+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: John 14:3
Theme: At Home With The Shepherd
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Jean Hentschke has received the crown of everlasting life. The weight of her mortality has been lifted. She has been released from all the consequences of sin. That means she has no anxieties or cares. Nothing troubles her at all. She is at peace. Most importantly, her soul is in the unmediated presence of the holy God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. She is in the company of saints and angels. She is with her Shepherd. She dwells in His house forever. Thanks be to God for His immeasurable love!
Jean and Glen had Psalm 23 as their wedding Scripture. It begins, “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.”1 Jean correctly understood that to mean that the Lord was her shepherd in prosperity and in adversity. She had a close relationship with her Saviour. She was not a fair-weather follower, nor did she know Him to be a half-hearted Lord. Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. I know My own and My own know Me.”2 And that’s how it was with Jean.
We are gathered here now with the opportunity to hear God’s powerful Word and reflect on what mortality means. We have opportunity to pause and consider that life is fragile. It is fleeting. Nothing is guaranteed in this temporal sphere. We have no entitlements. In a list of topics people are most likely to avoid, mortality ranks right at the top. It’s not a mystery why. We naturally shun things that are particularly fearful or distasteful. And what is more distasteful than death? What threat is greater. We don’t like to be reminded of our limitations.
So, a Christian funeral is an occasion for grieving, for giving thanks for blessings shared with the departed loved one, and for self-reflection. God calls us from our selfish, sinful ways. He calls us from our obsession and preoccupation with fleeting things. He calls us from our attitudes of indifference and arrogance towards others. He calls us from doubt and scepticism. He calls us to repentance. And it’s only in the humility repentance brings that we can see things from a different perspective, with the Spirit-given eyes of faith. We can see that every day is a gift.
Jean was a genuine gift. She was a genuine person. She was a straight shooter. She didn’t try to keep up appearances. She could be forthright, but she was respectful. She wasn’t fickle, and you usually knew where she stood on disputable matters. She was familiar with the rigours of farming in the Mallee. She suffered the grief of losing a child and her husband, but she pressed on, grateful for the Lord’s blessings. She honoured a Sunday as a day to be in the Lord’s house, not allowing other activities to take pride of place. The rhythm of her week was set by the order of God’s love. Jean was devoted member of the St. Peter’s Ladies’ guild and supported it passionately. In these things she was well-grounded, and they were expressions of her faith. Family was important to her and she was always concerned for everyone’s well-being.
Jean was person who appreciated the gospel and what it really meant. Death is the arch enemy, over which, we have no power. It takes no prisoners and plays no favourites. You can’t negotiate with it. You can’t outwit it. That’s why the Scripture says, “The last enemy to be destroyed is death.”3 How is this done? Jesus said, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.”4 Christ came down to live in the trenches. He immersed Himself in all the fragility of people’s lives. Their muck, their filth, and their dirt stuck to Him. He carried it all the way to the cross. The Bible says, “For our sake He made Him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”5 Christ became the greatest sinner for us! The profundity of that truth is right at the heart of the gospel. Jesus suffered so that we might be spared.
Dear friends, there are no shortcuts to heaven. Jean knew this. You can’t forge your own path to get there. You can’t choose your own means of transport. That is, you can’t be carried to heaven in a vehicle called piety. You can’t ride the bus of popularity. You can’t be chauffeured in by your charm or generosity. There is no taxi for those who are more honest, upright, and righteous than others. You cannot buy your way in, bribe anyone or trick God. Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”6 People are saved by grace, trusting in God’s mercy for Jesus’ sake or they are not saved at all. Jesus took our place on the cross. He died the death that we deserved. He paid the price of our debt of sin. He freed us from just condemnation. He bore Satan’s accusations so that we could be acquitted. Death could not hold Him and now He lives eternally and will one day come again in glory.
Grieving is probably a little easier when we feel the person has reached a certain age. But, it’s a loss nonetheless. Nothing fully prepares you for it. When we lose a loved one we lose a little piece of ourselves, a piece of our lives. Still, when a believer dies, we can confidently rejoice. The Scripture says that the angels in heaven rejoice over one sinner who repents, how much more so when they are received into eternal glory! That truth is what lifts our hearts even in the midst of sorrow. The Holy Spirit leads us through the temporary fog of grief to the bright, clear, and certain permanence of the resurrection. How brief is the struggle and long is the bliss!
The Lord was Jean’s Shepherd. He protected her. He provided for her. He comforted her. His promise to her in baptism has come to fulfillment. His words have come true for her. “I will never leave you or forsake you.”7 And again, “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.”8 And again, “I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.”9 Jean Hentschke was called home for Christmas and we raise our Hallelujahs because she is with her Lord. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Christian Burial of Jean Hentschke
4 January 2018
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Psalm 23:1 2 John 10:14
3 1 Corinthians 15:26 4 John 10:11
5 2 Corinthians 5:21 6 John 14:6
7 Hebrews 13:5 8 John 10:27-28
9 John 14:3
Thursday, January 4, 2018
Tuesday, January 2, 2018
New Year's Eve 2017
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: 1 Peter 1:23
Theme: Life in the Living Word
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”1 That Scripture intends to give us enduring comfort in an environment of change. Another calendar year has passed. It has been filled with joys and griefs, achievements and failures, realised hopes and shattered dreams. To some, it’s a year to be forgotten. Good riddance! To others it was a year to be cherished- something to be savoured for a long time. For some, important milestones were accomplished. For others, the year may seem to have cruised by without anything too noteworthy happening. Such lack of excitement may be just what the doctor ordered!
The end of a calendar year is a good opportunity to take stock. It’s beneficial to reflect on the passage of time and try to wrap our minds around what it means for our individual and communal existence. With each passing year there is a cumulative collection of experiences to assess. Grieving is part of stocktaking, but so is giving thanks. The Scriptures call us beyond a parochial view of our lives and the world. We’re not to look only at our personal prosperity or adversity. A biblical worldview sees the presence of the living Christ in a dying world at the heart of all things.
So, how do we understand this fleeting time we have on earth and the role we have? The Holy Spirit gives us some clarity through the apostle’s words this evening, “You have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, ‘All men are like grass, and their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.’”2 He calls us to repentance, reminding us we are sinners, reminding us we are mortal. In contrast, God’s truth, and those saved by it, will endure.
There is a call to earnestness throughout the Scriptures. Paul writes, “You know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.”3 And John says, “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.”4 We should not assume that Christ’s Second Coming is a long way off, or that we’ll live to a ripe old age either.
Consider briefly what a relative reality human lifespan is. Noah’s Father Lamech was 182 years old when Noah was born5. Noah was 600 years old when the flood came6. That cataclysmic event radically diminished human lifespans. Still, Moses was 80 years old when he led the Israelites out of Egypt7. In contrast, some human lives never escape their mother’s wombs. And yet, because with the Lord a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years as a day8, each life is exactly as valuable to Him as the value of the life of His only-begotten Son.
Knowing this, Peter said earlier in his letter, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.”9 And what is this inheritance that is kept in heaven for us? It is life in abundance. It is the life we already have through the gospel. We receive it in the promise of forgiveness. We receive it in the body and blood of Christ in the Lord’s Supper. When we receive these gifts, time becomes irrelevant because we are at the threshold of eternity.
Above all, the good news of the crucified and risen Jesus is what we prize as we move into a new year. We can never understand it too well or prize it too highly. The world, even those who are well-meaning, always have a different message, a different “gospel”. The true gospel, the Christmas gospel, the Easter gospel, the good news of Immanuel, God-with-us is NOT located in human effort to be more kind, tolerant, and loving. The gospel is not human obedience or piety. The gospel is not human striving against selfishness and greed. The gospel IS Christ for us, on our behalf, and in our place. The gospel is Christ among us as Absolver, as Defender, as Comforter. The gospel is the declaration of righteousness to sinners for the sake of Jesus’ sacrifice. The gospel is the announcement of freedom from divine condemnation. The gospel is thoroughly and unequivocally God’s activity through Christ and in Christ. Of course, transformed and renewed human hearts and lives are fruits of the gospel. They are evidences of the Spirit’s work.
