+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: 1 Peter 1:23
Theme: God’s Living and Enduring Word
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”1 It’s a biblical maxim that can seem to ears trained to want something new and revolutionizing to be uninspiring and even irrelevant. The pace of change has so captivated our way of thinking and living that we often have false expectations. Change is often associated with progress; and often this is true. Other times it is nothing more than the re-emergence of Satan’s forgotten schemes.
The Year of Our Lord 2014 has come to a close. Think what can happen over the course of a year. The biblical record recalls momentous events. During the time of Noah the earth went from its daily business to being submerged in flood waters in forty days lasting for nearly four month. During the time of Moses the Israelites were released from centuries of bondage and journeyed across the Red Sea in haste before wandering in the desert. Christ Himself rose from virtual obscurity to being pursued by the masses in a matter of months. Things can quickly change. Over the course of a year wars are engaged, dictators are toppled, economies falter. The world sometimes lurches forward and then back. Over the course of a year students graduate, jobs are lost or secured; children are born or leave home, illness strikes or recovery progresses, death visits some that are prepared for it and some who are not. But at the end of the year as at the beginning God is with His people.
One thing that will never change is our need for God’s grace because sin too, is unrelenting. The human nature of the next child to be conceived in this town is essentially no different than that of the very first. Neither genetic, nor social, nor cultural, nor environmental circumstances can eliminate, mitigate, or circumvent the power and presence of original sin. The apple does not fall very far from the tree. We are all fruit of Adam’s tree. The next child conceived needs Christ just as much as the child conceived 100 years ago and 1,000 years ago. If we don’t believe that then we’ve lost sight of what the Scriptures mean when they say, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.”2 Original sin is not a genotype that can be bred out of the human race. It’s not a gap in civilized virtue that only needs mending. It’s not a flawed perspective on Utopian society. Original sin is the glaring truth that apart from intervention of divine proportions we would all be lost.
Oh yes, we can put on the appearance that everything is basically running smoothly. That also helps alleviate our urge for any true repentance. We are adept at justifying ourselves. There were four Christians. They were called: Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. There was job to do: Love God and love your neighbour as yourself. Everybody was asked to do it. But Everybody was sure Somebody would. Anybody could have done it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry because it was Everybody’s job. Everybody thought Anybody could do it, but Nobody realized that Everybody wouldn’t do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody.
If we have it all together what help do we need from God? But stability in the ceaseless cycle of the world’s activity is an illusion. Not that we should fail to pray for stability in the temporal sphere. God rules the civil sphere, the left-hand kingdom, with power and providence. We should pray for it, vote wisely to promote it, and do what we can to support it. Orderliness in society provides not only the basis of safety for all, but also the opportunity for the Word of God to be openly proclaimed- ideally with impunity. But we should not be misinformed about what it offers us.
Is the world a more dangerous place than a year ago? Terror touched the lives of people in places as far flung as Sydney, Ottawa, and Pakistan. War and civil unrest continue unabated in many parts of the world. People become unsettled and even filled with fear when disorder goes unchecked and strikes by surprise. Yet Christ Himself says, “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed…these are the beginning of birth pains.”3
Dear friends, in a world of uncertainty and instability Christ is an unfailing and immovable. Our Scripture for this New Years’ Eve says Christians now participate in His immortal power. “You have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.”4 Seeds are remarkable entities of God’s creation. A seed can lay dormant, imperious to dust and draught, wind and woe, quietly biding its time. Then it springs to life. When it takes root it can quickly establish a growing plant that soon bears fruit.
Perhaps you will be pursuing some kind of personal change in the coming year? What approaches will you take? What type of sacrifices will need to be made? What are your expectations? A woman went to the police station to report a missing husband. She described him as "29 years old, six foot three, athletic, and handsome." The sergeant shook his head. "Wait a minute, madam, I know your husband. He’s 50, short, and overweight." "Sure he is” the woman replied, "But I never said which husband!”
Christians are sometimes accused of looking at the world through rose-coloured glasses; of being idealistic and impractical. But Christian hope is not the same as false optimism. Cheerful conviction is not the same as childish naivety. As we mature in the faith we learn not to be reliant on fallible schemes of human wisdom. The Almighty God says, “When the earth totters, and all its inhabitants, it is I who keep steady its pillars.”5 He says we are “receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken.”6 It is only because God is immutable that we can be transformed by the constancy of His love. “Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil, or fade- kept in heaven for you.”7
Viewed in biblical perspective Christians can face the coming year with hope and promise. The Year of Our Lord 2015 is the next calendar year in your baptismal journey. Yet in God’s time our days tick off in parallel with the timelessness of eternity. Constant in love; faithful in mercy, God in Christ will not fail to attend to us in prosperity and adversity. Your strength, forgiveness, and hope will continue to come from the same sources it always has: The Word, The Spirit, returning to the font, kneeling to receive the body and blood of the Saviour. Christ for us. Christ in us. Christ crucified. Christ risen. Christ living, interceding, and ruling on behalf of His redeemed people. In a few hours the calendar turns over but God’s favour is never turned away. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
New Year’s Eve
31 December 2014
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Hebrews 13:8
2 Romans 5:12
3 Matthew 24:6, 8
4 1 Peter 1:23
5 Psalm 75:3
6 Hebrews 12:28
7 1 Peter 1:3-4
Sunday, January 4, 2015
Wednesday, December 31, 2014
Christian Burial of Louise Jane Kershaw
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: John 5:24
Theme: Life Restored
Dear family, friends and loved ones of Louise; Robert, Sue; Declan, Ashton, Averyall; and especially you; Mark,
Silence is often the better part of wisdom. It is for fools, anyway, and before God we are all fools. What can be said that does not sound trite, inadequate, or redundant? What can be uttered to soothe such pain? Words are often insufficient to express the movements of the heart. Tears can say more. Silence does not extinguish anguish but it does honour grief. Louise Kershaw has finished her struggle. In the midst of our sorrow we are gathered to give thanks that she has now been released.
The struggle of grief is as old as the human race. The Bible presents to us the ancient figure of Job. Job was the quintessential man of suffering. Bereft of ten children, robbed of all possessions, victim of cruel infirmity; this Job pleads his cause. “If?” He says. “If I have put my trust in gold…if I have rejoiced over my great wealth…if I have I have rejoiced at my enemy’s misfortune…if I have concealed my sin.”1 If anyone can bring forth evidence of why I deserve to be burdened with such pain and loss…please make it known. When Job’s three friends came to comfort him the Scripture says this, “When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him; they began to weep aloud…then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was.”2
Dear friends, life is precious at all times and at every age. Span of life should not numb us to the vile nature of death. Our minds should not be at ease or our hearts at peace when we observe someone live to a so-called ripe old age. Death is still the devastating consequence of living in a fallen world; of being creatures fully vulnerable to the crisis of mortality. Death for any person, of any age, in any condition, and under every circumstance is always, always the result of sin reaching its maturity. No human can stand against the power of death. Mortality is an unbending reality.
Louise is a testimony to that truth. Louise had tenacity. She was vibrant and full of life. She had drive and determination. She always saw things through to completion. And no one could allege otherwise. She was meticulous, thorough, and organized. Louise’s life; her outlook, her training, her attitude were the epitome of physical health and well-being. Her will-power and conditioning undoubtedly gave her many extra days in the end. She was a devoted wife and loving mother. She had a passion for the well-being of others.
