+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: John 2:9
Theme: The Smallest of Miracles?
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Jesus wined the water. Surely, it’s one of His most subtle and interesting miracles. Miracles are an aid to faith. Some of Jesus’ miracles were much more impressive than others. Raising the dead and calming the stormy sea have a different impact than turning water into wine. Jesus didn’t perform miracles willy-nilly. He healed people out of compassion and benevolence. The goal was always to illicit faith or confirm it in the beneficiary and among the witnesses. Faith itself is a miracle; a gift of the Holy Spirit.
Everything Christ did was purposeful. Humans are the undeserving objects of His love. He attended to the physical and spiritual needs of people constantly. But He didn’t come just to ease the suffering of this temporal life. Of course, knowledge that He reconciles us to the Father, that our sins are forgiven, is the ultimate balm for our woes even now. Death is frightening enough even when we know Christ has it in hand. How can it be faced without such assurance? Well, only in defiance or ignorance or foolishness. All human constructions of a blessed afterlife are mere wishful thinking at best or cruel attempts to deceive people at worst.
Any suffering God allows or ordains in your life has the purpose of deepening your faith and whetting your appetite for the life to come. But because it is our tendency to view all painful experiences as evil, we are prone to not only shun them, but interpret them as being contrary to God’s will. And, if we’re honest, defending God against accusations that He is the author of evil is probably not our primary concern. We’re more worried about our own comfort and we are loathe to think that God works in our lives through things that are not only uncomfortable, but even painful and traumatic.
Job is one of the most vivid biblical examples, but there are many others. So, this baptismal life under the cross is always one of becoming instead of one of perfection; one of joy mixed with sorrow. We can’t see the resolution of all evil and suffering, but we press on believing God will bring it to pass. The Scripture says, “we walk by faith, not by sight.”1 And, we hold Romans 8 to be true even when it seems counterintuitive, “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”2
The skeptics of our day have no place in their intellectual capacities for miracles. Scientism is quickly gaining ascendancy as a dominant ideology of our times. Trust in the ability of science to solve and explain nearly every problem and question facing humanity is increasingly unchallenged. Technological advances- and some are mind-blowing to be sure- are mistaken for answers to questions of meaning and purpose. The implications are far-reaching.
The focused goal of many who adhere to this philosophy is to systematically deconstruct the biblical worldview. With God out of the picture humanity is freed to define reality within its own parameters. Jettisoned is the ancient conviction that a supreme being will ultimately judge and that there are absolute standards we will be measured against. Of course, under this worldview sin becomes a very fluid concept determined by those who wield power at a particular time in a particular place. We’re already seeing the challenges to societal cohesion. Who will determine who makes the rules and on what basis?
We can think of the entire enterprise of human autonomy as a reversal of the divine order. Constructing God in our own image is a crass inversion of the order of creation. It is the characteristic hallmark of the fallen creation. It is the activity of unbelief. You’re kidding yourself if you don’t think you’re vulnerable to the temptation to make the definition of sin something pliable and flexible. The quickest way to excuse our transgressions is to redefine them as virtues or at least neutral realities. But the thunder of the law cannot be mitigated. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”3 If you don’t feel the weight of your sins or have any real desire for forgiveness, pray that God would deliver you from such a false sense of security.
Dear friends, one of the lessons of today’s gospel account is the discriminating timing and activity of God. Jesus had a timeframe that couldn’t be altered. Mary, His mother, offered His services, perhaps with thoughts of more publicity for Him. But it wasn’t yet time, so Jesus performs a subtle but convincing miracle. His attentiveness was not in doubt, but the details could not be dictated to Him. Everything in your life has a timetable too. If you’re like me, you’re probably hasty when God wants you to be patient, or apathetic when God wants you to be passionate. Human cynicism and general short-sightedness compromise our trust that God knows what’s good for us and when. But Christ is never disinterested. He in never apathetic or indifferent to our needs. Miracles are His specialty. Death itself is no barrier. But for God nothing He does is a miracle, or everything is a miracle depending on what perspective you take.
But that doesn’t mean some things don’t stand out. We have a God who raises the dead. “For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom He will.”4 God will raise your lifeless corpse from the sleep of death, just as He has already done for your soul. His death on the cross and resurrection from the grave- securing your forgiveness- empower you with new life here and now.
It’s a life gifted to you by Him, but a life whose purpose is not one of self-indulgence, but of self-sacrifice. You have a vocation. In fact, you have multiple vocations. You are spouses, and parents, and children. You are mentors, apprentices, and managers, and workers. You have the privilege of serving others and being served by them. You are called to do this with integrity and according to God’s will. You are God’s ambassadors of peace and light in a world mired in chaos and spiritual darkness.
By rubbing shoulders with you, others become acquainted with the miraculous love of God in Christ. Is the fact that your body continues to metabolise nutrients enabling your brain to facilitate countless electrical synapsis translating into the power to make decisions any less miraculous than the turning of water into wine? Is not the marvel of God’s creation a litany of miracles? The ratio of strength to density of a spiderweb exceeds that of steel. The tiny ant can lift a hundred times its own body weight. Every day is filled with miracles. May the Spirit open our eyes to see them!
St. John records the turning of water into wine as Jesus’ first miracle. The theological parallel with holy communion is an instructive one. Just as we may think of Jesus turning the water into wine with the water still being present, so also, we can picture the body and blood of Christ in the Lord’s Supper while the bread and wine also remain present. The presence of the one does not exclude the presence of the other. It doesn’t make either reality any less of a miracle. And we’re certainly not suggesting that Christ’s body and blood isn’t truly there in the sacrament, that it’s only a mental image or something. Just as we’re not saying that the wedding guests at Cana were actually only drinking water but were too intoxicated to know the difference.
Jesus wined the water. And because there are no coincidences with God it was not happenstance that He was at a wedding. Christ is our eternal Bridegroom. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
The Second Sunday After Epiphany
20 January 2019
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 2 Corinthians 5:7
2 Romans 8:28
3 Romans 3:23
4 John 5:21
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
Monday, January 14, 2019
The Baptism of our Lord (C) 2019
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Luke 3:22
Theme: Baptized For Us
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Your wellbeing isn’t incidental to God’s plans. The coming of Christ to the manger, to Calvary, and through the opened tomb was not a scheme of salvation only anecdotally important to your personal relationship with God. In short, reconciliation with God happens only through Jesus and the events of His life which accomplished redemption. Baptism, His and yours, is part and parcel with that plan. Jesus didn’t need to be baptised for His own sake. He also didn’t need to leave the heights of heaven and lower Himself by becoming a man. But for us it was absolutely essential. It is the reason we can have confidence in Isaiah’s words today, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.”1
Our service today began with the invocation, “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” More than just clarifying that this is a Christian gathering, it is a reminder this is the community of the baptized. That means a number of important things. Firstly, the church is a fellowship of faith. Believers see the world differently. Life has a purpose and meaning beyond the struggles and joys of the here and now. Can infants believe? (Can Racer believe?) They can, and we baptize on that premise. The Holy Spirit enables the individual to trust in God’s promise and take Him at His word. It doesn’t require intellectual comprehension, just as a baby can trust in its parents to look after it without a cognitive understanding of what that all entails.
Secondly, in baptism you come into possession of the justifying power of Christ. This is no small matter. It doesn’t mean excuses are made for your sins. It doesn’t mean God waves a magic wand and makes all your sins disappear. In fact, it means we face our sins for what they are. We recognize (not by our own free will, but by the Spirit’s conviction) that sin severs our relationship with the heavenly Father and greatly compromises our relationships with people. So, implicit in baptism is the reality of repentance. Letting sin have free-reign is incompatible with life as a baptized child of God. “Jesus [once]said to His disciples: ‘Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come.”2
So, possessing the justifying power of Christ means that your sinful nature, with all the associated guilt is put to death, crucified, freeing you to live a new life. Listen to the Scripture, “Don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”3 Note how remarkable that is: We were buried with Him through baptism into death. That is, our sinful natures were put in the grave with the corpse of Jesus.
