In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

The liberating work of God through Moses and the plagues which culminated in the Passover that spared God’s people from death and released them from the yoke of Egyptian slavery is nothing to us until it finds its fulfillment in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ on the Cross.

“If you could invite any three people, living or dead, to a dinner party, who would you pick?” This sort of personal hypothetical has been popular since parlor games in the Victorian Era, maybe before, and in the 60’s television hosts David Frost and Barbara Walters brought it from print media into television. Your answer can show-off a little bit of your history prowess. Politicians and other members of society reveal who their influences are, who they respect, or what people they find to be most important or interesting. Former President Barack Obama was asked this question during his book tour, and he said: Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr., and Nelson Mandela. The tech billionaire Elon Musk, when asked in a recent interview answered: William Shakespeare, Benjamin Franklin, and Nikola Tesla. You can only imagine what kind of conversation these groups of three people from different times would say to one another after being ripped out of their historical context and placed at a dinner party with you. So why I am talking about this?

Our Holy Gospel reading for today puts us in a situation similar to these hypothetical dinners. How about Moses, Elijah, and Jesus Christ? Today we hear about the Transfiguration of Our Lord, and it is one of the great mysterious events of the Bible. Jesus takes His inner circle: Peter, James, and John, up to a mountain top and is transfigured before their eyes. Matthew records that Jesus’ face “shone like the sun” (Matthew 17:2). His clothes become dazzling white. And then another detail included that all three gospel accounts of the Transfiguration record for us: Jesus is joined on top of the mount by Moses and Elijah.

Approximately 1,500 years before the birth of Christ, Moses led God’s people out of slavery in Egypt (Exodus 12), he received the Law on top of Mount Sinai (Exodus 20), and by the power of the Holy Spirit he wrote down the first 5 books of the Bible, known as the “Torah” or “The Law” (Deuteronomy 31:24-26). When Moses died —just outside of the Promised Land— he was laid to rest by God Himself. Nobody but God knows where the body of Moses was buried (Deuteronomy 34:5-6).

Elijah, about 850 years before the birth of Christ, was fed by ravens in the wilderness (Elijah didn’t eat the ravens… but they were sent by God like an ancient meal delivery service to bring him meat and bread every morning and every evening) (1 Kings 17:4-6). Elijah raised a widow’s son from the dead in Zarephath (1 Kings 17:19-22). Elijah confronted Ahab, the wicked King of Israel, and stood alone against 450 priests of Baal in a showdown that resulted in their slaughter (1 Kings 18:17-40). Elijah was one of the few men who never had to face death, his body was never found because God took him directly into heaven by a whirlwind (2 Kings 2:11-12).

Moses and Elijah are two of the most notable and powerful prophets of the Old Testament. Both of these men were extremely important to the bible-believing community, and at different times in history, both of these men heard God’s Word spoken to them directly on top of a mountain. Now they are on top of the Mount of Transfiguration having a conversation with Jesus. What are they talking about? Well we can do a whole lot more than just imagine it, thanks to Luke’s gospel! Luke tells us something neither Matthew nor Mark record:

“And behold, two men were talking with him, Moses and Elijah, who appeared in glory and spoke of his departure, which he was about to accomplish at Jerusalem” (Luke 9:30-31).

Jesus, Moses, and Elijah are speaking about Christ’s departure. What departure? The Greek can help us here because you know the word: ἔξοδος. The Greek word for “departure” is exodus. There isn’t a biblically literate, Greek-reading person in the Levant who could hear the word exodus without thinking about Moses leading the 12-mile train of Hebrews out of Egypt and slavery toward the Promised Land. Hopefully you think of that too, but this is Jesus’ exodus we’re talking about, not Moses’.

The liberating work of God through Moses and the plagues which culminated in the Passover that spared God’s people from death and released them from the yoke of Egyptian slavery is nothing to us until it finds its fulfillment in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ on the Cross. The ancient exodus from Egypt that Moses records in the Scriptures foreshadows our exodus —our departure— from sin and from death and from the devil. Just as God with His mighty Right Hand delivers the Hebrews from their Egyptian taskmasters, so also God with His mighty Right Hand Man, Jesus Christ, delivers us from our cruel taskmaster, the devil, unto life everlasting.

Moses is here on the Mount of Transfiguration representing the Law, and Elijah the prophets. Together they are witnesses to the fact that all the Law and all the Prophets are fulfilled in the Person and Work of Jesus Christ. So Jesus, Moses, and Elijah are our special dinner guests, and they are in conversation about the mighty work of salvation that Jesus is about to accomplish. And He did accomplish it for us.

But for Peter, James, and John on the Mount of Transfiguration, these things have yet to be accomplished. Peter, James, and John see this amazing glimpse of the Glory of Our Lord, and they love it! Peter recognizes the men with Jesus and says, “Master, it is good that we are here” (Luke 9:33). He wants to make tents for all three and stay for a while. But Peter is misguided. He says it is good to be here on this Mount of Transfiguration, but Jesus will show Him that what He is about to do is better and it’s necessary. Peter doesn’t yet understand the theology of the cross. And so, the cloud descends, the Father declares from heaven, “This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him” (Luke 9:35)! Then the dazzling light of the Transfiguration fades, and Our Lord, glorious now, but not yet, begins on the road to the cross because “suffering comes before glory” (Arthur Just, Concordia Commentary on Luke, 401). After Jesus descends the Mount of Transfiguration, He will “set his face to go to Jerusalem” (Luke 9:51). Jesus has begun to tell His disciples that He will go to Jerusalem where He “is about to be delivered into the hands of men” (Luke 9:44)... where He “must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised” (Luke 9:22).

The Transfiguration is a point of transition between Christ’s ministry in Galilee and His journey to Jerusalem… His journey to the cross. This is confusing to the disciples, even those in Jesus’ inner circle. Here on top of the mountain, Jesus is resplendent and glorious, and it’s heaven on earth. The disciples don’t understand that Jesus still has to suffer and die. We shouldn’t be too hard on Peter! If it weren’t for God’s revealed Word telling us that Peter didn’t know what he was saying, we would all nod in agreement. “Yes, it is good, Lord, to be here!” You might be tempted to review the list of Peter’s errors and scoff at him: “Foolhardy Peter, doubting the Lord’s instructions with the fishing net (Luke 5:5), taking his eyes of Jesus and sinking into the Sea of Galilee (Matthew 14:30), rebuking the Lord on the way to Jerusalem (Matthew 16:22), refusing to have his feet washed in the upper room (John 13:8)… even denying the Lord on the night of His crucifixion (Luke 22:54-62)…” It seems Peter is somewhat slow to understand.

But how do you respond when Jesus calls you away from present glory to suffering like His? Do you understand the theology of the cross? Christ says, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me” (Luke 9:23). Do you take up your cross daily, or do you despise it and chafe at the Lord’s authority? Christ says, “For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it” (Luke 9:24). Do you willingly lose your life in Christ, or do you cling to your life and build it on your possessions or your career, or your family… almost anything else?

Jesus’ movement from His Transfiguration, bright and glorious, to the dark and bloody cross is a holy example for you as you walk in the way from your baptism, the washing of regeneration, to your death. Through the water and the Word of your baptism you receive faith, the Holy Spirit, the forgiveness of sins, and all the wonderful gifts that Christ promises to His Church. You are joined to Christ and your sinful self is put to death… drowned, and you rise up to walk in the newness of life. But then… you go on to suffer.

Today little Euphemia was baptized and she is clothed with the dazzling righteousness of Christ… today, it is good Lord, to be here! Euphemia is made glorious today… you all are made glorious in your baptism… but also… not yet. First, Euphemia, and all of us, will suffer. She will face temptation, heartbreak, grief, and sorrow. She will suffer under my flaws as a father, and she will battle against the devil, the sinful world, and her own sinful flesh. This is what Christ has called each and every single one of us to. It seems daunting, maybe you’re overwhelmed, but my brothers and sisters in Christ, take heart: Jesus Christ has overcome the devil, He has overcome the sinful world, and He has overcome your sinful flesh. Christ does the battling for you, and He has won the victory. His suffering once for all earns mercies that are given to you anew every single morning. Because of Christ’s departure, we can depart this service and this life in peace. God’s Word has been fulfilled.

