December 2025 – Page 3 – What Does This Mean?

Have You Tried Going To Church?

Encore Post: For those outside the church and those in our midst, the answer to our complaints and questions can often be so easy that it escapes our notice. Plain as the nose on our face, we still miss it.

“I don’t feel like people at my church know me/want to talk to me.”

Have you tried going to church more often? We tend to engage with folks we see on a regular basis. The folks there are more likely to notice you when they see you more often . The folks there are going to feel like you’re interested in them when they see you more often. Give them a chance. You may be surprised. Some of us are shy, too.

“I will thank you in the great congregation; in the mighty throng I will praise you.” (Psalm 35:18)

“The hymns/songs are unfamiliar/hard to sing.”

Have you tried struggling through singing them? Have you tried being in the house of God more often to hear and learn the hymns you know less well? There are around 635 hymns in our hymnal. Some share tunes, but let’s assume there are 450 unique tunes. When you find one you don’t know, try this. Search for the hymn on your favorite video streaming service. In particular, check out the short videos on the Rumble channel: Learn Every Hymn with Rev Kaspar. The channel is an ongoing project that quickly introduces the melody of every LSB hymn and coaches us through rhythmic challenges.

In the long-long ago, we had to take our hymnals to a piano. I did this throughout most of my youth and young adult life. Plunking out a melody the old-fashioned way still works, too. These hymns are our heritage and are worth your time in learning.

The hymns in our hymnal are carefully selected to contain only true Christian doctrine, using the words and concepts of the scriptures themselves. They are suggested for use and chosen to reinforce the lessons of each Sunday’s scriptural themes. Each one may not be your favorite. But each one is good and useful in teaching us the faith.

“Blessed are those who dwell in your house, ever singing your praise! … For a day in your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of wickedness.” (Psalm 84:4, 10)

“The liturgy is confusing. I don’t know what page to turn to or when.”

Have you tried attending church more frequently? At Mt. Calvary, we use two settings of the Divine Service, and switch between them 4 times each year. Divine Service, setting Three (LSB 184) is used for the seasons of Advent, Christmas, Epiphany, and the 1st half of Trinity each year. Divine Service, setting 2 (LSB 167) is used for the seasons of Lent, Easter, and the 2nd half of Trinity each year.

Many other churches observe similarly long use of the settings of the Divine Service throughout the year. The service is quite literally the same each Sunday. The more we attend, the more familiar we will become. Also, when you know what is going on and see someone else struggling, help them find their way.

“O LORD, I love the habitation of your house and the place where your glory dwells.” (Psalm 26:8)

“I don’t know how to contact the office/my elder/pastor.”

Have you tried coming to church? The office number and email are on the front of every bulletin, every Sunday. They are also on the website. The church can be contacted by phone, text, through social media, via the website, email, snail mail, and in person during office hours. We don’t make a habit of concealing the methods of communication.

“In my distress I called upon the LORD; to my God I cried for help. From his temple he heard my voice, and my cry to him reached his ears.” (Psalm 18:6)

“I don’t feel like Pastor knows who I am.”

Have you tried coming to church more often? Every pastor’s life actually revolves around preaching, teaching, and serving the people of God, in the Lord’s house on Sunday mornings (or it should). Putting your face in front of his more often will increase the likelihood that he’ll be able to get to know you. He’s also accessible via the contact methods listed above throughout the week. But his primary day will always be Sunday. Those people will always be his people.

“Praise the LORD! I will give thanks to the LORD with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation.” (Psalm 111:1)

Here is an incomplete list of additional psalm references encouraging frequent church attendance.

“But I, through the abundance of your steadfast love, will enter your house. I will bow down toward your holy temple in the fear of you.” (Psalm 5:7)

“The LORD is in his holy temple; the LORD’s throne is in heaven; his eyes see, his eyelids test the children of man.” (Psalm 11:4)

“I will tell of your name to my brothers; in the midst of the congregation I will praise you… From you comes my praise in the great congregation; my vows I will perform before those who fear him.” (Psalm 22:22,25)

“Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD forever.” (Psalm 23:6)

“One thing have I asked of the LORD, that will I seek after: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the LORD and to inquire in his temple.” (Psalm 27:4)

“The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth and strips the forests bare, and in his temple all cry, ‘Glory!’” (Psalm 29:9)

