+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti Amen +
Text: John 1:29
Theme: The Lamb of God
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
God accompanies us through the volatilities of life. Yet the necessity of faith remains.
The significance of some things can only been seen in hindsight. Predictableness in life will always be elusive. God plans for us wonderful surprises. “We have found the Messiah,”1 said Andrew to Simon Peter. It was a magnificent find; an unparalleled discovery. Of course it wasn’t really the result any exhaustive search on their part. The advent of Christ in historical time revealed them as chosen witnesses. The grace of God is always more fully appreciated in retrospect.
Epiphany continues today with a transfer of disciples from the baptizer to the Redeemer. John will now diminish and Christ will increase. Epiphany is about radiating, unveiling, and illuminating Christ in and to the world. It spotlights the unveiling of Christ’s holiness for humanity. His holiness is revealed not as a motionless quality of divinity to be adored, but as the dynamic and transforming presence of the Son of God in the world. Christ is the lover of humanity. He doesn’t sit statically on our altars demanding gifts to pacify Him. He lives and works and moves among us. Wherever and whenever the Holy Spirit convicts and crucifies, revives and vivifies through the Holy Scriptures- Christ is active.
At the peak of his ministry, John the Baptist now utters his most momentous words, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”2 With these words the Messiah prepares for His journey to the altar of the cross where His blood was shed. With these words we prepare- as Christians have done for centuries- to approach His holy altar where that blood is received. And in our reception we have the benefit of hindsight. We receive in actuality what John could only speak of prophetically. We receive the medicine of immortality; the antidote for sin’s poison.
How did people receive the Lamb of God as He walked along the Jordan? The appearance of Christ in the flesh challenged people to immediately consider how they saw their status with God and assess their priorities in life. How do you go about assessing the value of your life? What are your criteria for significance? Which things are indispensable? Do these resonate with what God decrees as essential? Are you living in the world in such a way, that in the end you concede death its victory, as long as you can savor your bit of glory? Do we want our headstones to glorify our achievements so that our legacies might be remembered? Or do we daily die to the fleeting indulgences of the world knowing that in the end we will be crowned with life? Tombstones mark the places of the dead not the achievements of the living.
The more you delight in your indulgences; the more you cherish your materialism; the more you seek solace in your successes; the further you stray from the sacrificial life to which you are called and the more irrelevant is your witness to the world. Now God certainly wants us to enjoy the fruit of labour and glorify Him in gratitude. But a graciously received gift is not the same as a selfishly prized idol. The lips are a long way from the heart. They often deliver praises the heart has not conceived.
God is not a passive companion. He changes us; sometimes in preparation, sometimes in chastisement, sometimes out of pure compassion. Could Peter and Andrew have envisioned how radically their lives would be changed? Could John the Baptist foresee his gruesome demise? Life is full of vexing and inconvenient questions? We must learn to live with uncertainty. Sin limits our capacity to understand. It doesn’t do justice to this problem to simply say God or Jesus has or is the answer. Of course! But such attempts are trite and patronizing. They do not well serve the body of believers in their life-long journey of appreciating the mystery of divine revelation in Christ.
We learn to grapple with questions biblically. Pilate said, “Behold, the man!”3 John said, “Behold the Lamb!”4 Pilate asked, “What is truth?”5 Jesus said, “I am the truth.”6 Satan queried, “Did God really say?”7 The Spirit replies, “The Word of our God stands forever.”8Sometimes Jesus answered questions with another question9. In doing so He moved the formulator from a position of control to an encounter with truth.
You see, we only hope to get all the answers we want when we formulate the questions. We tend to construct the questions so that God is seen to be agreeing with what we’ve already determined to be best for us. Doesn’t God always want me to be healthy, gratified, and free from struggle? Yet that is precisely what we’re not allowed to do. How often have you asked the question, “What does God want me to learn from this hardship?” Or, “What can I sacrifice to help those more vulnerable than myself?” Pilate’s question about truth is not simply cynical; it is irreverent. It is dismissive of the idea that there is an ultimate truth to be known, engaged, or believed.
By all means, use the Bible as the answer-book for your questions (the catechism is certainly a distillation composed with this mindset), but better still feed on it like you do wholesome food and breathe it like you do fresh air- lest the forgiveness of sins and your relationship with the Lamb diminish to minor importance. If we do not breathe the air of His absolution we will suffocate.
Dear friends, the greatest import of Christ’s epiphany is our altered relationship with the Father. Faith puts us in a most blessed position. By faith we live in forgiveness not under legality. The law is not inoperative; it is fulfilled. The law continues to convict us and guide us but it promises no hope of reparation. Christ alone accomplishes that. The Holy Spirit lives and moves within and among us. Of what good is the command when the desire to do what is commanded is already present? What need is there to command the famished person to eat? “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled,”10 says the Saviour. What need is there to demand that the eager lover cherish the beloved? “We love because He first loved us,”11 says the apostle. The law commands the defiant not the willing; it convicts the recalcitrant not those who yearn to be forgiven.
Each day you stand at the coalface. You may not be bubbling over with enthusiasm for the kingdom at every moment, but the believer nevertheless desires God’s mercy and seeks His will even in the midst of the greatest temptations. You are baptized into the death and resurrection of Christ. You embody a confession of truth. You are clothed with a blood-bought decorum. The Saviour designates you to be of inestimable worth.
Some things are costly because nobody likes to do them. Underground coal mining isn’t high on many job seekers lists. Other things are costly because few are capable of doing them.
Brain surgery isn’t for those with average skills. The disciples of Jesus would pay the greatest price. Their lives would be forfeited for the sake of the gospel. Yet only Christ is matchless in His domain. No one else was capable of bearing the sins of the world. Only His life was precious enough to recompense the debt of the human race. He doesn’t relieve us of all volatility but He does accompany us with integrity. His crucifixion shattered the power of evil. His resurrection secures the vigor of life. He is both the slain Lamb and the Shepherd and you are His flock. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
1 John 1:41 2 John 1:29 3 John 19:5
4 John 1:29 5 John 18:38 6 See John 14:6
7 Genesis 3:1 8 Isaiah 40:8 9 See Mark 11:27-33
10 Matthew 5:6 11 1 John 4:19
Second Sunday After Epiphany
19 January 2014
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
Monday, January 20, 2014
Monday, January 13, 2014
The Baptism Of Our Lord 2014
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti Amen. +
Text: Matthew 3:13-17
Theme: A Substitutionary Baptism
Dear Friends in Christ Jesus,
Today is the first Sunday in the season of Epiphany. Epiphany means literally “revelation,” or “showing forth.” The season of Epiphany highlights those events in the life of Christ that reveal Him to be God in the flesh. The Epiphany season is framed and highlighted by two events; Christ’s baptism at the Jordan River and His transfiguration on the mountain. The Child of Bethlehem has been proclaimed by angels, looked upon by shepherds and visited by wisemen. Jesus, now approximately thirty years of age, begins His public ministry. Jesus’ public mission begins with the event of His baptism.
Preliminary to the baptism of Jesus and Christian baptism was the work of John the Baptist. His work was preparatory. The people who came to John heard a message of repentance. The coming of the Messiah was imminent. His coming would involve judgment against all unrighteousness. “He will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire.”1 The hearts and lives of all are laid bare before the all-knowing Lord. Nothing we have or are or do is hidden from Him. We dare not allow our consciences to become desensitized to the power of sin in our lives and God’s promise to judge it. The Law of God leaves room for no exceptions, all are unworthy of God’s grace. The truly convicted heart takes seriously God’s wrath and longs for mercy. True repentance involves not only shame and embarrassment for being caught, but a genuine desire for compassion and desire to please God. The Bible says, “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”2 The Holy Spirit grants the repentant person faith to trust in Christ. Baptism is a means by which this happens. Trust in Christ is never misplaced. Our gospel elucidates why.