Today we say goodbye to our “Alleluias” until Easter. We are going to change our paraments to purple, and then to black. Some of you fast maybe from meat or facebook or some other good gifts throughout Lent. We suffer a little bit to train ourselves for when deeper suffering comes. But you must remember that your suffering is only for a time, and “the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18). In our baptism we are glorious with Christ now, but also not yet. For now we walk in danger and trials all the way, until that final day when He comes again in glory to judge the living and the dead, to make all things new, and to bring us into his heavenly kingdom where we will stand in the Glorious Light of Christ forever.

In the Name of Jesus. Amen.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

“The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it” (John 1:5). In the early chapters of John’s Gospel, Jesus is described as the light of men (John 1:4), the light that shines in the darkness (John 1:5), the true light which gives light to everyone (John 1:9). Jesus says, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, blessed Epiphany!

What does “Epiphany” mean? It means manifestation or appearance. It means something revealed or made known. Something is made visible and now it can be seen. You might use the term “epiphany” to describe that moment when you finally realize something, or when you have a great idea. Literally, “epiphany” means to shine light upon. Light and darkness have a strong connection to meanings of good and evil or ignorance and knowing. It just makes sense to us. If someone says, “I’m being kept in the dark about that,” you know he doesn’t know much if anything about it. If someone says, “That was a dark movie,” you know that if you watch it you aren’t going to walk away from it feeling light and happy. A detective tries to “bring things to light” during the course of his criminal investigation. He discovers something new, some new evidence that was previously unknown. An experience or conversation wherein we learn something new is “illuminating.” Maybe if you come to know or understand something that you should have known a long time ago, it finally “dawns” on you.

This kind of symbolic understanding is natural to us, but it is also literal meaning. When you’re in a dark room and can barely make out the various shapes in the corner, you can only discover the new location of the coffee table by stubbing your toe on it. But once the lights are on, you can see the room and all of its contents, you can get from one side to the other with ease. It’s not even noteworthy. No one is pleasantly surprised or proud of you when you get up and walk through a room with the lights on. By the grace of God, the lights have been on in the church for a very long time. The church has had the right confession of who Jesus of Nazareth is for nearly two millennia. “[He] is the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16).

“[You] believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is [your] Lord, who has redeemed [you], a lost and condemned person, purchased and won [you] 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 [you] 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. [You know that] [t]his is most certainly true” (Luther’s Small Catechism, Apostles’ Creed, Second Article).

You know this because since the Epiphany of Our Lord, it has become clearer and clearer who Jesus is, what He has done, and for whom He has done it.

This is what Epiphany is about. It is about the movement from darkness into the light, from NOT knowing to knowing. The Wise Men, Gentiles from the East, following a star given to them as a sign from God, arrive at Jesus’ feet in order to worship Him. “God causing the star to shine was God announcing over the whole earth that the child born in Bethlehem was King not just of the Jews but of all” (Looking Forward to Sunday Morning by Carl C. Fickenscher II, p 37). We learn from Epiphany, as St. Paul clarifies in his letter to the Ephesians, that “the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel” (Ephesians 3:6). Most if not all of us in this room are what you would call a “Gentile”... or even worse, a “Barbarian.” We are not descended from Abraham. It was thought that the Gospel was only for the Jews. On Epiphany, I get to declare that the Gospel is for all people, and this is wonderful news. We Gentiles are not left to be condemned or to pay the wages of our sin. Instead, the God of all creation has redeemed us from death and the devil and hell.

It’s no accident that Epiphany, this season of enlightenment, comes to us not long after the shortest and coldest days of the year. Some of you wake up and drive to work while it is still dark outside, and then you make the commute home in darkness again. This message comes to us to wake us up from our slumber, to stop our fumbling around in the dark, and to make sure that we haven’t grown accustomed to the darkness. During Epiphany, Light shines in the darkness.

And what is that Light? For Isaiah the prophet, “the glory of the LORD” rises like the sun and brings the Light. Isaiah writes: “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” (Isaiah 60:1-2). For the shepherds tending their flocks by night, it was the glory of the Lord shone around them as the heavenly host erupted into joyous song to announce the birth of the Savior, Jesus (Luke 2:8-10). For the Wise Men from the East, it was the miraculous star in the sky that led them to the Christ Child.

“[B]ehold, 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.’ When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him;” (Matthew 2:1b-3).

Here there is a break from the pattern in the Scriptures that we have seen so far. In the Gospel accounts of Matthew and Luke, many people have heard about the coming of the Lord. The Virgin Mary (Luke 1:38, 46-55), Mary’s cousin Elizabeth (Luke 1:42-43), John the unborn Baptist leaping in Elizabeth’s womb (Luke 1:41), Joseph who resolves to take Mary as his wife and to shield her from contempt and scorn (Matthew 1:24), the shepherds from the field who hear about Jesus from the angels then glorify and praise God after they find Him (Luke 2:20). All of these received the news of the birth of Jesus with thanksgiving, and they were obedient to the commands of the Lord. This is the pattern. This is God’s desire.

Herod, however, does not rejoice. Herod is troubled… and all of Jerusalem with him. Herod, the Idumaean king of the Jews, hears that someone who has the power to take away his throne, the actual King of the Jews has been born. Herod knows that his claim to the throne is weak because he is not from the House of David, he isn’t even a Jew. Herod has heard the prophecies of old. What if they are true? Are they are actually being fulfilled? So he calls an assembly with all the chief priests and scribes of the people and demands that they tell him, “Where will the Christ be born” (Matthew 2:3-4)? Quoting from the prophet Micah, Herod’s chief priests and scribes answer, “Bethlehem.” In secret, Herod sends the Wise Men to Bethlehem to search out the Child and to bring him word of His location (Matthew 2:7-8). The Wise Men intend to find the Child, Jesus, in order to give Him treasures, in order to bow down before Him and worship Him. Herod, on the other hand, intends to find the Child, Jesus, in order to put Him to death. The Wise Men succeed.

“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. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way” (Matthew 2:11-12).

Herod is enraged, and last week we read about the young boys whom Herod killed, the Holy Innocents, in his futile attempt to put Jesus to death before His time. These are two very different reactions to the Light. Herod is arrogant… prideful… unrepentant… and unbelieving. He would rather kill the Lord than humble himself. If Herod had accepted the reign of Christ, he would have to repent and live according to God’s Law. Instead of killing anyone who gets in his way, he would have to “help and support [his neighbor] in every physical need”. Instead of raising his sons to covet and lust after women, he would have to teach them to “lead a sexually pure and decent life in word and deed” and teach them that “husband and wife are to love and honor each other.” He would have to “fear, love, and trust in God above all things” (various quotations from Luther’s Small Catechism, Explanation of the Ten Commandments).

You see, having the Light of Christ shine on you can be a very painful thing. When Paul was on the road to Damascus, commissioned by the chief priests and given the authority to bind and kill Christians, he was encountered by the True Light. The Light, he says, shone brighter than the sun. The Light knocks him down to the ground and blinds him for three days, during which time he does not eat or drink (Acts 9:1-9, 26:12-18). Paul goes on to be sent by God to the Gentiles, “to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in [Jesus]” (Acts 26:18). Paul, all the Jews, all the Gentiles… all people are called to “repent and turn to God, performing deeds in keeping with their repentance” (Acts 26:20). Notice that Paul continues in his repentance as he calls himself “the very least of all the saints” (Ephesians 3:8) and he continues in suffering as a prisoner for Christ. Paul is the Lord’s chosen instrument to proclaim the name of Christ to the people, and the Lord shows Paul how much he must suffer for His name (Acts 9:15-16). Has Paul’s encounter with the True Light been comfortable?