Thirdly, through baptism we come into possession of an inheritance. The final enjoyment of that inheritance involves being in the eternal presence of God. Yet, it’s an inheritance that we enjoy, and that impacts us each and every day. Our daily bread and every other blessing we receive from God’s hand are down payments on our inheritance. We don’t seek to hoard it because we know the Almighty will continue to provide what we need when we need it. The world, of course, looks at the matter of inheritance very differently. Consider the following true examples:
A woman named Nina Wang, who died of cancer in 2007 at age 69, signed over her vast fortune to previously unknown feng shui master Tony Chan as a promise for eternal life. (Feng shui is a Chinese practice that seeks to use energy forces to harmonize people with their environment). Wang changed her will in 2006 in order to leave everything to the feng shui master, voiding a previous will written four years earlier that left the fortune to her family and to charity. With no children of her own, Wang wrote a new will in 2006, two years after her ovarian cancer was diagnosed, making the 48-year-old Chan her sole beneficiary. The question is, why would Chan ask Wang to put him in her will if he had ensured her she would live forever, or at least for a very long time?
A homeless man supposed to be living on the streets of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia fled police who were bringing him news of a $6-million inheritance. Tomas Martinez, 67, apparently thought the police were about to arrest him for his alcohol and drug habits. The man disappeared without a trace, causing Bolivian newspapers to speak of him in 2000 as a "new millionaire paradoxically not knowing his fortune". The inheritance came to Mr Martinez from his ex-wife, who inherited the money herself from family members. She evidently did not blame him for leaving her several years ago. The man has never been found.
Dear friends, the baptismal inheritance of the Saviour is unexcelled and nobody can become so lost that God cannot track him or her down. Jesus Christ was crucified in your place and in mine. Everyone deserves capital punishment for their transgressions. Divine justice demands it. Yet, the miracle of the gospel, the fabulously good news, news so magnificent, extraordinary, and remarkable that enough superlatives could never be found to adequately praise it, is that the infant of Bethlehem who grew up to be sacrificed on Calvary took the full measure of the punishment due us. We are freed from Satan’s accusations and from sin’s power. God looks at repentant believers through the cross.
Jesus’s own baptism wasn’t one of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. It was one of solidarity to fulfill all righteousness. It was part of His substitutionary work and identification with sinners. The benevolence of Christ is not that of a distant Deity who makes divine decrees to disconnected dependents. Jesus is the Emmanuel, God-with-us, God-in-the-flesh Saviour who unites Himself with His creation in order that He may redeem it. The power of Christ is revealed in the ‘weakness’ of the cross. We won’t find God by peering piously into heaven and striving to reach beyond all the parameters of the physical universe understood by the human intellect. We find Him in the meekness of the manger, the horror of Golgotha, and the radiant light of the empty tomb. Jesus is in heaven, indeed. But the threshold of heaven is wherever the sinner is reconciled to God. He is present with His people here and now (in these baptismal waters), in the world of forgiveness and pardon, in the body and blood of Holy Communion.
Remember we said at the beginning that the fellowship of believers is a fellowship of faith. If you feel your faith is too frail to really appreciate what the unconditional love of God in Christ means, don’t worry about that. Salvation isn’t dependent on the strength of your faith, but on the object. Faith is trust that God is as good as His word, that His promises are unbreakable, that His capacities are unlimited, that His grace is immeasurable. Pray to have your faith strengthened. The desire to have your faith strengthened is, itself, evidence of faith’s activity.
External parallels in everyday life are analogous: If I have the desire to do something, the battle is half done. Or, from the perspective of the heart instead of the will, if I am passionate about something, I am well on my way towards the goal. But if my heart’s not in it, it will be an uphill battle. If you fear that you’re not passionate enough about God’s will, His word, His grace, then pray that God will invigorate your soul. But remember, that could involve some painful pruning in those areas where your will is in contradiction to His. The Holy Spirit is always seeking to dethrone idols from our hearts. There is only One who has been exalted to the Father’s right hand and He cannot be dethroned. He has our wellbeing in hand. Thanks be to God! Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
The Baptism of Our Lord
The First Sunday After Epiphany
13 January 2019
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Isaiah 43:1
2 Luke 17:1
3 Romans 6:3-4
Text: Luke 3:22
Theme: Baptized For Us
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Your wellbeing isn’t incidental to God’s plans. The coming of Christ to the manger, to Calvary, and through the opened tomb was not a scheme of salvation only anecdotally important to your personal relationship with God. In short, reconciliation with God happens only through Jesus and the events of His life which accomplished redemption. Baptism, His and yours, is part and parcel with that plan. Jesus didn’t need to be baptised for His own sake. He also didn’t need to leave the heights of heaven and lower Himself by becoming a man. But for us it was absolutely essential. It is the reason we can have confidence in Isaiah’s words today, “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.”1
Our service today began with the invocation, “In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” More than just clarifying that this is a Christian gathering, it is a reminder this is the community of the baptized. That means a number of important things. Firstly, the church is a fellowship of faith. Believers see the world differently. Life has a purpose and meaning beyond the struggles and joys of the here and now. Can infants believe? (Can Racer believe?) They can, and we baptize on that premise. The Holy Spirit enables the individual to trust in God’s promise and take Him at His word. It doesn’t require intellectual comprehension, just as a baby can trust in its parents to look after it without a cognitive understanding of what that all entails.
Secondly, in baptism you come into possession of the justifying power of Christ. This is no small matter. It doesn’t mean excuses are made for your sins. It doesn’t mean God waves a magic wand and makes all your sins disappear. In fact, it means we face our sins for what they are. We recognize (not by our own free will, but by the Spirit’s conviction) that sin severs our relationship with the heavenly Father and greatly compromises our relationships with people. So, implicit in baptism is the reality of repentance. Letting sin have free-reign is incompatible with life as a baptized child of God. “Jesus [once]said to His disciples: ‘Things that cause people to sin are bound to come, but woe to that person through whom they come.”2
So, possessing the justifying power of Christ means that your sinful nature, with all the associated guilt is put to death, crucified, freeing you to live a new life. Listen to the Scripture, “Don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”3 Note how remarkable that is: We were buried with Him through baptism into death. That is, our sinful natures were put in the grave with the corpse of Jesus.
Thirdly, through baptism we come into possession of an inheritance. The final enjoyment of that inheritance involves being in the eternal presence of God. Yet, it’s an inheritance that we enjoy, and that impacts us each and every day. Our daily bread and every other blessing we receive from God’s hand are down payments on our inheritance. We don’t seek to hoard it because we know the Almighty will continue to provide what we need when we need it. The world, of course, looks at the matter of inheritance very differently. Consider the following true examples:
A woman named Nina Wang, who died of cancer in 2007 at age 69, signed over her vast fortune to previously unknown feng shui master Tony Chan as a promise for eternal life. (Feng shui is a Chinese practice that seeks to use energy forces to harmonize people with their environment). Wang changed her will in 2006 in order to leave everything to the feng shui master, voiding a previous will written four years earlier that left the fortune to her family and to charity. With no children of her own, Wang wrote a new will in 2006, two years after her ovarian cancer was diagnosed, making the 48-year-old Chan her sole beneficiary. The question is, why would Chan ask Wang to put him in her will if he had ensured her she would live forever, or at least for a very long time?
A homeless man supposed to be living on the streets of Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia fled police who were bringing him news of a $6-million inheritance. Tomas Martinez, 67, apparently thought the police were about to arrest him for his alcohol and drug habits. The man disappeared without a trace, causing Bolivian newspapers to speak of him in 2000 as a "new millionaire paradoxically not knowing his fortune". The inheritance came to Mr Martinez from his ex-wife, who inherited the money herself from family members. She evidently did not blame him for leaving her several years ago. The man has never been found.
Dear friends, the baptismal inheritance of the Saviour is unexcelled and nobody can become so lost that God cannot track him or her down. Jesus Christ was crucified in your place and in mine. Everyone deserves capital punishment for their transgressions. Divine justice demands it. Yet, the miracle of the gospel, the fabulously good news, news so magnificent, extraordinary, and remarkable that enough superlatives could never be found to adequately praise it, is that the infant of Bethlehem who grew up to be sacrificed on Calvary took the full measure of the punishment due us. We are freed from Satan’s accusations and from sin’s power. God looks at repentant believers through the cross.
Jesus’s own baptism wasn’t one of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. It was one of solidarity to fulfill all righteousness. It was part of His substitutionary work and identification with sinners. The benevolence of Christ is not that of a distant Deity who makes divine decrees to disconnected dependents. Jesus is the Emmanuel, God-with-us, God-in-the-flesh Saviour who unites Himself with His creation in order that He may redeem it. The power of Christ is revealed in the ‘weakness’ of the cross. We won’t find God by peering piously into heaven and striving to reach beyond all the parameters of the physical universe understood by the human intellect. We find Him in the meekness of the manger, the horror of Golgotha, and the radiant light of the empty tomb. Jesus is in heaven, indeed. But the threshold of heaven is wherever the sinner is reconciled to God. He is present with His people here and now (in these baptismal waters), in the world of forgiveness and pardon, in the body and blood of Holy Communion.