Dear friends, we are fellow heirs with Christ. That is a spectacularly amazing reality. It wouldn’t matter if we ended the year without a single material possession, without any real prospects of prosperity, without any hope of keeping up with the Joneses, every believer is still rich in the only way that matters. The newly baptized infant benefits from the inheritance in the same way as the mature believer. When our mortality is fully realised only one possession matters, it is the possession of being possessed, as the Scripture says “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.”10 Come what may in 2018, you are still His baptized. Satan cannot take that away from you. He can throw a tantrum or a fit. He can devise a deception or plan an insurgency, and he most certainly will try, but he cannot take by force or trickery what the believer possesses by divine right.
New Year is also a good opportunity to reflect on our callings. We all have vocations. These vocations are gifts from God. We are husbands, wives, parents, children, grandparents, and siblings. We are employers, employees, students, and retirees. We serve in our communities in various capacities. It is a privilege to serve God in these ways. We are living stones in God’s temple.
How will 2017 go down in history? And what about in the bigger picture? Will historians be kind in their descriptions of life in the era in which we now live? What distinguishing descriptives will be used? Will we be described as shallow, spoiled, or erudite? Will we be known as fighters, quitters, or peacemakers? Will we be credited as innovators, or scorned as arrogant? Will the achievements of our age pale in comparison to other eras? And what about the spiritual state of affairs? Statistical analysis will tell one story, anecdotal evidence another.
In just a few hours we will step forward into a new year. (Well, some of us may be lying flat on our beds!) What will The Year of our Lord 2018 hold for us? We don’t know. Possibilities, fears, and excitements all lie before us. But we step forward bathed in Easter’s glow. It is humbling to think that all of our glory perishes like mown grass in the summer sun. But how magnificent to know that in the resurrection we will experience a glory that we can’t even now imagine! Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
New Year’s Eve
31 December 2017
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Hebrews 13:8 2 1 Peter 1:23-25
3 Romans 13:11-12 4 Revelation 1:3
5 See Genesis 5:28 6 See Genesis 7:6
7 See Exodus 7:7 8 See 2 Peer 3:8
9 1 Peter 1:3-4 10 1 Corinthians 13:12
Text: 1 Peter 1:23
Theme: Life in the Living Word
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”1 That Scripture intends to give us enduring comfort in an environment of change. Another calendar year has passed. It has been filled with joys and griefs, achievements and failures, realised hopes and shattered dreams. To some, it’s a year to be forgotten. Good riddance! To others it was a year to be cherished- something to be savoured for a long time. For some, important milestones were accomplished. For others, the year may seem to have cruised by without anything too noteworthy happening. Such lack of excitement may be just what the doctor ordered!
The end of a calendar year is a good opportunity to take stock. It’s beneficial to reflect on the passage of time and try to wrap our minds around what it means for our individual and communal existence. With each passing year there is a cumulative collection of experiences to assess. Grieving is part of stocktaking, but so is giving thanks. The Scriptures call us beyond a parochial view of our lives and the world. We’re not to look only at our personal prosperity or adversity. A biblical worldview sees the presence of the living Christ in a dying world at the heart of all things.
So, how do we understand this fleeting time we have on earth and the role we have? The Holy Spirit gives us some clarity through the apostle’s words this evening, “You have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God. For, ‘All men are like grass, and their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord stands forever.’”2 He calls us to repentance, reminding us we are sinners, reminding us we are mortal. In contrast, God’s truth, and those saved by it, will endure.
There is a call to earnestness throughout the Scriptures. Paul writes, “You know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light.”3 And John says, “Blessed is the one who reads aloud the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear, and who keep what is written in it, for the time is near.”4 We should not assume that Christ’s Second Coming is a long way off, or that we’ll live to a ripe old age either.
Consider briefly what a relative reality human lifespan is. Noah’s Father Lamech was 182 years old when Noah was born5. Noah was 600 years old when the flood came6. That cataclysmic event radically diminished human lifespans. Still, Moses was 80 years old when he led the Israelites out of Egypt7. In contrast, some human lives never escape their mother’s wombs. And yet, because with the Lord a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years as a day8, each life is exactly as valuable to Him as the value of the life of His only-begotten Son.
Knowing this, Peter said earlier in his letter, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you.”9 And what is this inheritance that is kept in heaven for us? It is life in abundance. It is the life we already have through the gospel. We receive it in the promise of forgiveness. We receive it in the body and blood of Christ in the Lord’s Supper. When we receive these gifts, time becomes irrelevant because we are at the threshold of eternity.
Above all, the good news of the crucified and risen Jesus is what we prize as we move into a new year. We can never understand it too well or prize it too highly. The world, even those who are well-meaning, always have a different message, a different “gospel”. The true gospel, the Christmas gospel, the Easter gospel, the good news of Immanuel, God-with-us is NOT located in human effort to be more kind, tolerant, and loving. The gospel is not human obedience or piety. The gospel is not human striving against selfishness and greed. The gospel IS Christ for us, on our behalf, and in our place. The gospel is Christ among us as Absolver, as Defender, as Comforter. The gospel is the declaration of righteousness to sinners for the sake of Jesus’ sacrifice. The gospel is the announcement of freedom from divine condemnation. The gospel is thoroughly and unequivocally God’s activity through Christ and in Christ. Of course, transformed and renewed human hearts and lives are fruits of the gospel. They are evidences of the Spirit’s work.
Dear friends, we are fellow heirs with Christ. That is a spectacularly amazing reality. It wouldn’t matter if we ended the year without a single material possession, without any real prospects of prosperity, without any hope of keeping up with the Joneses, every believer is still rich in the only way that matters. The newly baptized infant benefits from the inheritance in the same way as the mature believer. When our mortality is fully realised only one possession matters, it is the possession of being possessed, as the Scripture says “For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.”10 Come what may in 2018, you are still His baptized. Satan cannot take that away from you. He can throw a tantrum or a fit. He can devise a deception or plan an insurgency, and he most certainly will try, but he cannot take by force or trickery what the believer possesses by divine right.
New Year is also a good opportunity to reflect on our callings. We all have vocations. These vocations are gifts from God. We are husbands, wives, parents, children, grandparents, and siblings. We are employers, employees, students, and retirees. We serve in our communities in various capacities. It is a privilege to serve God in these ways. We are living stones in God’s temple.
How will 2017 go down in history? And what about in the bigger picture? Will historians be kind in their descriptions of life in the era in which we now live? What distinguishing descriptives will be used? Will we be described as shallow, spoiled, or erudite? Will we be known as fighters, quitters, or peacemakers? Will we be credited as innovators, or scorned as arrogant? Will the achievements of our age pale in comparison to other eras? And what about the spiritual state of affairs? Statistical analysis will tell one story, anecdotal evidence another.
In just a few hours we will step forward into a new year. (Well, some of us may be lying flat on our beds!) What will The Year of our Lord 2018 hold for us? We don’t know. Possibilities, fears, and excitements all lie before us. But we step forward bathed in Easter’s glow. It is humbling to think that all of our glory perishes like mown grass in the summer sun. But how magnificent to know that in the resurrection we will experience a glory that we can’t even now imagine! Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
New Year’s Eve
31 December 2017
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Hebrews 13:8 2 1 Peter 1:23-25
3 Romans 13:11-12 4 Revelation 1:3
5 See Genesis 5:28 6 See Genesis 7:6
7 See Exodus 7:7 8 See 2 Peer 3:8
9 1 Peter 1:3-4 10 1 Corinthians 13:12
Sunday, December 31, 2017
First Sunday After Christmas (B) 2017
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Luke 2:29
Theme: “Released In Peace
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The certainty of God’s love is never in doubt. It cannot, however, be verified by human measurements. Often it may seem that God has turned away or is inept. Only the eyes of faith see Him during times of adversity. Even Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem can appear pretty unimpressive in spite of the sentimental applause it garners. But remember, Jesus’ identity is underpinned by countless miracles, and finally resurrection from death. Christ brings the great reversal of the spiral into sin and death. His presence brings light, and joy, and peace.
Today the Christmas story progresses. Mary and Joseph were faithful Jews. They took the baby Jesus to the temple according to the custom. He was received there by Simeon and Anna. They had long awaited the fulfillment of the promise. The world has now come to expect the advent of the next big thing; a ground-breaking technology or a life-changing innovation. New medical breakthroughs, new fashions, new entertainments, and on and on it goes. But the next big thing has already arrived and nothing bigger will ever come. Simeon and Anna understood this. Faithful servants, they were blessed to see Jesus, the Suffering Servant.
