Soteriology – What Does This Mean?

Jews and Gentiles

Encore Post: The Greeks saw the world as made up of two kinds of people — Greeks and Barbarians. For the Romans, it was Romans and Pagans. In the 1960s, we saw the world as Americans versus Communists. The Communists saw the world as Communists and Capitalists or Imperialists. For the Jews, it was Jews and Gentiles.

Of course, for them, God was the source of this separation. He called Abraham out from the Sumerian culture and the serving of multiple gods to the service of the one, true God. He set him aside from the rest of the world to be a blessing to it. He grew the nation from the descendants of Abraham and Sarah. He freed them from slavery in Egypt, gave them his law, formed them in the desert and gave them the land of promise.

But there the other nations — the gentiles — worshiped other gods and lived in great immorality.Not the least of that evil was that they would sacrifice their children for favors from their gods. So God commanded the people of Israel to kill them all and destroy all their possessions. The Israelites did not do this perfectly. Those people tempted God’s people to wander from him and sink into their immorality. God punished them with exile in Babylon. Except for 150 or so years, they lived as the subjects of pagan nations.

They learned the lesson. The Jews — at least the pious ones — tried to keep the law so perfectly they invented their own laws and traditions. Among those was strict separation from Gentiles, to the point of not even eating with them. In the temple, they would not allow gentiles to enter the temple proper and punished transgression with death.

The celebration of Epiphany marks how the coming of Christ changes this once and for all. Jesus died on the cross for the sins of both Jew and gentiles. The reason for the division is destroyed, demonstrated when the temple curtain tore in two from top to bottom. Now, as Isaiah prophesied, the nations come to God through Christ and meet God’s people there. Together we praise him who called us both out of darkness into his marvelous light.

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

Lord, Now Peacefully Release Your Servant

Encore Post: Simeon patiently waited for years. The Holy Spirit told him he would see the promised Messiah. On the day that the Son of God suddenly appeared in his temple, the Holy Spirit led him to the Court of the Women in the temple. There he did as countless rabbis did, took a baby in his arms. This time, the infant was different. He was the Son of God. Simeon’s song — the last in Luke’s musical — is sung by the church in the vespers, compline and in divine services.

We know the song by the first of its words in Latin — nunc dimittis: “Lord, release…” Simeon’s words sum up the checking off of the last item on the ultimate bucket list. He had held God himself in his own hands. He knew that in this Son of David, God would save his people — both Jewish and Gentile. He could die in peace.

When we sing the song of Simeon after the Lord’s Supper, we, too, have received the Lamb of God in our own hands and mouth as we eat his body with bread and drink his blood with wine. We, too, can go in peace. When we sing the song in the evening, we do it as we prepare for bed, knowing that we have seen the Lord in his Word.

There is one other time when we sing this song. When a pastor senses that the Lord himself will soon call us to be with him, the pastor will sing this song with us or for us. If he has time, he will bring us the Lord’s own supper as bread for our journey. If he is present with us when the angels come for us, he will sing this song for us again: “Lord, now let your servant go in peace, according to your word. For his own eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all people. A light to lighten the gentiles and the glory of your people Israel.” I did this for my own wife twice during her last hours, just before the angels carried her home to be with Jesus. May we then rest in his peace, now and to the day of the resurrection of all flesh.

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

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Why doesn’t John tell the story of Christmas?

Encore Post: “In the beginning was the Word…” John begins his gospel. (John 1:1) His introduction is very different from Matthew, Mark’s and Luke’s gospels. He takes us back in time to creation itself. Where are the shepherds, the sheep, the star, the wise men and all the details we’ve come to love? Why doesn’t the beloved disciple tell us the story? It is because John is not a biography like the ones we’re used to. (The other gospels aren’t either, but that is another story!) In fact, John tells us what he is trying to do: “Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.” (John 20:30–31)

For John, what happened in the earthly life of Jesus is less important than why. The Gospel of John tells the good news simply, profoundly and in ways that strengthen the faith of every Christian — young and old. So John begins at the beginning.

