Jacob Hercamp – Page 2 – What Does This Mean?

Nativity of John the Baptist

Six months is all that separates the Baptist and Jesus, at least by earthly age. And so typically on June 24th, the Church celebrates and remembers the birth of the Baptist. For with his coming into the world, the Sun of Righteousness also would follow soon after.

Zechariah, when he was confronted by Gabriel, was confused and unbelieving of the news that he and Elizabeth would have a son. As part of the sign that Elizabeth would have a son, Zechariah would be mute until the child was born. And when he named the child John, in accordance with what the Angel told him, Zechariah’s mouth was loosed. He could speak. And the people were filled with awe and asked: “What then will this child be?”

Being filled with the Holy Spirit, Zechariah prophesied the song that we commonly call the Benedictus, Latin for “Blessed.” Zechariah’s song does not answer the question of the people right away. He first prophesies of the One that his own son would point to as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

This song is not about John, but about Jesus. And He had actually been in Zechariah’s house for the past 3 months via the womb of Mary. And the redemption of God’s people was the plan from of old as far back as Adam’s fall. John still proclaims that message into your very ears every Advent season, preparing us for the coming of our Lord, the Sun of Righteousness.

Some think John’s preaching is fire and brimstone, and it might be on that side, but how else to rattle and crack the hearts of stone of a dead people? The preaching of repentance puts you to death, but not only that, it raises you to life. John’s preaching causes the Light of the Lord’s mercy to shine upon you. It gives you the new birth of the Holy Spirit, and gives to you the Name of God by his Grace, granting you peace that passes all human understanding. John preaches not his own word but the Word of the Lord, in order that they might be made alive by the Gospel and Comfort of the coming of the Lord Jesus who would die for the sin of the world and be raised from the dead on the 3^rd day and would then lead the way unto everlasting life with the Father in Heaven.

John’ preaching of repentance is the preaching of the forgiveness of sins. But John’s preaching is really the preaching of Christ! And thus by John’s preaching, you are not just prepared for Jesus’ coming, but it is by this way and means that Christ comes to you in love and visits you with tender compassion.

Christ did not just visited Zechariah or the people of Judea and Galilee, but He has come and visits you with tender care and mercy this day. He has redeemed you just as we swore he would do, giving you the forgiveness of sins which He won for you by his cross, now by giving you His body and blood in the Sacrament, the Covenant/Testament of His body and blood. That you may be led in the way of peace forever.

John was the forerunner, the preparer, the preacher who pointed to Jesus without fail. May the preachers of this day follow on coattails of John and continue to preach repentance for the forgiveness of sins, that ears and hearts be prepared to receive Christ now and always, for it is He who has released you from all sins, and has removed from us one and for all fear of death and hell and now guides our feet into the way of Peace.

Rev. Jacob Hercamp
Christ Lutheran Church
Noblesville, Indiana

Church Word #22: Redemption

Encore Post: One of the most common stories of redemption in the Old Testament comes to us in the book of Ruth. That whole book is about her Redemption. Remember Boaz was her kinsmen redeemer. There are redeemers in the Old Testament, but the story of Ruth and Boaz is one that has always caught my attention. By that act of redemption, Ruth is grafted into the genealogy of Jesus, the redeemer of the world! But what do we mean by “redemption”?

Redemption is one word that dutifully describes the work of Christ’s atoning sacrifice for us. Redemption has to do with gaining possession of something in exchange for payment. Dr. Luther is a master at talking about the term of redemption when speaking about the meaning of the second article. There Luther says in line with Scripture, “[Jesus Christ] has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins from death and the power of the devil, not with gold or silver, but with His innocent sufferings and death….”

It is not like however, that Jesus is paying Satan, as if Satan has power over Jesus. No, its not like that at all. While, humanity was in the grasp of sin and death, it was not Satan who needed the payment of Christ’s blood. Rather it was Holy and Righteous God.

God, who is indeed Holy and Righteous, could not be in the presence of sin. Therefore He certainly could not be in the presence of sinful man, and allow them to live. However, by the work of the Son, Jesus Christ, He came to redeem sinful man. He came to gain possession of humanity from the grips of everlasting death for himself.

Jesus pays what we owe to God, who has been gracious and merciful to us, having sent his own Son into the world to be our redeemer. Jesus is the bride groom is who pays the dowry to have His bride. And He pays that price with His own body and blood at the cross. Christ’s bride is the Church. And He dresses her in his own clothing, and presents her to Himself. Redeemed and a possession of Christ forever.

Rev. Jacob Hercamp
Christ Lutheran Church
Noblesville, Indiana

To Block Post Series

Church Word #21: Self-Control

Encore Post: The sanctified life of the Christian is one of self-control, the last of the “fruits of the Spirit” that Paul speaks about in that famous Galatians passage. Self-control is the ability in particular to control one’s emotions in conformity to God’s Will.