It is perhaps more tempting to glamourize someone we deem to have died prematurely or unfairly. Undisciplined sympathy can facilitate counterfeit portrayals of the historical past. But it’s not an authentic way to grieve. Nor is it an honest way to be remembered. Louise would not have wanted us to construct a flowery façade exaggerating or misrepresenting her personal qualities or life’s achievements. She knew her shortcomings. She knew she stood in need of God’s grace. She knew there was no way from here to there apart from that grace.
When Louise received Holy Communion for the final time she was asked to respond to this question: “Do you believe that Jesus Christ has redeemed you from all your sins, and do you desire forgiveness in his name?”3 Her answer was, “I do.” It was a Spirit-wrought response of conviction. She was frail, but forgiven. Her body was failing but her spirit was renewed. Louise recalled and recounted in those moments the promises that had been made to her. The pledge of her baptism was nearing its time of fulfillment. She was soon to receive her eternal inheritance and the crown of life.
Yes, words are often inadequate to express the movements of the heart. And yet God dares to speak. To the still presumptuous Job He says, “Who is this that darkens My counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you and, and you shall answer Me. Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundations?”4 Indeed, who can stand with impunity before the holy One? But in the end spoken words were insufficient for God too. His heart was so moved, so filled with compassion, so rent with pity that Christ came to put flesh on God’s words. The Almighty, immortal, inaccessible God, pure spirit and untouchable divinity took up His throne in the humility of a manger. He came not simply to lament a world mired in sin but to redeem it. As that Word-made-flesh He became the sacrifice for the accumulated sins of all humanity. He came to be present with His struggling people.
His words, immortal words, are backed up by death and resurrection. He says, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.”5 He said to the grieving Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies.”6
And the Holy Spirit says through the apostle Paul, “We do not want you… to grieve like the rest of men who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him.”4 Louise fell asleep in the Saviour’s embrace.
She is no longer in need of our prayers. Restored to life she resides in the presence of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, saints and angels. We continue this earthly journey without her; pressing on through the shadows to the promised light. Grief will still accompany us. Each journey is unique. Who dares to claim that they have walked in Mark’s shoes and so understand his sorrow? Who dares to identity with Declan, Ashton, or Averyall at the loss of their mum? God alone reserves these rights. But we do not grieve as those who have no hope.
Louise Kershaw has crossed over from death to life. It’s a crossing that can only be made by traversing the wood of the cross. She has traversed her final Good Friday and last Easter dawn. The empty tomb is the portal to heaven. Silence is said to be golden. Our grieving is righty gilded with gold. But Louise now enjoys the laughter of the celestial realm. Such revelry we cannot begrudge her. She is at peace, whole again and waiting that great and grand resurrection on the Last Day. May both our silent contemplations and our lively reminiscences reflect grateful appreciation for God’s blessing of Louise and to Louise in her earthly time and now in eternity. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Christian Burial of Louise Jane Kershaw
31 December 2014
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Job 31:24, 25, 29, 33
2 Job 2:12-13
3 Lutheran Hymnal, page 6
4 Job 38:2-4
5 John 5:24
6 John 11:25
7 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14
Text: John 5:24
Theme: Life Restored
Dear family, friends and loved ones of Louise; Robert, Sue; Declan, Ashton, Averyall; and especially you; Mark,
Silence is often the better part of wisdom. It is for fools, anyway, and before God we are all fools. What can be said that does not sound trite, inadequate, or redundant? What can be uttered to soothe such pain? Words are often insufficient to express the movements of the heart. Tears can say more. Silence does not extinguish anguish but it does honour grief. Louise Kershaw has finished her struggle. In the midst of our sorrow we are gathered to give thanks that she has now been released.
The struggle of grief is as old as the human race. The Bible presents to us the ancient figure of Job. Job was the quintessential man of suffering. Bereft of ten children, robbed of all possessions, victim of cruel infirmity; this Job pleads his cause. “If?” He says. “If I have put my trust in gold…if I have rejoiced over my great wealth…if I have I have rejoiced at my enemy’s misfortune…if I have concealed my sin.”1 If anyone can bring forth evidence of why I deserve to be burdened with such pain and loss…please make it known. When Job’s three friends came to comfort him the Scripture says this, “When they saw him from a distance, they could hardly recognize him; they began to weep aloud…then they sat on the ground with him for seven days and seven nights. No one said a word to him, because they saw how great his suffering was.”2
Dear friends, life is precious at all times and at every age. Span of life should not numb us to the vile nature of death. Our minds should not be at ease or our hearts at peace when we observe someone live to a so-called ripe old age. Death is still the devastating consequence of living in a fallen world; of being creatures fully vulnerable to the crisis of mortality. Death for any person, of any age, in any condition, and under every circumstance is always, always the result of sin reaching its maturity. No human can stand against the power of death. Mortality is an unbending reality.
Louise is a testimony to that truth. Louise had tenacity. She was vibrant and full of life. She had drive and determination. She always saw things through to completion. And no one could allege otherwise. She was meticulous, thorough, and organized. Louise’s life; her outlook, her training, her attitude were the epitome of physical health and well-being. Her will-power and conditioning undoubtedly gave her many extra days in the end. She was a devoted wife and loving mother. She had a passion for the well-being of others.
It is perhaps more tempting to glamourize someone we deem to have died prematurely or unfairly. Undisciplined sympathy can facilitate counterfeit portrayals of the historical past. But it’s not an authentic way to grieve. Nor is it an honest way to be remembered. Louise would not have wanted us to construct a flowery façade exaggerating or misrepresenting her personal qualities or life’s achievements. She knew her shortcomings. She knew she stood in need of God’s grace. She knew there was no way from here to there apart from that grace.
When Louise received Holy Communion for the final time she was asked to respond to this question: “Do you believe that Jesus Christ has redeemed you from all your sins, and do you desire forgiveness in his name?”3 Her answer was, “I do.” It was a Spirit-wrought response of conviction. She was frail, but forgiven. Her body was failing but her spirit was renewed. Louise recalled and recounted in those moments the promises that had been made to her. The pledge of her baptism was nearing its time of fulfillment. She was soon to receive her eternal inheritance and the crown of life.
Yes, words are often inadequate to express the movements of the heart. And yet God dares to speak. To the still presumptuous Job He says, “Who is this that darkens My counsel with words without knowledge? Brace yourself like a man; I will question you and, and you shall answer Me. Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundations?”4 Indeed, who can stand with impunity before the holy One? But in the end spoken words were insufficient for God too. His heart was so moved, so filled with compassion, so rent with pity that Christ came to put flesh on God’s words. The Almighty, immortal, inaccessible God, pure spirit and untouchable divinity took up His throne in the humility of a manger. He came not simply to lament a world mired in sin but to redeem it. As that Word-made-flesh He became the sacrifice for the accumulated sins of all humanity. He came to be present with His struggling people.
