why, or even see the way it will all work out.  God told David, “I will establish your house forever,” and He meant it.  Hear again our Gospel text for today, “In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. And the virgin’s name was Mary.  And the angel said to her, ‘Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.’”

Even for David, when it seems that forever is gone, that there is no hope of it being fulfilled, God keeps his promise of forever.  900 years after David dies, a descendant of his is born.  900 years later, in the city of David, good tidings of great joy occur.  For God keeps his promise, and a new king is born.  Jesus, whose first throne is but a manger in a stable.  He is the king  descended from David.  He is the one who will reign in David’s place forever.  A king is born, lowly in a manger.

And dear friends, he reigns for you as well, keeping God’s promises of forever for you.  For the same King Jesus, descendant of David, enthroned in a manger will also be enthroned in a much more painful place.  He will wear a crown of thorns and a robe stained in his own blood, until stripped naked he is enthroned upon a wooden cross for all the world to see.  It is that King, who is enthroned forever.  It is that King who is both our God and our Lord.  It is that King who will keep all of God’s promises to you. 

You are forgiven, FOREVER, for the sins of the whole world were placed on your king, as he died in your place.  You need not continue to feel guilty for them.  They are no longer yours, but his.  You are free and forgiven for ever.  God has promised that you will live forever, and you know this to be true, for death cannot destroy your King Jesus.  Even when he lied dead in a tomb for three days, he returned to life, and so will you.  Your King is the very Resurrection and the Life, FOREVER, and he gives that life to you in the very waters of life in baptism. 

You are loved FOREVER, for your God promises you heaven, a place where you may stand before him, not in shame, not in sorrow, but in peace.  God has promised that his own hand, with the hole from a nail still in it, will wipe away all the hurt and pain of this world. 

God keeps his promises to us, especially the promise of forever.  And if we doubt it at times, all we need do is look at the baby in the manger, the one whose birth we celebrate next week, the babe, the son of Mary.  David’s throne is established forever, and God lives and reigns today – over you, over me, and his reign shall have no end.  He is your God, your redeemer, your savior, and he will be FOREVER.  Amen.  

Advent 3 - G - 2014 - Who are you?

Isaiah 61:1-4, 8-11      1 Thess. 5:16-24          John 1:6-8, 19-28

Grace, mercy and peace to you from God our Father through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  Amen.  Our text today is from the Gospel lesson just read, especially these words, “Who are you?”  Thus far our text. 

Dear friends in Christ.  Who are you?  Such a foundational question for so many conversations and worldviews.  How would you describe yourself?  What words tell us what information we need to understand who you are as a person?  What is your identity? 

In our lesson for today, St. John the Baptist is preparing people for the coming of the Lord, and as he does so, Pharisees come to him and ask him that question.  “Who are you?”  They even give him some prompts, “Are you Elijah, or are you the Prophet?  Who are you?  We need to give answer to the ones who sent us.”  They even ask him, “Are you the Christ?”  And John does not hesitate in his answer and response.  Instead he gives a great confession.  “I am not Elijah or the Prophet, I am certainly not the Christ.”  And here’s where the words get interesting.  John goes on to say, “I’m not even worthy to untie the Christ’s sandals.” 

What bold words.  Yes, it is easy to say, “I’m not a prophet.”  Its even easier to say “I’m not the Christ.”  But those last words, “I’m not worthy of the Christ – not even to untie shoes from his dirty feet.”  John doesn’t even hesitate.  He stands before the crowds coming to him for baptism and boldly declares, I’m not worthy.  He tells the jewish officials, “I’m not worthy.” 

What words do you use about yourself.  Or even better what words do you think about yourself?  Smart?  Or not?  Successful?  Or not?  Pretty?  Handsome?  Rich?  Average?  Good?  Friendly?  Praiseworthy?  What title do you give yourself?  I’ll bet no matter what things you say about yourself, that the words, “Not worthy” aren’t used hardly at all. 

In fact, more often than not we think pretty highly of ourselves.  We praise ourselves more than we deserve.  We think other people owe us something, and even more so, that God owes us something.  That we are worthy of God.  That we’ve kept more of his rules than the people who are around us, and thus that we deserve something from him, that we ought to be rewarded.  You’ve thought that very thing, you’ve thought “Well if that person were more like me, they’d have known better.” 

Yet the reality is closer to what John says.  You aren’t worthy.  Unless you’ve kept every law that God ever put in place perfectly – you’re not worthy.  Unless you’ve never sinned, not once in your entire life – you’re not worthy.  Unless you’ve been perfect all the time and in all ways, you aren’t worthy. 

Its true.  Compare yourself to St. John the Baptist, cousin, and forerunner of Jesus who was sent by God himself to prepare the way of the Lord.  Are you more holy than he?  Are you more righteous?  Even than John, who was willing to be beheaded for confessing the truth of Jesus.  NO?  But even he claims to be unworthy!  And we who are no better than he, are unworthy as well. 

But dear friends, do you see the message of the unworthy John?  He prepares the way for the coming one.  The one who will be our savior.  The one who, while you were still unworthy and unclean and sinful, suffered, bled and died so that you might be forgiven.  He did not wait for you to become holy.  He didn’t wait for you to become righteous.  He took your unworthiness into his own hands, entered our world, to die on that old rugged cross. 

And so in Jesus you are worthy – because he is worthy.  He has made you worthy in your baptism.  There your sin was washed away with his blood.  There you are raised from unworthy relationship with God to a brotherly relationship with Jesus.  You are cleansed from all sin, from all guilt from all unworthiness and made holy in Jesus Christ, and in his great love and care.  

In the name of Jesus.  Amen.