Jesus is the eternal Word — the λόγος (Logos) — living with God the Father forever. He is divine, God himself, the Author of Life and the Creator of all things. He is Light itself, which overcomes darkness. He came to the world, and the world did not know him. His own people did not receive him. Yet those who believe in him, he adopted as his children, not born of human will, but by the will of God.

But John does talk about Christmas — he tells us the reason for the season. The Word became flesh and lived with us. This mystery is so profound it makes no sense to Greek philosophy. To the Greeks, spirituality is all about denying the flesh and the material world it lives in. To them, the body is suspect and evil; the spirit is good. That God’s Word would become human is backwards. For the Jew, it is offensive to think that man could be God. Yet that is exactly what happened at Christmas.

So, the beloved disciple teaches us, if you want grace and truth, look to Jesus. Human beings have never seen God, but the only begotten God — he is from the Father and made him known. Christians are blessed because, when they discover they cannot understand God, they can look to Jesus. In him, God has come to live with us and will do so now and forever.

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

To you is Born the Savior — the Lord Christ

Encore Post: Shepherds were hard-working everyday people. To some extent, they even looked down on a bit. If you were a king, you wouldn’t send a herald to them. And yet, that was exactly what God did. He sent his Angel — his messenger, — with an εὐαγγέλιον (evangelion — Gospel) to — of all people — shepherds.

Royal proclamations of Good News announced the victory over enemies, the birth of a royal heir, the beginning of the reign of a new king. Often the messenger is also a Legatus — an ambassador — with the authority of the ruler to set forth a big celebration. He could free captives, cancel debts, suspend taxes, sponsor games and the like. This Gospel is unlike any other. “Good news of great joy for all the people,” the angel announced the birth of God’s own son in David’s hometown of Bethlehem. He is the Lord Christ — who would save his people from their sins.

The Christmas gospel is very good news indeed. God the Father, our Savior, reveals his kindness and love of people in it. He sent Jesus, our Savior, to save us because of his mercy, not because of the good deeds we have done. Jesus poured out the Holy Spirit, our Savior, on us, who washed away our sins in Holy Baptism and regenerated our hearts. We are justified by the grace of the Holy Trinity, so that we may be made heirs of eternal life, being justified by his grace.

So, great joy comes to us at Christmas. Not only the song of a legion of angels, eager shepherds to rush to see the Savior and the mother who treasured it all in her heart. God has broken into our world and changed things forever. We have an inexpressible joy, for we know God keeps his promises. And so it is our hope is certain. Many blessings are awaiting us in Heaven, where Jesus is preparing a place for us. We have seen a great light and nothing can ever take that from us.

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

O Emmanuel

Encore Post: O Emmanuel, our King and our Lord, the Anointed for the nations and their Savior, Come and save us, O Lord our God.

O Emmanuel, Rex et legisfer noster, expectatio gentium, et Salvator erum, veni ad salvandum nos, Domine Deus noster.

In most of the world’s religions, God is very far away. For some, he is the high god that made the world and left it to lesser gods and humans to manage as they can. In Eastern religious traditions, everything is god, a single being without differences. According to them, the problem is we think we’re individuals and weighed down by our bodies and material things. Deists of the enlightenment — like Thomas Jefferson and Ben Franklin — think of God as a craftsman — like a watchmaker — who made a fine watch — the world — wound it up and let it run as designed.

Over the last few years, we’ve caught glimpses of this in popular song. We’re told “the three men I admired most, The Father, Son, and The Holy Ghost, They took the last train for the coast.” (Don McLean, American Pie, Verse Six) and “God is watching us from a distance” (Bette Midler, From a Distance, Refrain). We’re asked, “What if God was one of us?” (Joan Osborne, One of Us, Chorus)

Our last antiphon reminds us that this is not true at all. A virgin conceived and bore a son — Emmanuel — God-with-Us. (Isaiah 7:14, Matthew 1:23). This child — Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6), never left us. Instead, he left his throne and became one of us. He was in every way like us, except he did not sin. He lived a perfect life for us, suffered for us, bore our sins and died for us, rose from the dead to open the gate to heaven for us. He is with us whenever we gather to worship. He gives us his body with bread and his blood with wine for the forgiveness of sins. He will come again to bring us home before very long.