His words, immortal words, are backed up by death and resurrection. He says, “I tell you the truth, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.”5 He said to the grieving Martha, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me will live, even though he dies.”6
And the Holy Spirit says through the apostle Paul, “We do not want you… to grieve like the rest of men who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him.”4 Louise fell asleep in the Saviour’s embrace.
She is no longer in need of our prayers. Restored to life she resides in the presence of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, saints and angels. We continue this earthly journey without her; pressing on through the shadows to the promised light. Grief will still accompany us. Each journey is unique. Who dares to claim that they have walked in Mark’s shoes and so understand his sorrow? Who dares to identity with Declan, Ashton, or Averyall at the loss of their mum? God alone reserves these rights. But we do not grieve as those who have no hope.
Louise Kershaw has crossed over from death to life. It’s a crossing that can only be made by traversing the wood of the cross. She has traversed her final Good Friday and last Easter dawn. The empty tomb is the portal to heaven. Silence is said to be golden. Our grieving is righty gilded with gold. But Louise now enjoys the laughter of the celestial realm. Such revelry we cannot begrudge her. She is at peace, whole again and waiting that great and grand resurrection on the Last Day. May both our silent contemplations and our lively reminiscences reflect grateful appreciation for God’s blessing of Louise and to Louise in her earthly time and now in eternity. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Christian Burial of Louise Jane Kershaw
31 December 2014
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Job 31:24, 25, 29, 33
2 Job 2:12-13
3 Lutheran Hymnal, page 6
4 Job 38:2-4
5 John 5:24
6 John 11:25
7 1 Thessalonians 4:13-14
First Sunday After Christmas (B) 2014
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti Amen. +
Text: Matthew 2:13-15
Theme: “The Journey Begins”
Dear Followers of the Newborn King,
And so the journey began. Our newborn Saviour is soon on the run. December 28th is on the church calendar, the day for the recognition of the Holy Innocents. This day seldom receives much attention because of its proximity to Christmas. It affords us the opportunity to get a glimpse into the tumultuous early life of Jesus. Instead of settling down for a stable life in Palestine, Joseph is told by God that they must flee. “When they had gone [the Magi], an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. ‘Get up,’ he said, ‘take the Child and His mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the Child to kill Him.’”1 And thus began the efforts of Satan to derail God’s plan of redemption in Christ.
We see that Herod must have been keenly aware of at least the substance of the prophecy spoken by Simeon in the temple when he held the baby Jesus. “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.”2 At any rate, in Herod’s determination to protect his throne from any threats, the heart of Satan was revealed. In the process, the innocent were caught in his tangled web of destruction. The infant boys in Bethlehem- how many there were we do not know- were sacrificed merely because of their “guilt by association.” They were put to death, simply because they lived in the town in which Jesus was born.
This ruthless act might understandably cause us to question how God could let it be so. Young, innocent lives are ended because it was thought Christ was among them. Through this act, prophecy was fulfilled. We should learn from this the degree to which sin has permeated and poisoned all creation. Nothing and no one is left unaffected by the consequences of living in this fallen world. The “innocent” perish along with the guilty; Sometimes believers along with the unbeliever alike. Yet we could never cry unfair to God’s. Firstly, no one can claim exemption from sin. The Scriptures says, “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.”3 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”4 Secondly, upon death, believers enter into eternal life. We should begrudge no one their eternal glory. When it may seem to us that a believer’s life is unfairly ended, we must consider that God may have been sparing them from future hardship and suffering. Isaiah says, “The righteous perish, and no one ponders it in his heart; devout men are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil.”5
The innocent boys put to death in Bethlehem forever stand as a testimony to Satan’s determination to thwart the plan of salvation and his disregard for human life. We who live in a time when society claims to value life highly, and yet leaves the most fragile of lives unprotected, should be driven to shame and repentance and action. The number of unborn children, the most vulnerable among us, whose lives are ended every year by abortion, is appalling. The prevalence of this practice shows that though we may sanitize things outwardly- shielding people from the graphic knowledge of what goes on- inwardly our hearts readily usurp the place of God in placing value on life. And so the most compromised are taken advantage of.
The fact that the Father shielded His Son from the wrath of Herod stands as a testimony to His mercy and His power to bring His will to fruition. The Child of Bethlehem would have to live to see Calvary. His young life would be spared temporal death at this time so that through His death, He could offer eternal life to all. He is risen and is no more vulnerable to the vile deeds of men or the ravings of Satan. Why certain people and places were involved along the way as they were rests only in the mind of God.
God has His reasons for leaving some things shrouded in mystery, but He is not the author of confusion. The nature of some matters He leaves for future explanation. We will find out in heaven. But other things He reveals to us with crystal clarity. The means of salvation is the most important of these things. The Saviour, whose life was spared by His flight into Egypt, spared the lives of all who believe when He eventually gave Himself over to death. God wants there to be no confusion about how it is that this salvation is yours. Our celebration of Christmas centres on the giving of the ultimate gift. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.”6 And again, “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age.”7 And again, “There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all men.”8
This gift is freely given, and it is received only through divine effort. God wants it to be clearly understood that only through the gospel proclaimed and the Holy Spirit working are the hearts and minds of people changed and transformed. Dear friends, faith; faith that avails unto salvation, is not the result of human striving, not the accomplishment of human effort; it is trust that the gift of Christmas was for the forgiveness of sins. Faith is not a tangible thing that can be put in a box and wrapped up like a Christmas present. Faith involves the embrace of Christ, who provides for every need and most of all for eternal salvation.
This is the third day of the celebration of our Lord’s birth. The difficult circumstances under which He was born get no easier as He becomes a fugitive in Egypt. He perhaps doesn’t seem worthy of acclaiming as King of kings and Lord of lords. How can one boast about a fugitive Saviour? How can one be impressed with a Messiah that will die a criminal’s death by crucifixion? But it has all come to pass and we have but to rejoice with exceedingly great joy like the wise men, worship Him as they did; make haste like the shepherds and tell of the good news like they did; join with the angels and sing glory to God as they did. “To us a child is born, to us a Son is given.”9 Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
First Sunday After Christmas
The Holy Innocents
28 December, 20014
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1Matthew 2:13
2 Luke 2:34-35
3Romans 3:10-11
4 Romans 3:23
5 Isaiah 57:1
6 John 3:16
7 Galatians 1:3-4
8 1 Timothy 2:5-6
9 Isaiah 9:6
Text: Matthew 2:13-15
Theme: “The Journey Begins”
Dear Followers of the Newborn King,
And so the journey began. Our newborn Saviour is soon on the run. December 28th is on the church calendar, the day for the recognition of the Holy Innocents. This day seldom receives much attention because of its proximity to Christmas. It affords us the opportunity to get a glimpse into the tumultuous early life of Jesus. Instead of settling down for a stable life in Palestine, Joseph is told by God that they must flee. “When they had gone [the Magi], an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. ‘Get up,’ he said, ‘take the Child and His mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the Child to kill Him.’”1 And thus began the efforts of Satan to derail God’s plan of redemption in Christ.
We see that Herod must have been keenly aware of at least the substance of the prophecy spoken by Simeon in the temple when he held the baby Jesus. “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.”2 At any rate, in Herod’s determination to protect his throne from any threats, the heart of Satan was revealed. In the process, the innocent were caught in his tangled web of destruction. The infant boys in Bethlehem- how many there were we do not know- were sacrificed merely because of their “guilt by association.” They were put to death, simply because they lived in the town in which Jesus was born.