John announces the approach of Jesus to the banks of the Jordan with the words which found their way into the church’s worship in song, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”3 In the act of His baptism, Jesus unites in solidarity with sinful humanity. He submits Himself to this sacrament of repentance and forgiveness for which He has no need. He is not a sinner. He has committed no transgression. He was born with no original guilt. Precisely for this reason He humbles Himself as He does. The entire earthly life of Jesus Christ was a substitutionary endeavor. He took our place under the Law. He bore the punishment of the Father’s wrath. He endured the torment of judgment. He did this on our behalf. He was our scapegoat. He was our sacrificial Lamb. “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”4 Christ lived, died, rose and ascended so that we might live in holiness with the triune God.
Overt expressions of the Trinity are perceptible at Jesus’ baptism. The Holy Spirit is visible in the form of a dove. He descends and Matthew tells us lights upon Jesus. At the creation the Holy Spirit hovered over the waters and during the flood Noah send out a dove to mark beginning of new life. The voice of the Father is audible at Jesus’ baptism. It was reminiscent of many manifestations in the Old Testament. Yet these distinctions of persons are not to be overshadowed by unity of purpose. Here we see Father, Son and Holy Spirit united in the plan of redemption to be completed by the Son in the flesh. This is the key to true and meaningful knowledge about God.
The revelation of the Trinity is tied directly with the revelation of the Son. We know the disposition of the triune God towards us, we know God in a saving way only as He is revealed through Jesus. We do not learn what we know about Christ from general knowledge of God. We learn what we know about God from specific knowledge of Christ.
Our relationship with Christ must define and characterize our entire lives. He initiates and sustains this relationship through His appointed means. Baptism is not an auxiliary teaching of Scripture. Baptism is foundational for understanding the manner in which God relates to humanity. Baptism is a specific administration of the gospel. It is a tangible, visible way in which God comes into contact with people in a saving manner. The Word and promise of God are clear and firm. “How can water do such great things?” Certainly not just water, but the word of God in and with the water does these things, along with faith which trusts this word of God in the water. For without God’s word the water is plain water and no Baptism. But with the word of God it is a Baptism, that is, a life-giving water, rich in grace, and a washing of new birth in the Holy Spirit.”5 What happens in baptism is not magic, but it is miraculous. Faith is always the greatest miracle for an infant or an adult. It means that God is willing and able to overcome the bondage of sins by which we are held.
Spiritual freedom, true freedom, radically changes our perspective on life and our relationship with God and one another. Our membership in the kingdom of God transcends all earthly associations. God desires this for all people. Recall the words of our Scripture from Acts, “Then Peter began to speak: ‘I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear Him and do what is right. You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.’”6
Dear Friends, we should not overlook the significance of Saint Peter’s words regarding the fact that in His love, God shows no favoritism, but accepts all who repent and believe. How difficult this was for the Jewish Christians who looked down upon Gentile believers! How difficult to believe that God receives manifest sinners as readily as those who strive to be righteous. Jesus Himself said to the chief priests, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.”7 Yet that is the reality of God’s undeserved love in Christ. It is undeserved for great and small alike.
In Christ we all reach parity in regards to redemption. This equality is achieved in baptism and it is the basis of our fellowship and unity. Though we are all different, none of us is of greater or lesser importance to the body of Christ. At Jesus’ baptism the fellowship of the Trinity is manifested. In the body of Christ, our fellowship with one another must be manifested. We are called upon to put others ahead of ourselves, their interests ahead of ours. The Scripture gives these directives, “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in heed. Practice hospitality.”8 And trust firmly in the promise that your labour in the Lord is never in vain9. It depends never on you but always on Christ and He will not fail us. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
The Baptism of Our Lord
12 January 2014
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Luke 3:17
2 2 Corinthians 7:10 3 John 1:29
4 2 Corinthians 5:21 5 Luther’s Small Catechism
6 Acts 10:34-36 7 Matthew 21:31
8 Romans 12:9-13 9 See 1 Corinthians 15:58
Text: Matthew 3:13-17
Theme: A Substitutionary Baptism
Dear Friends in Christ Jesus,
Today is the first Sunday in the season of Epiphany. Epiphany means literally “revelation,” or “showing forth.” The season of Epiphany highlights those events in the life of Christ that reveal Him to be God in the flesh. The Epiphany season is framed and highlighted by two events; Christ’s baptism at the Jordan River and His transfiguration on the mountain. The Child of Bethlehem has been proclaimed by angels, looked upon by shepherds and visited by wisemen. Jesus, now approximately thirty years of age, begins His public ministry. Jesus’ public mission begins with the event of His baptism.
Preliminary to the baptism of Jesus and Christian baptism was the work of John the Baptist. His work was preparatory. The people who came to John heard a message of repentance. The coming of the Messiah was imminent. His coming would involve judgment against all unrighteousness. “He will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire.”1 The hearts and lives of all are laid bare before the all-knowing Lord. Nothing we have or are or do is hidden from Him. We dare not allow our consciences to become desensitized to the power of sin in our lives and God’s promise to judge it. The Law of God leaves room for no exceptions, all are unworthy of God’s grace. The truly convicted heart takes seriously God’s wrath and longs for mercy. True repentance involves not only shame and embarrassment for being caught, but a genuine desire for compassion and desire to please God. The Bible says, “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.”2 The Holy Spirit grants the repentant person faith to trust in Christ. Baptism is a means by which this happens. Trust in Christ is never misplaced. Our gospel elucidates why.
John announces the approach of Jesus to the banks of the Jordan with the words which found their way into the church’s worship in song, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world.”3 In the act of His baptism, Jesus unites in solidarity with sinful humanity. He submits Himself to this sacrament of repentance and forgiveness for which He has no need. He is not a sinner. He has committed no transgression. He was born with no original guilt. Precisely for this reason He humbles Himself as He does. The entire earthly life of Jesus Christ was a substitutionary endeavor. He took our place under the Law. He bore the punishment of the Father’s wrath. He endured the torment of judgment. He did this on our behalf. He was our scapegoat. He was our sacrificial Lamb. “God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”4 Christ lived, died, rose and ascended so that we might live in holiness with the triune God.
Overt expressions of the Trinity are perceptible at Jesus’ baptism. The Holy Spirit is visible in the form of a dove. He descends and Matthew tells us lights upon Jesus. At the creation the Holy Spirit hovered over the waters and during the flood Noah send out a dove to mark beginning of new life. The voice of the Father is audible at Jesus’ baptism. It was reminiscent of many manifestations in the Old Testament. Yet these distinctions of persons are not to be overshadowed by unity of purpose. Here we see Father, Son and Holy Spirit united in the plan of redemption to be completed by the Son in the flesh. This is the key to true and meaningful knowledge about God.
The revelation of the Trinity is tied directly with the revelation of the Son. We know the disposition of the triune God towards us, we know God in a saving way only as He is revealed through Jesus. We do not learn what we know about Christ from general knowledge of God. We learn what we know about God from specific knowledge of Christ.
Our relationship with Christ must define and characterize our entire lives. He initiates and sustains this relationship through His appointed means. Baptism is not an auxiliary teaching of Scripture. Baptism is foundational for understanding the manner in which God relates to humanity. Baptism is a specific administration of the gospel. It is a tangible, visible way in which God comes into contact with people in a saving manner. The Word and promise of God are clear and firm. “How can water do such great things?” Certainly not just water, but the word of God in and with the water does these things, along with faith which trusts this word of God in the water. For without God’s word the water is plain water and no Baptism. But with the word of God it is a Baptism, that is, a life-giving water, rich in grace, and a washing of new birth in the Holy Spirit.”5 What happens in baptism is not magic, but it is miraculous. Faith is always the greatest miracle for an infant or an adult. It means that God is willing and able to overcome the bondage of sins by which we are held.