Remember we said at the beginning that the fellowship of believers is a fellowship of faith. If you feel your faith is too frail to really appreciate what the unconditional love of God in Christ means, don’t worry about that. Salvation isn’t dependent on the strength of your faith, but on the object. Faith is trust that God is as good as His word, that His promises are unbreakable, that His capacities are unlimited, that His grace is immeasurable. Pray to have your faith strengthened. The desire to have your faith strengthened is, itself, evidence of faith’s activity.
External parallels in everyday life are analogous: If I have the desire to do something, the battle is half done. Or, from the perspective of the heart instead of the will, if I am passionate about something, I am well on my way towards the goal. But if my heart’s not in it, it will be an uphill battle. If you fear that you’re not passionate enough about God’s will, His word, His grace, then pray that God will invigorate your soul. But remember, that could involve some painful pruning in those areas where your will is in contradiction to His. The Holy Spirit is always seeking to dethrone idols from our hearts. There is only One who has been exalted to the Father’s right hand and He cannot be dethroned. He has our wellbeing in hand. Thanks be to God! Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
The Baptism of Our Lord
The First Sunday After Epiphany
13 January 2019
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Isaiah 43:1
2 Luke 17:1
3 Romans 6:3-4
The Epiphany of our Lord (C) 2019
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Matthew 2:6
Theme: Out of Bethlehem
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
God will always be shrouded in mystery, but His intentions are not hidden. In the person of His Son, Jesus-the Immanuel- He made crystal clear His plan to redeem the fallen world. Epiphany means showing forth or revelation. It involves making known a reality that had formerly been hidden- a disclosing of a mystery. Today the King of the Jews is revealed as the Lord of the gentiles. The visit of the Magi is more than just a journey of curiosity. The Magi are gentiles. The global significance of the gospel is indicated. Their visit is intertwined with the intrigue and scheming brutality of King Herod, also a gentile. Yet, the Magi come not to destroy, but to worship. They come in faith and they leave a shining example for the faithful to follow.
Dear friends, we too are ‘outsiders’ who have been embraced by the miracle that took place in Bethlehem. We do well to remember that we have no birthright, no claim on God’s grace. All sinners are alienated from the mercy of God. We are like the Magi not in regard to our eminence or regal-ness, but in-so-far-as we are foreigners to the covenant of Abraham. This Jew/Gentile distinction would seem to hold nothing more than historical interest for most 21st Century believers. But the relevant part is the continuing universal intent of the gospel. Christianity is not parochial. It is not a ghetto religion. Jesus Christ is the Saviour of every tribe, nation, and race. None are outside of His purview, and none come to the Father except through Him.
The season of Epiphany will shine light on the divinity of Jesus. In Christ the heart of God is revealed. As always, the Holy Spirit has no small task in keeping our faith focused. The world screams out with alternative paths to illumination and self-fulfillment. Some are overtly secular. Others draw from different elements in the religions of the world and occultic practices. Constructing your own image of spirituality from a diverse range of sources is now in fashion.
But, God won’t be revealed to you through navel-gazing, through quiet moments with nature, through a composition of eclectic convictions, or through the pursuit of altruism. You won’t find God in any of the ideologies or philosophies of the world. You will find elements of truth, of course because the Almighty created everything that exists. His imprint is on everything. You see His reflection in nature. You see His faint image in humanity, as terribly marred and broken as it is. But elements of truth will not save you from the condemnation of sin. Half-truths will not rescue you from the perils of hell. Reflections, images, and indications give you no true knowledge about whether God is truly merciful or a tyrant. In fact, apart from the saving gospel of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, God ends up only being a harsh judge because He permits no sinner entry into the holiness of His presence.
Sometimes a very basic reality check is what we need. Christ is God. We are not God. Yet He keeps gifting us unconditionally. For instance, you woke up today to discover you are still alive. Perhaps you verified it by checking the obituaries in the newspaper. Your name was not there. Your end hasn’t yet come. God continues to bless you with life. Maybe that life isn’t optimal according to your standards. Maybe you’d like better health, better relationships, a better career, or a better income? Maybe you simply wish tomorrow wasn’t Monday? Maybe you’re at the peak of your abilities? Maybe your faculties are quickly slipping away? Maybe (for a few of you in God’s house today) life is just cranking up? Maybe you’ve recently been in a dark place? Maybe you’re walking on cloud nine? You’re still alive so God isn’t through with you!
Each day should be a new epiphany of God’s patience and compassion. The Psalmist says, “This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”1The Lord has a purpose for you. Noah was made the captain of a ship. David was made the commander of an army. Mary was made the mother of God. Moses was made a prophet under protest. Paul was turned from persecutor to proclaimer. Matthew was turned from a tax collector to a seeker of souls. God is the potter, we are the clay. Moses was 80 when he was sent to free God’s people from Egypt. Noah was 600 years-old when he got on the ark, so don’t think there is nothing left for you to do.
We’re nearly a week into The Year of our Lord 2019. Make your plans. Pursue your goals. Don’t be afraid of failure. Try and try again. Don’t worry about defeat. Maintain honesty. Remain selfless. Cultivate gratefulness. Model integrity. Witness to the truth. Practice peace. And, as the apostle says, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”2And if you’ve already suffered more distress in 2019 than you’d have liked to, remember this promise, “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. “3 And let this blessing ring in your ears. “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”4
Much interesting speculation has been made about the gifts the Magi brought. Suffice it to say the gifts were both regal and purposeful and were not spare or superfluous possessions. That truth, in and of itself, is a good lesson in regard to our own approach to giving. He asks for the firstfruits of our time, treasures, and talents. More than that, He calls us to pay tribute to Him by serving our neighbour. Today Christ is honoured by the Magi with these small tokens, but He is the giver par excellence. He is the Suffering Servant. He came not be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many. Faith, at its core is a posture of reception. It involves trust that that which the Saviour desires to give is exactly what we need to receive. He bore our sins all the way to the cross. He rose triumphantly on the third day. You are baptized into His kingdom. You eat at His royal table. His word grants you divine pardon.
Many things this side of heaven will remain a mystery. And maybe you’re struggling to comprehend what God is doing in your life. But it’s the epiphany of our Lord and He won’t leave you in the dark in regard to anything that is finally essential for your well-being. A Redeemer has come out of Bethlehem. He journeyed to Calvary. In doing so He established for us the heavenly Jerusalem. We look forward to astonishing revelations of His glory there. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
The Epiphany of Our Lord
6 January 2019
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Psalm 118:24
2 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
3 Romans 8:18
4 1 Thessalonians 5:23
Text: Matthew 2:6
Theme: Out of Bethlehem
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
God will always be shrouded in mystery, but His intentions are not hidden. In the person of His Son, Jesus-the Immanuel- He made crystal clear His plan to redeem the fallen world. Epiphany means showing forth or revelation. It involves making known a reality that had formerly been hidden- a disclosing of a mystery. Today the King of the Jews is revealed as the Lord of the gentiles. The visit of the Magi is more than just a journey of curiosity. The Magi are gentiles. The global significance of the gospel is indicated. Their visit is intertwined with the intrigue and scheming brutality of King Herod, also a gentile. Yet, the Magi come not to destroy, but to worship. They come in faith and they leave a shining example for the faithful to follow.
Dear friends, we too are ‘outsiders’ who have been embraced by the miracle that took place in Bethlehem. We do well to remember that we have no birthright, no claim on God’s grace. All sinners are alienated from the mercy of God. We are like the Magi not in regard to our eminence or regal-ness, but in-so-far-as we are foreigners to the covenant of Abraham. This Jew/Gentile distinction would seem to hold nothing more than historical interest for most 21st Century believers. But the relevant part is the continuing universal intent of the gospel. Christianity is not parochial. It is not a ghetto religion. Jesus Christ is the Saviour of every tribe, nation, and race. None are outside of His purview, and none come to the Father except through Him.
The season of Epiphany will shine light on the divinity of Jesus. In Christ the heart of God is revealed. As always, the Holy Spirit has no small task in keeping our faith focused. The world screams out with alternative paths to illumination and self-fulfillment. Some are overtly secular. Others draw from different elements in the religions of the world and occultic practices. Constructing your own image of spirituality from a diverse range of sources is now in fashion.