This ruthless act might understandably cause us to question how God could let it be so. Young, innocent lives are ended because it was thought Christ was among them. Through this act, prophecy was fulfilled. We should learn from this the degree to which sin has permeated and poisoned all creation. Nothing and no one is left unaffected by the consequences of living in this fallen world. The “innocent” perish along with the guilty; Sometimes believers along with the unbeliever alike. Yet we could never cry unfair to God’s. Firstly, no one can claim exemption from sin. The Scriptures says, “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.”3 “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”4 Secondly, upon death, believers enter into eternal life. We should begrudge no one their eternal glory. When it may seem to us that a believer’s life is unfairly ended, we must consider that God may have been sparing them from future hardship and suffering. Isaiah says, “The righteous perish, and no one ponders it in his heart; devout men are taken away, and no one understands that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil.”5
The innocent boys put to death in Bethlehem forever stand as a testimony to Satan’s determination to thwart the plan of salvation and his disregard for human life. We who live in a time when society claims to value life highly, and yet leaves the most fragile of lives unprotected, should be driven to shame and repentance and action. The number of unborn children, the most vulnerable among us, whose lives are ended every year by abortion, is appalling. The prevalence of this practice shows that though we may sanitize things outwardly- shielding people from the graphic knowledge of what goes on- inwardly our hearts readily usurp the place of God in placing value on life. And so the most compromised are taken advantage of.
The fact that the Father shielded His Son from the wrath of Herod stands as a testimony to His mercy and His power to bring His will to fruition. The Child of Bethlehem would have to live to see Calvary. His young life would be spared temporal death at this time so that through His death, He could offer eternal life to all. He is risen and is no more vulnerable to the vile deeds of men or the ravings of Satan. Why certain people and places were involved along the way as they were rests only in the mind of God.
God has His reasons for leaving some things shrouded in mystery, but He is not the author of confusion. The nature of some matters He leaves for future explanation. We will find out in heaven. But other things He reveals to us with crystal clarity. The means of salvation is the most important of these things. The Saviour, whose life was spared by His flight into Egypt, spared the lives of all who believe when He eventually gave Himself over to death. God wants there to be no confusion about how it is that this salvation is yours. Our celebration of Christmas centres on the giving of the ultimate gift. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son.”6 And again, “Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age.”7 And again, “There is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself as a ransom for all men.”8
This gift is freely given, and it is received only through divine effort. God wants it to be clearly understood that only through the gospel proclaimed and the Holy Spirit working are the hearts and minds of people changed and transformed. Dear friends, faith; faith that avails unto salvation, is not the result of human striving, not the accomplishment of human effort; it is trust that the gift of Christmas was for the forgiveness of sins. Faith is not a tangible thing that can be put in a box and wrapped up like a Christmas present. Faith involves the embrace of Christ, who provides for every need and most of all for eternal salvation.
This is the third day of the celebration of our Lord’s birth. The difficult circumstances under which He was born get no easier as He becomes a fugitive in Egypt. He perhaps doesn’t seem worthy of acclaiming as King of kings and Lord of lords. How can one boast about a fugitive Saviour? How can one be impressed with a Messiah that will die a criminal’s death by crucifixion? But it has all come to pass and we have but to rejoice with exceedingly great joy like the wise men, worship Him as they did; make haste like the shepherds and tell of the good news like they did; join with the angels and sing glory to God as they did. “To us a child is born, to us a Son is given.”9 Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
First Sunday After Christmas
The Holy Innocents
28 December, 20014
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1Matthew 2:13
2 Luke 2:34-35
3Romans 3:10-11
4 Romans 3:23
5 Isaiah 57:1
6 John 3:16
7 Galatians 1:3-4
8 1 Timothy 2:5-6
9 Isaiah 9:6
Sunday, December 28, 2014
Christmas Day 2014
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: John 1:4
Theme: “In Him Was Life”
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
God breathed new life into the wilting world. Bending, breaking, aching, smarting the weight of the world was hanging in suspended animation until the wood the manger could be shaped into the timber of the cross. It took 33 long years- a grueling test for Christ’s mortal frame but in God’s measure of time it was but a blink of an eye. The shadow of Calvary looms behind the cradle in Bethlehem. Like book ends they frame the earthly life of Him who rules a heavenly kingdom. The flickering light of the nativity is a tiny precursor of the brilliance of His eternal glory. In His life we know truth and through that truth the Spirit gives life. Spirit-given life always finds its place in the orderliness of His kingdom.
Life is not soulless. Dear friends, one of the great deceptions of our age is the claim that life came to exist through chaotic and purposeless cosmic forces. “It was all by chance,” many experts say; a random nexus of chemical and physical conditions ignited by some epic aberration and facilitated by eons of time. In short, the mystery and miracle of life is not divine, they say, but a mechanical and purposeless coincidence. No rhyme, no reason; just mindless forces of nature governing our world. The progression of such cold thinking threatens to drain the soul out of humanity.
The gentle embrace of an infant’s grip presents evidence of the contrary. Dear friends, until the Almighty God spoke no material even existed that could organize itself in any meaningful way. All life, created by the Godhead, exists only through divine providence and power. Human life has primacy and immortality only through Christ. The Holy Spirit spoke the promise to Mary and in her womb conceived the source and centre of all life. The mind-blowing complexity of what we observe is underpinned, upheld, and sustained by the sheer grace and power of Him alone. The Scripture says, “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.”1
The Child of Bethlehem gives meaning to our existence. Of course, that’s a matter for faith. The heart and mind detached from God cannot see or hear it. Sin blinds the eye and deafens the ear. It robs us of His life. It may be truer at Christmas than any other time of year that we can be deceived into thinking that the blessings we enjoy are deserved or self-achieved. And it is possible to ‘give’ in a way where you value more the praise you will receive than the value of the gift itself. The nostalgia of the scene at Bethlehem cannot be used to cover false motives. We can’t measure blessings strictly by human parameters. It’s not a matter of what we possess but who we are possessed by. The angels communicate to us good news of great joy: A Saviour has been born.
Perhaps one of the great ironies of the present age is the failure of communication technology to help reconcile and improve human relationships. Just think how family Christmas giving and receiving has changed over the last generation. It has transitioned from an emphasis on more practical, hands-on gifts to technological devices that wire us to a more virtual reality. Computers, iPad, iPhone, iPod, and extensive exposure to all things electronic now characterizes many Christmases. This is not wrong in and of itself. But we should be attentive to its influences among us.
We have nearly instantaneous communication and the power of social media so our relationships should be stronger than ever! Right? We have the tools. We have the technology. Yet marriages falter. Families are broken. Friendships are strained. Our conversations are not embodied in truth and marked with forgiveness. We don’t converse as if we were gathered around the manger. We are not filled with the joy of the angels. We don’t have the humility of the shepherds. We thrust ourselves to the centre of the conversation. Technology has no inherent ability to foster stronger relationships and can just as easily be used to tear them down.