Spiritual freedom, true freedom, radically changes our perspective on life and our relationship with God and one another. Our membership in the kingdom of God transcends all earthly associations. God desires this for all people. Recall the words of our Scripture from Acts, “Then Peter began to speak: ‘I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear Him and do what is right. You know the message God sent to the people of Israel, telling the good news of peace through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all.’”6
Dear Friends, we should not overlook the significance of Saint Peter’s words regarding the fact that in His love, God shows no favoritism, but accepts all who repent and believe. How difficult this was for the Jewish Christians who looked down upon Gentile believers! How difficult to believe that God receives manifest sinners as readily as those who strive to be righteous. Jesus Himself said to the chief priests, “I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.”7 Yet that is the reality of God’s undeserved love in Christ. It is undeserved for great and small alike.
In Christ we all reach parity in regards to redemption. This equality is achieved in baptism and it is the basis of our fellowship and unity. Though we are all different, none of us is of greater or lesser importance to the body of Christ. At Jesus’ baptism the fellowship of the Trinity is manifested. In the body of Christ, our fellowship with one another must be manifested. We are called upon to put others ahead of ourselves, their interests ahead of ours. The Scripture gives these directives, “Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves. Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. Share with God’s people who are in heed. Practice hospitality.”8 And trust firmly in the promise that your labour in the Lord is never in vain9. It depends never on you but always on Christ and He will not fail us. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
The Baptism of Our Lord
12 January 2014
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Luke 3:17
2 2 Corinthians 7:10 3 John 1:29
4 2 Corinthians 5:21 5 Luther’s Small Catechism
6 Acts 10:34-36 7 Matthew 21:31
8 Romans 12:9-13 9 See 1 Corinthians 15:58
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Second Sunday After Christmas (A) 2014
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti Amen +
Text: John 1:1-18
Theme: Dwelling Among Us
Dear Friends in Christ Jesus,
In the Scriptures Jesus Christ is referred to as the Word of God. In the beginning God spoke and creation came into existence out of nothing. Essential to the meaning of His incarnation, of Christmas, is the understanding that in these events all creation is taken back to the beginning. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.”1 In the flesh of Christ, a perfect state of material being again exists. In the person of Jesus, the image of true humanity is restored. Our continued celebration of Christmas involves the promise that believers will be restored in both body and soul for eternity according to the words of the Spirit, “Christ…will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body.”2 This future is God’s original intent for us.
Fundamental to understanding the Biblical perspective of existence is understanding that what is commonly known as the natural state of things is actually an estrangement from God. Human beings, as they are in and of themselves, are not in the state God originally intended and created. We are born divorced from proper fellowship with God. His ways and works are alien to our instincts and desires. This is true not just for those who are willfully and outwardly evil, but even for those who appear to be honest and godly in their actions. Since this truth cannot be empirically proven, it must be believed. Our Scripture says, “He [that is, Christ] was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him.”3
The creation does not, in fact, cannot, recognize her Creator. To acknowledge the existence of God intellectually is not the same as believing in Him, as loving Him. The First Commandment says, “You shall have no other gods.”4 “What does this mean? We should fear, love and trust in God above all things.”5 It means to look to Him for our only hope and security, our only source of life and strength. Faith in Christ necessarily involves the repudiation of self and all other sources of hope. In Christ, we then become what we are meant to be. Our gospel says, “To all who received Him, to those who believe in His name, He gave the right to become the children of God- children born not of natural decent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”6
Spiritual conversion is a wholly supernatural activity. The Bible excludes any place for human ability and capacity when it comes to gathering people into His kingdom. Just as we are born to parents, born into a family completely apart from our choosing or cooperation, so too are we brought into the family of God. It should not be surprising that baptism, the means by which this takes place, is described as bringing about a new birth. “He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior.”7 Thus from start to finish God is, as the Bible says, “the author and perfecter of our faith.”8 “He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”9
The forgiveness we have is not some theoretical platitude. It was earned through the suffering of Christ’s body and His sacrifice unto death. The promise of absolution has the guarantee of His flesh and blood. The sins of repentant believers, sins great and small, truly are forgiven, removed, washed away. Even as Christ is risen from the dead, we too are raised to a new spiritual life here and now. Dear Friends, do not take it lightly that by faith you are resurrected beings. Christ has bestowed on humans an honour higher than that of angels.
In due time, our spiritual resurrection will give way to a physical resurrection when we pass through death into life. We should long for this each and every day. Our life here is but temporary. Our life there is forever. Then all the frailties of the human body, all the weakness of the human mind, all that torments heart and soul will be resolved. The blindness that strikes the eyes, the deafness that strikes the ear, the confusion that mutes the tongue, the lameness that hinders the limb, the atrophy that cripples the joints, the cancer that commandeers the flesh, the Alzheimer’s that decimates the mind, the frailty that simply drains strength, all the bitterness and hardship with which we must cope will vanish in an instant. There is noting that we suffer now that will not quickly become a vanishing and fleeting memory.
Yes, in this life we will struggle. But the point of Christmas is that Christ is with us. “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.”10 We can now live in such away so as to bring the presence of God to others. The year 2014 is before us and we are faced with great challenge and opportunity. Despite the affluence (or we may say also because of it) real human need is as great as ever. People live in open ungodliness and societal values become more secular. There is a vast mission field right at our doorstep. Across the world some nations and people groups suffer great physical want while others have never heard the gospel proclaimed or the word of God taught. As individual Christians and as a church, we are held to account. We must prioritize our resources and energies in sacrifice of our neighbor and in honor of God’s name. No effort, regardless how small, is insignificant. In Christ, we can meet the future with determination and excitement.
It is appropriate that during the season of Christmas, one calendar year comes to an end and a new year begins. We go forward knowing that Christ is with us. Through water and the word, through His Spirit, through the sacramental bread and wine, He dwells in and among us. We go forward knowing that in the Lord, even the most menial daily tasks are not in vain. We go forward with the boldness to hold high the Light of the world in a spiritually dark age. We go forward with the eagerness to more fully understand His will. We go forward with the comfort and confidence of knowing the future is secured. We go forward with the prayer of St. Paul who said, “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe.”11
Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Second Sunday After Christmas
January 5, 2014
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 John 1:1-2
2 Philippians 3:20-21
3 John 1:10-11 4 Exodus 20:3
5 Martin Luther 6 John 1:12-13
7 Titus 3:5-6 8 Hebrews 12:2
9 Colossians 1:13-14 10 John 1:14
11 Ephesians 1:18-19
Text: John 1:1-18
Theme: Dwelling Among Us
Dear Friends in Christ Jesus,
In the Scriptures Jesus Christ is referred to as the Word of God. In the beginning God spoke and creation came into existence out of nothing. Essential to the meaning of His incarnation, of Christmas, is the understanding that in these events all creation is taken back to the beginning. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning.”1 In the flesh of Christ, a perfect state of material being again exists. In the person of Jesus, the image of true humanity is restored. Our continued celebration of Christmas involves the promise that believers will be restored in both body and soul for eternity according to the words of the Spirit, “Christ…will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like His glorious body.”2 This future is God’s original intent for us.