The Light uncovers darkness, and when the light of God’s Word lays bare your utter inadequacy, the only path forward is to repent and bear fruits in keeping with repentance. This was too much for Herod. Herod would rather cling to his earthly throne and set himself up as an opponent to the Almighty God. Herod refuses to walk in the light. Herod dies an enemy of Christ. He raises sons after him to be enemies of Christ.

But you are not an enemy of Christ. You are baptized. You are a child of God. Christ is your brother. The Lamp of God’s Word is a lamp to your feet and a light to your path (Psalm 119:105). As you are shown your sin, repent and be forgiven. Receive the Holy Spirit to amend your sinful life. Be the Light of Christ in your homes and at work, in your community, or wherever you go. Husbands: Love your wives and live with them with understanding, honor them, sacrifice for them, and serve them as Christ does all these things for His Bride, the Church (1 Peter 3:7, Ephesians 5:25-30). Wives: Submit to your husbands as to the Lord as the Church submits to Christ (Ephesians 5:22-24). Parents: Love your children and raise them in the discipline and instruction of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4). Children: obey your parents (Ephesians 6:1). Work diligently in your calling and put on the whole armor of God, the armor of Light. Resist the devil and temptation and repent of your sins each and every day. You have the Light of Life, do not walk in darkness. Repent and believe the Gospel of Jesus, it is for all people… and that includes you!

In the Name of Jesus. Amen.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Christ, the Savior is born! Merry Christmas! Almost everything we know about the circumstances of Jesus’ birth comes from the Gospel accounts written by Matthew and Luke. Luke records how the birth of our Lord was announced to Mary by the Angel Gabriel. Gabriel says, “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. [...] 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” (Luke 1:30-32a,35). Thanks to Luke, we know that Mary responds in faith. She has been called blessed among women by all generations ever since.

Matthew records how God turns Joseph’s doubt into faith by the power of His Word, how “[a]n 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’” (Matthew 1:20b-21).

Luke tells us that the decree of the first Roman Emperor, Caesar Augustus, drove Joseph and the Virgin Mary with Child to take a trip to the town of Bethlehem in order to be counted for a census. The trip was late in Mary’s pregnancy, and during their stay, Mary gives birth to the Christ Child. An angel of the Lord announces the birth of Jesus to shepherds in a nearby field watching over their flocks, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Savior, who is Christ the Lord” (Luke 2:10).

Because of the Holy Spirit’s inspiration of Matthew and Luke, we know all this and more about the birth of Christ. From these narratives it is made clear that the birth of Jesus is “good news.” It is something that causes the angels—and the faithful—to rejoice, and it is something that fulfills many prophecies made in the Old Testament. From Matthew and Mark we know that Jesus is “great,” that He is “holy,” the He is “the Son of the Most High God.” We know that Jesus is “going to save His people from their sins.” We know that Jesus is our Savior.

In our Epistle lesson for today, we read the introduction to the book of Hebrews, and it characterizes the birth of Christ as the beginning of the end of an era of great seers, prophets, and signs. “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom also he created the world” (Hebrews 1:1-2). God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but now He has spoken to us by His Son, Jesus Christ. Throughout Advent we have considered various types of Christ: the angels, Moses, Aaron, Melchizedek. These “types” that we have discussed: prophets, priests, kings… they find their fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ. Christ is greater! In order to fulfill all these things, He has to be born as a human baby.

This is the great mystery that we celebrate on Christmas. Christ is of one substance with God the Father, and He came down from heaven, He was conceived by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and He was made man (Nicene Creed). God takes on a human frame and dwells with us. Christ is our faithful Prophet, Christ is our great High Priest, and Christ is our Heavenly King. Christ is our God. This Infant Child wrapped in swaddling cloths laying in a manger, by this time on the first Christmas less than half a day old, and He is our God.

It makes sense, then, that the Gospel according to John begins the way it does. He doesn’t begin with the human birth of Christ like Matthew and Luke or with the beginning of His earthly ministry like Mark, but he begins much, much earlier. “In the beginning…” (John 1:1). This isn’t Luke’s beginning during the reign of Caesar, or Matthew’s beginning during the time of patriarch, Abraham, but THE beginning. The beginning of everything.

“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” (John 1:1-5).

In these five, relatively short verses, John gives us enough to think about for the whole year, and probably our entire lives! It takes 17 verses to explicitly say so, but John is talking about Jesus Christ.

This word teaches us a few things about Jesus. First, Jesus is the eternal God. Second, the only way that we really know or see God is through Jesus. And finally, Jesus the eternal God took on flesh and came into the world in order to bring light and life and salvation to you.

We are created beings, and all we have known is this finite earthly life. It can be overwhelming to think that there was never a time when Jesus did not exist. Think about how quickly 2025 came and went… how the first outbreak of COVID was nearly 6 years ago… Disney’s Frozen—that had everyone playing Let It Go on repeat came out 12 years ago… iPhones came out 18 years ago… 9/11 was 25 years ago, Y2K was 26… the assassination of John F. Kennedy was 62 years ago… and the first color TV was sold in 1954… 71 years ago. Our life is but a breath. But God has existed from eternity. God is without beginning or end. Jesus was not created. “Jesus is begotten of His Father before all worlds. God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, begotten, not made” (Nicene Creed). Jesus was with God (and was God) at the beginning of time, and the world was created through Him and for Him (Colossians 1:16).

“[Jesus] is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and [Jesus] upholds the universe by the word of his power” (Hebrews 1:3a). Jesus is the radiance of the glory of God. John the Baptist will describe Jesus as a light that enlightens everyone. For millennia, God’s people were fumbling around in the darkness of their own hearts until Jesus came and turned on the lights. By the light of Christ, we see the fullness of God’s love for us. By the light of Christ, we see the end of the Law is NOT to condemn us to death and hell, but for Christ to fulfill the Law and offer us full forgiveness. It is Christ who has revealed the Father to us, and He has shown us a Heavenly Father who loves us and wants to hear our prayers and promises to answer them. Jesus did not come into the world to condemn it, but to save it (John 3:17). As our Priest, Jesus made purification for our sins, and now He reigns at the Right Hand of God as our King (Hebrews 1:3).

This is the mission that Jesus has completed. He was willingly born of the Virgin Mary, He humiliated Himself to become an embryo. He subjected Himself to the need for His mother’s care. Jesus was swaddled, nursed, raised, and taught. Eventually, Jesus—younger than most of us in this sanctuary—willingly gave Himself up to die. And by His death He defeated death. From the very beginning of time, Jesus knew that one day “He [would come] down from heaven and be incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary and be made man” (Nicene Creed). This is the great gift that we celebrate on Christmas. Our God has come to us with healing on His wings. He brings forgiveness and eternal life. From the fullness of Jesus “we have all received grace upon grace. For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:16-17).

Our Lutheran Confessions speak about this mystery of Jesus Christ:

“[W]e believe, teach, and confess that Mary conceived and bore not a mere man and no more, but the true Son of God; therefore she also is rightly called and truly is the mother of God.

8. Hence we also believe, teach, and confess that it was not a mere man who suffered, died, was buried, descended to hell, arose from the dead, ascended into heaven, and was raised to the majesty and almighty power of God for us, but a man whose human nature has such a profound [close], ineffable union and communion with the Son of God that it is [has become] one person with Him.

9. Therefore the Son of God truly suffered for us, however, according to the property of the human nature which He assumed into the unity of His divine person and made His own, so that He might be able to suffer and be our High Priest for our reconciliation with God, as it is written 1 Cor. 2:8: They have crucified the Lord of glory. And Acts 20:28: We are purchased with God’s blood” (Formula of Concord: Epitome, VIII.12-14).

Just as the angels spoke to Mary and to Joseph and the Shepherds, “Fear Not”. I can say the same to you today. Fear not, Jesus has given to all who receive Him and believe in his name the right to become Children of God… and so you are.