But, God won’t be revealed to you through navel-gazing, through quiet moments with nature, through a composition of eclectic convictions, or through the pursuit of altruism. You won’t find God in any of the ideologies or philosophies of the world. You will find elements of truth, of course because the Almighty created everything that exists. His imprint is on everything. You see His reflection in nature. You see His faint image in humanity, as terribly marred and broken as it is. But elements of truth will not save you from the condemnation of sin. Half-truths will not rescue you from the perils of hell. Reflections, images, and indications give you no true knowledge about whether God is truly merciful or a tyrant. In fact, apart from the saving gospel of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins, God ends up only being a harsh judge because He permits no sinner entry into the holiness of His presence.
Sometimes a very basic reality check is what we need. Christ is God. We are not God. Yet He keeps gifting us unconditionally. For instance, you woke up today to discover you are still alive. Perhaps you verified it by checking the obituaries in the newspaper. Your name was not there. Your end hasn’t yet come. God continues to bless you with life. Maybe that life isn’t optimal according to your standards. Maybe you’d like better health, better relationships, a better career, or a better income? Maybe you simply wish tomorrow wasn’t Monday? Maybe you’re at the peak of your abilities? Maybe your faculties are quickly slipping away? Maybe (for a few of you in God’s house today) life is just cranking up? Maybe you’ve recently been in a dark place? Maybe you’re walking on cloud nine? You’re still alive so God isn’t through with you!
Each day should be a new epiphany of God’s patience and compassion. The Psalmist says, “This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.”1The Lord has a purpose for you. Noah was made the captain of a ship. David was made the commander of an army. Mary was made the mother of God. Moses was made a prophet under protest. Paul was turned from persecutor to proclaimer. Matthew was turned from a tax collector to a seeker of souls. God is the potter, we are the clay. Moses was 80 when he was sent to free God’s people from Egypt. Noah was 600 years-old when he got on the ark, so don’t think there is nothing left for you to do.
We’re nearly a week into The Year of our Lord 2019. Make your plans. Pursue your goals. Don’t be afraid of failure. Try and try again. Don’t worry about defeat. Maintain honesty. Remain selfless. Cultivate gratefulness. Model integrity. Witness to the truth. Practice peace. And, as the apostle says, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”2And if you’ve already suffered more distress in 2019 than you’d have liked to, remember this promise, “I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. “3 And let this blessing ring in your ears. “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”4
Much interesting speculation has been made about the gifts the Magi brought. Suffice it to say the gifts were both regal and purposeful and were not spare or superfluous possessions. That truth, in and of itself, is a good lesson in regard to our own approach to giving. He asks for the firstfruits of our time, treasures, and talents. More than that, He calls us to pay tribute to Him by serving our neighbour. Today Christ is honoured by the Magi with these small tokens, but He is the giver par excellence. He is the Suffering Servant. He came not be served, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many. Faith, at its core is a posture of reception. It involves trust that that which the Saviour desires to give is exactly what we need to receive. He bore our sins all the way to the cross. He rose triumphantly on the third day. You are baptized into His kingdom. You eat at His royal table. His word grants you divine pardon.
Many things this side of heaven will remain a mystery. And maybe you’re struggling to comprehend what God is doing in your life. But it’s the epiphany of our Lord and He won’t leave you in the dark in regard to anything that is finally essential for your well-being. A Redeemer has come out of Bethlehem. He journeyed to Calvary. In doing so He established for us the heavenly Jerusalem. We look forward to astonishing revelations of His glory there. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
The Epiphany of Our Lord
6 January 2019
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Psalm 118:24
2 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
3 Romans 8:18
4 1 Thessalonians 5:23
Wednesday, January 2, 2019
New Year's Eve 2018
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: 1 Peter 1:22-25
Theme: Imperishable
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The blessings of God do not diminish with the passing of time. Mortals must find their renewal in Him or they won’t find it at all. Citing the prophet Isaiah St. Peter addresses believers with these words, “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass.”1 This proclamation stands as a timeless call to repentance and publication of the gospel of eternal salvation. Times change. People change. The old year has come to a close. The new year is beginning. The events of our lives span the full range of experiences. We enjoy prosperity, endure tragedy, we experience joy and sorrow. Our capacities decline; sometimes gradually, other times suddenly. And in the past year a number of saints among us have reached their mortality. But “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”2 Thanks be to God! His mercies are new every morning.”3
Maybe you have some New Year’s resolutions? Maybe there are bad habits you’d like to eliminate or good ones you’d like to cultivate? Or perhaps there are people in your life who’d be happy to make some resolutions for you? Consider the pastor who made this announcement the Sunday before daylight savings was to change again, “For those of you in the habit of showing up 15 minutes late for church remember to turn your clocks back 45 minutes.”
Or, what about this one? The phone rings at the church office. "Hello, is this Pastor Smith?" The caller asked. "It is." "This is the Australian Tax Office. We were wondering if you can help us." "I'll try." "Do you know a man named William Beecham?" "I do." "Is this man a member of your congregation." "He is." "Did he donate $5,000?" "He will." Oh, dear friends, imagine the strife if we were allowed to make New Year’s resolutions for others! Times change and people do change but if we think we have the power to change others we’d better pause to reflect on both our motivations and our limitations.
Well, the beginning of a new year is a good time to re-evaluate our priorities. It doesn’t matter how many years pass, the central reality for humanity is still the same: Nobody goes from here to the presence of God in the next life- called heaven- under their own authority. It’s one of the most basic truths of Christianity and you’ve heard it time and time again. Still, it can never be assumed and can never be taken for granted for this one powerful reason: Humans do not easily or readily believe that sin is such a serious catastrophe. And therefore, they do not easily believe the truth of the gospel. In fact, on both accounts the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit is required. Remember, when we pray in the Lord’s Prayer that God’s kingdom would come, we are praying that God would give us a rich measure of His Holy Spirit so that His kingdom would be extended and strengthened through the creation and nurture of faith. Christianity in the West is facing strong head winds. The trend is likely to continue in 2019.
It is said there are a lot of ways to skin a cat, or a fox (apparently), but there is no other way to tackle the problem of sin, defeat the schemes of Satan, or overthrow the authority of death. Remember the narrative of Christmas, “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts…”4 And the Scripture says, “God has given us eternal life, and the life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”5 Fortunately, the gospel doesn’t fade with time. The truth of God’s word doesn’t age or become obsolete. Each generation of people that are born are just as stubborn and self-centred as the last. But God is up to the task. The Holy Spirit is ageless, like the Son. The fury of hell and the devil’s machinations are no match for His purity and His power.
So, what will the new calendar year hold for you? Do you have great expectations or niggling doubts? Do you consider yourself to be an optimist, a pessimist, or a realist? And by whose standards? In Christ, we start the year with transparency. He wants no pretend sinners with imaginary sins. Don’t try to fool yourself. You certainly can’t fool Him. But He also wants you to know that you are a genuine saint, His baptized. He feeds you with His own flesh and blood- real food. He gives you His Spirit and attends to you with His holy word.
And what might be the special focus of your prayers as we move into the new year? Will you be praying for better health, stronger relationships, a godlier marriage? Will you pray candidly about yourself, that the Holy Spirit would truly reveal to you those areas in which you’re myopic? Will you be praying that someone who has wandered from the faith will be brought back into the fold? The Good Shepherd never stops seeking His lost sheep. And then are you prepared to be a patient resources to that end?
Perhaps in the new year you’ll gain a more sober and honest perspective on your own mortality? The advent Christ hasn’t left us either. He promises to come again.
A priest and a pastor were standing by the side of a road holding up a sign that read “The end is near! Turn around now before it’s too late!”
A passing driver yelled, “You guys are crazy!” and sped past them. From around the curve, they hear screeching tires—then a big splash.
The priest turned to the pastor and says, “Do you think we should just put up a sign that says ‘Bridge Out’ instead?
Dear friends, Jesus Christ, the One who was and who is and who is to come, the First and the Last, the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End is our Redeemer. He may come again at any time, but with Him the bridge is never out. He spans the distance between heaven and earth. He allows us to traverse the abyss of hell. He is the way and the truth and the life. He is the ladder to heaven upon which the angels ascend and descend. He is our portal to eternity. This Jesus died on the cross and rose again from the grave for you and for your salvation.