From the Spirit-inspired lips of Simeon we have a liturgical song of praise that has long held a prominent place in the church’s liturgy. The “Song of Simeon”, or, in the Latin, the “Nunc Dimittis”, is the believer’s response to having received the same divine blessings that Simeon and Anna enjoyed. Sung, after communion in the Divine Service, it expresses thanksgiving for having received Holy Communion, which carries the fulfilled promise of the coming Jesus. The emphasis is on peace. “LORD, NOW let your servant depart in peace according to Your word. For my eyes have seen Your salvation…”1
As in baptism and absolution, we receive the fulness of God’s love in Christ. You see, Christ is not present with us in a piecemeal fashion. We don’t get little bits of Jesus here and there, sometimes getting forgiveness, other times getting hope, and still other times strength. Yes, as mortals, we can only receive in finite measure. We have limited capacities. But God is not limited and it’s a great encouragement for us to understand that. The entire Christ, God and man, with all His gifts and all His blessings, the infant of Bethlehem and the Creator of the universe, the One who died and the One who lives is present with us according to His promise.
Now, to be sure, He attends to us according to our needs and our capacity to receive. Otherwise we would be overwhelmed by His majesty. To one He gives hope, to another, strength against temptation. The person racked by doubt seeks fortification of his faith. The person burdened with regret seeks relief from her guilt. Those living in fear need the certainty of divine protection. The living Christ grants all these according to the need. And, God always speaks to us according to our eternal need. This is so because God is always true to Himself. God does not see myopically, think short-sightedly, or fail to consider all the necessary parameters. He suffers no ignorance so there are no variables He needs to consider. He knows all things, and most relevantly, He knows we are sinners.
Because we are sinners He must speak to us His word of rebuke as well as His word of grace. The smug, idolatrous heart has no desire for a Saviour. Therefore, the law of God speaks not only to our reason, our intellects and wills; it speaks to our hearts. It’s an important concept. Consider how the Lutheran Confessions correct the common falsehood that we can be saved by our good efforts. “Here the scholastics, having followed the philosophers, teach only a righteousness of reason, namely, civil works, and fabricate besides that without the Holy Ghost reason can love God above all things. For, as long as the human mind is at ease, and does not feel the wrath or judgment of God, it can imagine that it wishes to love God, that it wishes to do good for God's sake. [But it is sheer hypocrisy.]”2
You see, the word of the law cannot woo the heart, it cannot transform it, because the law does not forgive, it does not show grace It cannot. No one can know the favour of God through the strength of the law. No one can be assured, therefore, of God’s acceptance of them based on their obedience. Trying harder or giving more effort, striving to be more pious or generous...it’s like trying to steer the Titanic away from other icebergs when it is already sinking.
Remember, the purpose of the law is to drive us to repentance but never to despair. The Scriptures are full of examples. Two will suffice. “The LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" He said, "I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?" And the LORD said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground”3 “When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth." Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me." “Then the LORD said to him, "Not so! If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold." And the LORD put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him.”4 Cain’s mark was a warning to others and it helped to protect him.
Or consider the case of David, the adulterer. Nathan said to David, the self-righteous King, “You are the man!”5 And through these words the Holy Spirit did not commend him; the Spirit convicted him. Yet, it was not to drive him to despair. Soon the word of absolution came, “You shall not die.”6 So we see with what precision the Holy Spirit works, like a master surgeon. It is the same way with us. He seeks to purge us of our hypocrisy, idolatry, and unbelief, but always with the purpose of restoring us.
The law is not the final word of God. Of course, if in arrogance and unbelief, people reject the work of the Holy Spirit, they will be left under the condemnation of the law. He who lives by the sword dies by the sword. But the Scripture says, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.”7 And today, “God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law…”8 When the nails were being driven into the cross there was an echo ringing through the halls of hell. Satan knew he was finished. The plan of salvation could not be derailed. The light of Easter was waiting to burst through.
Christmas is the fulfillment of centuries of expectation. In a manger the immortal God took to His possession a fragile human body. In so doing, He made possible the redemption our bodies condemned to die. The body of Jesus was never relinquished. He possesses it now in eternal majesty. It is the same body conceived in Mary’s womb, crucified under Pontius Pilate, laid in a tomb, and raised in glory. His bodily resurrection is a preview of our resurrection from the grave. The great day of the resurrection will be our full experience of Christmas. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
First Sunday After Christmas
31 December 2017
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 LH, p.20 2 Book of Concord
3 Genesis 4:9-10 4 Genesis 4:12-15
5 2 Samuel 12:7 6 2 Samuel 12:13
7 Romans 8:1-2 8 Galatians 4:4-5
9 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
Text: Luke 2:29
Theme: “Released In Peace
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The certainty of God’s love is never in doubt. It cannot, however, be verified by human measurements. Often it may seem that God has turned away or is inept. Only the eyes of faith see Him during times of adversity. Even Jesus’ birth in Bethlehem can appear pretty unimpressive in spite of the sentimental applause it garners. But remember, Jesus’ identity is underpinned by countless miracles, and finally resurrection from death. Christ brings the great reversal of the spiral into sin and death. His presence brings light, and joy, and peace.
Today the Christmas story progresses. Mary and Joseph were faithful Jews. They took the baby Jesus to the temple according to the custom. He was received there by Simeon and Anna. They had long awaited the fulfillment of the promise. The world has now come to expect the advent of the next big thing; a ground-breaking technology or a life-changing innovation. New medical breakthroughs, new fashions, new entertainments, and on and on it goes. But the next big thing has already arrived and nothing bigger will ever come. Simeon and Anna understood this. Faithful servants, they were blessed to see Jesus, the Suffering Servant.
From the Spirit-inspired lips of Simeon we have a liturgical song of praise that has long held a prominent place in the church’s liturgy. The “Song of Simeon”, or, in the Latin, the “Nunc Dimittis”, is the believer’s response to having received the same divine blessings that Simeon and Anna enjoyed. Sung, after communion in the Divine Service, it expresses thanksgiving for having received Holy Communion, which carries the fulfilled promise of the coming Jesus. The emphasis is on peace. “LORD, NOW let your servant depart in peace according to Your word. For my eyes have seen Your salvation…”1
As in baptism and absolution, we receive the fulness of God’s love in Christ. You see, Christ is not present with us in a piecemeal fashion. We don’t get little bits of Jesus here and there, sometimes getting forgiveness, other times getting hope, and still other times strength. Yes, as mortals, we can only receive in finite measure. We have limited capacities. But God is not limited and it’s a great encouragement for us to understand that. The entire Christ, God and man, with all His gifts and all His blessings, the infant of Bethlehem and the Creator of the universe, the One who died and the One who lives is present with us according to His promise.
Now, to be sure, He attends to us according to our needs and our capacity to receive. Otherwise we would be overwhelmed by His majesty. To one He gives hope, to another, strength against temptation. The person racked by doubt seeks fortification of his faith. The person burdened with regret seeks relief from her guilt. Those living in fear need the certainty of divine protection. The living Christ grants all these according to the need. And, God always speaks to us according to our eternal need. This is so because God is always true to Himself. God does not see myopically, think short-sightedly, or fail to consider all the necessary parameters. He suffers no ignorance so there are no variables He needs to consider. He knows all things, and most relevantly, He knows we are sinners.
Because we are sinners He must speak to us His word of rebuke as well as His word of grace. The smug, idolatrous heart has no desire for a Saviour. Therefore, the law of God speaks not only to our reason, our intellects and wills; it speaks to our hearts. It’s an important concept. Consider how the Lutheran Confessions correct the common falsehood that we can be saved by our good efforts. “Here the scholastics, having followed the philosophers, teach only a righteousness of reason, namely, civil works, and fabricate besides that without the Holy Ghost reason can love God above all things. For, as long as the human mind is at ease, and does not feel the wrath or judgment of God, it can imagine that it wishes to love God, that it wishes to do good for God's sake. [But it is sheer hypocrisy.]”2
You see, the word of the law cannot woo the heart, it cannot transform it, because the law does not forgive, it does not show grace It cannot. No one can know the favour of God through the strength of the law. No one can be assured, therefore, of God’s acceptance of them based on their obedience. Trying harder or giving more effort, striving to be more pious or generous...it’s like trying to steer the Titanic away from other icebergs when it is already sinking.