“They feast on the abundance of your house, and you give them drink from the river of your delights.” (Psalm 36:8)

“I have told the glad news of deliverance in the great congregation; behold, I have not restrained my lips, as you know, O LORD. I have not hidden your deliverance within my heart; I have spoken of your faithfulness and your salvation; I have not concealed your steadfast love and your faithfulness from the great congregation.” (Psalm 40:9-10)

“These things I remember, as I pour out my soul: how I would go with the throng and lead them in procession to the house of God with glad shouts and songs of praise, a multitude keeping festival.” (Psalm 42:4)

“We have thought on your steadfast love, O God, in the midst of your temple.” (Psalm 48:9)

“But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God. I trust in the steadfast love of God forever and ever.” (Psalm 52:8)

“We used to take sweet counsel together; within God’s house we walked in the throng.” (Psalm 55:14)

“Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple! … Blessed is the one you choose and bring near, to dwell in your courts! We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house, the holiness of your temple!” (Psalm 65:4, 29)

“I will come into your house with burnt offerings; I will perform my vows to you.” (Psalm 66:13)

“Bless God in the great congregation, the LORD, O you who are of Israel’s fountain!” (Psalm 68:26)

“Remember your congregation, which you have purchased of old, which you have redeemed to be the tribe of your heritage! Remember Mount Zion, where you have dwelt.” (Psalm 74:2)

“They are planted in the house of the LORD; they flourish in the courts of our God.” (Psalm 92:13)

“Your decrees are very trustworthy; holiness befits your house, O LORD, forevermore.” (Psalm 93:5)

“Let them extol him in the congregation of the people, and praise him in the assembly of the elders.” (Psalm 107:32)

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Jason M. Kaspar
Sole Pastor
Mt. Calvary Lutheran Church & Preschool
La Grange, TX

Where did Christmas come from?

Encore Post: People are planning parties, shopping for gifts, decking their homes in greenery, and cooking for feasts. Soon they will make merry, drink plenty of wine, stuff themselves, and play silly — and suggestive — games. Rich and poor, everyone will go to orgies, and may even disappear with someone of the opposite sex. Everywhere, revelers shout Io, Saturnalia! (Yo! Saturnalia!) No, it is not 21st Century America; it’s ancient Rome!

Beginning on December 17th and lasting for seven days, Ancient Rome would celebrate the harvest and the planting of winter crops. The patron god of the celebration was Saturn, said to have been the pre-Roman Italian king who invented agriculture. The celebration had the same feel and atmosphere as does Mardi Gras in New Orleans and Carnival in Buenos Aires. It got so wild that even Roman emperors — not exactly prudes — tried to rein it all in, unsuccessfully.

There has been a myth going around that the Emperor Constantine or the bishops invented Christmas and placed it on December 25th to rescue Christians from the party. These days, it is mostly pagans, atheists, secular liberals — and, interestingly enough, very conservative Christians who promote the theory. The problem is that no Christian writing from ancient times makes that argument. So, how did the rumor get started?

To begin with, there is no mention of a formal celebration of Christmas before 340 AD. The focus of the early church was the celebration of Easter, which got quite a bit of discussion from the very start. Then again, there is no detailed description of Saturnalia before 400 AD, so it is hard to tell which came first. If we give ancient Christian and pagan sources the benefit of the doubt, both celebrations are very old. The date of Christmas varied until late in the 300s. Many Christians observed January 6th as the day to thank God for the many ways the Son of God revealed himself, focusing on the incarnation and the baptism of Jesus.

Yet traditions die hard. The church never successfully brought an end to December parties, gift-giving, and other customs. Rarely did it really try all that hard — beyond preaching against immorality and complaining that people do not focus on God’s gift of his Son. Instead, Christians baptized many of these customs, infusing them with Christian meaning. It is how we have a different reason for the season. “God rest ye merry, gentlemen, let nothing you dismay. Remember Christ, our Savior, was born on Christmas Day, to save us all from Satan’s pow’r when we had gone astray. O tidings of comfort and joy! O tidings of comfort and joy! “

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Robert E. Smith
Pastor Emeritus
Fort Wayne, Indiana

Introducing St. Lucia: Virgin, Martyr

Encore Post: Lucia was a virgin maiden born in Syracuse, Sicily, to a well-to-do family in the Roman Empire around the year 286 AD. She was put to death for her faith around the year 304 AD, during Emperor Diocletian’s persecution. She is upheld in nearly every Christian tradition that remembers and commemorates the saints. Lutherans commemorate her day on December 13th. Other traditions, such as the Roman Catholic Church, hold a Mass on her day in her honor. While Lutherans do not have a festival service with the Eucharist on her specific day, Lutherans with connections to Scandinavia are more likely to hold some kind of service, whether a Divine Service or, more simply, a prayer office on that day.