Doing a simple bible word search just in the ESV, you first find the translation used in Proverbs 25:28. There, a man without self control is a like a city broken into and left without walls. Nothing good happens in a city like that. The city would be lost to looters. In a similar fashion, a man lacking self-control, who loses his temper or emotions easily, loses respect and dignity in sight of his counter-parts.

St. Paul warns young Timothy that self-control is an extremely important characteristic when it comes to those seeking to serve the Church as a pastor. Having self-control is important because we need to remember that it is easiest lost by a loose tongue. But having self-control also is an important trait for all people.

Involved with self-control is the concept of being disciplined in what we say and do. What better to be disciplined (a follower) by the Word of God, from which we hear the good news of our justification in the sight of God for Jesus’ sake?

Paul reminds that we were once a people who were slaves to our sinful passions. But in light of Christ’s atoning sacrifice on the cross and his resurrection, we have been granted new life and it is in this new life that we desire to control our sinful desires and flesh. The Christian life is one that involves self-control. It is intimately connected to returning to the font of holy baptism by way of confession and absolution. There we put to death our Old sinful Adam and daily rise to the new obedience, actually desiring to do the things which God commands of us.

It is a continual struggle; as even Paul attests. Self-control is a character trait that needs to be developed and exercised. God’s gift of self-control is one that is continually developed by being in His Word and being formed by the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus Christ.

Rev. Jacob Hercamp
Christ Lutheran Church
Noblesville, Indiana

Blog Post Series

The Harvest is Plentiful

Encore Post: Our Lord Jesus Christ liked to use agricultural imagery when teaching about the Kingdom of God. On one such occasion he talked about the sower recklessly sowing his seed. Sowing seed anticipates having a harvest.

In the Midwest United States, corn is finally being planted after a long and grueling winter. The farmers are working hard to prepare the ground for the seed hoping for a bountiful harvest. They fertilize and treat the ground to make the seed bed as fertile as possible.

Likewise the seminaries of Ft. Wayne and St. Louis have been cultivating not the ground but men to serve as pastors. They have worked hard to send these men into the the Lord’s fields to plant the seed of our Lord’s Gospel. Soon they will be planted in their first calls working in the Lord’s fields of their respective congregations. What a joyful time!

Jesus tells His disciples in Matthew 9:37-38, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefor pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into his harvest.” Our Lord anticipates a great harvest not of grain but of souls. But how can there be a harvest if no one hears the Gospel?

It is nothing short of astonishing, at least in my mind, that just as soon as Jesus tells his disciples to pray for more workers he answers his own plea. For in Matthew 10 Jesus answers the prayer. He sends his disciples out, giving them authority but also to preach the kingdom of heaven is at hand. This vocation is serious business. Looking at the end of the Gospel Jesus again gives authority to his disciples, also giving the mandate to baptize and teach the nations all that He taught them.

And these men being called to work in the harvest fields now have the same mandate, to baptize and to teach in their respective congregations. They are to preach Law and Gospel, that by their preaching faith may be created. They are to sow Jesus’ Gospel, to plant that seed. All Pastors are called to be workers in the field. Yet it is the Lord who gives the growth. It He who produces a harvest.

As the Franzmann hymn says in the final stanza, “The Harvest Lord Who gave the sower seed to sow will watch and tend His planted Word.” May we always trust in the Lord and promise that His word never returns void.

Rev. Jacob Hercamp
Christ Lutheran Church
Noblesville, Indiana

Vocations of the Everyday Grind

Encore Post: Changing the diaper, taking out the garbage, answering the phone call. Some events during our days are grinds. Getting the coffee going, putting breakfast plates together. They don’t sound like much but if you are baptized child of God, you are doing a good work for your closest neighbors for you are united to Christ Jesus by the Sacrament of Holy Baptism.

That is a great comfort! And it ought to be because more often than not, the every day grind is tough enough. But God uses the “small things” in our daily lives and provides through them the occasion and opportunity to do good works. And these good works are not something that we chase after, no God has put us into various vocations. I am a father, so I go to work to provide for my wife and children. That is my calling as a father.

In Luther’s day, daily vocations such as being a mother and father or a worker were thought of as to be inferior to the vocation of priest because the mother or father was a secular vocation whereas the priest had a religious calling. Nothing could be further from the truth! Luther in his Treatise on Good Works, makes sure that the reader sees from Scripture again and again that whatever is done in faith, is pleasing in God’s sight.

It is easy to get discouraged though because some people no longer know what their vocation is. The kids have moved out. Some people are in a nursing home wondering when the Lord will call them home. I get the privilege as a pastor to visit them. They ask the question, “Why am I still here?” I usually respond, “God has given you the vocation to receive these wonderful gifts that Jesus has won for you and your salvation. And by you being hear I get to serve you. And that brings me joy. So thank you for living in out this God-pleasing vocation.”