Remember, the purpose of the law is to drive us to repentance but never to despair. The Scriptures are full of examples. Two will suffice. “The LORD said to Cain, "Where is Abel your brother?" He said, "I do not know; am I my brother's keeper?" And the LORD said, "What have you done? The voice of your brother's blood is crying to me from the ground”3 “When you work the ground, it shall no longer yield to you its strength. You shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth." Cain said to the LORD, "My punishment is greater than I can bear. Behold, you have driven me today away from the ground, and from your face I shall be hidden. I shall be a fugitive and a wanderer on the earth, and whoever finds me will kill me." “Then the LORD said to him, "Not so! If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold." And the LORD put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him.”4 Cain’s mark was a warning to others and it helped to protect him.
Or consider the case of David, the adulterer. Nathan said to David, the self-righteous King, “You are the man!”5 And through these words the Holy Spirit did not commend him; the Spirit convicted him. Yet, it was not to drive him to despair. Soon the word of absolution came, “You shall not die.”6 So we see with what precision the Holy Spirit works, like a master surgeon. It is the same way with us. He seeks to purge us of our hypocrisy, idolatry, and unbelief, but always with the purpose of restoring us.
The law is not the final word of God. Of course, if in arrogance and unbelief, people reject the work of the Holy Spirit, they will be left under the condemnation of the law. He who lives by the sword dies by the sword. But the Scripture says, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.”7 And today, “God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law…”8 When the nails were being driven into the cross there was an echo ringing through the halls of hell. Satan knew he was finished. The plan of salvation could not be derailed. The light of Easter was waiting to burst through.
Christmas is the fulfillment of centuries of expectation. In a manger the immortal God took to His possession a fragile human body. In so doing, He made possible the redemption our bodies condemned to die. The body of Jesus was never relinquished. He possesses it now in eternal majesty. It is the same body conceived in Mary’s womb, crucified under Pontius Pilate, laid in a tomb, and raised in glory. His bodily resurrection is a preview of our resurrection from the grave. The great day of the resurrection will be our full experience of Christmas. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
First Sunday After Christmas
31 December 2017
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 LH, p.20 2 Book of Concord
3 Genesis 4:9-10 4 Genesis 4:12-15
5 2 Samuel 12:7 6 2 Samuel 12:13
7 Romans 8:1-2 8 Galatians 4:4-5
9 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
Tuesday, December 26, 2017
The Nativity of our Lord- Christmas Day 2017
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: John 1:4
Theme: The Word of Life
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
“Do not be afraid,” said the angel to the shepherds. It’s common to fear the unknown. People resist change because they fear things they have never experienced. “Better the devil you know,” says the common proverb. Even in a world in which we are trained to relish the newest, and the latest, and the greatest, the wisdom of experience teaches us to be wary. There are dangers. The Bible says, “Test everything. Hold on to the good.”1 Often the biggest changes bring both good and bad. Remember what fears there were when television was invented. Many said it was tool of the devil. Well, they were right. But it’s also been a very helpful technology- a gift from God. The same goes for the internet. Or, think of medical science and its benefits to humanity. But it also makes evils such as abortion and euthanasia much easier to carry out.
And, what about God Himself? What changed when Christ was born? Christmas is a mystery that is right at the heart of the Christian belief. In a manger God exists in the frame of an infant. That’s a lot to take in, like musing on the Trinity or trying to wrap your mind around eternity. Christianity is a monotheistic faith. There is one God, but He exists in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is the creator of time and He dwells outside of it. Heaven won’t be measured by the passing of time.
Now, here in the lap of Mary is the Lord of heaven and earth! Our nativity gospel says it this way, “The Word became flesh, and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”2 And Hebrews says, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word.”3
Christmas brought new life into a world of death. Each of us needs that new life breathed into us. “The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.”4 Christ is the new Adam. “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.”5 “In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.”6 The implication is that apart from Him there is death. Spiritually, all people are conceived dead and separated from God. There’s no life or goodness within us.
The Lutheran confessions say it like this, the “Scripture denies to the intellect, heart, and will of man every capacity, aptitude, skill, and ability to think anything good or right in spiritual matters, to understand them, to begin them, to will them, to undertake them, to do them, to accomplish or to cooperate in them as of himself.”7 It’s a damning assessment.
Now it may at first seem deflating to learn that we are completely spiritually inept, completely at the mercy of God. It certainly is a blow to the ego which always claims some goodness within our natural selves. But once we understand what Christ has done it is the most liberating thing in the world. We are freed from the intolerable burden of being “good enough” for God. It’s a deception of the devil to believe the way to godliness is to be just a little nicer than the next person. Much of the false philosophy of the Christmas season revolves around the assumption that during the “festive season” we are capable of being a little kinder, a little more generous, a little more thoughtful than we are during the rest of the year. Firstly, what does this say about our behavior during the rest of the year? Secondly, the assumption is patently false. Prodding an unwilling participant to be more righteous only makes them a hypocrite. “If we all just try a little harder the holiday season will be more pleasant for everyone,” is NOT the Christmas gospel. Jesus came to forgive sins, not to indulge our inadequacies.
How important is the incarnation? You cannot be saved apart from the flesh of the Son of God. You cannot be rescued from the peril of hell without the bodily sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and His physical resurrection from the dead. Your relationship with the heavenly Father, established by His promise to you in baptism, maintained by the presence of the Holy Spirit, is only possible because the Word became flesh. It is truly a divine activity. Therefore, the church, the worshipping assembly, is more akin to a craftsmen’s workshop or a hospital than a social club. We’re not here for polite social interaction, but as holy subjects of a mysterious, merciful, and magnificent God. We are, as saints and sinners simultaneously, welcomed right into the holy of holies.
In the conception in the womb of Mary, in the person of the baby Jesus, God and man are united. Here we have the basis and the parallel for the mystery of Christ’s presence in Holy Communion. A sacramental union takes place in which the bread and wine are united with the body and blood of Christ. The substances of bread and wine remain after the consecration, but Christ is then truly present in His body and blood for the forgiveness of sins. This is truly one of the great mysteries made possible by Jesus’ incarnation. Christmas is most tangible to Christians year-round in Holy Communion. In the Supper, Immanuel, God-with-us meets us and we partake of His divine blessings.
This Child was born for you. He lived for you. He died for you. He rose from death so that you might share in His life. There is absolutely nothing aloof about this Saviour born in Bethlehem. In a shelter for domesticated animals He becomes fully immersed in human vainglory and misery. The humble circumstances of His birth were an indicator of the excruciating manner of His death. At the manger the cross was already in view. He was born with a purpose. Satan tried with all his might to derail the plan. But his schemes were defeated. He rose again from the grave.
The mystery of God in human flesh, the mystery in the manger, the mystery about which the angels sang, the mystery of this Messiah who is, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace,”8 is not a mystery to be feared. At least, not in the common use of the word. Holy, reverential fear is, of course, very appropriate. The Creator of the universe came to redeem the human race.
There may be many things that cause you fear or anxiety. Perhaps it’s hard, even to prioritize them. Christmas may even be a disappointment; an occasion of unrealized hope in regard to a fractured relationship or a long-held burden. Our Immanuel does not overlook these struggles. The angel’s message is for us, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord.”9Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
The Nativity of our Lord
Christmas Day
25 December, 2017
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 1 Thessalonians 5:21 2 John 1:14 3 Hebrews 1:3
4 Genesis 2:7 5 2 Corinthians 5:17 6 John 1:4
7 FC SD 522:12 8Isaiah 9:6 9 Luke 2:10-11
Text: John 1:4
Theme: The Word of Life
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
“Do not be afraid,” said the angel to the shepherds. It’s common to fear the unknown. People resist change because they fear things they have never experienced. “Better the devil you know,” says the common proverb. Even in a world in which we are trained to relish the newest, and the latest, and the greatest, the wisdom of experience teaches us to be wary. There are dangers. The Bible says, “Test everything. Hold on to the good.”1 Often the biggest changes bring both good and bad. Remember what fears there were when television was invented. Many said it was tool of the devil. Well, they were right. But it’s also been a very helpful technology- a gift from God. The same goes for the internet. Or, think of medical science and its benefits to humanity. But it also makes evils such as abortion and euthanasia much easier to carry out.