One thing we can be certain of: Christ has reconciled us to the heavenly Father. Our Christmas joy comes from knowing He is ever-faithful. The prophet says, “Burst into songs of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem, for the Lord has comforted His people, He has redeemed Jerusalem.”2 Yes, the prophet announces a joy that has no equal. Erupt into celebration you who despair of hope or happiness. A Redeemer has been born this day. Break forth into gladness you who are tormented by trial and temptation. A Saviour now dwells with you in the midst of your adversity. Launch into cheerfulness you who are weighed down with grief and sadness. The restorer of life now makes Himself known. Reflect joyfully, people of God, love incarnate, grace embodied, peace enfleshed has come to us.
Such joy can never be kept private. “Glory to God”3 sing the angels. In this tiny infant’s frame death’s supremacy is undone. “Hallelujah!”4 Shout the multitudes of heaven. “Salvation and glory and power belong to our God…Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory.” 5 He has overcome death and the grave. Christ was born for you. You’re not a distant observer peering into the manger from afar. He has you locked in His sights. You are the centre of His target; the aim of His mercy. You are the benefactor of His benevolence; the recipient of His healing love. You are His cherished bride; His found sheep; His resurrected son. You are the blind man seeing; the leper cured; the sinner absolved. You are His baptized. You are guests at His royal table.
Seeing the manger through the cross’s shadow and Easter’s morning light does not serve to kill the joy of Christmas. Rather it gives us the advantage of knowing the incarnation of Christ was not a failed sentimental attempt at reviving humanity. Christ entered into the fray in Bethlehem but He promises we will reside in the heavenly Jerusalem. “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.”6 Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
The Nativity of Our Lord
Christmas Day
25 December 2014
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Romans 11:36
2 Isaiah 52:9
3 Luke 2:14
4 Revelation 19:1
5 Revelation 19:1, 6-7
6 John 1:14
Text: John 1:4
Theme: “In Him Was Life”
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
God breathed new life into the wilting world. Bending, breaking, aching, smarting the weight of the world was hanging in suspended animation until the wood the manger could be shaped into the timber of the cross. It took 33 long years- a grueling test for Christ’s mortal frame but in God’s measure of time it was but a blink of an eye. The shadow of Calvary looms behind the cradle in Bethlehem. Like book ends they frame the earthly life of Him who rules a heavenly kingdom. The flickering light of the nativity is a tiny precursor of the brilliance of His eternal glory. In His life we know truth and through that truth the Spirit gives life. Spirit-given life always finds its place in the orderliness of His kingdom.
Life is not soulless. Dear friends, one of the great deceptions of our age is the claim that life came to exist through chaotic and purposeless cosmic forces. “It was all by chance,” many experts say; a random nexus of chemical and physical conditions ignited by some epic aberration and facilitated by eons of time. In short, the mystery and miracle of life is not divine, they say, but a mechanical and purposeless coincidence. No rhyme, no reason; just mindless forces of nature governing our world. The progression of such cold thinking threatens to drain the soul out of humanity.
The gentle embrace of an infant’s grip presents evidence of the contrary. Dear friends, until the Almighty God spoke no material even existed that could organize itself in any meaningful way. All life, created by the Godhead, exists only through divine providence and power. Human life has primacy and immortality only through Christ. The Holy Spirit spoke the promise to Mary and in her womb conceived the source and centre of all life. The mind-blowing complexity of what we observe is underpinned, upheld, and sustained by the sheer grace and power of Him alone. The Scripture says, “For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things.”1
The Child of Bethlehem gives meaning to our existence. Of course, that’s a matter for faith. The heart and mind detached from God cannot see or hear it. Sin blinds the eye and deafens the ear. It robs us of His life. It may be truer at Christmas than any other time of year that we can be deceived into thinking that the blessings we enjoy are deserved or self-achieved. And it is possible to ‘give’ in a way where you value more the praise you will receive than the value of the gift itself. The nostalgia of the scene at Bethlehem cannot be used to cover false motives. We can’t measure blessings strictly by human parameters. It’s not a matter of what we possess but who we are possessed by. The angels communicate to us good news of great joy: A Saviour has been born.
Perhaps one of the great ironies of the present age is the failure of communication technology to help reconcile and improve human relationships. Just think how family Christmas giving and receiving has changed over the last generation. It has transitioned from an emphasis on more practical, hands-on gifts to technological devices that wire us to a more virtual reality. Computers, iPad, iPhone, iPod, and extensive exposure to all things electronic now characterizes many Christmases. This is not wrong in and of itself. But we should be attentive to its influences among us.
We have nearly instantaneous communication and the power of social media so our relationships should be stronger than ever! Right? We have the tools. We have the technology. Yet marriages falter. Families are broken. Friendships are strained. Our conversations are not embodied in truth and marked with forgiveness. We don’t converse as if we were gathered around the manger. We are not filled with the joy of the angels. We don’t have the humility of the shepherds. We thrust ourselves to the centre of the conversation. Technology has no inherent ability to foster stronger relationships and can just as easily be used to tear them down.
One thing we can be certain of: Christ has reconciled us to the heavenly Father. Our Christmas joy comes from knowing He is ever-faithful. The prophet says, “Burst into songs of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem, for the Lord has comforted His people, He has redeemed Jerusalem.”2 Yes, the prophet announces a joy that has no equal. Erupt into celebration you who despair of hope or happiness. A Redeemer has been born this day. Break forth into gladness you who are tormented by trial and temptation. A Saviour now dwells with you in the midst of your adversity. Launch into cheerfulness you who are weighed down with grief and sadness. The restorer of life now makes Himself known. Reflect joyfully, people of God, love incarnate, grace embodied, peace enfleshed has come to us.
Such joy can never be kept private. “Glory to God”3 sing the angels. In this tiny infant’s frame death’s supremacy is undone. “Hallelujah!”4 Shout the multitudes of heaven. “Salvation and glory and power belong to our God…Hallelujah! For our Lord God Almighty reigns. Let us rejoice and be glad and give Him glory.” 5 He has overcome death and the grave. Christ was born for you. You’re not a distant observer peering into the manger from afar. He has you locked in His sights. You are the centre of His target; the aim of His mercy. You are the benefactor of His benevolence; the recipient of His healing love. You are His cherished bride; His found sheep; His resurrected son. You are the blind man seeing; the leper cured; the sinner absolved. You are His baptized. You are guests at His royal table.
Seeing the manger through the cross’s shadow and Easter’s morning light does not serve to kill the joy of Christmas. Rather it gives us the advantage of knowing the incarnation of Christ was not a failed sentimental attempt at reviving humanity. Christ entered into the fray in Bethlehem but He promises we will reside in the heavenly Jerusalem. “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.”6 Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
The Nativity of Our Lord
Christmas Day
25 December 2014
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 Romans 11:36
2 Isaiah 52:9
3 Luke 2:14
4 Revelation 19:1
5 Revelation 19:1, 6-7
6 John 1:14
Saturday, December 27, 2014
Christmas Eve 2014
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti Amen. +
Text: Luke 2:11
Theme: A Saviour…Christ, the Lord.”