In the Name of Jesus Christ, Our God. Amen.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Christ is King. Everything was put in subjection under Christ’s feet. Everything is under Christ’s control (Hebrews 2:8). Christ commands the morning and causes the dawn to know its place, Christ has seen the storehouses of the snow and the hail, Christ provides the raven its prey and Christ knows when the mountain goats give birth (Job 38:12, 22, 41; 39:1). He knows every hair on your head (Luke 12:7), and He knows the number of your days (Psalm 139:16). Each week during our midweek Advent services when the Thanksgiving for Light has been sung, we have proclaimed that Christ is the Lord our God, King of the Universe. Christmas Choir concerts that sing the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s Messiah—if they still sing it—proclaim: “The kingdom of this world is become the kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever. King of Kings, and Lord of Lords” (Revelation 11:15;19:16). Christ is King… and yet… we can’t see it.

We hear about the triumphant victory of our King, but in many ways our lives are characterized by pain and suffering. Our bodies aching with the pains of age, we mourn the death of loved ones, broken trust and broken relationships, sometimes we even suffer violence and abuse. Some traumatic moments bring suffering that lasts for years, if not a lifetime. If you haven’t suffered yet, you will. Given enough time, we will all suffer. Philosophers have wrestled with this for a long time. It’s called “the problem of suffering.” An ancient philosopher, Epicurus, set up this paradox: If God is all-powerful, and all-knowing, and all-good… then suffering shouldn’t exist. But it does. Why do we suffer? For some people this is a very challenging question, and maybe rightly so. For the Christian the answer is simple, though it may be unsatisfying and it may be hard to hear: suffering is our fault. When mankind fell into sin in the garden all evil and suffering followed. But fast forward to today… didn’t Christ win? Didn’t Christ say on the cross, “It is finished”? Maybe you’ve thought about this before. If Christ is King, why does evil remain? Why do we suffer?

This is the challenge of understanding Christ as King. Right here in our second reading from the book of Hebrews, beginning with the quote from Psalm 8: “‘You made him for a little while lower than the angels;” (Christ, God, has taken on human flesh) “… you have crowned him with glory and honor, putting everything in subjection under his feet.’ Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside of his control.” …everything is in Christ’s control — but it continues: “At present, we do not yet see everything in subjection to him” (Hebrews 2:7b-8). Jesus Christ is at this very moment reigning at the Right Hand of the Heavenly Father, but at present we do not see it. “But,” the reading continues: “we see him who for a little while was made lower than the angels, namely Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone” (Hebrews 2:9). Instead of a dazzling crown of gold beset with precious jewels, we see a crown of thorns. What kind of King is this? Instead of what you might imagine the King of the Universe to look like we see a Suffering Servant. So when we ask what to do with suffering, we can, as with all things, look to Christ. What did Christ do with suffering? He endured it.

Look at Hebrews again: we see “Jesus, crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. For it was fitting that he, for whom and by whom all things exist, in bringing many sons to glory, should make the founder of their salvation perfect through suffering” (Hebrews 2:9b-10). Jesus was made perfect through suffering. Jesus tasted death for you. Jesus came down to earth to suffer for you, and now you can know that you do not suffer alone, but Christ suffers with you. Isn’t that beautiful? Who could have predicted that to show His might and power, God chose to do it through mercy and self-sacrifice. Through innocent, bitter sufferings and death. How many of the world’s invented gods humiliated themselves to become flesh and suffer for the sake of their creation? Only the True God did that, only our God, Jesus Christ, and He did it for you.

From the early days of Jesus’ ministry, there was serious confusion about what exactly it was that our Lord Christ was here on earth to do. Right after he miraculously fed the 5,000 with five loaves of bread and two small fish, John records in his Gospel account that the people recognize Jesus as the prophet who is to come into the world and immediately want to “take him by force to make him king” (John 6:14). But what kind of king? Paul Kretzmann writes in his Popular Commentary, “... Jesus is not a mere Helper in physical needs; His aim is not to cater to the temporal, carnal desires of men; He is no ‘bread-king.’ [...] the idea of an earthly kingdom was not included in His plan of salvation” (Kretzmann Popular Commentary on John 6:15-21). In Luke’s Gospel, shortly after this event Jesus foretells of His death for the first time, He says “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and on the third day be raised” (Luke 9:22). Here Jesus begins to correct the misconception amongst His disciples, and this is something they will not understand fully until they are filled with the Holy Spirit some 18 months later at Pentecost. Earthly kingdoms rise and fall, but Jesus’s kingdom is forever. The Explanation of the Small Catechism says, “As King, Christ rules with His almighty power over all creation, [He] governs and protects especially His church, and finally leads His church to glory in heaven” (Small Catechism 1991 p126-127). King Jesus rules over His Kingdom in order to protect and preserve His church, not from suffering or pain, but from unbelief, sin, the devil, and hell.

This Advent we have been considering Christ according to his threefold office: Prophet, Priest, and King. Each week we have looked at a type of Christ and compared the two to learn more: Moses the prophet was a type of Christ, as a prophet Jesus represents God to us. Jesus brings God’s words to us, He is the very Word of God! Aaron the priest was a type of Christ, as a priest Jesus represents us to God. He offers Himself up as the atoning sacrifice for our sins and continuously intercedes for us with His Heavenly Father. Remember the type points to Christ, and Christ is the real deal, He is always greater.

Up until now we’ve been thinking about it using the imagery of a shadow. Something casts a shadow. When you look at the shadow that’s the type. The thing that casts the shadow is the real thing, that’s the fulfillment. Maybe this won’t be helpful, but now I want to change the metaphor on you, and I want to use a typewriter. I tried this during a children’s message last year and it didn’t go over so well, but I hope I have a better demographic alignment now. Just in case, a typewriter has a metal arm for each letter. At the end of the arm there is an embossed letter, called the typeslug. When you push key, the bar slaps forward and puts an imprint onto the page. When you press the ‘A’ key, the typebar with an ‘A’ typeslug launches forward, presses through a ribbon of ink, and puts an ‘A’ on the page. Now, the ‘A’ on the page is not actually that metal piece, but it looks like it. So picture this: Christ is the fulfillment, Christ is the real deal, he is the King… and each one of you is a type of Christ. When you were baptized, an imprint was made on your heart. C-H-R-I-S-T-I-A-N, “Christian.” You are a child of God, and you are made a new creation. As Luther would say it, you have become a “Little Christ.”

In 1999 Rev. Dr. Richard C. Eyer from Concordia University Wisconsin wrote on the Problem of Suffering:

“Because we have become one with [Christ] through our baptism, our suffering has become his and his [suffering] has become ours. It is as Paul says, ‘I rejoice in my sufferings… I complete what is lacking in Christ’s suffering…’ This suffering we bear adds nothing to our salvation. We do not suffer to earn heaven. Rather, our suffering has become Christ’s suffering in us as he attaches himself to us through our baptism. [...] It is hopeful… to say that our suffering is from God for then we know to whom we must turn who is [all-good] and [all-powerful] and will turn our tears into joy in heaven.”

Suffering, then, is no longer a problem for the Christian. By Christ’s suffering, you are forgiven and set free. You are joined to His death and to His resurrection by your baptism. Now, you are invited into the sufferings of Christ. This has even become a joyful thing. You are invited to share in the sufferings of your neighbor. You can even suffer wrong at the hands of others… your neighbors, your friends, your children, your spouse. You can suffer wrong without complaint and give forgiveness without end because you know the power of Christ’s sufferings for you, and all that Christ has forgiven for you. We can echo the words of the apostle Paul, “The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To Him be the glory for ever and ever” (2 Timothy 4:18). And we wait for His kingdom to be something that we can see. We believe it now, and one day we will see it.

In the Name of Jesus, Our Heavenly King. Amen.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

This Advent we are considering Christ as our Prophet, our Priest, and our King. And with guidance from the book of Hebrews, we are considering Christ in His threefold office by comparing Him to various types given in the Old Testament. Last week, our type was Moses the prophet. Moses, we know! When the Hebrews were enslaved in Egypt, Moses was called by God in the Burning Bush to deliver them out of slavery. Moses appealed to Pharaoh, “Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘Let my people go, that they may hold a feast to me in the wilderness’” (Exodus 5:1b). Pharaoh knew many gods, and he even thought himself to be a kind of god… but he did not know the true God, the God of Israel. So he decided not to listen to God and did not let God’s people go. Moses repeatedly requested Pharaoh to release the Israelites so that they could serve God, and Pharaoh repeatedly rejected.