And, what about God Himself? What changed when Christ was born? Christmas is a mystery that is right at the heart of the Christian belief. In a manger God exists in the frame of an infant. That’s a lot to take in, like musing on the Trinity or trying to wrap your mind around eternity. Christianity is a monotheistic faith. There is one God, but He exists in three persons, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. God is the creator of time and He dwells outside of it. Heaven won’t be measured by the passing of time.
Now, here in the lap of Mary is the Lord of heaven and earth! Our nativity gospel says it this way, “The Word became flesh, and made His dwelling among us. We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.”2 And Hebrews says, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being, sustaining all things by His powerful word.”3
Christmas brought new life into a world of death. Each of us needs that new life breathed into us. “The Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life.”4 Christ is the new Adam. “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.”5 “In Him was life, and that life was the light of men.”6 The implication is that apart from Him there is death. Spiritually, all people are conceived dead and separated from God. There’s no life or goodness within us.
The Lutheran confessions say it like this, the “Scripture denies to the intellect, heart, and will of man every capacity, aptitude, skill, and ability to think anything good or right in spiritual matters, to understand them, to begin them, to will them, to undertake them, to do them, to accomplish or to cooperate in them as of himself.”7 It’s a damning assessment.
Now it may at first seem deflating to learn that we are completely spiritually inept, completely at the mercy of God. It certainly is a blow to the ego which always claims some goodness within our natural selves. But once we understand what Christ has done it is the most liberating thing in the world. We are freed from the intolerable burden of being “good enough” for God. It’s a deception of the devil to believe the way to godliness is to be just a little nicer than the next person. Much of the false philosophy of the Christmas season revolves around the assumption that during the “festive season” we are capable of being a little kinder, a little more generous, a little more thoughtful than we are during the rest of the year. Firstly, what does this say about our behavior during the rest of the year? Secondly, the assumption is patently false. Prodding an unwilling participant to be more righteous only makes them a hypocrite. “If we all just try a little harder the holiday season will be more pleasant for everyone,” is NOT the Christmas gospel. Jesus came to forgive sins, not to indulge our inadequacies.
How important is the incarnation? You cannot be saved apart from the flesh of the Son of God. You cannot be rescued from the peril of hell without the bodily sacrifice of Jesus on the cross and His physical resurrection from the dead. Your relationship with the heavenly Father, established by His promise to you in baptism, maintained by the presence of the Holy Spirit, is only possible because the Word became flesh. It is truly a divine activity. Therefore, the church, the worshipping assembly, is more akin to a craftsmen’s workshop or a hospital than a social club. We’re not here for polite social interaction, but as holy subjects of a mysterious, merciful, and magnificent God. We are, as saints and sinners simultaneously, welcomed right into the holy of holies.
In the conception in the womb of Mary, in the person of the baby Jesus, God and man are united. Here we have the basis and the parallel for the mystery of Christ’s presence in Holy Communion. A sacramental union takes place in which the bread and wine are united with the body and blood of Christ. The substances of bread and wine remain after the consecration, but Christ is then truly present in His body and blood for the forgiveness of sins. This is truly one of the great mysteries made possible by Jesus’ incarnation. Christmas is most tangible to Christians year-round in Holy Communion. In the Supper, Immanuel, God-with-us meets us and we partake of His divine blessings.
This Child was born for you. He lived for you. He died for you. He rose from death so that you might share in His life. There is absolutely nothing aloof about this Saviour born in Bethlehem. In a shelter for domesticated animals He becomes fully immersed in human vainglory and misery. The humble circumstances of His birth were an indicator of the excruciating manner of His death. At the manger the cross was already in view. He was born with a purpose. Satan tried with all his might to derail the plan. But his schemes were defeated. He rose again from the grave.
The mystery of God in human flesh, the mystery in the manger, the mystery about which the angels sang, the mystery of this Messiah who is, Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace,”8 is not a mystery to be feared. At least, not in the common use of the word. Holy, reverential fear is, of course, very appropriate. The Creator of the universe came to redeem the human race.
There may be many things that cause you fear or anxiety. Perhaps it’s hard, even to prioritize them. Christmas may even be a disappointment; an occasion of unrealized hope in regard to a fractured relationship or a long-held burden. Our Immanuel does not overlook these struggles. The angel’s message is for us, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the town of David a Saviour has been born to you. He is Christ the Lord.”9Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
The Nativity of our Lord
Christmas Day
25 December, 2017
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 1 Thessalonians 5:21 2 John 1:14 3 Hebrews 1:3
4 Genesis 2:7 5 2 Corinthians 5:17 6 John 1:4
7 FC SD 522:12 8Isaiah 9:6 9 Luke 2:10-11
The Nativity of our Lord- Christmas Eve 2017
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Luke 2:10
Theme: A Saviour
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Christmas marks the beginning of God’s solidarity with humanity in the person of Jesus. It’s a relationship that has no ending. That’s the real reason for joy at Christmas. Angels, shepherds, a young mother, a stable, a humble birth comprise the circumstances of Jesus’ entrance into the world. The birth of Jesus Christ is timeless, unalterable history in a different way than other events of the past. The coming of the Son of God in human flesh was a breach of the dimensions of time and space. All history leads to and flows from the redemptive activities of Jesus Christ. The destiny of all things depends on Him. Yes, that’s a lot of responsibility to pin on a newborn, but it was the Father’s will to save the world in this way.
History cannot be changed. It can be re-written, reinterpreted, deconstructed, misrepresented. History can be praised, critiqued, exaggerated, or denied. None of these activities change the reality, of course, but they may change what people think or believe. Under contention today is the significance of Jesus’ coming and the meaning of what He did. From a historical perspective, Christianity today is in precipitous decline in the West. The reasons are many and complex. Some of the damage is self-inflicted. The Royal Commission highlights just one example. Many believers themselves don’t take the faith seriously. Efforts are being made in some circles to make Christianity more lighthearted in hopes of making it more appealing. The results are not very promising.
Despite all our modern advancements, technologies, and conveniences the world is not a very safe or happy place. We ignore the resilience of evil in our world to our own peril. Efforts to legitimize what God condemns only create false facades of security. We’re not free to define morality. We’re not authorized to define truth. Belief that we can do so is evidence of bondage, of spiritual darkness. If we are happy with our harmful behaviours, if we are content with our lies and deceptions, if we are not bothered by our sins of commission and omission, then a word of rebuke is the first gift we need this Christmas. And yes, repentance is a gift. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to convict us of our unrighteousness. Jesus did not come to give us a license to sin. He came to free us from the divine wrath so that we can truly serve others.
For some people Christmas is the most difficult time of the year. For some it is associated with grief. For others with brokenness. Still others, loneliness. Unfortunately, for many it’s just an excuse for reckless indulgence. Perhaps you feel like your life is not noteworthy, much like His humble birth. Maybe you feel like there’s no place for you in the world, in your community, or even your family…that’s there’s no room in the inn? The heavenly Father doesn’t make light of your struggles. He created you and He sent His Son to redeem you. The good news the angel announced is for you. A Savior is born this day.
History cannot be changed, but the future can be. God can change your life as quickly as He calmed the stormy sea. More often, it’s an extended process of renewing and reviving, molding and shaping. The Holy Spirit changes what people think or believe and the means He uses is the word of God. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he as crossed over from death to life.”1 The same Messiah who was born in a stable was nailed to a cross and rose again from the grave.
If God housed us only in a manger that would be enough. But He is a mighty fortress.
Just as Mary cradled her infant Son and attended to Him while nestled in a manger, so the strong, but gentle hands of God, the hands of Christ, cradle us and protect us in our vulnerabilities. We can choose to live in our darknesses and falsehoods, but that involves closing our eyes, our minds, and our hearts to the love and truth of God in Christ. There is no darkness so invincible that the light of the nativity cannot penetrate it. A light that has its source in a divine nature, a light that burst right through the crypt of death. From A to Z the ChristChild in the manger achieves everything necessary for our wellbeing in this life and in the life to come. Jesus said, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”2 This story begins in a stable, it continues in paradise. May the humble, historical Christ surround you with His love this Christmas and always. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
The Nativity of our Lord
Christmas Eve
24 December 2017
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 John 5:24 2 Revelation 22:13
Text: Luke 2:10
Theme: A Saviour
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Christmas marks the beginning of God’s solidarity with humanity in the person of Jesus. It’s a relationship that has no ending. That’s the real reason for joy at Christmas. Angels, shepherds, a young mother, a stable, a humble birth comprise the circumstances of Jesus’ entrance into the world. The birth of Jesus Christ is timeless, unalterable history in a different way than other events of the past. The coming of the Son of God in human flesh was a breach of the dimensions of time and space. All history leads to and flows from the redemptive activities of Jesus Christ. The destiny of all things depends on Him. Yes, that’s a lot of responsibility to pin on a newborn, but it was the Father’s will to save the world in this way.