Dear Travelers to the Manger,
Christmas comes with packaging. It can be no other way. Yes, wrapping and props, decorations and adornments. Many of these serve only esthetic appeal. The meaning is drawn together by the more informative elements; words, symbols, images. Vocabularies, lyrics, and poetry express the tidings and promises which convey the sentiment of the season. Such a grand event as the incarnation of God’s Son, His coming in human flesh, could never be captured by singular expressions or occasional images, regardless how fitting. How limited are our capabilities for exemplifying the immortality and sheer grace and majesty of God!
Nevertheless, the task is essential. Symbols, like words, convey meaning. Their intent is to express something real. If no reality stands behind our words, our images, our pictures, our symbols; then we are shown either to be intentionally deceptive or we are ourselves deceived. Christmas celebrations invested with only the meanings we supply are only parodies of the real thing. Moreover, we risk liability for misrepresenting His truth. Better to have divine truth than human imitations with all the trappings. St. Paul once said, “If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that He raised Christ from the dead.”1
There is always opportunity for our words and symbols to be refined, to be cleansed, to be given higher definition (to use modern parlance); for they are reflections of us and we are still under construction. But the truth of what is revealed to us in the manger cannot be improved upon. It needs no vetting and is not liable to decay. He is perfect Life, perfect Love, perfect Truth; complete and all-embracing. He is Immanuel, God with us. The Scripture says, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being.”2 “God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God…being of one substance with the Father.”3
We have words but He is THE WORD. We use symbols but He is the substance. We have hopes but He is the fulfillment. We enter the scene at some point in time but He is the Beginning and the End. He takes what we’re indebted to pay- a full accounting for our sins. The manger could not hold the weight; it required a cross. In return we receive what is properly only His; forgiveness, peace, immortal life.
Every Christmas words and images that have become etched in our minds and imprinted on our hearts are revisited. Never are we too old or too experienced to have the meaning renewed and the truth expounded more fully. The Spirit who conceived the body of Jesus also gives life to our mortal bodies through that same Word, who is life.
Christmas come with packaging. God’s Son was wrapped in swaddling clothes. He is our Redeemer, “Christ the Lord.”4
+ In nomine Jesu +
Christmas Eve
24 December 2014
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 1 Corinthians 15:14-15
2 Hebrews 1:3
3 The Nicene Creed
4 Luke 2:11
Text: Luke 2:11
Theme: A Saviour…Christ, the Lord.”
Dear Travelers to the Manger,
Christmas comes with packaging. It can be no other way. Yes, wrapping and props, decorations and adornments. Many of these serve only esthetic appeal. The meaning is drawn together by the more informative elements; words, symbols, images. Vocabularies, lyrics, and poetry express the tidings and promises which convey the sentiment of the season. Such a grand event as the incarnation of God’s Son, His coming in human flesh, could never be captured by singular expressions or occasional images, regardless how fitting. How limited are our capabilities for exemplifying the immortality and sheer grace and majesty of God!
Nevertheless, the task is essential. Symbols, like words, convey meaning. Their intent is to express something real. If no reality stands behind our words, our images, our pictures, our symbols; then we are shown either to be intentionally deceptive or we are ourselves deceived. Christmas celebrations invested with only the meanings we supply are only parodies of the real thing. Moreover, we risk liability for misrepresenting His truth. Better to have divine truth than human imitations with all the trappings. St. Paul once said, “If Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that He raised Christ from the dead.”1
There is always opportunity for our words and symbols to be refined, to be cleansed, to be given higher definition (to use modern parlance); for they are reflections of us and we are still under construction. But the truth of what is revealed to us in the manger cannot be improved upon. It needs no vetting and is not liable to decay. He is perfect Life, perfect Love, perfect Truth; complete and all-embracing. He is Immanuel, God with us. The Scripture says, “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of His being.”2 “God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God…being of one substance with the Father.”3
We have words but He is THE WORD. We use symbols but He is the substance. We have hopes but He is the fulfillment. We enter the scene at some point in time but He is the Beginning and the End. He takes what we’re indebted to pay- a full accounting for our sins. The manger could not hold the weight; it required a cross. In return we receive what is properly only His; forgiveness, peace, immortal life.
Every Christmas words and images that have become etched in our minds and imprinted on our hearts are revisited. Never are we too old or too experienced to have the meaning renewed and the truth expounded more fully. The Spirit who conceived the body of Jesus also gives life to our mortal bodies through that same Word, who is life.
Christmas come with packaging. God’s Son was wrapped in swaddling clothes. He is our Redeemer, “Christ the Lord.”4
+ In nomine Jesu +
Christmas Eve
24 December 2014
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 1 Corinthians 15:14-15
2 Hebrews 1:3
3 The Nicene Creed
4 Luke 2:11
Sunday, December 21, 2014
Fourth Sunday of Advent (B) 2014
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Luke 1:31
Theme: The Plan Unfolds
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
God often accentuates extremes. Today Gabriel- an angel of rank- was given an honour worthy of his status. He was sent from the counsel of God across the threshold of time and space to the locality of a young Jewish woman chosen for an unparalleled distinction. Her privilege was greater still. She would bear the Messiah. Yet she had no particular qualifications for such an honour. The striking contrast between Gabriel and Mary should not escape us. God honours the lowest of His creation through means of the highest.
God is never restricted in His resources but He often chooses to use those means that are immediately at His disposal- even weak and frail ones. The Scripture says, “God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world, and the despised things- and the things that are not.”1 And through them His grace and power is made known.
Few details of the historical account are more indisputable than the humble estate of Mary. She was a descendent of David but only of common status. Joseph, a blue-collar worker, was an honorable man but offered no avenues for advancement in society. Into this humble family was born the long-awaited Messiah, the King of kings and Lord of lords. The Scriptures says, “In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.”2 Yet the royal son of David lives not in a regal palace but in an uninviting shelter fit for common beasts. In this way the holy Son of God took up residence with fallen humanity.
An infant child- and one born in poverty at that- seemed to offer a very fragile hope for a sin-sick world. Where was His matriculation into the royal courts? Who would tutor Him to rule the masses? The plausibility of this plan is beyond common sense and plain reason. What good could come out of Nazareth? Yet the wisdom of God would prove otherwise. God rules not through armies that coerce bodies but through the Spirit who changes hearts. In answer to Pilate’s query about whether He was a king Jesus replied, “My kingdom is not of this world.”3
Dear friends, if this life, this world, this short span of trial, testing, and indulgence were an end in itself for what purpose would the Holy Spirit call us into God’s house each Lord’s Day? The conception of Jesus in the womb of Mary is an analogy for the spiritual conception of believers within the womb of the church. There is no birth without conception. There is no delivery without the commencement of life. In a similar way, a person is not born into God’s kingdom until the Holy Spirit conceives faith in the heart. And the believer cannot be delivered safely to heaven unless that life is nurtured and safeguarded to the end.
The poverty of Mary and Joseph’s circumstance is a key part of what endears people to the nativity scene. Sympathy and sentiment spill out from the heart. The modesty of the whole thing grips us. As well it should. Yet the translation to what it says about our status before the Almighty is not easily made. Modesty is not a treasured virtue of our psyche. I speak here not of modesty in regards our everyday demeanor, but in reference to spiritual humility. The secure sinner, the unrepentant sinner, the ignorant sinner never sees himself or herself as spiritually poor. Sin denied is sin retained. Therefore the call to repentance is always fitting. Never do we outgrow our need to be convicted of our motives, plans, and pursuits that stray from God’s will. Never do we outgrow our need to be forgiven.