As the peace of Christmas continues to fill your hearts, may the joy of Easter loom large on your horizons. “The grass withers and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever. And this word is the good news that we preached to you.”6 This good news tells you the New Year begins with Christ’s forgiveness. He has wiped the slate clean. Regardless or your age, your condition, or your circumstance, He gives you new life. We face the future knowing Him who holds the future. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
New Year’s Eve
31 December 2018
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 1 Peter 1:24
2 Hebrews 13:8
3 See Lamentations 3:22-23
4 Galatians 4:4-6
5 1 John 5:11-12
6 1 Peter 1:24-25
Text: 1 Peter 1:22-25
Theme: Imperishable
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The blessings of God do not diminish with the passing of time. Mortals must find their renewal in Him or they won’t find it at all. Citing the prophet Isaiah St. Peter addresses believers with these words, “All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass.”1 This proclamation stands as a timeless call to repentance and publication of the gospel of eternal salvation. Times change. People change. The old year has come to a close. The new year is beginning. The events of our lives span the full range of experiences. We enjoy prosperity, endure tragedy, we experience joy and sorrow. Our capacities decline; sometimes gradually, other times suddenly. And in the past year a number of saints among us have reached their mortality. But “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”2 Thanks be to God! His mercies are new every morning.”3
Maybe you have some New Year’s resolutions? Maybe there are bad habits you’d like to eliminate or good ones you’d like to cultivate? Or perhaps there are people in your life who’d be happy to make some resolutions for you? Consider the pastor who made this announcement the Sunday before daylight savings was to change again, “For those of you in the habit of showing up 15 minutes late for church remember to turn your clocks back 45 minutes.”
Or, what about this one? The phone rings at the church office. "Hello, is this Pastor Smith?" The caller asked. "It is." "This is the Australian Tax Office. We were wondering if you can help us." "I'll try." "Do you know a man named William Beecham?" "I do." "Is this man a member of your congregation." "He is." "Did he donate $5,000?" "He will." Oh, dear friends, imagine the strife if we were allowed to make New Year’s resolutions for others! Times change and people do change but if we think we have the power to change others we’d better pause to reflect on both our motivations and our limitations.
Well, the beginning of a new year is a good time to re-evaluate our priorities. It doesn’t matter how many years pass, the central reality for humanity is still the same: Nobody goes from here to the presence of God in the next life- called heaven- under their own authority. It’s one of the most basic truths of Christianity and you’ve heard it time and time again. Still, it can never be assumed and can never be taken for granted for this one powerful reason: Humans do not easily or readily believe that sin is such a serious catastrophe. And therefore, they do not easily believe the truth of the gospel. In fact, on both accounts the miraculous work of the Holy Spirit is required. Remember, when we pray in the Lord’s Prayer that God’s kingdom would come, we are praying that God would give us a rich measure of His Holy Spirit so that His kingdom would be extended and strengthened through the creation and nurture of faith. Christianity in the West is facing strong head winds. The trend is likely to continue in 2019.
It is said there are a lot of ways to skin a cat, or a fox (apparently), but there is no other way to tackle the problem of sin, defeat the schemes of Satan, or overthrow the authority of death. Remember the narrative of Christmas, “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts…”4 And the Scripture says, “God has given us eternal life, and the life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”5 Fortunately, the gospel doesn’t fade with time. The truth of God’s word doesn’t age or become obsolete. Each generation of people that are born are just as stubborn and self-centred as the last. But God is up to the task. The Holy Spirit is ageless, like the Son. The fury of hell and the devil’s machinations are no match for His purity and His power.
So, what will the new calendar year hold for you? Do you have great expectations or niggling doubts? Do you consider yourself to be an optimist, a pessimist, or a realist? And by whose standards? In Christ, we start the year with transparency. He wants no pretend sinners with imaginary sins. Don’t try to fool yourself. You certainly can’t fool Him. But He also wants you to know that you are a genuine saint, His baptized. He feeds you with His own flesh and blood- real food. He gives you His Spirit and attends to you with His holy word.
And what might be the special focus of your prayers as we move into the new year? Will you be praying for better health, stronger relationships, a godlier marriage? Will you pray candidly about yourself, that the Holy Spirit would truly reveal to you those areas in which you’re myopic? Will you be praying that someone who has wandered from the faith will be brought back into the fold? The Good Shepherd never stops seeking His lost sheep. And then are you prepared to be a patient resources to that end?
Perhaps in the new year you’ll gain a more sober and honest perspective on your own mortality? The advent Christ hasn’t left us either. He promises to come again.
A priest and a pastor were standing by the side of a road holding up a sign that read “The end is near! Turn around now before it’s too late!”
A passing driver yelled, “You guys are crazy!” and sped past them. From around the curve, they hear screeching tires—then a big splash.
The priest turned to the pastor and says, “Do you think we should just put up a sign that says ‘Bridge Out’ instead?
Dear friends, Jesus Christ, the One who was and who is and who is to come, the First and the Last, the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End is our Redeemer. He may come again at any time, but with Him the bridge is never out. He spans the distance between heaven and earth. He allows us to traverse the abyss of hell. He is the way and the truth and the life. He is the ladder to heaven upon which the angels ascend and descend. He is our portal to eternity. This Jesus died on the cross and rose again from the grave for you and for your salvation.
As the peace of Christmas continues to fill your hearts, may the joy of Easter loom large on your horizons. “The grass withers and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever. And this word is the good news that we preached to you.”6 This good news tells you the New Year begins with Christ’s forgiveness. He has wiped the slate clean. Regardless or your age, your condition, or your circumstance, He gives you new life. We face the future knowing Him who holds the future. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
New Year’s Eve
31 December 2018
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 1 Peter 1:24
2 Hebrews 13:8
3 See Lamentations 3:22-23
4 Galatians 4:4-6
5 1 John 5:11-12
6 1 Peter 1:24-25
Sunday, December 30, 2018
First Sunday After Christmas (C) 2018
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Luke 2:49
Theme: Christ Still With Us.
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The date for our celebration of Christmas has come and gone, but Christ has gone nowhere. Jesus was not a temporary visitor. The infant of the manger, the escapee to Egypt, the boy teacher in the temple is the Immanuel- God with us. The incarnation- the coming of God’s Son in human flesh is a permanent reality. When Christ ascended to heaven, He didn’t leave His body behind. He didn’t revert back to a spirit-only state. He rules heaven, earth, and hell as God and Man. The same Christ is present for communicants in the body and blood of the Lord’s Supper. “The word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.”1
Dear friends, the Holy Spirit did not deem it necessary to record information about Jesus’ childhood. After the nativity in Bethlehem Mary and Joseph flee with the infant Saviour to Egypt. Herod’s jealousy puts His life in danger. The slaughter of the innocent baby boys in Bethlehem was a dark tragedy. Yet, it was a preview of things to come. It was inevitable that the powerful people of the world would come into conflict with the legitimate King of the universe. The Scripture will continue to be fulfilled that says, “He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.”2 The narrative will endure until He comes again in glory. Western society is undergoing rapid secularization and does not want to hear about God’s condemnation of sin and unbelief.
Returning from Egypt the Holy Family takes up residency in Nazareth. Nazareth was where Jesus grew up in fulfillment of the prophecy, “He will be called a Nazarene.”3 Joseph worked as a carpenter. We know little else until Jesus was twelve years old and accompanied His family to the temple in Jerusalem for the Passover celebration. Our gospel for today covers this episode in Jesus’ life. Mary and Joseph assumed that on their return journey Jesus was among their wider group of family and friends. Their search took them back to the temple in Jerusalem where they found Him after three days. They were understandably upset. “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”4
Yet, there were much bigger questions to be answered than whether or not Jesus was being a thoughtless 12-year-old-boy. His response was, “‘Why were you searching for Me?...Didn’t you know I had to be in My Father house?’ But they did not understand what He was saying to them.”5 Jesus was giving an overt indication about what the future would hold. His mission was to make the Feast of the Passover obsolete. The Israelites were delivered from slavery in Egypt, but the Messiah would soon deliver God’s people from the greater bondage of sin and death. The blood of the Passover lamb was shed as a type and a foreshadowing. Jesus, the Lamb of God, would shed His own blood to atone for the transgressions of the world. These events were on the cards, but it was too soon for Mary and Joseph to comprehend what Jesus meant.