History cannot be changed. It can be re-written, reinterpreted, deconstructed, misrepresented. History can be praised, critiqued, exaggerated, or denied. None of these activities change the reality, of course, but they may change what people think or believe. Under contention today is the significance of Jesus’ coming and the meaning of what He did. From a historical perspective, Christianity today is in precipitous decline in the West. The reasons are many and complex. Some of the damage is self-inflicted. The Royal Commission highlights just one example. Many believers themselves don’t take the faith seriously. Efforts are being made in some circles to make Christianity more lighthearted in hopes of making it more appealing. The results are not very promising.
Despite all our modern advancements, technologies, and conveniences the world is not a very safe or happy place. We ignore the resilience of evil in our world to our own peril. Efforts to legitimize what God condemns only create false facades of security. We’re not free to define morality. We’re not authorized to define truth. Belief that we can do so is evidence of bondage, of spiritual darkness. If we are happy with our harmful behaviours, if we are content with our lies and deceptions, if we are not bothered by our sins of commission and omission, then a word of rebuke is the first gift we need this Christmas. And yes, repentance is a gift. It is the work of the Holy Spirit to convict us of our unrighteousness. Jesus did not come to give us a license to sin. He came to free us from the divine wrath so that we can truly serve others.
For some people Christmas is the most difficult time of the year. For some it is associated with grief. For others with brokenness. Still others, loneliness. Unfortunately, for many it’s just an excuse for reckless indulgence. Perhaps you feel like your life is not noteworthy, much like His humble birth. Maybe you feel like there’s no place for you in the world, in your community, or even your family…that’s there’s no room in the inn? The heavenly Father doesn’t make light of your struggles. He created you and He sent His Son to redeem you. The good news the angel announced is for you. A Savior is born this day.
History cannot be changed, but the future can be. God can change your life as quickly as He calmed the stormy sea. More often, it’s an extended process of renewing and reviving, molding and shaping. The Holy Spirit changes what people think or believe and the means He uses is the word of God. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he as crossed over from death to life.”1 The same Messiah who was born in a stable was nailed to a cross and rose again from the grave.
If God housed us only in a manger that would be enough. But He is a mighty fortress.
Just as Mary cradled her infant Son and attended to Him while nestled in a manger, so the strong, but gentle hands of God, the hands of Christ, cradle us and protect us in our vulnerabilities. We can choose to live in our darknesses and falsehoods, but that involves closing our eyes, our minds, and our hearts to the love and truth of God in Christ. There is no darkness so invincible that the light of the nativity cannot penetrate it. A light that has its source in a divine nature, a light that burst right through the crypt of death. From A to Z the ChristChild in the manger achieves everything necessary for our wellbeing in this life and in the life to come. Jesus said, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”2 This story begins in a stable, it continues in paradise. May the humble, historical Christ surround you with His love this Christmas and always. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
The Nativity of our Lord
Christmas Eve
24 December 2017
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 John 5:24 2 Revelation 22:13
Fourth Sunday of Advent (B) 2017
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Luke 1:28
Theme: “The Lord Is With You”
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
When the angel Gabriel makes an appearance it’s a clear sign that something is brewing. The wheels were set in motion. The routine lives of some ordinary Jews were about to be radically altered. The Jewish nation was about to witness the fulfillment of the prophets’ words. The entire world was about have the divine plan of redemption disclosed to it. For the Jew, the covenant with Abraham was crescendoing to a beautiful climax. As the Spirit said, “He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to His offspring forever."1 For the Gentile, it was a preview of the future blessings extended to the entire human race. “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.”2
Was Mary happy when she first heard the news? We can’t pretend to understand the sense of perplexity mixed with hope that Mary must have felt when it was announced to her that she would be the mother of God. Joseph probably felt like he was the last to know. The angel told him in a dream, “She will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save his people from their sins."3 Wow! How could either one really come to terms with it? Like any normal couple, Mary and Joseph had probably talked about their future plans together. How radically that now changed!
Christmas is always advertised as a time for cheerfulness. But, fleeting, superficial indulgence is not the intent of this Christ Child. People are desperate for happiness. They will take all kinds of shortcuts and risks to find it. They will endanger the present. They will compromise the future. That’s not new news, of course. It is the perennial proclivity of the populous. “They” doesn’t mean anonymous or generic people. It means us. The Spirit never directs preachers to construct paper tigers. Nor is the word of God for academic amusement. Tools that bar the gates of hell and prize open the gates of heaven are not play things for children.
The Scriptures speak to us with all of our warts and failures. God doesn’t address us as ideal subjects able to attain perfection. He knows us too well. He knows the darkness doesn’t vanish from our lives just because it is Christmas. We fall into predictable cycles that sink us deeper into ourselves and pull us further away from God. Selfishness can lead to overindulgence. Overly indulgence can lead to addiction. Addiction can shatter relationships. We are all addicted to sin which is expressed in our desire to preference ourselves above others. If, in our vocations, we are pulling away from those we are called to serve, then we are also pulling away from God. We sin against God when we sin against others. We serve God when we serve others.
We when realise, that our greatest need is met, then we no longer have happiness, we have joy. We no longer just have satisfaction in the moment (God doesn’t begrudge this to us), we have complete contentment regarding eternity. We see things through a different lens, from a different perspective. In retrospect we realize angels have attended to us. We see how God has kept things in motion even when we have slammed on the brakes. We see how God has cushioned our fall when we have dived headlong into disaster. We are still tired of sin, but we have a quiet confidence that it cannot defeat us.
It doesn’t mean at all that we won’t have struggles, hardships, and frustrations. Christmas is not a magical tonic. It doesn’t mean we will be immune to doubt, depression, or disappointment. But it does mean that we learn to not overvalue fleeting things or undervalue spiritual things. “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole and yet forfeits his soul?” Therefore, do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear? But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”4
The name Jesus means Saviour. God doesn’t forsake the humanity He created. He doesn’t abandon those who turned against His will. Neither does He try to rectify the situation from a distance. Rather, He takes upon Himself our human nature. He unites with His fallen creation. “For in Him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.”5 This one man, Jesus Christ, and Him alone among men, is also the almighty God. He is power, wisdom, glory and strength. He is righteousness, holiness, and majesty. He is humility, gentleness, and compassion. The Christ Child in the manger is the victim of the cross and the conqueror of death. The Scripture says, “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil.”6
The annunciation is not merely historic information. It is an important witness to God’s valuing of life from the time of conception. Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit, a miracle. Still today, every conception is a miracle that requires the power of God. Christmas is a time to reflect on how God cherishes those who are most vulnerable, most fragile, most at risk. Jesus was born into humble circumstances. That was no coincidence. He was sheltered only in a stable. But that’s just what human eyes see. The Most High God cradled Him with divine protection. When we feel most at risk and vulnerable, when our faith is tried and test, the Holy Spirit draws us deeper into the love of the heavenly Father.
After Gabriel explained to Mary in her perplexity that nothing was impossible with God her response was filled with trust. “‘I am the Lord’s servant,’” Mary answered. ‘May it be to me as you have said.’”7 We can do no better this Christmas than to say with Mary, “Let the will of God be done.” He is not a tyrant. He is not aloof. Immanuel means God with us. He is with us as Saviour. He is with us as Servant. He is with us as Shepherd. He is with us this Christmas and for all eternity. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Fourth Sunday of Advent
24 December 2017
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Luke 1:54-55 2 Isaiah 9:2
3 Matthew 1:21 4 Matthew 6:31, 33
5 Colossians 2:9 6 Hebrews 2:14
7 Luke 1:38 8 See Isaiah 55:11
9 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
Text: Luke 1:28
Theme: “The Lord Is With You”
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
When the angel Gabriel makes an appearance it’s a clear sign that something is brewing. The wheels were set in motion. The routine lives of some ordinary Jews were about to be radically altered. The Jewish nation was about to witness the fulfillment of the prophets’ words. The entire world was about have the divine plan of redemption disclosed to it. For the Jew, the covenant with Abraham was crescendoing to a beautiful climax. As the Spirit said, “He has helped His servant Israel, in remembrance of His mercy, as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to His offspring forever."1 For the Gentile, it was a preview of the future blessings extended to the entire human race. “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shone.”2
Was Mary happy when she first heard the news? We can’t pretend to understand the sense of perplexity mixed with hope that Mary must have felt when it was announced to her that she would be the mother of God. Joseph probably felt like he was the last to know. The angel told him in a dream, “She will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save his people from their sins."3 Wow! How could either one really come to terms with it? Like any normal couple, Mary and Joseph had probably talked about their future plans together. How radically that now changed!