Our daily lives may seem small and perhaps arduous at times, but when we are connected to Christ by faith, whatever we do is pleasing in the sight of our heavenly Father.

Rev. Jacob Hercamp
Christ Lutheran Church
Noblesville, Indiana

Blog Post Series

Vocations: Working out from Ground Zero

Encore Post: In Holy Baptism we are made God’s child. This is perhaps the greatest and most wonderful vocation into which we are placed. Let’s call Baptism ground zero for vocations. Moving from ground zero there are other vocations that are built into the kingdom of God. The vocation or calling of a pastor comes to mind.

In the Old Testament God commanded the men of the tribe of Levi to serve in his tabernacle and later temple as priests and the specific men who would do the bulk of the public preaching and teaching concerning the Lord and his wonderful works of salvation, like the Exodus events of the Passover Lamb and Red Sea.

In the New Testament, no longer is it about tribal blood lines. Jesus calls 12 men to be his disciples and we are not really told much about their tribal relationships. The original 12 disciples who were with Jesus from the beginning of his ministry from his baptism to his ascension into heaven were then sent to proclaim their testimony concerning what they had seen. They were to proclaim the salvation won for us by Jesus Christ’s life, death, resurrection and ascension. They did this publicly. Paul was a late comer but chosen by the risen Christ, Himself to be the voice to the Gentiles.

Jesus called these 12 apostles to preach and to proclaim the saving Gospel. They also wrote letters and the Gospels that are in our Bible, as John so aptly puts it, “that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and have life in His Name.” Today’s pastors are placed into a very related office of the apostles. Pastors are called to preach the Word, as it has been handed down by the apostles in Scripture. For by this preaching of Jesus’ salvific work, faith is created in the hearer. Baptisms are administered. The Lord’s Body and Blood is given to the body of believers. The baptized child of God is then ministered to by the next vocation in the line.

Rev. Jacob Hercamp
Christ Lutheran Church
Noblesville, Indiana

Blog Post Series

Vocation and the Table of Duties

You probably have heard the phrase “purpose driven life” or something similar within the great “Christian” sphere of influence. With some of that teaching, it can go awry because the “purpose” becomes singular, and unfortunately it can make you abdicate other duties or vocations in pursuit of that singular purpose. Instead of a single purpose, God, having justified us by grace through faith has also created us in the image of Christ Jesus for good works, that we should walk in them.

What are good works? Good works are those things which flow from faith in Christ Jesus as well as those things that are carried out within our vocation. Where do you find yourself? In the Small Catechism after the 6 chief parts there is a lesser known but ultra important section called the Table of Duties.

The Table of Duties is a listing of Bible passages addressing the common but holy vocations of Christians in their daily lives. The table begins with vocations within the church, out to the public square, then back into the household. The Bible passages compiled are not an exhaustive list of the duties that comprise each calling or vocation, but they give a good overview of the most common vocations: pastors, laypeople, children, parents, worker, employer.

Some vocations can be chosen. Others are handed down to you without your consent. I am a son. I am also a brother. I was not asked how I felt about that. I learned quickly what it meant to live in the vocation of son and brother. But other vocations came through my own choosing. I am a husband and I am a father. Now that I have become a husband and a father, however, I am called upon and admonished to do the duties required of me from Scripture.

You might consider each kind of job a vocation. You might even say you are called to a certain job, etc. But we must be careful how far we take that discussion because what would happen if we left that job? Would it be sinful to switch your career? We should not go that far, but understand that we are accountable to the more general descriptions of being a worker, etc.

The term vocation is freighted with all kinds of weight. But we Christians should turn our attention to the table of duties and ask ourselves, “Where do I find myself?”

Rev. Jacob Hercamp
Christ Lutheran Church
Noblesville, IN

Why Confess Your Sins?

Encore Post: After the Sacrament of Holy Baptism in Luther’s Small Catechism we find the section on Confession. Pastors get the question from time to time, “Why do we keep confessing our sins? Especially if we are baptized?” Confession is the natural extension of our Baptism because in Confession and Absolution we are brought back to the promises of our Baptism. Think back to the 3rd and 4th parts of Baptism. While we did die with Christ in Baptism, we still live in the body of sinful flesh. Only when we die do we stop sinning.

Sin is a fearful thing. And continuing to sin even after our Baptism can catch up to us. Continuing to sin without sign of contrition/repentance can lead a person to walk away from their Baptismal Identity and lose their faith. Confessing our sins is needed, even after Baptism for the forgiveness of sins and strengthening of our faith.