Fundamental to understanding the Biblical perspective of existence is understanding that what is commonly known as the natural state of things is actually an estrangement from God. Human beings, as they are in and of themselves, are not in the state God originally intended and created. We are born divorced from proper fellowship with God. His ways and works are alien to our instincts and desires. This is true not just for those who are willfully and outwardly evil, but even for those who appear to be honest and godly in their actions. Since this truth cannot be empirically proven, it must be believed. Our Scripture says, “He [that is, Christ] was in the world, and though the world was made through Him, the world did not recognize Him. He came to that which was His own, but His own did not receive Him.”3
The creation does not, in fact, cannot, recognize her Creator. To acknowledge the existence of God intellectually is not the same as believing in Him, as loving Him. The First Commandment says, “You shall have no other gods.”4 “What does this mean? We should fear, love and trust in God above all things.”5 It means to look to Him for our only hope and security, our only source of life and strength. Faith in Christ necessarily involves the repudiation of self and all other sources of hope. In Christ, we then become what we are meant to be. Our gospel says, “To all who received Him, to those who believe in His name, He gave the right to become the children of God- children born not of natural decent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.”6
Spiritual conversion is a wholly supernatural activity. The Bible excludes any place for human ability and capacity when it comes to gathering people into His kingdom. Just as we are born to parents, born into a family completely apart from our choosing or cooperation, so too are we brought into the family of God. It should not be surprising that baptism, the means by which this takes place, is described as bringing about a new birth. “He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior.”7 Thus from start to finish God is, as the Bible says, “the author and perfecter of our faith.”8 “He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son He loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”9
The forgiveness we have is not some theoretical platitude. It was earned through the suffering of Christ’s body and His sacrifice unto death. The promise of absolution has the guarantee of His flesh and blood. The sins of repentant believers, sins great and small, truly are forgiven, removed, washed away. Even as Christ is risen from the dead, we too are raised to a new spiritual life here and now. Dear Friends, do not take it lightly that by faith you are resurrected beings. Christ has bestowed on humans an honour higher than that of angels.
In due time, our spiritual resurrection will give way to a physical resurrection when we pass through death into life. We should long for this each and every day. Our life here is but temporary. Our life there is forever. Then all the frailties of the human body, all the weakness of the human mind, all that torments heart and soul will be resolved. The blindness that strikes the eyes, the deafness that strikes the ear, the confusion that mutes the tongue, the lameness that hinders the limb, the atrophy that cripples the joints, the cancer that commandeers the flesh, the Alzheimer’s that decimates the mind, the frailty that simply drains strength, all the bitterness and hardship with which we must cope will vanish in an instant. There is noting that we suffer now that will not quickly become a vanishing and fleeting memory.
Yes, in this life we will struggle. But the point of Christmas is that Christ is with us. “The Word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.”10 We can now live in such away so as to bring the presence of God to others. The year 2014 is before us and we are faced with great challenge and opportunity. Despite the affluence (or we may say also because of it) real human need is as great as ever. People live in open ungodliness and societal values become more secular. There is a vast mission field right at our doorstep. Across the world some nations and people groups suffer great physical want while others have never heard the gospel proclaimed or the word of God taught. As individual Christians and as a church, we are held to account. We must prioritize our resources and energies in sacrifice of our neighbor and in honor of God’s name. No effort, regardless how small, is insignificant. In Christ, we can meet the future with determination and excitement.
It is appropriate that during the season of Christmas, one calendar year comes to an end and a new year begins. We go forward knowing that Christ is with us. Through water and the word, through His Spirit, through the sacramental bread and wine, He dwells in and among us. We go forward knowing that in the Lord, even the most menial daily tasks are not in vain. We go forward with the boldness to hold high the Light of the world in a spiritually dark age. We go forward with the eagerness to more fully understand His will. We go forward with the comfort and confidence of knowing the future is secured. We go forward with the prayer of St. Paul who said, “I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which He has called you, the riches of His glorious inheritance in the saints, and His incomparably great power for us who believe.”11
Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Second Sunday After Christmas
January 5, 2014
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 John 1:1-2
2 Philippians 3:20-21
3 John 1:10-11 4 Exodus 20:3
5 Martin Luther 6 John 1:12-13
7 Titus 3:5-6 8 Hebrews 12:2
9 Colossians 1:13-14 10 John 1:14
11 Ephesians 1:18-19
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
First Sunday After Christmas (A) 2013
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Matthew 2:13-23
Theme: Flight of the Newborn
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The shepherds depart. The angels ascend. The holy family retreats. The announcement of peace soon turns to a threat of danger. The celebration of Christ’s birth into the world does not long remain open for public participation. The Prince of Peace soon meets with hostility. It wasn’t long after Jesus’ birth that a price was put on His head. Wanted: Dead or alive- but preferably dead! King Herod, hopeful of help from the Magi, sought to terminate His young life. Why would Herod fear this child born not to royalty but to common Jewish people? What chance would this son of a carpenter have of coming to reign? Still, the prophecy had reached his ears and he was in no mood to take any chances.
Already the words of Simeon were coming to fulfillment, “This Child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.1 The person and work of Jesus still causes great hostility because He is a threat to the power structures of the world and the way in which they operate. Yet His kingdom is not of this world. He comes to rule hearts, not command armies.
So, early in His life the Lord of Creation becomes a fugitive in a foreign land. Joseph is told by an angel to take the family and flee to Egypt. The hope of Israel, the deliverer of God’s people had to take refuge in the very place the Israelites had once been held in slavery for over 400 years. Reflecting on their exodus St. Paul reminds us, “Our forefathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and all ate the same spiritual food; and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.”2 Now that same Christ returns as a child clothed in human flesh.
Jesus was fugitive from earthly rulers so that we might be freed from satanic powers. The Scripture says, “But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.”3 Jesus Christ allowed Himself to be placed under the law so that He might fulfill it perfectly; and do so on our behalf. He was perfectly obedient to the Father and we are credited with His holiness. In addition, all the prophecies of old have come to fulfillment in Him. He said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”4
Apart from Christ we are always fugitives from the law. There is no place to run to, no place to hide. All transgressions are transparent to God. We find refuge only in Christ. Dear friends, you can never be comfortable about meeting the requirements of the law. You can never be confident you have satisfied it. But you can be at peace. The law always condemns you; always finds you guilty. But the one who made entrance into the world through a dark little nook in Bethlehem has fulfilled it. He has not made the law obsolete. He has fulfilled it.
God knows when we try to play Him as the fool. We should never confuse forgiveness with apathy. Absolution is never a license to sin. Exoneration of guilt is never to be taken as evidence that fault was misplaced. Forgiveness, rightly received, never inflates the ego (as if somehow we deserved to be forgiven), but always cultivates humility. In other words, as a forgiven child of God I cannot debate or negotiate the necessity of divine pardon. The moment I do the sincerity of my repentance is called into question. We cannot feign ignorance or weakness; we are all alike condemned. A person of ego never fulfills the law of God or the law of love. The person of faith always does.
The person of faith always does because faith is a Spirit-given gift that anchors us to Christ who has offered perfect obedience on our behalf. Christ’s perfect obedience and sacrifice is more than just a supernatural but immaterial truth. The Bible says, “Since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death- that is, the devil- and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death”5
Freed from the ultimate fear we can forego our self-interests to serve others. Consider how Luther teaches vocation using the circumstances of the Bethlehem shepherds. “Who would have thought that men whose job was tending unreasonable animals would be so praised that not a pope or bishop is worthy to hand them a cup of water? It is the very devil that no one wants to follow the shepherds. The married man wants to be without a wife or the nobleman a prince. It is: ‘If I were this! If I were that! You fool! The best job is the one you have. If you are married, you cannot have higher status. If you are a servant, you are in the very best position. Be diligent and know that there are no greater saints on earth than servants. Do not say, ‘If I were,’ say, ‘I am.’ Luther wants us to see that God is pleased with whatever vocation we are in, no matter how lowly or seemingly insignificant it is. Luther continues, “Next to faith this is the highest art- to be content with the calling in which God has placed you.” The person who is godly in his or her vocation is not the one who always wishes they had someone else’s position, but the one who fulfills his own position to the best of his ability, to the benefit of neighbours and to the glory of God.