Christmas is always advertised as a time for cheerfulness. But, fleeting, superficial indulgence is not the intent of this Christ Child. People are desperate for happiness. They will take all kinds of shortcuts and risks to find it. They will endanger the present. They will compromise the future. That’s not new news, of course. It is the perennial proclivity of the populous. “They” doesn’t mean anonymous or generic people. It means us. The Spirit never directs preachers to construct paper tigers. Nor is the word of God for academic amusement. Tools that bar the gates of hell and prize open the gates of heaven are not play things for children.
The Scriptures speak to us with all of our warts and failures. God doesn’t address us as ideal subjects able to attain perfection. He knows us too well. He knows the darkness doesn’t vanish from our lives just because it is Christmas. We fall into predictable cycles that sink us deeper into ourselves and pull us further away from God. Selfishness can lead to overindulgence. Overly indulgence can lead to addiction. Addiction can shatter relationships. We are all addicted to sin which is expressed in our desire to preference ourselves above others. If, in our vocations, we are pulling away from those we are called to serve, then we are also pulling away from God. We sin against God when we sin against others. We serve God when we serve others.
We when realise, that our greatest need is met, then we no longer have happiness, we have joy. We no longer just have satisfaction in the moment (God doesn’t begrudge this to us), we have complete contentment regarding eternity. We see things through a different lens, from a different perspective. In retrospect we realize angels have attended to us. We see how God has kept things in motion even when we have slammed on the brakes. We see how God has cushioned our fall when we have dived headlong into disaster. We are still tired of sin, but we have a quiet confidence that it cannot defeat us.
It doesn’t mean at all that we won’t have struggles, hardships, and frustrations. Christmas is not a magical tonic. It doesn’t mean we will be immune to doubt, depression, or disappointment. But it does mean that we learn to not overvalue fleeting things or undervalue spiritual things. “What will it profit a man if he gains the whole and yet forfeits his soul?” Therefore, do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear? But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.”4
The name Jesus means Saviour. God doesn’t forsake the humanity He created. He doesn’t abandon those who turned against His will. Neither does He try to rectify the situation from a distance. Rather, He takes upon Himself our human nature. He unites with His fallen creation. “For in Him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily.”5 This one man, Jesus Christ, and Him alone among men, is also the almighty God. He is power, wisdom, glory and strength. He is righteousness, holiness, and majesty. He is humility, gentleness, and compassion. The Christ Child in the manger is the victim of the cross and the conqueror of death. The Scripture says, “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death He might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil.”6
The annunciation is not merely historic information. It is an important witness to God’s valuing of life from the time of conception. Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit, a miracle. Still today, every conception is a miracle that requires the power of God. Christmas is a time to reflect on how God cherishes those who are most vulnerable, most fragile, most at risk. Jesus was born into humble circumstances. That was no coincidence. He was sheltered only in a stable. But that’s just what human eyes see. The Most High God cradled Him with divine protection. When we feel most at risk and vulnerable, when our faith is tried and test, the Holy Spirit draws us deeper into the love of the heavenly Father.
After Gabriel explained to Mary in her perplexity that nothing was impossible with God her response was filled with trust. “‘I am the Lord’s servant,’” Mary answered. ‘May it be to me as you have said.’”7 We can do no better this Christmas than to say with Mary, “Let the will of God be done.” He is not a tyrant. He is not aloof. Immanuel means God with us. He is with us as Saviour. He is with us as Servant. He is with us as Shepherd. He is with us this Christmas and for all eternity. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Fourth Sunday of Advent
24 December 2017
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Luke 1:54-55 2 Isaiah 9:2
3 Matthew 1:21 4 Matthew 6:31, 33
5 Colossians 2:9 6 Hebrews 2:14
7 Luke 1:38 8 See Isaiah 55:11
9 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
Monday, December 18, 2017
Third Sunday Of Advent (B) 2017
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: John 1:8
Theme: The True Light
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Advent means coming. The Son of God is coming. But that doesn’t mean He is absent or on temporary leave. The coming Christ IS already here. He is here hidden in humble means. He is now veiled to the eye blinded by sin. When He comes again in glory the believer and unbeliever alike will “see Him as He is.”1 But He is here already. He meets you at the altar. In bread and wine, He makes Himself present for you though His body and blood. There, at the altar, the advent Christ meets you at the threshold of heaven. Profound holiness and peace attend His presence.
Today the announcer of advent promises is confronted by the skeptics of God’s activities. The priests and Levites were intent on understanding who John the Baptist was and what he was all about. After confessing freely that he was not the Christ they pressed him repeatedly. “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered no.” Finally, they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us.”2 Perhaps they didn’t want to hear what he was saying about Jesus? Perhaps they didn’t believe He was telling the truth? It was just the beginning of an interchange between heavenly and earthly authorities that wound end with a crucifixion.
So, what was at stake in this enquiry into John’s work of preaching and baptizing? It was nothing less than Jesus’ claim, “Your word is truth.”3 Speaking truthfully would seem to be a pretty straightforward matter. The Eighth Commandment forbids speaking falsehood to or about our neighbour. Yet, we see how the conduct of society in the transaction of words and the exchange of information, is so compromised in its truthfulness, that sometimes it is farcical. Extraordinary effort is made to bend, stretch, reinterpret, “spin”, exaggerate, embellish, amplify, diminish, devalue, deny, equivocate, the statement of facts. It’s so commonplace that it’s given rise to proverbs like, “You can’t believe everything you hear.” Digital technology certainly hasn’t solved the problem. We assume politicians often won’t tell the truth and that the media will spin stories with a certain bias. We are suspect of honest practices in government and private business. Our fears are often well-founded. It speaks to the sinful nature of humanity.
John the Baptist was happy to clarify who he was and who he wasn’t, but not for his own satisfaction or to save his own skin. John the Baptist was a great big, bold, eccentric, prophetic advertisement pointing to Christ. When he met Jesus for the first time in his public ministry (remember, John and Jesus “met” while still in their mother’s wombs), John said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”4 He was a witness to the true Light that shines in the darkness. And therefore, we confess with the church, ancient and modern, that Jesus is “the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God.”5
But, the self-righteous Jews were not ready to hear this truth. As such, they are the patriarchs of all sinners. Don’t think for a moment this matter is not relevant to us. We like to be seen to be honouring God while actually keeping Him at a distance. This is the spiritual struggle of every believer. Just when we think things are going smoothly, here it comes again, the assertion of our will above the will of God. It comes cloaked in humility. It comes disguised in piety. In its more candid moments it simply comes in its own self-righteousness. And on the strength of that it is bold to claim that God isn’t quite capable of managing our affairs. There may be no animosity against the Almighty at first. We’re happy to allow Him to keep the universe ticking over and handle all those peripheral things that aren’t essential to us. But when it comes to the things we cherish it’s a different story. We like to be in control. When we think we’re getting the short end of the stick we cry unfair. But what we should be doing is crying out in repentance. The Holy Spirit must break us down and restore us. His tool is the word.
We note how the apostle ends the letter of 1 Thessalonians, our second reading today. It may seem only to be a directive postscript, but the importance cannot be underestimated. He says, “I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.”6 He asks them to take a vow. The word of God must be heard. It’s not private information. It’s not classified. It doesn’t require some security clearance. It doesn’t have a restricted audience. The words of Holy Scripture are not local news. Neither are they ancient, but obsolete news. They contain the living words of the Holy Spirit. They transcend time and location. The 3rd Commandment says, “Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy.”7 and this primarily involves the hearing of God’s word. When sent out, the word does not return to God empty8.