What do we know about Lucia? Well, unfortunately, we know very little, honestly. The oldest records come from the 5th-century book Acts of the Martyrs. All of Lucia’s accounts agree that she was betrothed to a man who was not a Christian. According to the traditional story, Lucia was born into a wealthy family. Her father was of Roman origin, but died when Lucia was quite young. Lucia’s mother was of Greek descent.

As Lucia got older, she took the Christian faith more seriously, even consecrating herself to the Lord, meaning that she was to remain a virgin. However, she did not mention this to her mother. Her mother, fearing for Lucia’s future, arranged for Lucia to be married to the wealthy young son of a pagan family.

Now, this is where the legend becomes weird to our Lutheran ears. Lucia’s mother was sick with a bleeding disorder (from my reading of the different accounts, it sounds like the flow of blood of the woman in the Gospels). 52 years before, St. Agatha, another virgin, had been martyred. It is said that St. Agatha appeared to Lucia in a dream, encouraging her to persuade her mother to take a pilgrimage to Catania. Mom went and was cured of her disorder, and Lucia convinced her to allow the dowry for her impending marriage to be given away to the poor. This did not sit well with the man to whom she was to be married.

Lucia’s husband was said to have sent word to the Governor of Syracuse, accusing her of being a Christian. The Governor took Lucia into custody and ordered her to burn incense to the Emperor. Lucia refused to do so. The Governor then ordered her to be sexually assaulted. Legend also states that when they tried to move her from place to place, a team of oxen was unable to move her. Then they attempted to kill her by burning, but the wood would not catch fire. Lucia was killed with a sword. Other traditions speak about her eyes being gouged out and given to the man whom she was to marry because he prized her eyes. We do not know the truth of such claims.

Lucia’s name appears to be connected to the Latin “Lux” or “light.” Many traditions, especially those in Scandinavia, connect Lucia to light. She is a bearer of light in the darkness of winter. Some traditions that still occur in households involve setting a crown of candles on the head of the daughter of the house, and her going to each family member’s room in the morning with “St. Lucia Buns.” They are baked goods that incorporate saffron into the dough.

While Saint Lucia may not be well known today, she can serve as a model for keeping the faith and expressing hope in the Lord Jesus, who has called all his Christians to take up their cross and follow Him daily. While Lucia’s story is likely embellished in places, we can and should remember her as a saint who died for her faith in the face of brutal persecution. Like all the faithful who call on the name of the Lord, she has been given the crown of life and basks in the light of our Lord’s mercy.

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Jacob Hercamp
Christ Lutheran Church
Noblesville, Indiana

Who are You, John the Baptist?

Encore Post: “Who are you?” That was the question the Jews had when John came on the scene. John confessed and did not deny, but confessed emphatically that he was not the Christ. Okay, that makes sense. He must be Elijah then, for Elijah was said to return according to the prophet Malachi. But John’s answer to that question had to leave the Jews scratching their heads. He said he wasn’t Elijah either, at least not Elijah returned from Heaven. Perhaps he was the prophet who was to come, the Prophet like Moses. Nope, that’s not it either. So, John was a perplexing figure, to say the least.

They couldn’t figure him out. They seem to be on the right track to some extent, but just can’t seem to connect the dots. Especially when John speaks of himself as the voice crying in the wilderness, “Make straight the way of the Lord.” While the Pharisees wanted to know more about John, John didn’t seem to care much about making himself known. He had one job. And he was set on doing it well. He was proclaiming the One who was to come. That’s the message that John was to proclaim, not preach himself but Christ.

John preached a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, and that one was coming who would baptize with the Holy Spirit. The work of making the Lord’s way straight was beginning. It was falling into place. For the Lord was coming soon to the river Jordan, and His ministry was quickly beginning. Rejoice!