And so, they were looking for Jesus but didn’t really know who He was when they found Him. Perhaps, like Mary and Joseph, you’ve found yourself anxiously searching at times? Maybe you’ve been looking for a different Jesus than the Bible portrays; one who will be at your beck and call. Maybe in the hustle and bustle of the season you’ve paused to consider whether your priorities are right? Maybe you see that you’ve been over-indulged or have been over-indulging others? Maybe your fear of sin has been feeble and your repentance artificial. Maybe, if you’re candid, you can admit you don’t really see the need for Christ’s forgiveness in your life? Maybe your religious connections this Christmas have just been cultural associations and have had nothing to do with a living faith?
Well, rest assured, that Christ came for sinners and you are among them. He didn’t come by coincidence. He came out of necessity. Joseph and Mary were concerned for the whereabouts of their son Jesus, the holy Son of God. Do you recognise God’s presence in your life or would you rather keep Him at a distance? The Father’s house was the place for God’s Son and it’s the place for us who are coheirs with Him of the Father’s kingdom. All who are baptized into His name are part of a family that spans the dimensions of time and space. The Child of Bethlehem endured the cross of Calvary. He rose again on the third day. He did these things for you and for your salvation.
As we face a new calendar year, what kinds of doubts fill our minds and hopes fill our hearts? Do we fear the future, or do we embrace it? Is it a mixture of both? Remember, you are gifted with the greatest treasure imaginable. The gentle infant has conquered the brutal power of death. He has overthrown the lordship of Satan. Jesus was hung on a cross and rose again from the grave. The piercing accusations of your unworthiness that the devil would lift before the Judge of all have been silenced. They have been completely drowned out by the declaration of pardon the Saviour has made for you. You came into possession of these gifts at your baptism. No one can take them from you.
Christmas is a season for giving. Each year at this time generosity receives its annual promotion. But Christians know that self-sacrifice is part and parcel of living the baptismal life. Each day is gifted to us- we have no right to it- and through our actions and attitudes we offer it back to our Maker. The apostle encourages us today saying, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”6
Jesus is love incarnate. There is nothing that we have, or can give, or may lose that the Lord won’t restore to us 100-fold and more. The blood that flows through your veins, your sense of sight, taste, and smell, your capacity to enjoy, your ability to think- all are gifts from the Creator that will be perfected when you are raised again in glory. Then every fret and worry will have long since vanished.
May the Almighty God open you ears and your hearts so that you treasure the Christmas gospel anew. May He anchor your soul to the unshakeable truth of God-with-us, Emmanuel so that through the stormy seas of life you will be spared from Satan’s fury. Christ is still with us. Nothing and no one are out of His reach. He didn’t linger long at the manger or in the grave but in His Father’s house He will reside forever. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
First Sunday After Christmas
30 December 2018
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 John 1:14
2 Luke 1:52
3 Matthew 2:23
4 Luke 2:48
5 Luke 2:49-50
6 Colossians 3:12-14
Text: Luke 2:49
Theme: Christ Still With Us.
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
The date for our celebration of Christmas has come and gone, but Christ has gone nowhere. Jesus was not a temporary visitor. The infant of the manger, the escapee to Egypt, the boy teacher in the temple is the Immanuel- God with us. The incarnation- the coming of God’s Son in human flesh is a permanent reality. When Christ ascended to heaven, He didn’t leave His body behind. He didn’t revert back to a spirit-only state. He rules heaven, earth, and hell as God and Man. The same Christ is present for communicants in the body and blood of the Lord’s Supper. “The word became flesh and made His dwelling among us.”1
Dear friends, the Holy Spirit did not deem it necessary to record information about Jesus’ childhood. After the nativity in Bethlehem Mary and Joseph flee with the infant Saviour to Egypt. Herod’s jealousy puts His life in danger. The slaughter of the innocent baby boys in Bethlehem was a dark tragedy. Yet, it was a preview of things to come. It was inevitable that the powerful people of the world would come into conflict with the legitimate King of the universe. The Scripture will continue to be fulfilled that says, “He has brought down rulers from their thrones but has lifted up the humble.”2 The narrative will endure until He comes again in glory. Western society is undergoing rapid secularization and does not want to hear about God’s condemnation of sin and unbelief.
Returning from Egypt the Holy Family takes up residency in Nazareth. Nazareth was where Jesus grew up in fulfillment of the prophecy, “He will be called a Nazarene.”3 Joseph worked as a carpenter. We know little else until Jesus was twelve years old and accompanied His family to the temple in Jerusalem for the Passover celebration. Our gospel for today covers this episode in Jesus’ life. Mary and Joseph assumed that on their return journey Jesus was among their wider group of family and friends. Their search took them back to the temple in Jerusalem where they found Him after three days. They were understandably upset. “Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you.”4
Yet, there were much bigger questions to be answered than whether or not Jesus was being a thoughtless 12-year-old-boy. His response was, “‘Why were you searching for Me?...Didn’t you know I had to be in My Father house?’ But they did not understand what He was saying to them.”5 Jesus was giving an overt indication about what the future would hold. His mission was to make the Feast of the Passover obsolete. The Israelites were delivered from slavery in Egypt, but the Messiah would soon deliver God’s people from the greater bondage of sin and death. The blood of the Passover lamb was shed as a type and a foreshadowing. Jesus, the Lamb of God, would shed His own blood to atone for the transgressions of the world. These events were on the cards, but it was too soon for Mary and Joseph to comprehend what Jesus meant.
And so, they were looking for Jesus but didn’t really know who He was when they found Him. Perhaps, like Mary and Joseph, you’ve found yourself anxiously searching at times? Maybe you’ve been looking for a different Jesus than the Bible portrays; one who will be at your beck and call. Maybe in the hustle and bustle of the season you’ve paused to consider whether your priorities are right? Maybe you see that you’ve been over-indulged or have been over-indulging others? Maybe your fear of sin has been feeble and your repentance artificial. Maybe, if you’re candid, you can admit you don’t really see the need for Christ’s forgiveness in your life? Maybe your religious connections this Christmas have just been cultural associations and have had nothing to do with a living faith?
Well, rest assured, that Christ came for sinners and you are among them. He didn’t come by coincidence. He came out of necessity. Joseph and Mary were concerned for the whereabouts of their son Jesus, the holy Son of God. Do you recognise God’s presence in your life or would you rather keep Him at a distance? The Father’s house was the place for God’s Son and it’s the place for us who are coheirs with Him of the Father’s kingdom. All who are baptized into His name are part of a family that spans the dimensions of time and space. The Child of Bethlehem endured the cross of Calvary. He rose again on the third day. He did these things for you and for your salvation.
As we face a new calendar year, what kinds of doubts fill our minds and hopes fill our hearts? Do we fear the future, or do we embrace it? Is it a mixture of both? Remember, you are gifted with the greatest treasure imaginable. The gentle infant has conquered the brutal power of death. He has overthrown the lordship of Satan. Jesus was hung on a cross and rose again from the grave. The piercing accusations of your unworthiness that the devil would lift before the Judge of all have been silenced. They have been completely drowned out by the declaration of pardon the Saviour has made for you. You came into possession of these gifts at your baptism. No one can take them from you.
Christmas is a season for giving. Each year at this time generosity receives its annual promotion. But Christians know that self-sacrifice is part and parcel of living the baptismal life. Each day is gifted to us- we have no right to it- and through our actions and attitudes we offer it back to our Maker. The apostle encourages us today saying, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”6
Jesus is love incarnate. There is nothing that we have, or can give, or may lose that the Lord won’t restore to us 100-fold and more. The blood that flows through your veins, your sense of sight, taste, and smell, your capacity to enjoy, your ability to think- all are gifts from the Creator that will be perfected when you are raised again in glory. Then every fret and worry will have long since vanished.
May the Almighty God open you ears and your hearts so that you treasure the Christmas gospel anew. May He anchor your soul to the unshakeable truth of God-with-us, Emmanuel so that through the stormy seas of life you will be spared from Satan’s fury. Christ is still with us. Nothing and no one are out of His reach. He didn’t linger long at the manger or in the grave but in His Father’s house He will reside forever. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
First Sunday After Christmas
30 December 2018
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 John 1:14
2 Luke 1:52
3 Matthew 2:23
4 Luke 2:48
5 Luke 2:49-50
6 Colossians 3:12-14
Wednesday, December 26, 2018
Christmas Day 2018
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Luke 2:11
Theme: The Reason Christ Came
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Excepting God Himself, everything has a cause. Sometimes causes are easy to pinpoint. Other times they are mysterious, complex, or in this life, simply unknowable. There is a reason also for the incarnation of the Son of Man. Now, I suppose, the assurance that God is present with us is enough to justify the incarnation in one sense. However, God walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden in the cool of the day and we have no evidence they lacked certainty about His presence with them1. The pre-incarnate Emmanuel was with His people from the beginning.