Dear friends, like our Lord Himself as an infant we are always fleeing the dark powers of this world. But we are neither running scared or helpless. Rather, through the Spirit’s power we are salt; we are light; we are vessels of mercy, we are beacons of hope to those caught in vicious cycles of darkness, addiction and despair. We are baptized for these very tasks. We are people of the incarnation. “To us a Child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”6 “Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things.”7
+ In nomine Jesu +
First Sunday After Christmas
29 December 2013
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Luke 2:34-35
2 1 Corinthians 10:1-4
3 Galatians 4:4-5
4 Matthew 5:17
5 Hebrews 2:14-15
6 Isaiah 9:6
7 Psalm 98:1
Text: Matthew 2:13-23
Theme: Flight of the Newborn
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The shepherds depart. The angels ascend. The holy family retreats. The announcement of peace soon turns to a threat of danger. The celebration of Christ’s birth into the world does not long remain open for public participation. The Prince of Peace soon meets with hostility. It wasn’t long after Jesus’ birth that a price was put on His head. Wanted: Dead or alive- but preferably dead! King Herod, hopeful of help from the Magi, sought to terminate His young life. Why would Herod fear this child born not to royalty but to common Jewish people? What chance would this son of a carpenter have of coming to reign? Still, the prophecy had reached his ears and he was in no mood to take any chances.
Already the words of Simeon were coming to fulfillment, “This Child is destined to cause the falling and rising of many in Israel, and to be a sign that will be spoken against, so that the thoughts of many hearts will be revealed.1 The person and work of Jesus still causes great hostility because He is a threat to the power structures of the world and the way in which they operate. Yet His kingdom is not of this world. He comes to rule hearts, not command armies.
So, early in His life the Lord of Creation becomes a fugitive in a foreign land. Joseph is told by an angel to take the family and flee to Egypt. The hope of Israel, the deliverer of God’s people had to take refuge in the very place the Israelites had once been held in slavery for over 400 years. Reflecting on their exodus St. Paul reminds us, “Our forefathers were all under the cloud, and all passed through the sea; and all were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and all ate the same spiritual food; and all drank the same spiritual drink, for they were drinking from the spiritual rock that accompanied them, and that rock was Christ.”2 Now that same Christ returns as a child clothed in human flesh.
Jesus was fugitive from earthly rulers so that we might be freed from satanic powers. The Scripture says, “But when the time had fully come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive the full rights of sons.”3 Jesus Christ allowed Himself to be placed under the law so that He might fulfill it perfectly; and do so on our behalf. He was perfectly obedient to the Father and we are credited with His holiness. In addition, all the prophecies of old have come to fulfillment in Him. He said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”4
Apart from Christ we are always fugitives from the law. There is no place to run to, no place to hide. All transgressions are transparent to God. We find refuge only in Christ. Dear friends, you can never be comfortable about meeting the requirements of the law. You can never be confident you have satisfied it. But you can be at peace. The law always condemns you; always finds you guilty. But the one who made entrance into the world through a dark little nook in Bethlehem has fulfilled it. He has not made the law obsolete. He has fulfilled it.
God knows when we try to play Him as the fool. We should never confuse forgiveness with apathy. Absolution is never a license to sin. Exoneration of guilt is never to be taken as evidence that fault was misplaced. Forgiveness, rightly received, never inflates the ego (as if somehow we deserved to be forgiven), but always cultivates humility. In other words, as a forgiven child of God I cannot debate or negotiate the necessity of divine pardon. The moment I do the sincerity of my repentance is called into question. We cannot feign ignorance or weakness; we are all alike condemned. A person of ego never fulfills the law of God or the law of love. The person of faith always does.
The person of faith always does because faith is a Spirit-given gift that anchors us to Christ who has offered perfect obedience on our behalf. Christ’s perfect obedience and sacrifice is more than just a supernatural but immaterial truth. The Bible says, “Since the children have flesh and blood, He too shared in their humanity so that by His death He might destroy him who holds the power of death- that is, the devil- and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death”5
Freed from the ultimate fear we can forego our self-interests to serve others. Consider how Luther teaches vocation using the circumstances of the Bethlehem shepherds. “Who would have thought that men whose job was tending unreasonable animals would be so praised that not a pope or bishop is worthy to hand them a cup of water? It is the very devil that no one wants to follow the shepherds. The married man wants to be without a wife or the nobleman a prince. It is: ‘If I were this! If I were that! You fool! The best job is the one you have. If you are married, you cannot have higher status. If you are a servant, you are in the very best position. Be diligent and know that there are no greater saints on earth than servants. Do not say, ‘If I were,’ say, ‘I am.’ Luther wants us to see that God is pleased with whatever vocation we are in, no matter how lowly or seemingly insignificant it is. Luther continues, “Next to faith this is the highest art- to be content with the calling in which God has placed you.” The person who is godly in his or her vocation is not the one who always wishes they had someone else’s position, but the one who fulfills his own position to the best of his ability, to the benefit of neighbours and to the glory of God.
Dear friends, like our Lord Himself as an infant we are always fleeing the dark powers of this world. But we are neither running scared or helpless. Rather, through the Spirit’s power we are salt; we are light; we are vessels of mercy, we are beacons of hope to those caught in vicious cycles of darkness, addiction and despair. We are baptized for these very tasks. We are people of the incarnation. “To us a Child is born, to us a Son is given, and the government will be on His shoulders. And He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”6 “Sing to the Lord a new song, for He has done marvelous things.”7
+ In nomine Jesu +
First Sunday After Christmas
29 December 2013
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Luke 2:34-35
2 1 Corinthians 10:1-4
3 Galatians 4:4-5
4 Matthew 5:17
5 Hebrews 2:14-15
6 Isaiah 9:6
7 Psalm 98:1
Friday, December 27, 2013
Christmas Day 2013
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti Amen. +
Text: Hebrews 1:3
Theme: God, Christ, Love
Dear Worshippers of the Newborn King,
“God is love.”1 This is at once the most simple and the most complex truth that exists. It is also the most relevant truth. God is love. What does this mean? Christmas begins to give us a picture. “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”2 Good Friday is the most vivid image. “God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”3 Easter is the celebration of its truth. “Because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ…and God raised us up with Christ.”4 Only in eternity will it be revealed completely to our senses. “Beloved, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”5
Pure love is completely non-reflexive, that is, it never focuses on itself, but always upon another. It is never self-directed. Even God’s love within the Trinity is not self-directed. The Father loves the Son and the Son the Father through the Spirit.
Because God’s pure love could not be self-contained, it flowed out to creation. Human beings especially, as beings created in God’s image, were the recipients of God’s love. His desire was to have that love freely returned. It lasted only for a while.
Our sin necessitated a new expression of God’s unconditional love. Jesus Christ in the flesh is that expression. Jesus Christ, love incarnate, is the centre of Christmas. He is love. In baptism we are embraced in His love. In communion we are nurtured with it.
The rest of this sermon is in its entirety a quotation of Holy Scripture on love, false and true. I invite you to listen afresh to these words of the Spirit, hearing His voice not in the form of obligatory verses peppered throughout a sermon, but as the life-giving declarations of God. “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world- the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does- comes not from the Father but from the world.”6 “The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet He does not leave the guilty unpunished.”7 “The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and My people love it this way. But what will they do in the end?”8
“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.”9 “Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace.”10 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”11
“We love because He first loved us. If anyone says, ‘I love God, yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.”12 “Dear children, let us love not with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”13 “This is love for God: to obey His commands. And His commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.”14
“God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like Him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear”15
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.”16 “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”17
“When the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.”18 “This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might have life through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”19
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?”20 “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”21
Amen.