That should have been the first thought in the heads of the Jews. The one longed for, the one who would set everything right, would finally come. And many heard the news of John and took it to heart. For they came in droves to be baptized by him, confessing their sins, being made ready for the coming of the Lord. For with his coming, He would bring good news and liberty, proclaiming the year of the Lord’s favor, that the warfare between God and man was over, that sins would be dealt with by God once and for all. Rejoice!

But the Jews did not rejoice. No, they played the part of John 1. Jesus came to his own and they received them not. John the Baptist makes it sound like Jesus is actually in the midst of the crowd listening to the conversation that very day, when he says, “I baptize with water, but among you stands one you do not know, even he who comes after me, the strap of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” Jesus was unknown to these Jews, a face easily forgotten in the sea of people around them out in the wilderness. But to those who heard and believed the preaching of John, they were made sons and daughters of God.

John tries with all his might to make sure, once and for all, that everyone who hears his voice understands that He is not the Christ. Even though John came in the spirit and power of Elijah, and Jesus in the synoptic Gospels, leads his disciples to understand John to be the fulfillment of Malachi 4, John never says that He is Elijah. That would be too much for the people. They would follow John rather than follow Christ. And in fact, even though John worked hard to confess that he was not the Christ, there is still a small remnant of people who hold to John the Baptist as the Messiah to this day. You can learn about some of this in the book of Acts, where a couple of men who were baptized into John’s baptism but had not understood John’s preaching to trust in the one who was to come after him, Jesus.

John’s purpose is solely to exhort his hearers to trust in the One who is to come, Jesus Christ. “Behold Him, the Lamb of God who comes to take away the sin of the world.”

John was bold and confident. And could be based on God’s Word. John trusted the promises of God, he himself being the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah 40, and also the promise that he would have the spirit and power of Elijah. He certainly has the voice and appearance down, wearing rough camel-hair clothing and eating locusts and honey. And he desires you to trust boldly in the promises that God has made. May we be so bold as to hold to every word that comes from the Lord.

Good news would come from the one upon whom the Spirit of God would descend and remain. You have John’s own testimony, a few verses later, confirming that when Jesus came to be baptized, numbering himself with the transgressors, that He saw the Spirit of God descend upon him and remain. You have Jesus’ own words in Luke 4 saying that this prophecy was being fulfilled as the people gathered in the synagogue heard Jesus speak to them. Yet, they acted like the Pharisees and would not believe His Words. And then you have Jesus’ own work healing the sick, the lame, and forgiving their sins, too. What do you do you see and what do you hear? The Lord’s favor was coming and has come in Jesus! Rejoice!

He has come to bring you good news, but he brings the word of restoration. He came to rebuild and restore, to reconcile and bring peace. Isaiah 61 looks forward to the time when the exiles will be brought home. Jerusalem would be destroyed, burned to the ground; it would be devastated. In the return from exile, the Jews would rebuild, yes, but it would be a shell of its former glory. The real temple would come when Jesus came and dwelt in their midst, just as he did, and the temple of his body would be destroyed, but in three days it would be raised back up. God would dwell with humanity forevermore. That God and man are reconciled to one another by the One John proclaimed would come.

John was not trying to fool the Pharisees, the Jews, or anyone else. He was pretty upfront with them. Search the Scriptures, test His words against them, see that John is there fulfilling the purpose he was sent to perform. He is pointing to Christ, not to himself. Don’t worry too much about knowing John is, but rather worry about knowing Christ!

John says what He says because He is not the main attraction, nor does He want to be! “You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom’s voice. Therefore, this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease.”

John rightly testifies of Jesus being the bridegroom, and He bears the gifts of the bridegroom for his bride. “Rejoice and be glad for your Bridegroom has come!” says John. And He comes with his robe of righteousness for you! These are your words and John’s words to say, “I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God!” Why? For He comes bearing my salvation. He comes to set me free. As the beautiful hymn Wake Awake For Night is Flying says in the 2^nd stanza, “Zion hears the watchmen singing, And all her heart with joy is springing; She wakes and rises from her gloom.” Rejoice!