But who is Moses’ brother, Aaron? When you look at the book of Exodus, you find out that the appeals made to Pharaoh by Moses were actually with Moses’ brother Aaron. When God calls Moses to be the one to go before Pharaoh, Moses replies, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else” (Exodus 4:13). He doesn’t want to do it. Among other excuses, Moses claims he is not eloquent enough, that people won’t listen to him because he is “slow of speech and of tongue” (Exodus 4:10). Moses quickly discovers that his call is non-negotiable. However, God does assign Aaron, Moses’ brother, to help him. So Aaron serves as a spokesperson for Moses (Exodus 4:16).

Moses and Aaron repeatedly ask Pharaoh to obey the LORD and release the Hebrews, hard-hearted Pharaoh repeatedly says, “No”, and as a result the people witness awesome and terrible wonders wrought by God against Pharaoh and his people: the Nile river turned to blood, overwhelming amounts of frogs, swarms of gnats, thick clouds of flies, pestilence that kills the Egyptian livestock, fiery hail to destroy buildings and crops, locusts to eat what little crops remain, and utter darkness. Finally… the final plague, the death of all the firstborn in the land of Egypt. An impartial punishment enacted on all people, whether those in the royal house of Pharaoh or those held captive in prison… a punishment prevented only by the blood of a spotless, male lamb slain at twilight (Exodus 12:5,13). This was Aaron’s first assignment. Aaron sees God’s hand pressed down hard on the Egyptians, and in great fear of death the Egyptians send out the people of Israel in haste with all sorts of plunder: gold and silver and clothing. In the first year of his service, Aaron witnesses the Plagues, the Passover, the Exodus, and the miraculous crossing of the Red Sea; he is fed by manna from heaven, and he drinks water from the rock. These are the works God’s people will be writing about, singing about, and speaking about for a long, long time. And even still today I’m here speaking about them to you. Then, while Moses is on top of the Mountain of God receiving the Law and the plans for the tabernacle, Aaron succumbs to the demands of the people and forges the golden calf. The people bow down and worship it as God and their camps fall into debauchery and sin. Not long after, the tabernacle is constructed according to God’s specifications, also the priestly garments, and Aaron is consecrated as Israel’s first High Priest… all this happens in about one year… and I’m left thinking… that’s quite a vicarage.

Aaron is a priest. And today we will look at the second office of Christ’s threefold office: Priest. According to the pattern of Hebrews we are given another type, a mysterious figure, not Aaron. Someone mentioned very few times in the Bible, Melchizedek. Melchizedek is the Priest King of Salem. His name and title translate to “King of Righteousness and King of Peace” (Hebrews 7:2). Melchizedek is a type of Christ. Psalm 110 and Hebrews both attest that Christ is a priest according to the Order of Melchizedek. This is to stress that Christ is NOT a priest according to the Levitical priesthood. After all, Christ is not born of the Tribe of Levi, but comes from the Tribe of Judah.

Aaron is a member of the Levitical priesthood, and like Moses the prophet, Aaron is a type of Christ too. Remember, we said last week that a type is like a shadow of something else, or a reference to it. Remember also that Christ is always greater than his types. The type is imperfect, less brilliant, and weaker by far than the fulfillment we see in Christ. This is especially true when we compare the Levitical priesthood with the priesthood of Christ. Aaron is worthy of much less honor than our Lord, and the priestly order that Aaron belongs to is not capable of achieving that which our Lord has come to achieve.

As prophet, Jesus brings the Word of God to us, He is Himself the very Word of God. During His life on earth, Christ preached repentance and of the coming Kingdom of God, and he validated His word with miracles. The most miraculous and astounding proof was His own resurrection. Even today, Christ is still proclaiming Himself to be the Son of God and our Savior through the preaching of the Gospel. Christ is our prophet, and as our prophet He is God’s representative to us (Small Catechism 1991, p124).

So what does Jesus do as a priest? In Martin Luther’s Lectures on Hebrews, “Luther argues that Jesus, as God’s apostle, represents him before people, while as High Priest Jesus represents people before God” (Concordia Commentary on Hebrews, p156). A priest represents the people before God, he intercedes for them, he “bear[s] the iniquity of the congregation, to make atonement for them before the LORD” (Leviticus 10:17).

For the Levitical priesthood, this was a frightening responsibility, and they bore it with great weakness. Being a priest of the God of Israel was an extremely serious calling, and those who took it lightly suffered greatly for it. Aaron’s two sons, Nadab and Abihu, are priests also. In Leviticus 10, we are given a shocking account of their folly and its consequences. Nadab and Abihu offer “unauthorized fire before the LORD” (Leviticus 10:1). This is very likely referring to the mixture of incense that they brought into the Holy Place. The LORD commanded one thing, and out of carelessness, or drunkenness, or faithlessness, Nadab and Abihu offered something different… somethings strange… something of their own making. What a temptation it is to worship the LORD according to our own fickle desires instead of according to God’s Eternal Word. The result was that “fire came out from before the LORD and consumed them, and they died before the LORD” (Leviticus 10:2). The LORD says, “Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified” (Leviticus 10:3). God is not mocked. Aaron accepts God’s judgement upon his sons, but he is shaken and for a time unable to carry out all his priestly duties for fear that his service would also be unacceptable to the LORD. Aaron knows that he stands before a righteous and holy God. Aaron intercedes for the people, but who will intercede for him? This is a frightening place to be, and my hope is that after last week’s midweek lesson, I did not leave you in this same place.

But you have heard the Word of God and you believe it. You are a poor, miserable sinner. Even now, as a follower of Christ, you see the goodness and beauty of God’s Law illuminating the path you should go, but you still stumble into sin and find yourself rightly accused. God’s Law always accuses. Here you will feel a very strong temptation to try to justify yourself. “I tried my best” … “I didn’t know” … “It could have been worse” … “Other people are less faithful than I am.” Don’t do it. “The wrath of God cannot be conciliated as long as we set our own works against it” (Ap IV.80). As it turns out, God’s people needed more than a better prophet, we also needed a better priest—a truly righteous priest.

In our Old Testament Lesson for today, after the death of Nadab and Abihu, God sets up guardrails for His priests and establishes strict regulations on when and in what manner the priests will enter into the Holy Place. He does this out of love and mercy, to protect His people and His priests. A priest is instructed to enter with a bull, two rams, and two male goats for sin offerings and burnt offerings. By the blood of these animals the priest will first make atonement for himself and for his house, and then for the people. He will even make atonement for the Holy Place, the tent, and the altar because these also are polluted by our uncleanness. It is true that there is no forgiveness of sin without the shedding of blood, and the priests of the Old Testament shed quite a lot of it. The priests will perform sacrifices each and every day, and the Day of Atonement must happen each and every year. Now, with these regulations, the priests are able to carefully conduct their business in safety, but they are still a far cry from being able to deliver what God’s people really need. They need an atonement that lasts. They need a perfected conscience. God’s people needed a better priest, a better priesthood, and a better sacrifice… they needed a better covenant. In the end, all of these things were only ever just a shadow of the things to come.

If your works cannot appease God’s wrath, what can? Who can? Jesus the Christ, our Great High Priest! “Christ has been set forth as the propitiator in order that on account of him the Father may be reconciled with us” (Ap IV.80). This is where Christ’s priestly office provides you with exactly what you need. “As a Priest, Christ fulfilled the Law perfectly in [y]our stead [and] sacrificed Himself for [y]our sins. [Additionally, He] still pleads for [you today] with his heavenly Father” (Small Catechism 1991, p126). At this very moment, Christ is interceding for you at the Right Hand of the Heavenly Father, and for Christ’s sake you are forgiven and made righteous. See that the temptation to justify yourself is an evil distraction. It is a lure from the devil, who wants you to turn away from the righteousness of Christ that is given to you by faith toward your own insufficient works.