+ in nomine Jesu +
The Nativity of Our Lord
December 25, 2013
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
11 John 4:16 2 John 3:16 3 Romans 5:8 4 Ephesians 2:4-6
5 1 John 3:2 6 1 John 2:15-16 7 Numbers 14:18 8 Jeremiah 5:31
9 2 Timothy 3:1-4 10 2 Timothy 2:22 11 Matthew 22:37-40 12 1 John 4:19-20
13 1 John 3:18 14 1 John 5:3-4 15 1 John 4:16-18 16 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
17 1 Corinthians 13:13
18 Titus 3:4-7 19 1 John 4:9-10 20 Romans 8:35 21 Romans 8:37-39
Text: Hebrews 1:3
Theme: God, Christ, Love
Dear Worshippers of the Newborn King,
“God is love.”1 This is at once the most simple and the most complex truth that exists. It is also the most relevant truth. God is love. What does this mean? Christmas begins to give us a picture. “God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life.”2 Good Friday is the most vivid image. “God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”3 Easter is the celebration of its truth. “Because of His great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ…and God raised us up with Christ.”4 Only in eternity will it be revealed completely to our senses. “Beloved, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when He appears, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.”5
Pure love is completely non-reflexive, that is, it never focuses on itself, but always upon another. It is never self-directed. Even God’s love within the Trinity is not self-directed. The Father loves the Son and the Son the Father through the Spirit.
Because God’s pure love could not be self-contained, it flowed out to creation. Human beings especially, as beings created in God’s image, were the recipients of God’s love. His desire was to have that love freely returned. It lasted only for a while.
Our sin necessitated a new expression of God’s unconditional love. Jesus Christ in the flesh is that expression. Jesus Christ, love incarnate, is the centre of Christmas. He is love. In baptism we are embraced in His love. In communion we are nurtured with it.
The rest of this sermon is in its entirety a quotation of Holy Scripture on love, false and true. I invite you to listen afresh to these words of the Spirit, hearing His voice not in the form of obligatory verses peppered throughout a sermon, but as the life-giving declarations of God. “Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world- the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does- comes not from the Father but from the world.”6 “The Lord is slow to anger, abounding in love and forgiving sin and rebellion. Yet He does not leave the guilty unpunished.”7 “The prophets prophesy lies, the priests rule by their own authority, and My people love it this way. But what will they do in the end?”8
“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.”9 “Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace.”10 “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”11
“We love because He first loved us. If anyone says, ‘I love God, yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen.”12 “Dear children, let us love not with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.”13 “This is love for God: to obey His commands. And His commands are not burdensome, for everyone born of God overcomes the world. This is the victory that has overcome the world, even our faith.”14
“God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like Him. There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear”15
“Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away.”16 “And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.”17
“When the kindness and love of God our Saviour appeared, He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of His mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by His grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.”18 “This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might have life through Him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.”19
“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?”20 “No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”21
Amen.
+ in nomine Jesu +
The Nativity of Our Lord
December 25, 2013
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
11 John 4:16 2 John 3:16 3 Romans 5:8 4 Ephesians 2:4-6
5 1 John 3:2 6 1 John 2:15-16 7 Numbers 14:18 8 Jeremiah 5:31
9 2 Timothy 3:1-4 10 2 Timothy 2:22 11 Matthew 22:37-40 12 1 John 4:19-20
13 1 John 3:18 14 1 John 5:3-4 15 1 John 4:16-18 16 1 Corinthians 13:4-8
17 1 Corinthians 13:13
18 Titus 3:4-7 19 1 John 4:9-10 20 Romans 8:35 21 Romans 8:37-39
Christmas Eve 2013
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti Amen. +
Text: Luke 2:14
Theme: “Peace On Earth”
Dear Travelers to the Manger,
That first Christmas the news was announced by melodious, angelic voices, “A great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest and ….peace.”1 Celestial beings heralded an event beyond earthly understanding. God had broached the dimensions of time and space. Christmas is about all things heavenly confronting all things earthly. In the person of Jesus, light meets darkness, good meets evil, grace meets sin, truth meets falsehood, life meets death.
There are many emphases of Christ’s presence that could be the focus of a Christmas discussion. This Christmas Eve, one particular word of the angels will not escape our notice: peace. “Peace to men on whom His favor rests.”2 How are we to understand this peace? Because of sin, there will always be conflict. Christmas is firstly and primarily about the resolution to the greatest conflict. Through Christ, every human being can have peace with God. It is this peace alone which is indispensable for our salvation.
The struggle that took place to win that peace is what fills our Christmas with the deepest and most mysterious love and drives our hope for the future. Underneath the Christmas tree in the Copper family home in Winona Lake, Indiana sits a token that symbolizes, in a very small way, the struggle to share that peace. Under their tree sits a prominently displayed piece of red cardboard. It says “Merry Christmas” and has clippings of the three wisemen on it. The cardboard card has been placed under the tree every year for 45 years. The Cooper’s only son had made the card for his father in school when he was a young boy. On his way home some bullies threatened to tear it up. Though not used to fighting, he fought them off to save this gift for his dad. His parents never knew until a neighbor told them what happened. And so in deep appreciation that only parents can know, that old card has been set in front of all others presents under their tree for nearly half a century.
There may be many gifts under our tree this Christmas, but all that matters is what we treasure in our hearts. Because of a great and cosmic struggle, a struggle involving the greatest sacrifice, we have secured for us an eternal peace. The prophet Isaiah gave lofty titles to the coming Messiah, “He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”3 Of the fulfillment of this prophecy, the New Testament says, “For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross.”4
Who could have guessed that we would have peace because Christ left the world with even greater humiliation than that with which He entered? The wood of His manger was made into the beams of His cross. His death was consistent with His birth. The King of Kings was not born in the temple palace. His subjects were not royal officials. No fuss was made over His needs. There was a celestial choir of angels to announce His birth, but only to lowly shepherds in the field. In just this way, God begins His great reversal of the world’s decay. In this humble way, as a helpless and vulnerable child He enters the kingdom of mature spiritual darkness. He comes as the Prince of Peace to a world of turmoil and division.
His is a divine power to change hearts and minds, to mend lives, to impart peace.
If there has been unfaithfulness in your marriage it can be restored with healing. If there has been falsehood in your words, it can be forgiven with repentance. If there has been bitterness in your heart, it can be drained of its potency. If there has been anger in your actions, it can be pacified with love. If there has been despair in your thoughts, it can be replaced with hope. If there has been doubt in your mind, it can be overcome by faith. It there has been selfishness in your life, it can be replaced with sacrifice for the Savior. There is nothing done that the Christchild’s forgiveness cannot undo. There is nothing lacking that His grace cannot supply.
Dear friends, our lives are never completely restored until the life to come. But we are in the process and we can have peace. Even as recovering sinners, we are called to add flesh to the words of Christmas joy and peace. At the manger Christ was born into our physical world to bring spiritual peace. At the baptismal font, we are reborn into His spiritual kingdom to embody that peace. We are given new life to address physical and spiritual needs. We are His agents to rescue souls and secure hearts. We do this as He did. Not with force. Not driven by self-interest or in hopes of recognition. Not to ease our guilt over some quota we think has been levied on us. Not with pomp and circumstance, but with humble bearing of our cross.
Dear friends, Christmas is not an excuse to indulge in excess, but an occasion to be immersed in essentials. The essentials are not expensive gifts, extravagant parties, and showy decorations. The essentials are purity of heart, integrity of will, and humbleness of mind displayed in gathering around the celebration of Christ’s birth. The true gifts of Christmas are not what we buy or construct or accomplish, but what we receive from His grace. The Christchild says, “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”5
May your Christmas this day and the whole season through be filled with the abiding peace and joy that comes only from the Son of God born into human flesh. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Christmas Eve
24 December 2013
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Luke 2:13-14
2 Luke 2:14
3 Isaiah 9:6
4 Colossians 1:19-20
5 John 16:33
Text: Luke 2:14
Theme: “Peace On Earth”
Dear Travelers to the Manger,
That first Christmas the news was announced by melodious, angelic voices, “A great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, “Glory to God in the highest and ….peace.”1 Celestial beings heralded an event beyond earthly understanding. God had broached the dimensions of time and space. Christmas is about all things heavenly confronting all things earthly. In the person of Jesus, light meets darkness, good meets evil, grace meets sin, truth meets falsehood, life meets death.