You heard John’s forthright preaching. How He calls you to account for your sins, especially the ones that are stuck to the bottom of the pot that is your heart, but once He has scraped them and agitated your hearts, John also points you to the remedy of all your sins. Your bridegroom, Jesus. He comes to you, cleansing you from your sins. We look to the font, the place where water and word washed over us, where Christ calls us His own. We look to the white garment given to us then, reminding us of the pure robe of righteousness that Christ has put on us. And we can continually remember our baptisms throughout all our days, coming to Christ, confessing our sins daily, repenting of them, and trusting His promise to forgive our sins. That is the baptismal life in a nutshell. Continually recognizing our failings to keep God’s laws and to be in alignment with them, and receiving from God mercy and forgiveness, and trying again. Our life is one of repentance. Our robes don’t always look white and pristine. Most time they are as black as coal. But rejoice! Yes, rejoice for Christ comes to cleanse you to raise you up, and bind up your broken hearts, and repeat to you the blessed Good News that He has come and He has come to save you.

And He comes bearing you every good gift. He comes to give you Himself, His own body and blood that is the new covenant, the everlasting covenant. Rejoice! Know and believe the good news that the Lord Jesus has come to save you from sin and death. You who have been sinned against by your loved ones, who have been put down, those of you ashamed of your sins that have come to light, and those that could come to light. Know you have been set free by the Bridegroom who willingly laid down his life for his bride and cleansed her with his own blood. He paid the dowry to take you as His bride with his own blood. You are far more precious to Him than any silver or gold, so he pays with his body and blood. And now he comes to you, giving to you that same body and blood to strengthen your faith in these dreary days, that you might cling ever so more tightly to His promise of His coming again. Eat and Drink believing His Words, receive His peace and comfort that comes with knowing that He comes to you that you might be rescued from the clutches of Satan.

The promise will never be broken. Just like the prophecies that He would come, so He comes known to you in His Word and Sacraments. As John the Baptist says, “Behold Him, Yes here. For Christ is in your midst now. Rejoice, O Bride of Christ, for your fortunes have been restored, and He has come and done glorious things in your midst. He has come to save you.

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

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Jacob Hercamp
Christ Lutheran Church
Noblesville, Indiana

Who was John the Baptist?

Encore Post: Zechariah should have known better. He was a Levite and a priest with decades of experience. He was steeped in the Torah, the Psalms, and the Prophets. He knew God had a habit of giving children to the barren—Abraham and Hannah, the mother of the great Samuel, prophet, priest, and judge. When an angel appears to you, you listen. And here the angel of God’s presence, Gabriel, stood before him when he offered to God the prayer of God’s people. He promised a supernatural birth and gave a name to his one and only son, whom he would love. Yet he doubted and was kept from speaking until the birth. His words, “His name is John,” would be his first words after that. In his song, which we sing in the Matins worship service, he prophesied the role of his child, the last and greatest of the prophets. John, the herald of the Messiah, would be the capstone of the Old Testament.

John the Baptist had all the credentials to be the Messiah. His father was a priest, descended from Aaron. His mother was related to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and so perhaps descended from King David. An angel in God’s temple announced John’s birth while his father was offering the prayers of the people to God.

Both of his parents were very old, like Abraham and Sarah, and barren, like Hannah, mother of Samuel. God named him John (God’s gift). In the same way, He named Isaac and changed Jacob’s name to Israel.

The angel announced John would come in the spirit and power of Elijah, one of the greatest prophets. So John would qualify to be a prophet, priest, and king. Yet from the very start, he and his parents understood John was not the Messiah, but the one who would reveal him to the world and prepare the way for him. Jesus called him the greatest prophet. (Matthew 11:9-14) John the Baptist closed the Old Testament. He was the first witness to the Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world.

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Robert E. Smith
Pastor Emeritus
Fort Wayne, Indiana

Last Things #16: The Best is Yet to Come: Life forever with the Son of God

[Twenty-Third in a series of posts on Last Things] Encore Post: When people speak of the Second Advent of Christ, the focus almost always is on his descent from Heaven, with all the angels and all the saints who had died. That is a natural thing to do because it is very dramatic. The skies parted, and the army of heaven, with countless members, descended with the Son of God in his full glory. The tombs are rent, the dead raised as the author of life calls them forth in the glorious resurrection of the last day. Then the drama of the destruction of sin, death, and the power of the devil, and the summons to all must obey at the Judgment Seat of Christ. Then the book of life is opened, all secrets are revealed, and those with faith in Jesus are pronounced “not guilty” before the throne of God, for the Son of God, the Lamb who took away the sin of the world, was slain for their sake. Then the unbelieving will be sent with Satan and his angels to the unending lake of fire prepared for them.