Christians seek to emulate Christ’s humility through faithfulness in ordinary tasks. Yet immediately there is a clash. The problem is being common isn’t in vogue. Ordinary vocations pursued with integrity aren’t valued as they should be. And it’s not an isolated problem. It’s a cultural mindset that has already become deeply ingrained. Societies have always liked their heroes, of course. Champions and villains alike gain fame or infamy because they surpass the common achievements of the average person. The ancient Olympics was the stage for athletic heroes that were venerated with widespread acclaim. Today’s fixation with all things celebrity is more than a fascination also. It is an obsession for many and a window into the psyche of both our culture and our human nature.
But God is too humble to compete on such terms. The Lord says, “I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit.”4 The Scripture says, “[Christ] had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him.”5 He doesn’t wish to be a celebrity. Celebrities rarely have rapport with those who admire them. They don’t usually have relationships with average, normal people, let alone those who are outcasts or on the fringe. But Christ came for ones such as these. He came to associate with sinners. He came for us. He isn’t looking for hyped media coverage. His message speaks for itself. When He performed miracles He was thronged by the crowds. But when He was nailed to the cross He was deserted by His closest followers. The greatest miracle remained hidden from their sight. He sacrificed Himself for their salvation. Even the reality of the resurrection didn’t fully sink in until the Holy Spirit opened their hearts and minds.
This Saviour, the one prophesied by the Spirit from ancient times, the one promised to Abraham, pledged to David, sworn to the people of Israel, announced with angelic voice to Mary; this Messiah is your Redeemer. He traversed the hills and valleys of Palestine and became the very gate to heaven and the barricade to hell. He endured crucifixion to secure for you a joy that far surpasses the manger’s nostalgia. He escaped the grip of death to secure for you life that does not end. He overcame Satan’s assaults to secure for you freedom from the devil’s power.
Christ is the high and holy God, the immortal One who comes to honour the lowly. He enters poverty that we might obtain wealth. In baptism we are immersed in spiritual riches; bathed in an eternal inheritance. He comes not to visit and pity us but to lead us to eternity.
At the Lord’s Table the Child of Bethlehem and Sufferer on Calvary meets you face to face; yet hidden in the simple means of bread and wine. You take onto your lips the promised One, the present One and the coming One. He is one and the same. The power of His crucifixion never wanes. The vibrancy of His life never diminishes. The One sheltered in Mary’s womb now holds the universe in His grasp. More pointedly, He cradles you in His embrace. The greeting of Gabriel to Mary is meant for our ears too. “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”6 Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Fourth Sunday of Advent
21 December 2014
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 1 Corinthians 1:27-28
2 Colossians 2:9
3 John 18:36
4 Isaiah 57:15
5 Isaiah 53:2
6 Luke 1:28
Text: Luke 1:31
Theme: The Plan Unfolds
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
God often accentuates extremes. Today Gabriel- an angel of rank- was given an honour worthy of his status. He was sent from the counsel of God across the threshold of time and space to the locality of a young Jewish woman chosen for an unparalleled distinction. Her privilege was greater still. She would bear the Messiah. Yet she had no particular qualifications for such an honour. The striking contrast between Gabriel and Mary should not escape us. God honours the lowest of His creation through means of the highest.
God is never restricted in His resources but He often chooses to use those means that are immediately at His disposal- even weak and frail ones. The Scripture says, “God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world, and the despised things- and the things that are not.”1 And through them His grace and power is made known.
Few details of the historical account are more indisputable than the humble estate of Mary. She was a descendent of David but only of common status. Joseph, a blue-collar worker, was an honorable man but offered no avenues for advancement in society. Into this humble family was born the long-awaited Messiah, the King of kings and Lord of lords. The Scriptures says, “In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.”2 Yet the royal son of David lives not in a regal palace but in an uninviting shelter fit for common beasts. In this way the holy Son of God took up residence with fallen humanity.
An infant child- and one born in poverty at that- seemed to offer a very fragile hope for a sin-sick world. Where was His matriculation into the royal courts? Who would tutor Him to rule the masses? The plausibility of this plan is beyond common sense and plain reason. What good could come out of Nazareth? Yet the wisdom of God would prove otherwise. God rules not through armies that coerce bodies but through the Spirit who changes hearts. In answer to Pilate’s query about whether He was a king Jesus replied, “My kingdom is not of this world.”3
Dear friends, if this life, this world, this short span of trial, testing, and indulgence were an end in itself for what purpose would the Holy Spirit call us into God’s house each Lord’s Day? The conception of Jesus in the womb of Mary is an analogy for the spiritual conception of believers within the womb of the church. There is no birth without conception. There is no delivery without the commencement of life. In a similar way, a person is not born into God’s kingdom until the Holy Spirit conceives faith in the heart. And the believer cannot be delivered safely to heaven unless that life is nurtured and safeguarded to the end.
The poverty of Mary and Joseph’s circumstance is a key part of what endears people to the nativity scene. Sympathy and sentiment spill out from the heart. The modesty of the whole thing grips us. As well it should. Yet the translation to what it says about our status before the Almighty is not easily made. Modesty is not a treasured virtue of our psyche. I speak here not of modesty in regards our everyday demeanor, but in reference to spiritual humility. The secure sinner, the unrepentant sinner, the ignorant sinner never sees himself or herself as spiritually poor. Sin denied is sin retained. Therefore the call to repentance is always fitting. Never do we outgrow our need to be convicted of our motives, plans, and pursuits that stray from God’s will. Never do we outgrow our need to be forgiven.
Christians seek to emulate Christ’s humility through faithfulness in ordinary tasks. Yet immediately there is a clash. The problem is being common isn’t in vogue. Ordinary vocations pursued with integrity aren’t valued as they should be. And it’s not an isolated problem. It’s a cultural mindset that has already become deeply ingrained. Societies have always liked their heroes, of course. Champions and villains alike gain fame or infamy because they surpass the common achievements of the average person. The ancient Olympics was the stage for athletic heroes that were venerated with widespread acclaim. Today’s fixation with all things celebrity is more than a fascination also. It is an obsession for many and a window into the psyche of both our culture and our human nature.
But God is too humble to compete on such terms. The Lord says, “I live in a high and holy place, but also with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit.”4 The Scripture says, “[Christ] had no beauty or majesty to attract us to Him, nothing in His appearance that we should desire Him.”5 He doesn’t wish to be a celebrity. Celebrities rarely have rapport with those who admire them. They don’t usually have relationships with average, normal people, let alone those who are outcasts or on the fringe. But Christ came for ones such as these. He came to associate with sinners. He came for us. He isn’t looking for hyped media coverage. His message speaks for itself. When He performed miracles He was thronged by the crowds. But when He was nailed to the cross He was deserted by His closest followers. The greatest miracle remained hidden from their sight. He sacrificed Himself for their salvation. Even the reality of the resurrection didn’t fully sink in until the Holy Spirit opened their hearts and minds.