There are many emphases of Christ’s presence that could be the focus of a Christmas discussion. This Christmas Eve, one particular word of the angels will not escape our notice: peace. “Peace to men on whom His favor rests.”2 How are we to understand this peace? Because of sin, there will always be conflict. Christmas is firstly and primarily about the resolution to the greatest conflict. Through Christ, every human being can have peace with God. It is this peace alone which is indispensable for our salvation.
The struggle that took place to win that peace is what fills our Christmas with the deepest and most mysterious love and drives our hope for the future. Underneath the Christmas tree in the Copper family home in Winona Lake, Indiana sits a token that symbolizes, in a very small way, the struggle to share that peace. Under their tree sits a prominently displayed piece of red cardboard. It says “Merry Christmas” and has clippings of the three wisemen on it. The cardboard card has been placed under the tree every year for 45 years. The Cooper’s only son had made the card for his father in school when he was a young boy. On his way home some bullies threatened to tear it up. Though not used to fighting, he fought them off to save this gift for his dad. His parents never knew until a neighbor told them what happened. And so in deep appreciation that only parents can know, that old card has been set in front of all others presents under their tree for nearly half a century.
There may be many gifts under our tree this Christmas, but all that matters is what we treasure in our hearts. Because of a great and cosmic struggle, a struggle involving the greatest sacrifice, we have secured for us an eternal peace. The prophet Isaiah gave lofty titles to the coming Messiah, “He will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”3 Of the fulfillment of this prophecy, the New Testament says, “For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross.”4
Who could have guessed that we would have peace because Christ left the world with even greater humiliation than that with which He entered? The wood of His manger was made into the beams of His cross. His death was consistent with His birth. The King of Kings was not born in the temple palace. His subjects were not royal officials. No fuss was made over His needs. There was a celestial choir of angels to announce His birth, but only to lowly shepherds in the field. In just this way, God begins His great reversal of the world’s decay. In this humble way, as a helpless and vulnerable child He enters the kingdom of mature spiritual darkness. He comes as the Prince of Peace to a world of turmoil and division.
His is a divine power to change hearts and minds, to mend lives, to impart peace.
If there has been unfaithfulness in your marriage it can be restored with healing. If there has been falsehood in your words, it can be forgiven with repentance. If there has been bitterness in your heart, it can be drained of its potency. If there has been anger in your actions, it can be pacified with love. If there has been despair in your thoughts, it can be replaced with hope. If there has been doubt in your mind, it can be overcome by faith. It there has been selfishness in your life, it can be replaced with sacrifice for the Savior. There is nothing done that the Christchild’s forgiveness cannot undo. There is nothing lacking that His grace cannot supply.
Dear friends, our lives are never completely restored until the life to come. But we are in the process and we can have peace. Even as recovering sinners, we are called to add flesh to the words of Christmas joy and peace. At the manger Christ was born into our physical world to bring spiritual peace. At the baptismal font, we are reborn into His spiritual kingdom to embody that peace. We are given new life to address physical and spiritual needs. We are His agents to rescue souls and secure hearts. We do this as He did. Not with force. Not driven by self-interest or in hopes of recognition. Not to ease our guilt over some quota we think has been levied on us. Not with pomp and circumstance, but with humble bearing of our cross.
Dear friends, Christmas is not an excuse to indulge in excess, but an occasion to be immersed in essentials. The essentials are not expensive gifts, extravagant parties, and showy decorations. The essentials are purity of heart, integrity of will, and humbleness of mind displayed in gathering around the celebration of Christ’s birth. The true gifts of Christmas are not what we buy or construct or accomplish, but what we receive from His grace. The Christchild says, “I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”5
May your Christmas this day and the whole season through be filled with the abiding peace and joy that comes only from the Son of God born into human flesh. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Christmas Eve
24 December 2013
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Luke 2:13-14
2 Luke 2:14
3 Isaiah 9:6
4 Colossians 1:19-20
5 John 16:33
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Fourth Sunday Of Advent (A) 2013
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Matthew 1:23
Theme: New Birth For Life
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Everyone has ancestors. Christmas involves the reconnection of human ancestry to divine patronage. We all have- whether we are informed of the full details or not- a paternal and maternal lineage. If we pause to reflect on that our minds might be flooded with memories. Our mother was brought to birth by her mother and so forth before her. Our father was fathered by his father and so on before him. Christ is the lone exception. His Father has no father. Yes, we have the ancestry of Joseph, but God the Father is uncreated. He exists eternally, transcending time and space.
The birth of Jesus Christ involves the re-association of God with the human race. Christ stands in a unique position and the peerlessness of His existence can hardly be overstated. The fact of His full divinity and full humanity is the incomparable truth we celebrate in the humility of a feeding trough for animals. The Child born during Caesar-induced transit is the unchanging Lord of creation. At the mercy of world powers He brings a reign of divine compassion. Remote from the amenities of luxury, and removed from the privileges of position, His retinue is comprised beasts of the stable. Shepherds are His subjects. A manger is His throne.
This then, is the Redeemer of the world! Hear again what the angelic messenger said. “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”1 Is this just a pious but fanciful wish? What do we need saving from? What are these sins? Are they general lapses in judgment or common failures of conduct God wishes to tidy up? Are the sins the Messiah came to address moral indiscretions or transparent transgressions? Are they outward expressions of fear, greed, anger, selfishness, cruelty, and disobedience? These realities are surely foreign to none of us and we cannot be excused.
But there is something more. Christ came for a deeper crisis. He knows you. He knows what makes you tick. The Father did not send His Son to demand artificial expressions of loyalty from wayward children. God needs nothing that we can offer Him. He came to make payment; to be the sacrifice; to appease the wrath. He came to suffer and die. Christ came to soften hearts of stone. He came to thaw frozen spirits. He came to draw the poison from the wound. He came to breathe life into perishing souls.
In the coming of Christ, God-in-the-flesh, Emmanuel, life itself has new birth. The womb of Mary nurtures the resuscitator of life. Yes, that means life’s own vitality, its power and virility, had become hopelessly subjugated to the death and decay of sin. Life under the domination of the fall does not press forwards vibrantly, creatively, and progressively. Rather it groans, it bends, it slows; it withers under the weight of bondage and the poison of iniquity. Without His intervention life would decompose and cease to exist. Yes, souls would live on but only in service to Satan.
Christ doesn’t merely make a guest appearance in a stable; He makes a home in human flesh. He grants us identity and purpose. The last thing Satan wants you to know is that your very existence only has ultimate meaning in relation to God’s eternal election of you in Christ. Paul said it most succinctly, “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.”2 And again he said, “The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”3 You are God’s baptized child, resurrected spiritually even now so that you can live sacrificially until the day of your physical resurrection.
Now as individuals personally and as the church corporately we can aspire to embody His incarnational love. Yet we should never expect the world to receive this without reservation. Consider what Luther says in this regard, “Righteousness, holiness, power, life, salvation, everything the church has in Christ, are incomprehensible to reason and hidden to the world. If you judge the church by reason and outward appearance, you will err, for then you will see people who are sinful, weak, fearful, sorrowful, suffering, persecuted, and hunted down. But if you look at this, that they are baptized, believe on Christ, bear out their faith with godly fruits, carry their cross with patience and in hope, that is a true picture…”4
Are you riddled with anxiety? Are you plagued by doubt? Are you fraught with fear? Christ is your Emmanuel; God-in-the-flesh; your strength in frailty, your certainty in doubt, your peace in turmoil, and your refuge in times of fear. He walked in the shoes of humanity. He suffered the greatest indignity. He faced the harshest infirmity. He was a foil for self-made saints and a companion of sinners. He was a comrade of the downtrodden and an antagonist of the self-righteous. Most of all He was the sacrificial Lamb for the transgressions of the world.