The book of Hebrews tells us that Christ suffers every temptation that you do, except He does it without sin. Christ sympathizes with your weakness and redeems you. “God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8). Christ is the perfect priest and He offers Himself as the perfect sacrifice. The sacrifice that Aaron offers is in fear, the Holy Place is obscured by a cloud of incense in a tent made with hands. And the sacrifice of a priest must first be made to atone for their own sins, and then for the sins of the people. Contrast this with Christ. Christ offers Himself as a sacrifice with all confidence. Christ knows that His perfect life is acceptable to God the Father and that His work is complete. “It is finished” (John 19:30). Now, we are given that same confidence. In this time of need, we approach the throne of grace and receive grace, and mercy, and peace. You no longer have to fear the fire of judgement because Christ’s perfect work is yours, you are forgiven and set free.

In the Name of Jesus, Our Great High Priest. Amen

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Do you remember the “war on Christmas?” In the first decade and a half of the 2000’s, not that long ago, the media was buzzing about the “war on Christmas.” Is it a “Christmas Tree” or a “Holiday Tree?” When greeting strangers in public during this time of the year, is it “Merry Christmas,” or “Happy Holidays”? Do you remember when this is what we were concerned about? In 2015, the apparent controversy was that the coffee chain, Starbucks, had released a seasonal holiday cup that didn’t even have a snowman or a Christmas ornament on it as in years past. Instead, it was just plain red. Some people were upset by the red cups, others were upset that some people would be upset by the red cups, and a good number of Christians were upset that they had been misrepresented as being upset at all. But the real issue was not the red cups, it was something deeper hiding beneath the surface. You and I know that it was never about the red cups… the issue was never what you should call a decorated evergreen tree… or even the kind of greeting you give to a passerby during the winter months. The issue is what it has always been: there are those who don’t know, or don’t care, or don’t believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, born of the Virgin Mary, incarnate by the Holy Spirit. Even worse, there are those who don’t know, or don’t care, or don’t believe… and they “celebrate Christmas,” or at least they pretend to. In some homes, and even in some churches, Christmas has become something altogether different. Hot chocolate, outdoor lights, snow covered hills, gift giving, a vague spirit of generosity… maybe some pictures with Santa… and if you can even believe it at the Renaissance Faire, some pictures with a demon named Krampus. But nothing at all about Jesus. Think of the most popular Christmas movies — the classics — maybe even your favorite Christmas movies (and by the way, for the sake of unity, I’m not weigh in on whether Die Hard is properly a Christmas movie). Have you thought of any movies? Which of these movies utters even one syllable about the incarnation of our Lord Christ? And if I say you can’t use A Charlie Brown Christmas from 1965, can you even think of one?

A survey conducted by the Barna Group in 2015 — the same year as the plain, red, Starbucks cup — found that 92% of participants believed that Jesus Christ was a real person who actually lived. However, only 56% of participants believed that Jesus was God, and only 31% strongly disagreed with the statement that Jesus Christ committed sins. Jesus commit no sin! I know that and you know that, but nearly 70% of the participants of this survey did NOT have a strong, negative reaction to the statement that Jesus Christ committed sins just like any other human. In the ten years since that survey, do you think the numbers have gotten better? Our culture may know the name, “Jesus Christ,” and maybe even that He walked the earth… but our culture does not know who Jesus Christ truly is. Our culture has forgotten. Maybe the “war on Christmas” is real… And it begs the question, are we winning? Are we even fighting?

There is another war… the “war on Advent.” This war is a little bit harder to notice because it doesn’t slither down the chimney like the Grinch and seek to steal away all the trappings of Christmas. In fact, it wants more Christmas. It shines bright like a Christmas tree set up the week before Thanksgiving. The “war on Advent” wants Christmas to come early… so early that we should forget about Advent and lose it altogether. Now don’t miss my point here, this is not about when the lights or the tree go up, or when you start listening to Christmas carols, or how early you make your cookies, or your fruitcake, or your baklava. Rather, Advent is about a solemn time of waiting, contemplation, and preparation — waiting on the LORD to bring His own redemption and vengeance; contemplating who Jesus is and what He does for us; and preparing to walk in good works… and preparing to have your faith tested by trials and temptations, even in the face of death and hell. Advent is a time of repentance — repenting of the innumerable ways in which you have failed in your calling. You need the forgiveness offered by Jesus (maybe especially during this time of the year when schedules are packed and stresses are high), and your only hope is to be comforted by the faith that God has given you in and through the Gospel. Advent is a time to exercise ourselves in the greatest and most important war of all: the “virtuous war of faith” that Paul encourages Timothy to in his first letter; the “good fight of faith” that struggles against unbelief, despair, and sin. Our best and first weapon in this fight is the “good [and virtuous] confession” of the Word of Christ. The Word that declares us forgiven and righteous by faith. The Word that became flesh and won salvation for us. From ancient times the church, in great wisdom and out of great reverence, established Advent and Christmas to teach us about Jesus and to structure our lives of faith in the image of His earthly life. So I am asking you to join with me in the fight for Christmas, and for Advent, and for our Faith.

On the Last Sunday of the Church Year, I echoed the Psalms and asked you to be still and wait on the LORD, to trust in His deliverance and in His timing. I also asked you to repent and keep the faith. Last week, Pastor asked you to cast off works of darkness, put on the Armor of Light, and to live as a Child of the Light. You might ask, “Vicar, how do I do these things? What does it look like to repent, to keep the faith, and to live as a child of the Light?” Well… I’m so glad you asked. This Advent, God willing, we will ask the Lord to stir up these things in us by the power of His Spirit working through His Word. We will seek to better understand who Christ is and what He does for us by looking at the book of Hebrews and what has been called the “threefold office of Christ:” Prophet, Priest, and King. And by the grace of God, as we consider Christ Our Prophet, we will heed His Word and repent. As we are ministered to by Christ Our Priest, we will increase in faith and trust Him alone for salvation. And as we submit to Christ Our King, we will serve Him—humbly and faithfully—for the good of His kingdom here-and-now on earth and also in eternity with Him.

Maybe you’ve heard of the “threefold office.” It is first referenced outside the Scriptures by a man known as the Father of Church History, Eusebius. In the early 4th century A.D. he writes:

“And we have been told also that certain of the prophets themselves became, by the act of anointing, Christs in type, so that all these have reference to the true Christ, the divinely inspired and heavenly Word, who is the only high priest of all, and the only King of every creature, and the Father’s only supreme prophet of prophets” (Ecclesiastical History, 1.3.8).

Notice the language of “type” and “reference.” What is a type? A type in the Bible is a reference to something else. It’s like a shadow cast on the wall. When you are looking at the shadow, it is a reference to the thing that casts the shadow. When you finally see the actual thing, it’s a fulfillment of the shadow. This pattern of types and their reference, or their fulfillment, is used a lot in the book of Hebrews. The type or shadow of something references or points to the fulfillment, and in many cases that fulfillment is the person of Jesus Christ.

The first office of Christ’s threefold office we will examine is the office of Prophet. And so, the first type from Hebrews I want to draw your attention to is a specific prophet, the prophet Moses. Moses is the type, Christ is the fulfillment. Christ, who is the best, the truest, and most faithful prophet of all.

Hebrews chapter 1 establishes the supremacy of Christ, it compares Him to the angels and acknowledges Him to be greater, “For to which of the angels did God ever say, ‘You are my son, today I have begotten you’? Or again, ‘I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son’” (Hebrews 1:5)? Jesus is greater than the angels. In Hebrews, Christ is always greater than His types. This is something that would strike a first century Jew a little bit more scandalously than you or me, but Jesus, the Scriptures say, is even greater than Moses. Moses and Jesus were both appointed by God. Moses is glorious, but Jesus is more glorious. Moses is created, but Jesus is the uncreated creator. Moses is faithful as a servant, but Jesus is faithful as a Son (Hebrews 3:2-6). Moses is a type of Christ. As the people of God prepare to cross the Jordan into the Promised Land, Moses knows that he will remain behind and die. He prophesied to the people, “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen” (Deuteronomy 18:15). Moses did not bring the people to the promised land, he remained on the other side of the Jordan and was buried. The Law was given through Moses, and it does not bring life and salvation, but an increase of sin (Romans 5:20). “[T]he law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17). It is Jesus who fulfills the law, brings forgiveness, and has the words of eternal life (John 6:68).