But the best is yet to come and gets little attention. Perhaps it is because we merge it in our minds with the state of the dead, who, in this age, die in the Lord. They are with him forever. And yet their state is not yet perfect. Their bodies are yet to be called by Jesus from their graves, so they may be fully restored and improved for eternity.

Perhaps it is because we really can’t understand it. So, the Scripture describes it for us and paints several images for us. Eternal life is — well — eternal! We will die only once and, once resurrected, live forever with the Lord. It will be without sin. Having been defeated on the cross. We are cleansed of it forever. There will be no more sorrow or sighing or grief or pain, for these things will pass away. God will dry every tear from our eyes. Our bodies will be glorified, purged of sin and its curse. We will shine like the stars in the joy of our Heavenly Father. We do not know what we will be like except that we will be like Christ.

Best of all, we will be with Jesus and see him face-to-face. Then, with joy, we will sing his praises forever.

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Robert E. Smith
Pastor Emeritus
Fort Wayne, Indiana

Last Things #15: The Judgment Seat of Christ

[Twenty-Third in a series of posts on Last Things] Encore Post: When Jesus returns from heaven, all Christians will be united with him forever. Those who have died will rise from the grave, their souls reunited with their bodies. All will be restored to be just like him, sin and death removed forever. While that is much more than enough for us, it is not the only thing he intends. He will make a new heaven and a new earth, removing the effects of sin and death forever. A key event in that restoration is the judgment seat of Christ.

The angels sent forth to raise the dead will gather all before the throne — both the saved and the lost, all angels and demons will be brought before him. Every knee will bow, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. Saints and angels will all sing his praises. These events are beyond our comprehension, so the Holy Spirit has revealed in Scripture the things we can understand in words and images, sometimes in ways we can’t easily put together. Yet all are true.

At the throne of judgement, the Book of Life will be opened, where the names of all God’s people are written. Every event in human history, along with every thought and deed we thought secret. The standard for judging these deeds will be God’s holy law. The verdict is clear — God is righteous and no one else. Yet, for the sake of the sacrifice of the Lamb-who-was-slain, all who trust in Jesus will be declared not guilty. All their sins were forgiven and forgotten. All that remains are the good deeds done for the sake of Christ. These will follow us into eternal life.

Jesus himself recounts how this works: whenever we cared for the least of his children, we did it to him. The lost, however, will be remembered for what they did not do. So the saved will shine in the joy of God the Father and live forever with him. The lost will be thrown into hell with the demons, forever separated from God and his love.

Following the judgment, the Marriage Feast of the Lamb will begin. We will live with God and his people forever in a celebration that never ends.

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Robert E. Smith

Pastor Emeritus

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Last Things #14: The Missing Millennium

[Twenty-Third in a series of posts on Last Things] Encore Post: Called the “Jewish opinion” by the Lutheran Confessions, the belief in a Millennium comes from a face value reading of Old Testament prophecy and poetry about the Church or about eternal life with God after the Second Advent. It also treats the Book of Revelation, written in a symbolic code called apocalyptic, in a similar way. By doing so, it uses difficult to understand passages to complicate the very clear words of Jesus, Peter, Paul, and other New Testament writers. It is the view of the Pharisees that caused them to rule out Jesus as the Messiah, because he did not intend to battle the Romans and to miss that the Scriptures pointed to the birth, life, sufferings, death, and Resurrection of the Son of God.

The word itself comes from Revelation 20, where the reign of Christ through his church is described as 1000 years. This number is not a literal 1000 years, but is Jewish numerology. The number ten meant to them perfection, and when multiplied by three, the number of God, it means everything is completed. It points to our times when the Gospel has reached every corner of the earth.

While it may seem harmless to believe such things, it detracts from what Christ has commanded us to do. It reads every event, looking for the return of Christ. Instead, we should be ready, as Jesus instructs us, making disciples of all nations by baptizing and teaching them, knowing he is with us always.

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Robert E. Smith

Pastor Emeritus

Fort Wayne, Indiana

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Last Things #13: Come, Lord Jesus, Come!