The incarnation cannot be drained of its mystery. The Godhead- His entire power and majesty- fully dwelling in human form can never be fully grasped by us empirically, intellectually or emotionally. Yet you receive its fruits- its forgiveness and power- every time you receive His blood to your lips and body to your mouth in the Lord’s Supper. The lowly manger houses the exalted King and common bread contains divine food. Humble Mary cradles the immortal God and ordinary wine holds sacred blood. Faith welcomes an enigma reason can only despise.
Dear friends, it might be too late to curtail your Christmas commotion. Expectations are high and plans are set in motion that can’t be easily reversed. The credit card has been crunched. Busyness and bustle has you bushed. The tension and trauma can’t be tamed. Someone might be left out or neglected. You might fear it could be your fault. Perhaps you feel it might be you. Still, the window of opportunity does not suddenly close.
Remember- and when the Scriptures call us to remember they are not simply trying to jog particular sectors of grey matter that remind us of trivial data; they are beckoning us to rehearse, review, and rejoice- Christmas is not a fleeting flourish of indulgence. It is participation in the life of Him, once a child, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, the Water, the Bread, the Gate, the Vine, the Light, the Shepherd, and finally, the Resurrection and the Life. From earthy Bethlehem to heavenly Jerusalem He has prepared for His people an eternal kingdom. That kingdom will have the same angels and the same Son of God in human shape. But it won’t have stress. It won’t have fear. It won’t have irreconcilable relationships. It won’t have pain. It won’t have death. His kingdom will not end because the Child born in Bethlehem has permanently re-established the relationship with God’s people. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Fourth Sunday of Advent
22 December 2013
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Matthew 1:21
2 Philippians 1:21
3 Galatians 2:20
4 Martin Luther, 1532 sermon
Text: Matthew 1:23
Theme: New Birth For Life
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Everyone has ancestors. Christmas involves the reconnection of human ancestry to divine patronage. We all have- whether we are informed of the full details or not- a paternal and maternal lineage. If we pause to reflect on that our minds might be flooded with memories. Our mother was brought to birth by her mother and so forth before her. Our father was fathered by his father and so on before him. Christ is the lone exception. His Father has no father. Yes, we have the ancestry of Joseph, but God the Father is uncreated. He exists eternally, transcending time and space.
The birth of Jesus Christ involves the re-association of God with the human race. Christ stands in a unique position and the peerlessness of His existence can hardly be overstated. The fact of His full divinity and full humanity is the incomparable truth we celebrate in the humility of a feeding trough for animals. The Child born during Caesar-induced transit is the unchanging Lord of creation. At the mercy of world powers He brings a reign of divine compassion. Remote from the amenities of luxury, and removed from the privileges of position, His retinue is comprised beasts of the stable. Shepherds are His subjects. A manger is His throne.
This then, is the Redeemer of the world! Hear again what the angelic messenger said. “She will give birth to a son, and you are to give Him the name Jesus, because He will save His people from their sins.”1 Is this just a pious but fanciful wish? What do we need saving from? What are these sins? Are they general lapses in judgment or common failures of conduct God wishes to tidy up? Are the sins the Messiah came to address moral indiscretions or transparent transgressions? Are they outward expressions of fear, greed, anger, selfishness, cruelty, and disobedience? These realities are surely foreign to none of us and we cannot be excused.
But there is something more. Christ came for a deeper crisis. He knows you. He knows what makes you tick. The Father did not send His Son to demand artificial expressions of loyalty from wayward children. God needs nothing that we can offer Him. He came to make payment; to be the sacrifice; to appease the wrath. He came to suffer and die. Christ came to soften hearts of stone. He came to thaw frozen spirits. He came to draw the poison from the wound. He came to breathe life into perishing souls.
In the coming of Christ, God-in-the-flesh, Emmanuel, life itself has new birth. The womb of Mary nurtures the resuscitator of life. Yes, that means life’s own vitality, its power and virility, had become hopelessly subjugated to the death and decay of sin. Life under the domination of the fall does not press forwards vibrantly, creatively, and progressively. Rather it groans, it bends, it slows; it withers under the weight of bondage and the poison of iniquity. Without His intervention life would decompose and cease to exist. Yes, souls would live on but only in service to Satan.
Christ doesn’t merely make a guest appearance in a stable; He makes a home in human flesh. He grants us identity and purpose. The last thing Satan wants you to know is that your very existence only has ultimate meaning in relation to God’s eternal election of you in Christ. Paul said it most succinctly, “For me to live is Christ and to die is gain.”2 And again he said, “The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”3 You are God’s baptized child, resurrected spiritually even now so that you can live sacrificially until the day of your physical resurrection.
Now as individuals personally and as the church corporately we can aspire to embody His incarnational love. Yet we should never expect the world to receive this without reservation. Consider what Luther says in this regard, “Righteousness, holiness, power, life, salvation, everything the church has in Christ, are incomprehensible to reason and hidden to the world. If you judge the church by reason and outward appearance, you will err, for then you will see people who are sinful, weak, fearful, sorrowful, suffering, persecuted, and hunted down. But if you look at this, that they are baptized, believe on Christ, bear out their faith with godly fruits, carry their cross with patience and in hope, that is a true picture…”4
Are you riddled with anxiety? Are you plagued by doubt? Are you fraught with fear? Christ is your Emmanuel; God-in-the-flesh; your strength in frailty, your certainty in doubt, your peace in turmoil, and your refuge in times of fear. He walked in the shoes of humanity. He suffered the greatest indignity. He faced the harshest infirmity. He was a foil for self-made saints and a companion of sinners. He was a comrade of the downtrodden and an antagonist of the self-righteous. Most of all He was the sacrificial Lamb for the transgressions of the world.
The incarnation cannot be drained of its mystery. The Godhead- His entire power and majesty- fully dwelling in human form can never be fully grasped by us empirically, intellectually or emotionally. Yet you receive its fruits- its forgiveness and power- every time you receive His blood to your lips and body to your mouth in the Lord’s Supper. The lowly manger houses the exalted King and common bread contains divine food. Humble Mary cradles the immortal God and ordinary wine holds sacred blood. Faith welcomes an enigma reason can only despise.
Dear friends, it might be too late to curtail your Christmas commotion. Expectations are high and plans are set in motion that can’t be easily reversed. The credit card has been crunched. Busyness and bustle has you bushed. The tension and trauma can’t be tamed. Someone might be left out or neglected. You might fear it could be your fault. Perhaps you feel it might be you. Still, the window of opportunity does not suddenly close.
Remember- and when the Scriptures call us to remember they are not simply trying to jog particular sectors of grey matter that remind us of trivial data; they are beckoning us to rehearse, review, and rejoice- Christmas is not a fleeting flourish of indulgence. It is participation in the life of Him, once a child, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, the Water, the Bread, the Gate, the Vine, the Light, the Shepherd, and finally, the Resurrection and the Life. From earthy Bethlehem to heavenly Jerusalem He has prepared for His people an eternal kingdom. That kingdom will have the same angels and the same Son of God in human shape. But it won’t have stress. It won’t have fear. It won’t have irreconcilable relationships. It won’t have pain. It won’t have death. His kingdom will not end because the Child born in Bethlehem has permanently re-established the relationship with God’s people. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Fourth Sunday of Advent
22 December 2013
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Matthew 1:21
2 Philippians 1:21
3 Galatians 2:20
4 Martin Luther, 1532 sermon
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