Christmas is about more than the spirit of giving or even God’s presence per se, regardless of how endearing or sentimental our images of the nativity may be. The Messiah came for the unique and grueling task of rectifying sin- our sin. So, you see, It’s not actually a pleasant thing- the reason for Christmas. It’s not surprising that many efforts are made, even by Christians, to push it aside, to just reference it passing. Why dwell on the negative after all? We’re supposed to be celebrating! Our hearts are supposed to be filled with merriment and ‘the spirit of the season.’ And indeed, they should be! Yet, Christ became enfleshed because we are sinners.
The Spirit knows exactly which sins we need to be convicted of. He knows our well-disguised habits as well as our more candid transgressions. Imagine if our sins were displayed like ornaments on a tree? Imagine if each decoration represented a fault, a failure, a faux pas? What would be the garland? What sins would shine like lights, twinkling, flashing, drawing attention to the whole spectacle? And what would be the star? What would crown the top of our display of unrighteousness? What incidences of betrayal would be prominent? What examples of selfishness would stand out?
For many the Christmas tree itself is more or less, a symbol of affluence, self-indulgence or simply a cosmetic accoutrement of the season. But, decorations of sin and shame are not what our Saviour allows to adorn the believer’s life. He exchanges our unrighteousness for His holiness. He takes all of our sins off the tree and He carries them to another tree. He leaves not a single bulb, ornament, or decoration. He leaves no strands of lights or a shred of tinsel. He removes the symbol of idolatry that crown the top- the guilt that is the consequence of all efforts to establish ourselves as worthy human beings apart from the grace of the Almighty. He strips our trees of sin and shame bare, and He carries everything to His tree. His tree is not very pretty. It doesn’t twinkle with lights. It’s not decorated with tinsel. Gifts are not piled up at its base. It is not attractive in the eyes of the world. It is repugnant to human sensibilities. It is the tree of death.
But it is the beautiful tree, the blessed tree. It is the means for securing the only gift that matters in the end. The Scripture says, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.’”1 And again, “God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having cancelled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; He took it away; nailing it to the cross.”2 This Christ died for you in the flesh. He rose bodily from the grave in the flesh. He ascended to the Father’s hand of power in the flesh. The apostle says, “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.”3
So, celebrating we are indeed! God IS present with His people. The love which became incarnate in the manger could not be conquered by the grave. He lives! He reigns! The Christmas tree is a symbol. All the images of crosses we have are symbolic. But the crucifixion was not symbolic. It was the event that made Christmas more than an event of passing significance. On that blessed tree the Son of God was sacrificed for the salvation of the world. The tree of death was the means to life. The tree that stood on the hill of Calvary surpassed the one that stood in the middle of the Garden of Eden. Their purpose was the same- to support and sustain life; life that is undying, life that is ever new.
We enjoy that new life now, today. We have been absolved of our sins. Our baptismal inheritance is secure. The Christmas feast is before us. The Bread of Heaven is our food on this high and holy day. The blood of Emmanuel carries His grace and forgiveness. He said, “Take and eat; this is My body…drink from it, all of you. This is My blood of the covenant.”4 Only this food can nourish our souls, and when our souls are well fed our entire wellbeing is on solid footing. When we participate in this meal- a sacred fellowship of holy things- we celebrate with the whole host of heaven. The same angels who joined in the announcement of the nativity saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased.”5 are the same angels that attend the triune God in His majesty.
Yes, Christmas has a cause, and we have reason to celebrate. Sin cannot win the victory over us. “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”6 Angels sing. Shepherds bend the knee. Magi come later bearing gifts. But He is gifted to 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.”7 May your hearts be filled with His profound peace and exuberant joy during this holy season and beyond. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
The Nativity of our Lord
Christmas Day
25 December 2018
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Galatians 3:13
2 Colossians 2:13-14
3 John 1:14
4 Luke 26:26-28
5 Luke 2:14
6 Isaiah 9:6
7 Luke 2:10-11
Text: Luke 2:11
Theme: The Reason Christ Came
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Excepting God Himself, everything has a cause. Sometimes causes are easy to pinpoint. Other times they are mysterious, complex, or in this life, simply unknowable. There is a reason also for the incarnation of the Son of Man. Now, I suppose, the assurance that God is present with us is enough to justify the incarnation in one sense. However, God walked with Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden in the cool of the day and we have no evidence they lacked certainty about His presence with them1. The pre-incarnate Emmanuel was with His people from the beginning.
Christmas is about more than the spirit of giving or even God’s presence per se, regardless of how endearing or sentimental our images of the nativity may be. The Messiah came for the unique and grueling task of rectifying sin- our sin. So, you see, It’s not actually a pleasant thing- the reason for Christmas. It’s not surprising that many efforts are made, even by Christians, to push it aside, to just reference it passing. Why dwell on the negative after all? We’re supposed to be celebrating! Our hearts are supposed to be filled with merriment and ‘the spirit of the season.’ And indeed, they should be! Yet, Christ became enfleshed because we are sinners.
The Spirit knows exactly which sins we need to be convicted of. He knows our well-disguised habits as well as our more candid transgressions. Imagine if our sins were displayed like ornaments on a tree? Imagine if each decoration represented a fault, a failure, a faux pas? What would be the garland? What sins would shine like lights, twinkling, flashing, drawing attention to the whole spectacle? And what would be the star? What would crown the top of our display of unrighteousness? What incidences of betrayal would be prominent? What examples of selfishness would stand out?
For many the Christmas tree itself is more or less, a symbol of affluence, self-indulgence or simply a cosmetic accoutrement of the season. But, decorations of sin and shame are not what our Saviour allows to adorn the believer’s life. He exchanges our unrighteousness for His holiness. He takes all of our sins off the tree and He carries them to another tree. He leaves not a single bulb, ornament, or decoration. He leaves no strands of lights or a shred of tinsel. He removes the symbol of idolatry that crown the top- the guilt that is the consequence of all efforts to establish ourselves as worthy human beings apart from the grace of the Almighty. He strips our trees of sin and shame bare, and He carries everything to His tree. His tree is not very pretty. It doesn’t twinkle with lights. It’s not decorated with tinsel. Gifts are not piled up at its base. It is not attractive in the eyes of the world. It is repugnant to human sensibilities. It is the tree of death.
But it is the beautiful tree, the blessed tree. It is the means for securing the only gift that matters in the end. The Scripture says, “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us, for it is written: ‘Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.’”1 And again, “God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having cancelled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; He took it away; nailing it to the cross.”2 This Christ died for you in the flesh. He rose bodily from the grave in the flesh. He ascended to the Father’s hand of power in the flesh. The apostle says, “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.”3
So, celebrating we are indeed! God IS present with His people. The love which became incarnate in the manger could not be conquered by the grave. He lives! He reigns! The Christmas tree is a symbol. All the images of crosses we have are symbolic. But the crucifixion was not symbolic. It was the event that made Christmas more than an event of passing significance. On that blessed tree the Son of God was sacrificed for the salvation of the world. The tree of death was the means to life. The tree that stood on the hill of Calvary surpassed the one that stood in the middle of the Garden of Eden. Their purpose was the same- to support and sustain life; life that is undying, life that is ever new.
We enjoy that new life now, today. We have been absolved of our sins. Our baptismal inheritance is secure. The Christmas feast is before us. The Bread of Heaven is our food on this high and holy day. The blood of Emmanuel carries His grace and forgiveness. He said, “Take and eat; this is My body…drink from it, all of you. This is My blood of the covenant.”4 Only this food can nourish our souls, and when our souls are well fed our entire wellbeing is on solid footing. When we participate in this meal- a sacred fellowship of holy things- we celebrate with the whole host of heaven. The same angels who joined in the announcement of the nativity saying, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom He is pleased.”5 are the same angels that attend the triune God in His majesty.