[Twenty-Second in a series of posts on Last Things] Encore Post: They were ordinary days. The seaside resort of Pompeii was bustling with the daily activities of the luxurious retreat for the most affluent Romans, who escaped the pressures of the imperial capital of ancient Rome. That is, until Mount Vesuvius buried it in ash for 1700 years. It was a lazy Sunday morning in Hawaii, slower than usual for a navy base — until Japanese bombs shattered Pearl Harbor that December 7, 1941. On a bright, lovely September morning, a pastor drove from downtown Fort Wayne, practicing a sermon for chapel on the first regular day of classes for Concordia Theological Seminary in Fort Wayne — a sermon he rewrote on the ride in as he learned airplanes had destroyed the Twin Towers in New York City that September 11, 2001. Life was normal — until the world changed.

On another ordinary day, when people will go about their daily lives as usual, eating, drinking, marrying, working in the field and in businesses, Jesus will return from Heaven. (Matthew 24:37-41) He will appear in the sky with the angel armies of Heaven and the souls of his people with him. Every eye will see him. He will send his angels to gather both those who are saved to meet him and the damned to be judged. ( Matthew 13:41, 49, Matthew 24:30-31) There will be no rapture, where Christ appears secretly to claim his own and leave the world in tribulation. This notion comes from a misunderstanding of the dispensationalists.

At that time, Jesus will break the seal of the grave forever. All people will rise from the dead in the great resurrection of the dead. All souls will be reunited with their bodies, and Christ’s own will be transformed to be just like him. (1 Thessalonians 4:14-17) As great dread has been put in this day, it is for Christians the most joyful day of all, even with the next event — the Last Judgment — coming. For the goal of the suffering, death, and resurrection of our Lord is this day, when all is made right, we are restored to his image, and we will shine like the stars in his kingdom. So, the Church has always prayed: Come, Lord Jesus, come!

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Robert E. Smith

Pastoral Emeritus

Fort Wayne, Indiana

The Real Saint Nicholas, Bishop of Myra

Encore Post: Christmas in America doesn’t seem possible without Santa Claus. In an image first drawn by Thomas Nast for Harper’s Weekly in 1863 and shaped to his current form by Haddon Sundblum for a Coca-Cola advertising campaign, the jolly Saint Nick is said to live at the North Pole, making toys for children to give on Christmas Eve. Our Santa’s legend has grown from the Dutch form of the Father Christmas story, where candies were distributed on December 6. Through poems, songs, and TV specials, the story continues to change each year. Many Americans tell their children that Christmas gifts come from him.

Yet the image did begin with the story of a real St. Nicholas, a Greek bishop who cared for God’s people during the most intense persecution of the Church before the 20th Century. Nicholas was born to wealthy Christian parents, who died during his early manhood. Nicholas followed his uncle into the priesthood and was chosen Bishop of Myra, a town in what is now Turkey. His legend says he gave away his parents’ wealth to the poor, but, being a humble man, he did so secretly. One story tells of a father who lost his wealth during a tragedy. Unable to afford a dowry for his three daughters, he feared he would have to sell them as slaves or hire them as prostitutes. Upon hearing the story, Bishop Nicholas resolved to help. On two successive nights, he slipped a bag of gold through the girls’ window. In the morning, the father was greatly thankful to his mystery patron. So he watched on the third night for the donor to appear. Unmasking Nicholas, the saint apparently begged him, unsuccessfully, to keep his generosity a secret. The girls, now each with a generous dowry, were married successfully and escaped a depressing fate. From this story, the Dutch legend of Sinterklaas developed, who is said to give children gifts on December 6. This story came across the Atlantic during the colonization of New Amsterdam (New York).

During the Great Persecution under Emperor Diocletian of Rome, Nicholas was thrown into prison and tortured in an attempt to get him to renounce his faith. Remaining faithful to Christ, he was released by Emperor Constantine the Great. One legend places Bishop Nicholas at the Council of Nicea, where he is said to have slapped Arius the heretic and to have temporarily lost his office for the incident. Restored to office, he stood up for his people, battled idolatry and heresy, and intervened with authorities from time to time to protect his flock and the poor in general.

Originally posted at What does this Mean? Blog: https://whatdoesthismean.blog

The posts in the blog What does this Mean? are now available at What does this Mean? | Rev. Robert E. Smith | Substack

Rev. Robert E. Smith

Pastor Emeritus

Fort Wayne, Indiana