This Saviour, the one prophesied by the Spirit from ancient times, the one promised to Abraham, pledged to David, sworn to the people of Israel, announced with angelic voice to Mary; this Messiah is your Redeemer. He traversed the hills and valleys of Palestine and became the very gate to heaven and the barricade to hell. He endured crucifixion to secure for you a joy that far surpasses the manger’s nostalgia. He escaped the grip of death to secure for you life that does not end. He overcame Satan’s assaults to secure for you freedom from the devil’s power.
Christ is the high and holy God, the immortal One who comes to honour the lowly. He enters poverty that we might obtain wealth. In baptism we are immersed in spiritual riches; bathed in an eternal inheritance. He comes not to visit and pity us but to lead us to eternity.
At the Lord’s Table the Child of Bethlehem and Sufferer on Calvary meets you face to face; yet hidden in the simple means of bread and wine. You take onto your lips the promised One, the present One and the coming One. He is one and the same. The power of His crucifixion never wanes. The vibrancy of His life never diminishes. The One sheltered in Mary’s womb now holds the universe in His grasp. More pointedly, He cradles you in His embrace. The greeting of Gabriel to Mary is meant for our ears too. “Greetings, you who are highly favored! The Lord is with you.”6 Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Fourth Sunday of Advent
21 December 2014
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
1 1 Corinthians 1:27-28
2 Colossians 2:9
3 John 18:36
4 Isaiah 57:15
5 Isaiah 53:2
6 Luke 1:28
Monday, December 15, 2014
Third Sunday of Advent (B) 2014 Confirmation
+ In nomine Patris et Filii et Spiritus Sancti + Amen.
Text: Col 3:17, John 8:12, 1 Tim 6:12, Rev 2:10
Theme: Primary Promises
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Dear candidates for confirmation; Brailey, Shenay, Ethan, and Luke,
In a few moments you will each be asked a series of questions and the first one you will be asked to respond to is this: “Do you this day in the presence of God and of this congregation acknowledge the gifts which God gave you in your baptism?” The promise of your baptism is the starting point for this day of your confirmation. And it is also the ending point because you have been baptized into Christ’s death and His resurrection.
Today is a day about promises. Promises have fallen on hard times lately. If you get married one day you will make a promise to be faithful to your spouse. That is a serious promise. If you sign a contract for a job; that is a serious promise. If you take out a mortgage to purchase a house or property; that is a serious promise. If you join the military you will promise not to be insubordinate; that is a serious promise. Whenever these types of promises are broken there are severe consequences. But the type of promise you’re making today is really the most serious of all. You will be promising to remain faithful to God and the truth of His word even to the point of death. There are many important things in your life; family, friends, school, health, sport and many other activities, hopes and dreams, but your trust in the one true God and your life of faith surpasses them all.
If you take it seriously it will not be an easy promise to keep. Firstly, like all of us, all of you are sinners. That means you will constantly be tempted to think of yourself first and forget about what God says. Secondly, none of us know where life will take any of you, but we do know where Satan and the unbelieving world would like to take you: As far away from God’s word, His truth, His house, and His kingdom as possible. The devil has proven to be very effective at this in recent times. Thirdly, the world is filled with darkness. It is deep and sinister but it is often disguised in a way that appears attractive and appealing. Thankfully when we repent of our sins God promises to forgive us for Jesus’ sake.
The good news is God’s promise to us is bigger than all our failures. Christ did keep His promise even to the point of death. He went to the cross where He shed His blood for you. He overcame death and the grave for you. Crucified and risen He lives to intercede for you. He promises to never leave you or forsake you.
You cannot make God into someone or something else. As soon as you try to do so you have made an idol. But God can and has and will make/made you into someone else. The Holy Spirit gives you faith and as He grows you in that faith He shapes you into a unique person with a unique place of service in His kingdom.
The Bible is full of promises and all of its promises centre on Christ. Each of you has been assigned a Bible verse on this day of your confirmation.
Shenay “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Colossians 3:17
Brailey “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12
Ethan “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” 1 Timothy 6:12
Luke “Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.” Revelation 2:10
Christ is light. He is forgiveness. He is salvation. Confirmation is not graduation. It is just one step in your life-long baptismal journey. And it is a journey you never travel alone. May God bless each of you now and from this day forward and may the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, your Saviour, keep you strong until the day you meet Him face to face. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Third Sunday of Advent
Rite of Confirmation
14 December 2014
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
Text: Col 3:17, John 8:12, 1 Tim 6:12, Rev 2:10
Theme: Primary Promises
Dear friends in Christ Jesus,
Dear candidates for confirmation; Brailey, Shenay, Ethan, and Luke,
In a few moments you will each be asked a series of questions and the first one you will be asked to respond to is this: “Do you this day in the presence of God and of this congregation acknowledge the gifts which God gave you in your baptism?” The promise of your baptism is the starting point for this day of your confirmation. And it is also the ending point because you have been baptized into Christ’s death and His resurrection.
Today is a day about promises. Promises have fallen on hard times lately. If you get married one day you will make a promise to be faithful to your spouse. That is a serious promise. If you sign a contract for a job; that is a serious promise. If you take out a mortgage to purchase a house or property; that is a serious promise. If you join the military you will promise not to be insubordinate; that is a serious promise. Whenever these types of promises are broken there are severe consequences. But the type of promise you’re making today is really the most serious of all. You will be promising to remain faithful to God and the truth of His word even to the point of death. There are many important things in your life; family, friends, school, health, sport and many other activities, hopes and dreams, but your trust in the one true God and your life of faith surpasses them all.
If you take it seriously it will not be an easy promise to keep. Firstly, like all of us, all of you are sinners. That means you will constantly be tempted to think of yourself first and forget about what God says. Secondly, none of us know where life will take any of you, but we do know where Satan and the unbelieving world would like to take you: As far away from God’s word, His truth, His house, and His kingdom as possible. The devil has proven to be very effective at this in recent times. Thirdly, the world is filled with darkness. It is deep and sinister but it is often disguised in a way that appears attractive and appealing. Thankfully when we repent of our sins God promises to forgive us for Jesus’ sake.
The good news is God’s promise to us is bigger than all our failures. Christ did keep His promise even to the point of death. He went to the cross where He shed His blood for you. He overcame death and the grave for you. Crucified and risen He lives to intercede for you. He promises to never leave you or forsake you.
You cannot make God into someone or something else. As soon as you try to do so you have made an idol. But God can and has and will make/made you into someone else. The Holy Spirit gives you faith and as He grows you in that faith He shapes you into a unique person with a unique place of service in His kingdom.
The Bible is full of promises and all of its promises centre on Christ. Each of you has been assigned a Bible verse on this day of your confirmation.
Shenay “Whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Colossians 3:17
Brailey “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows Me will never walk darkness, but will have the light of life.” John 8:12
Ethan “Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.” 1 Timothy 6:12
Luke “Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.” Revelation 2:10
Christ is light. He is forgiveness. He is salvation. Confirmation is not graduation. It is just one step in your life-long baptismal journey. And it is a journey you never travel alone. May God bless each of you now and from this day forward and may the Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ, your Saviour, keep you strong until the day you meet Him face to face. Amen.
+ In nomine Jesu +
Third Sunday of Advent
Rite of Confirmation
14 December 2014
Reverend Darrin L. Kohrt
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)