Dear friends, Christians are not merely admirers of a baby born two millennia ago in Bethlehem who represents a heart-warming, sentimental story. The circumstances are certainly poignant and evocative of empathy and commendation from a wide audience. The nativity is the type of story that people gravitate to. Charity organizations have learned that sympathy for the plight of the starving is more readily obtained by focusing on a specific individual, not a mass of people who share a common problem. The rationale itself is not unscrupulous. But this infant in a manger does not remain a vulnerable child. This Christ is our General in the war against the forces of evil and darkness. The One whose flesh was housed in a manger and fastened to a cross is He who redeemed all the descendants of Adam from the curse of sin. He was the sacrifice. He shed His blood. He is the victor. We share in His victory.
It is truly an amazing thing that He makes us participants in His life. The Scriptures remind us who we are in relation to God and others. Firstly, we are receivers. Secondly, we are servants. You do not have unlimited capacity. You do not have immeasurable strength. You do not possess infallible virtue, impeccable humility, or immaculate holiness. But Christ does. His compassion cannot be exhausted. His zeal cannot be diminished. His resources cannot be depleted. Most importantly, His sacrifice for the sins of the world can never be gainsaid or nullified. You are not worthy to make the sacrifice. I am not worthy. No mere human that has ever lived is worthy. We cannot purchase, earn, borrow, or steal such worth. Jesus Christ is worthy. He is the Lamb who was slain for the sins of the world.
We are baptized into the death and resurrection of Jesus and we have an inheritance with the saints in the kingdom of light. He bears your sins and you receive His righteousness. Your guilt, your shame, your condemnation; the punishment you deserve fell on Him. He dies your death so that you can participate in His life. He is risen from death and grants immortality to all who believe in Him.
Advent is an antidote for complacency. The droning repetitiveness of life’s routines can dull our alertness to the promises of God. The world is like the pounding of the ocean surf on the beach, ceaselessly washing over the believer. But with a word Christ calms the turbulent storm and calms our troubled souls. St. Paul rephrases the advent message of John the Baptist when he says today, “May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it.”1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Third Sunday of Advent
17 December 2017
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 1 John 3:2 2 John 1:21-22
3 John 17:17 4 John 1:29
5 The Nicene Creed 6 1 Thessalonians 5:27
7 Exodus 20:8 8 See Isaiah 55:11
9 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
Text: John 1:8
Theme: The True Light
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Advent means coming. The Son of God is coming. But that doesn’t mean He is absent or on temporary leave. The coming Christ IS already here. He is here hidden in humble means. He is now veiled to the eye blinded by sin. When He comes again in glory the believer and unbeliever alike will “see Him as He is.”1 But He is here already. He meets you at the altar. In bread and wine, He makes Himself present for you though His body and blood. There, at the altar, the advent Christ meets you at the threshold of heaven. Profound holiness and peace attend His presence.
Today the announcer of advent promises is confronted by the skeptics of God’s activities. The priests and Levites were intent on understanding who John the Baptist was and what he was all about. After confessing freely that he was not the Christ they pressed him repeatedly. “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” He answered no.” Finally, they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us.”2 Perhaps they didn’t want to hear what he was saying about Jesus? Perhaps they didn’t believe He was telling the truth? It was just the beginning of an interchange between heavenly and earthly authorities that wound end with a crucifixion.
So, what was at stake in this enquiry into John’s work of preaching and baptizing? It was nothing less than Jesus’ claim, “Your word is truth.”3 Speaking truthfully would seem to be a pretty straightforward matter. The Eighth Commandment forbids speaking falsehood to or about our neighbour. Yet, we see how the conduct of society in the transaction of words and the exchange of information, is so compromised in its truthfulness, that sometimes it is farcical. Extraordinary effort is made to bend, stretch, reinterpret, “spin”, exaggerate, embellish, amplify, diminish, devalue, deny, equivocate, the statement of facts. It’s so commonplace that it’s given rise to proverbs like, “You can’t believe everything you hear.” Digital technology certainly hasn’t solved the problem. We assume politicians often won’t tell the truth and that the media will spin stories with a certain bias. We are suspect of honest practices in government and private business. Our fears are often well-founded. It speaks to the sinful nature of humanity.
John the Baptist was happy to clarify who he was and who he wasn’t, but not for his own satisfaction or to save his own skin. John the Baptist was a great big, bold, eccentric, prophetic advertisement pointing to Christ. When he met Jesus for the first time in his public ministry (remember, John and Jesus “met” while still in their mother’s wombs), John said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”4 He was a witness to the true Light that shines in the darkness. And therefore, we confess with the church, ancient and modern, that Jesus is “the only-begotten Son of God, begotten of His Father before all worlds, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God.”5
But, the self-righteous Jews were not ready to hear this truth. As such, they are the patriarchs of all sinners. Don’t think for a moment this matter is not relevant to us. We like to be seen to be honouring God while actually keeping Him at a distance. This is the spiritual struggle of every believer. Just when we think things are going smoothly, here it comes again, the assertion of our will above the will of God. It comes cloaked in humility. It comes disguised in piety. In its more candid moments it simply comes in its own self-righteousness. And on the strength of that it is bold to claim that God isn’t quite capable of managing our affairs. There may be no animosity against the Almighty at first. We’re happy to allow Him to keep the universe ticking over and handle all those peripheral things that aren’t essential to us. But when it comes to the things we cherish it’s a different story. We like to be in control. When we think we’re getting the short end of the stick we cry unfair. But what we should be doing is crying out in repentance. The Holy Spirit must break us down and restore us. His tool is the word.
We note how the apostle ends the letter of 1 Thessalonians, our second reading today. It may seem only to be a directive postscript, but the importance cannot be underestimated. He says, “I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.”6 He asks them to take a vow. The word of God must be heard. It’s not private information. It’s not classified. It doesn’t require some security clearance. It doesn’t have a restricted audience. The words of Holy Scripture are not local news. Neither are they ancient, but obsolete news. They contain the living words of the Holy Spirit. They transcend time and location. The 3rd Commandment says, “Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy.”7 and this primarily involves the hearing of God’s word. When sent out, the word does not return to God empty8.
Dear friends, Christians are not merely admirers of a baby born two millennia ago in Bethlehem who represents a heart-warming, sentimental story. The circumstances are certainly poignant and evocative of empathy and commendation from a wide audience. The nativity is the type of story that people gravitate to. Charity organizations have learned that sympathy for the plight of the starving is more readily obtained by focusing on a specific individual, not a mass of people who share a common problem. The rationale itself is not unscrupulous. But this infant in a manger does not remain a vulnerable child. This Christ is our General in the war against the forces of evil and darkness. The One whose flesh was housed in a manger and fastened to a cross is He who redeemed all the descendants of Adam from the curse of sin. He was the sacrifice. He shed His blood. He is the victor. We share in His victory.
It is truly an amazing thing that He makes us participants in His life. The Scriptures remind us who we are in relation to God and others. Firstly, we are receivers. Secondly, we are servants. You do not have unlimited capacity. You do not have immeasurable strength. You do not possess infallible virtue, impeccable humility, or immaculate holiness. But Christ does. His compassion cannot be exhausted. His zeal cannot be diminished. His resources cannot be depleted. Most importantly, His sacrifice for the sins of the world can never be gainsaid or nullified. You are not worthy to make the sacrifice. I am not worthy. No mere human that has ever lived is worthy. We cannot purchase, earn, borrow, or steal such worth. Jesus Christ is worthy. He is the Lamb who was slain for the sins of the world.
We are baptized into the death and resurrection of Jesus and we have an inheritance with the saints in the kingdom of light. He bears your sins and you receive His righteousness. Your guilt, your shame, your condemnation; the punishment you deserve fell on Him. He dies your death so that you can participate in His life. He is risen from death and grants immortality to all who believe in Him.
Advent is an antidote for complacency. The droning repetitiveness of life’s routines can dull our alertness to the promises of God. The world is like the pounding of the ocean surf on the beach, ceaselessly washing over the believer. But with a word Christ calms the turbulent storm and calms our troubled souls. St. Paul rephrases the advent message of John the Baptist when he says today, “May God Himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul, and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The One who calls you is faithful and He will do it.”1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Third Sunday of Advent
17 December 2017
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 1 John 3:2 2 John 1:21-22
3 John 17:17 4 John 1:29
5 The Nicene Creed 6 1 Thessalonians 5:27
7 Exodus 20:8 8 See Isaiah 55:11
9 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24
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