The Explanation of the Small Catechism from Concordia Publishing House in 1991 (the blue one) explains it like this: “Christ was anointed to be our Prophet, Priest, and King. As Prophet, Christ preached personally during His life on earth, validating His word with miracles, especially His own resurrection” (Explanation of the Small Catechism, 1991, p 124). Christ comes as a prophet speaking God’s Word, He is the very Word of God. He preaches repentance and faith (Mark 1:15). In the gospel according to John, “after the people saw the sign Jesus performed [in feeding the 5,000], they began to say, ‘Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world’” (John 6:14)! The Catechism continues, “[As Prophet, Christ] through the preached Gospel today still proclaims Himself to be the Son of God and redeemer of the world” (Explanation of the Small Catechism, 1991, p 125). For thousands of years the prophets foretold what would happen in Jesus Christ, and Jesus is the fulfillment of all that the prophets promised. And now, the things that Jesus taught and did come to us through the preaching of the Gospel. Those in the preaching office are sent by Christ to preach Christ’s Word.

So now, you, hearing Christ’s Words, do not harden your hearts, but believe. Do not resist the idea that you are a sinner, don’t think you measure up. Believe that you are a sinner in need of redemption. And do not resist the idea that you are forgiven. Believe that the forgiveness you so desperately need has been given to you through Jesus Christ. Paul says in 2 Corinthians, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that is, in Christ God was reconciling the world to himself, not counting their trespasses against them, and entrusting to us the message of reconciliation. Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, God making his appeal through us. We implore you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 17-20). Jesus is our Prophet, do not neglect hearing His Word. This is the first step in the fight! Don’t be confused about who you are or what you deserve apart from Christ. Know that the whole reason Jesus came to earth was to die because of your sins and to give you forgiveness and salvation. This Advent, hear the Word of Christ, repent, and believe the Gospel… His Kingdom is at hand.

In the Name of Jesus, Our Prophet. Amen

Today is the Last Sunday of the Church Year. At the end of the church year, it is customary to think about the end. Whether our own death or Christ’s return to judgment, we set our minds on the coming last day that begins the rest of eternity. Just a few weeks ago on All Saint’s Day, we heard John’s vision of the heavenly throne room—the great multitude beyond numbering, robed in dazzling white, swinging palm branches of green, standing before the throne of God in everlasting day (Revelation 7:9). The week after we heard about the resurrection of the dead. We heard Christ’s clear teaching that the dead are indeed raised to life, for our God is not a God of the dead but of the living (Luke 20:38). And last week we heard about the coming of the Son of Man in a cloud with power and great glory (Luke 21:27). The end is coming. Our Creed confesses this faith: We believe that on “the third day [Jesus Christ] rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead” (Apostles’ Creed, The Second Article). God’s people wait for Him to act. And here you are… another Sunday at Immanuel Lutheran Church… at the end of another church year, looking forward to another Advent… and another Christmas… and another New Year… still waiting for our Lord Christ to return. How long, O LORD?

In this era of satellites and smart phones, door dash, tik tok, and 2-day shipping your attention span has shortened and your patience has worn thin. Can you make it through a meal with your family without diverting your attention to something else? What about when a hymn has a few too many verses or a worship service goes 10 minutes too long? Have you started to question if any of this is worth it? Are you tempted to say with those in our Old Testament reading, “It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the LORD of hosts” (Malachi 3:14)? The people of Judah grew tired of serving God, tired of following His commandments, and tired of repenting of their sins. The people of Judah had convinced themselves that the arrogant unbeliever is blessed. They saw evildoers breaking God’s commandments without fear and without consequence. Instead of receiving the punishment for their sin, these evildoers prospered and received what seems to be success and blessing.

Is it any different today? According to the Guttmacher Institute an estimated 518,940 children were murdered in the womb in the first six months of 2025. Open Doors, an organization that publishes data about the persecution of Christians around the world, reports that nearly 4,500 Christians were killed for their faith in Nigeria and other countries in sub-Saharan Africa. A study from Columbia University identified nearly 50,000 patients who underwent some sort of gender reassignment surgery between 2016 and 2020… over 3,600 aged 12 to 18 years old. In October of this year, Pew research published that over 1.8 million Americans divorced in 2023, while many forego marriage altogether. And this past July, the Heritage Foundation summarized findings in a General Social Survey from the National Opinion Research Center like this: “Attendance of religious services in the United States has declined over the past fifty years. Weekly attendance of religious services has significantly declined across most demographic groups [...]. Today, nearly half of American adults either rarely or never attend religious services” (The Great Falling Away, Abbamonte). In times of decreasing church attendance and increasing confusion and sin, does it seem that the arrogant are blessed? Does it seem that evildoers prosper? Those who fearlessly put God to the test escape! … How long, O LORD?

Have you put God to the test? Why is it that you are so tempted to wander from God, ignore His warnings, and reject His blessings? In 1941 C.S. Lewis wrote in The Weight of Glory:

“It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

Isn’t it true? Isn’t it difficult to wait on the Lord for the incomprehensible blessings that God has promised to us in Jesus? The trials are many, the distractions are countless, and it is difficult to walk in faith as we wait on the Lord. How long, O LORD?

I’m here to encourage you today: Repent! Keep the faith! The Lord does not delay. “The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance” (2 Peter 3:9). So repent and wait on the Lord!

Malachi goes on to say that “those who feared the LORD spoke with one another. The LORD paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the LORD and esteemed his name. ‘They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts” (Malachi 3:16-17a). What a promise! In the midst of an unbelieving age, when the church seems small and the faithful seem few, the LORD of hosts promises to deliver us, His church, we who fear the Lord and esteem His name. He has written our names in His book of life. When you are tempted to think that your God is far off and uncaring, you are corrected by His Word: “God is our refuge and strength” (Psalm 46:1a). He is not far off, He is “a very present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1b). God promises to make a distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between the one who serves Him and the one who does not. How does God make a distinction between the righteous and unrighteous?

After the book of Malachi there isn’t a divinely inspired Word of Scripture for over 400 years. Some Christians have called this period of time “the 400 Silent Years.” A Jewish historian wrote that this time—the time when the prophets ceased to appear among the Jews—was a time of great distress (1 Macc 9:27; 14:41). During this time, God’s people waited for the fulfillment of the promise of salvation, and the faithless fell away. By the time Christ walked the earth, his own people were so confused about what their standing was before God and what was necessary for their salvation that most of them did not receive Him. His ministry attracted the anger of the Pharisees and scribes, accusations of blasphemy from the Sanhedrin, and a death sentence from the Roman authorities. As we read in our Gospel text for today, He was hung up between two evildoers as a curse. Here on the cross is where God keeps the promise made through Malachi. Here on the cross is how God makes a distinction between the righteous and the unrighteous. None of you are righteous by yourself, but you are made righteous by faith. “They shall be mine, says the LORD of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him” (Malachi 3:17). God spares us as a man spares his son who serves him by NOT sparing his own Son. He did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all (Romans 8:32a). From the cross Jesus has won the victory, from the cross it is finished, from the cross the promises are kept, from the cross you are reconciled to God by the blood of Jesus. From the cross, the Holy Absolution is spoken, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34).

It has been nearly 2,000 years since the risen Christ ascended into heaven. It may not look like it, but “[God] has delivered [you] from the dominion of darkness and transferred [you] to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-20). It may not look like it, but who cares what it looks like? We live by faith, and not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7). And so we wait for the Lord Christ to return in glory to judge both the living and the dead… to judge you. And in the judgement, be still and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10). Call upon Jesus in the day of trouble, and He will deliver you (Psalm 50:15). “This is how God wants to become known and worshipped, namely, that we receive blessings from him, and indeed, that we receive them on account of his mercy and not on account of our merits” (Apology of the Augsburg Confession, Article IV, paragraph 60). We have been reconciled to God by the blood of Jesus on the cross. Rest in that.