In Confession we hear plainly God’s two words: Law and Gospel. He is the One who has given us the 10 commandments. He is the one who tells that we have fallen short of his glory due to our sins. But, He is also the One who promises us that even though we are sinners He does love us and forgives us on account of the only begotten Son. He made that clear at our Baptism, but if we don’t hear the words of absolution spoken by Pastor in the stead and mandate of Christ we tend to forget God’s love for us in Christ.

There are some Christians who say that the Pastor cannot say, “You are forgiven.” But Christ our Lord commands his apostles to speak the forgiveness of sins to those men and women who repent of their sins. Confession of sins leads us to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Pastors are in the unique situation to be the very people that God uses to speak this truth to the repentant sinner. They are also the ones who are called to retain the sins of the unrepentant.

Our Lord searches us out, and calls us to the promise He made at our Baptism again. He does not want us to forget our baptism, so he speaks tenderly the same word to us each time we come to Him to confess our sins.

Rev. Jacob Hercamp

Christ Lutheran Church

Noblesville, Indiana

Blog Post Series

Thy Kingdom Come

Encore Post: When we pray the Lord’s Prayer we state our hope and belief that God’s Kingdom is different than the kingdoms of the world. As Jesus says to Pontius Pilate, “My Kingdom is not of this world.” But certainly it has entered into this world now and the world will see it in all its fullness when Jesus returns to judge both the living and the dead.

God’s Kingdom comes to us a couple of ways. God’s Kingdom comes to us through the Proclamation of the Word and Faith. Another way to say it is that God’s Kingdom comes to us when and where Jesus promises to be for the forgiveness of our sins in the divine service. Finally, what we see currently only by faith will be unveiled to the world, and God’s Kingdom will be fully known.

God’s Kingdom is not like the Kingdoms of the world. God’s Kingdom is a spiritual kingdom and it must be distinguished from the civil realm. God works in terms of the Gospel, that in Jesus Christ’s death on the cross atones for the sins of the world. Currently God’s Kingdom looks quite humble. Even the King rides to his throne on a donkey, not some regal warhorse. His crown in this world was one of thorns. He governs not with an iron fist, but through his ministers who are called to preach His Gospel and administer his gifts- namely Baptism, Bread and Wine, His body and Blood- to his faithful.

The civil realm as we are all able to look around works in terms of fear and power, certainly not the Gospel but rather Law. Of course, as we pray this petition we also express the desire for the Lord to bless our civil kingdoms (government) with His mercy and grace that we might live in peace. And we should obey the laws of the government as long as obeying the laws does not cause us to sin. We also acknowledge rightly that God does not intend to use the Gospel to overthrow secular government and public order. We reject that before the resurrection of the dead, saints and righteous people will possess a secular kingdom.

So, we as Christians see ourselves in two kingdoms. And we continue to pray this petition as fervently as ever in anticipation when the Lord will return to usher and reveal His Kingdom fully.

Rev. Jacob Hercamp
Christ Lutheran Church
Noblesville, Indiana

Blog Post Series

And He Suffered Under Pontius Pilate

Encore Post: You say it every time you confess the Apostles’ Creed, “And He suffered under Pontius Pilate,” but what does saying it convey?

Pontius Pilate was the Roman governor who had authority over the use of the death penalty. That is historical fact. And it is important to show that faith in Jesus Christ, as recorded in Holy Scripture is historical. We can look at the historical record and see a governor named Pilate who served in Judea, and it was this man who gave the Jews the go ahead to crucify Jesus. This is extremely important to acknowledge, but there are some important theological implications of reciting Pilate’s name as well in the Creed.

We remember from Holy Scripture that Pilate desired to release Jesus because Jesus had done nothing wrong. Certainly Jesus did nothing that required the judgement of death by crucifixion. Pilate judged rightly that the Jews were bringing Jesus to him because they were jealous of him and how the people chased after him.

However, Jesus was before him, and he had to pass judgment. Due to his position as governor, his judgment was as if God spoke the judgement: “I find no fault in him at all.” And that right there is of great theological importance. Pilate, as governor, goes on record to say that an innocent man dies for the sins of the people. That is the Gospel proclamation. The innocent man receives the punishment of death while the sinner goes free. While Pilate wanted to release Jesus, he was getting nowhere with the people. The priests and the scribes had caused a riot to begin. Pilate, being afraid, gave Jesus over to them that they might crucify Jesus.

And in so doing Pilate allowed the Chief Priests and the Scribes of the Jews to actually fulfill their duties as those who would sacrifice the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Yet, Christ is the Victim and the Priest on this Good Friday at the altar of the Cross.

Jesus suffered under Pontius Pilate. He was handed over to the ruthless Priests and Scribes for crucifixion, but facing the cross Jesus did not blink nor did he complain. But rather suffered under Pontius Pilate that we might be set free from the punishment of our sins and live with Him in everlasting life.

Rev. Jacob Hercamp
Christ Lutheran Church
Noblesville, Indiana