Yes, Christmas has a cause, and we have reason to celebrate. Sin cannot win the victory over us. “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.”6 Angels sing. Shepherds bend the knee. Magi come later bearing gifts. But He is gifted to 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.”7 May your hearts be filled with His profound peace and exuberant joy during this holy season and beyond. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
The Nativity of our Lord
Christmas Day
25 December 2018
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Galatians 3:13
2 Colossians 2:13-14
3 John 1:14
4 Luke 26:26-28
5 Luke 2:14
6 Isaiah 9:6
7 Luke 2:10-11
Christmas Eve 2018
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Luke 2:11
Theme: Fulltime Saviour
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Christmas can be frenetic for the average person. The expectations of family, friends and society can become too much. The quiet stillness the Prince of Peace brings is sacrificed. Yet, Christmas also lends itself to escapism. Christmas has the power of arresting the turbulence of life, of holding it in suspended animation. It enables people to temporarily push aside many of the pressing headaches, the heartaches, and the anxieties that dominate our attention so regularly. The resolution or collapse of other things can wait a little bit longer…if we can just pause to enjoy the season.
And yet the desire of God’s Son is not that we pause for a moment to peer reverently into the manger. He seeks to enter right into the turbulence of your life and accompany you over the peaks and through the valleys. He didn’t come to provide a brief distraction from the daily grind. He didn’t come so we could add another public holiday onto the annual calendar. He came to bear sin and conquer death. He came to journey with us all the way to the grave and beyond. So, Christmas is not really an opportunity to escape per se. It’s an opportunity to embrace the presence of God in human flesh. "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel (which means, God with us).”1
Our society is moving away from objective truth in preference to validation of the experience of the individual. The implications are far-reaching. Therefore, the historical grounding of the Christmas narrative is important. The modern tendency is to ask, “What does Christmas mean to you?” And then to answer that with any number of subjective responses. They may focus on the gathering of family, of activity and indulgence, of tightly held traditions, both religious and secular. None of these are necessarily wrong in and of themselves. But they may be incomplete. They may be skewed. They may be naive.
The intention of the angels, of the shepherds, of the evangelist is not to communicate what Christmas might mean for individuals, but what it does mean for all humanity. Our personal views, ideas, and tendencies must be filtered through the prism of truth. We can’t see clearly until we see through the lens of faith. The Child lying meek and mild is strong and mighty. The Child in the manger is our flesh and blood. 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.”2
The manger is filled with gentleness, but it is also filled with strength. It is hallowed with purity but is not an ivory tower for an aloof Lord. The Child of holiness will immerse Himself into the filth of sinfulness. Bethlehem is His portal to the fallen world. A cross will soon cast a shadow over the manger.
Dear friends, the meaning, the message, and the truth of the nativity gospel is that God came to stay, He’s playing for keeps. So, if you have a God that’s only present in your happiness you only have a “fractional” God, a part-time deity. He may or may not get passing or partial credit for your prosperity. Other times you take credit for your own success or call it good fortune. God is then left sitting in the background. The Holy Spirit calls us to repent of such ideas because a part-time deity is really no God at all.
And if You only have a God who’s present in your joy, you only have a half-time God. He’s conveniently absent in the difficult times. The Scriptures tell you that you have a God who is present in your darkness. He is present in your mountain peaks of joy and in your deep valleys of sorrow. He is present in your struggles and failure, there in our deep disappointments. He is the only one that can truly understand grief. This God, your God, the Child of Bethlehem and Redeemer of Calvary: The Wonderful Counsellor and Prince of Peace3 is 24/7 all in, all of the time.
It was a difficult Christmas in the year 1524 for one particular family. Katie and Martin Luther’s daughter, Magdalena had died in September of that year. She was the tender age of thirteen. The grief was palpable. Yet, the Luther’s had the quiet, firm confidence that Child born in the manger would raise their daughter from the sleep of death. They would see her again because the Boy of Bethlehem is also the resurrection and the life4. Hope is never lost when it’s placed rightly.
Maybe this is your most difficult Christmas? Maybe it is your most relaxed, your most lavish, or your most peaceful? Maybe it is none of the above, just an average Christmas for you and your family? If your heart is filled with anxiety hear the word of the angel, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.”5 If you are skeptical about God’s presence hear the ancient word of the prophet long since fulfilled in Bethlehem, “God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”6 May the newborn ChristChild fill your hearts with joy, your minds with peace and your lives with love. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
The Nativity of our Lord
Christmas Eve
24 December 2018
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Matthew 1:23
2 Hebrews 2:14
3 See Isaiah 9:6
4 John 11:25
5 Luke 2:10-11
6 Psalm 46-5, 7
Text: Luke 2:11
Theme: Fulltime Saviour
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Christmas can be frenetic for the average person. The expectations of family, friends and society can become too much. The quiet stillness the Prince of Peace brings is sacrificed. Yet, Christmas also lends itself to escapism. Christmas has the power of arresting the turbulence of life, of holding it in suspended animation. It enables people to temporarily push aside many of the pressing headaches, the heartaches, and the anxieties that dominate our attention so regularly. The resolution or collapse of other things can wait a little bit longer…if we can just pause to enjoy the season.
And yet the desire of God’s Son is not that we pause for a moment to peer reverently into the manger. He seeks to enter right into the turbulence of your life and accompany you over the peaks and through the valleys. He didn’t come to provide a brief distraction from the daily grind. He didn’t come so we could add another public holiday onto the annual calendar. He came to bear sin and conquer death. He came to journey with us all the way to the grave and beyond. So, Christmas is not really an opportunity to escape per se. It’s an opportunity to embrace the presence of God in human flesh. "Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel (which means, God with us).”1
Our society is moving away from objective truth in preference to validation of the experience of the individual. The implications are far-reaching. Therefore, the historical grounding of the Christmas narrative is important. The modern tendency is to ask, “What does Christmas mean to you?” And then to answer that with any number of subjective responses. They may focus on the gathering of family, of activity and indulgence, of tightly held traditions, both religious and secular. None of these are necessarily wrong in and of themselves. But they may be incomplete. They may be skewed. They may be naive.
The intention of the angels, of the shepherds, of the evangelist is not to communicate what Christmas might mean for individuals, but what it does mean for all humanity. Our personal views, ideas, and tendencies must be filtered through the prism of truth. We can’t see clearly until we see through the lens of faith. The Child lying meek and mild is strong and mighty. The Child in the manger is our flesh and blood. 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.”2
The manger is filled with gentleness, but it is also filled with strength. It is hallowed with purity but is not an ivory tower for an aloof Lord. The Child of holiness will immerse Himself into the filth of sinfulness. Bethlehem is His portal to the fallen world. A cross will soon cast a shadow over the manger.
Dear friends, the meaning, the message, and the truth of the nativity gospel is that God came to stay, He’s playing for keeps. So, if you have a God that’s only present in your happiness you only have a “fractional” God, a part-time deity. He may or may not get passing or partial credit for your prosperity. Other times you take credit for your own success or call it good fortune. God is then left sitting in the background. The Holy Spirit calls us to repent of such ideas because a part-time deity is really no God at all.
And if You only have a God who’s present in your joy, you only have a half-time God. He’s conveniently absent in the difficult times. The Scriptures tell you that you have a God who is present in your darkness. He is present in your mountain peaks of joy and in your deep valleys of sorrow. He is present in your struggles and failure, there in our deep disappointments. He is the only one that can truly understand grief. This God, your God, the Child of Bethlehem and Redeemer of Calvary: The Wonderful Counsellor and Prince of Peace3 is 24/7 all in, all of the time.
It was a difficult Christmas in the year 1524 for one particular family. Katie and Martin Luther’s daughter, Magdalena had died in September of that year. She was the tender age of thirteen. The grief was palpable. Yet, the Luther’s had the quiet, firm confidence that Child born in the manger would raise their daughter from the sleep of death. They would see her again because the Boy of Bethlehem is also the resurrection and the life4. Hope is never lost when it’s placed rightly.
Maybe this is your most difficult Christmas? Maybe it is your most relaxed, your most lavish, or your most peaceful? Maybe it is none of the above, just an average Christmas for you and your family? If your heart is filled with anxiety hear the word of the angel, "Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord.”5 If you are skeptical about God’s presence hear the ancient word of the prophet long since fulfilled in Bethlehem, “God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”6 May the newborn ChristChild fill your hearts with joy, your minds with peace and your lives with love. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
The Nativity of our Lord
Christmas Eve
24 December 2018
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Matthew 1:23
2 Hebrews 2:14
3 See Isaiah 9:6
4 John 11:25
5 Luke 2:10-11
6 Psalm 46-5, 7
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