In the Name of Jesus. Amen.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Remember that really big mistake that you made all those years ago? That foolish thing you said, that faithless thing you did? Just the thought of it sinks your heart down into your stomach for shame. What is left in the wake of your foolishness? – anger and broken relationships. Now you think it’s best to just forget about it. Live your life, move on, let bygones be bygones. If only back then you had the wisdom and maturity that you have now.. things would have gone so much differently... you today would have done things very differently than you back then.. And everybody would understand that, right? You can’t take it back, as much as you’d like to, and you can’t change what you’ve done… maybe you can forget about it and just go on with your life. But now, you’ve just been told that the one person who knows best what you’ve done is on his way right now to meet with you. What does he want? What does he have to say to you? Is he angry? Can you possibly be forgiven? Our Old Testament lesson today is about one such man as you, Jacob.

Jacob is coming out of the land of Haran and he’s stopped at the Jabbok River, a tributary of the Jordan. He has just learned that his brother, Esau, is coming to meet him with 400 men. Jacob is greatly afraid and distressed. He’s greatly afraid and distressed because he last saw his brother, Esau, moments after stealing Esau’s blessing from their father, Isaac – a blessing of grain and wine, of strength and leadership, the very blessing from God passed down from Abraham to Isaac… the blessing that Isaac intended for his firstborn son, Esau. Jacob tricks his father, Isaac, into blessing him instead, and Esau is left to receive a much inferior blessing, listen to it: “Behold, away from the fatness of the earth shall your dwelling be, and away from the dew of heaven on high. By your sword you shall live, and you shall serve your brother; but when you grow restless you shall break his yoke from your neck” (Genesis 27:39b-40). This is a blessing nearly opposite to the blessing that Jacob had received. It sounds more like a curse than a blessing. Jacob and Esau’s relationship was always characterized by struggle, right from the beginning when they shared a womb, but this was the breaking point. Esau swears, “I will kill my brother Jacob” (Genesis 27:41b). Esau’s vow to kill his brother Jacob are the last words Scripture records Esau speaking up to this point. Jacob flees in fear of his brother’s wrath to his mother’s hometown of Haran. He doesn’t return until 20 years later, and now he is going to come face-to-face with his past… face-to-face with his brother and his brother’s army of 400 men.

“Greatly afraid and distressed” (Genesis 32:7). This is how the Holy Spirit describes Jacob in this moment, greatly afraid and distressed. All those years ago he crossed the river with nothing but his staff, and now, he prepares to cross back over with many servants, oxen, donkeys, flocks… with his two wives and his eleven sons. Jacob looks over his many blessings and considers the cost he will have to pay. What of all this that the Lord has given to him, will the Lord see fit to take away? He splits his belongings into two camps. “If Esau comes to attack the one camp,” he thinks, “then the other camp can escape” (Genesis 32:8). Jacob is distressed… and greatly afraid.

Fear and distress! If you can believe it, this is the beginning of the most precious gift that God gives to Jacob. This is the blessed contrition that precedes justification. This is a gift from the Holy Spirit. Jacob prays, “O God of my father Abraham and God of my father Isaac, [...] I am not worthy of the least of all the deeds of steadfast love and all the faithfulness that you have shown to your servant. [...] Please deliver me from the hand of my brother, from the hand of Esau, for I fear him, that he may come and attack me, the mothers with the children. But you said, ‘I will surely do you good, and make your offspring as the sand of the sea, which cannot be numbered for multitude’” (Genesis 32:9-12). What has happened here? The man who once thought himself worthy enough of his father’s blessing to steal it from his brother, now considers himself unworthy of even the least of all the things that God has done for him. And yet, he still seeks good from God. Why? Because God has promised to do good to him… to be gracious and merciful to Jacob, a sinner. This is the gift of repentance and faith. When you look at your own works, by faith you see only what it is that got you into the mess that you’re in. When you pray for the Lord to forgive and deliver you, you know that “[you] are neither worthy of the things for which [you] pray, nor have [you] deserved them, but [you] ask [your Father in heaven] that He would give them all to [you] by grace, for [you] daily sin much and surely deserve nothing but punishment” (Luther’s Small Catechism, Lord’s Prayer, Explanation Fifth Petition).

What else can Jacob do? Jacob arranges for gifts of animals to be sent to his brother, Esau. Goats, and rams, and camels, and cows, and donkeys. Jacob thinks, “I may appease [Esau] with the present that goes ahead of me, and afterward I shall see his face. Perhaps he will accept me” (Genesis 32:20b). Like Jacob, you can fall into the temptation of trying to make satisfaction for your sins. To try to appease the Lord you arrange for offerings to go ahead of you: your prayer and devotion… your money and your service. What need does the mighty hunter, Esau, commander of the Edomite army, have for Jacob’s train of animals? And what need does the Almighty God, the Ancient of Days and King of the Universe, have for all your works and all your effort? What can you possibly do to appease the wrath of God?

Before Jacob sees the face of Esau, he meets Another face-to-face, and here is where our Old Testament reading begins. Jacob sends his family across the ford of the Jabbok River and stands alone, separated from all that he has. Left alone, distressed and greatly afraid, this is where Jacob is encountered by the preincarnate Christ. Jacob will later say of this encounter, “I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered” (Genesis 32:30b). The text reads, “And Jacob was left alone. And a man wrestled with him until the breaking of the day” (Genesis 32:24). Jacob wrestles with our Lord until the next morning. Our Lord puts Jacob’s hip socket out of joint, but Jacob doesn’t let go. Jacob is convicted of his sins… he knows he is unworthy, and yet he has been given the faith that looks only to the Word and Promise of God for salvation. Jacob says to our Lord, “I will not let you go unless you bless me” (Genesis 32:26b). And then, like his father’s father, Abraham, the Lord blesses Jacob with a new name.

You know the name…, “Israel.” It comes from the Hebrew roots SARAH: to contend, strive, or persist… and EL: God. God gives this name to Jacob to commemorate his striving with Him there on the banks of the Jabbok river, but also to mark Jacob as one who has graciously been given the privilege to wrestle with God, to fervently seek – and receive – forgiveness and blessing from the Lord.

By inspiration of the Holy Spirit, the name “Israel” will be uttered by the prophets, the psalmists, the evangelists, and the apostles over 2,500 times. The name that was initially given to one man, Jacob, will eventually refer to his children, then to a nation of his offspring, and in the fullness of time the promise and blessing given to Israel is fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ. Now, through the one man, Jesus Christ, Israel – as you know it – has come to refer to Christ’s Church… to all believers… to you. Paul writes to the Romans: “[N]ot all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring [...] it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring” (Romans 9:6-8). And to the Corinthians: “For all the promises of God find their Yes in [Jesus Christ]” (2 Corinthians 1:20).

The next morning, as Jacob limped along, he saw Esau coming, his 400 men with him. “Esau ran to meet [Jacob] and embraced him and fell on his neck and kissed him, and they wept” (Genesis 33:4). Jacob discovered that Esau had no need for his gifts; he and his men were not set on battle. Instead, they were a convoy of grace and mercy and peace.

So, what can you possibly do to appease the wrath of God? What can you do to avoid his righteous punishment? One day you will stand before the Lord Christ, the Almighty and Righteous Judge, He is the one who knows best all that you have done in thought, and word, and deed. And on that day you will see that He does not condemn you. On that day you will see that the devil is a liar. All your foolish and faithless deeds have been forgiven long ago. Christ, with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, has purchased and won you from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil. You were baptized. You were sealed with the name of the Triune God and all of your sins are washed away. Repent and believe the Gospel, you are the Israel of God, “[a]nd he [has] redeem[ed] Israel from all his iniquities” (Psalm 130:8). “Peace be upon Israel” (Psalm 125:5b).

In the Name of Jesus. Amen.