So, yes, God is one of us. “He’s by our side, with his good gifts and Spirit.” (Martin Luther, A Mighty Fortress, Stanza Four) So, come, Emmanuel, come!

O come, O come, Emmanuel,
And ransom captive Israel,
That mourns in lonely exile here
Until the Son of God appear.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!

Lutheran Service Book, 357, Stanza One

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

O King of the Nations

Encore Post: O King of the Nations, the Ruler they long for, the Cornerstone uniting all people, Come and save us all, whom You formed out of clay.

O Rex gentium, et desideratus earum, lapisque angularis, qui facis utraque unem, veni, et salva hominem, quem de limo formasti.

Everyone wants a hero king. A strong, powerful, attractive warrior, a leader who inspires loyalty. In our stories, myths and ballads, he is without flaw and brings peace through strength. Of course, this king is from our tribe! He conquers all and resolves all our disputes. The more arrogant of us think this king should be me !

There have been real kings that did most of these things. Alexander the Great unified the Western world. Augustus Caesar repeated the feat three hundred years later. There were Israel’s Kings David, Solomon and Hezekiah. Egypt had its Ramses and Cleopatra. England had Arthur and others. The problem with all of them, great as they were, is they were flawed — and made lots of enemies.

Isaiah prophesied the real King, the Messiah, would come to unite the nations. (Isaiah 2:2-5, Isaiah 9:6-7, Isaiah 60) The Messiah brings peace that lasts forever. He will prevail where mortal kings cannot because He is God and lays down his life for his people. He brings together all peoples as one because he removes the sin that divides them. He is the cornerstone on which the eternal, peaceable kingdom is built.

Our antiphon calls on him to come and save us. We are mortal and cannot save ourselves. He is eternal and is salvation itself. He has already come and made his people a kingdom of priests to serve for the sake of others. When he comes again, he will remove the darkness cast overs us and live with us forever.

Oh, come, Desire of nations, bind
In one the hearts of all mankind;
Bid Thou our sad divisions cease,
And be Thyself our King of Peace.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!

Lutheran Service Book, 357, Stanza Seven

Rev. Robert E. Smith
Concordia Theological Seminary
Fort Wayne, Indiana

O Key of David

Encore Post: O Key of David, and Scepter of the House of Israel, You open and no one can close, You close and no one can open. Come and rescue the prisoners who are in darkness and the shadow of death.

O Clavis David, et sceptrum domus Israel, qui aperis, et nemo claudit; claudis, et nemo aperit, veni et educ vinctum de domo carceris, sedentem in tenebris, et umbra mortis.

Even in monarchies, Kings cannot rule by themselves. They need quite a few officials to carry out their will and to control access to the throne, so that royal time is not wasted on trivial things or matters not the focus of the King’s agenda. Isaiah announces God’s appointment of such an officer for King Hezekiah. He was the ancient Chief of Staff. The symbol of his authority was the Key of David, so that he would open doors no one could close and close doors no one could open. (Isaiah 22:22)

In the letters to the seven churches of Asia in the Book of Revelation, Jesus announces he has the Key of David and opens the door to the Kingdom of Heaven, which no one can shut. (Revelation 3:7) Many try to place burdens on God’s people, restrict those who can come to the Father, and block the way to Heaven.

But Jesus is the Key of David, who opened the kingdom of Heaven by his sacrificial death and by breaking the seal of the grave when he rose from the dead. For those who believe in him, heaven is always open and is never shut. He removes the sin that blocks our way and bars the door to hell forever.

Now, through pastors whom he sends to his people, the keys to open heaven unlock doors for us, removes the chains of our sin and shame and provides bread and drink for the journey — His holy body and his precious blood. These sustain us until we arrive home at last and enter its open door forever.

O come, Thou Key of David, come,
And open wide our heav’nly home;
Make safe the way that leads on high,
And close the path to misery.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to you, O Israel!

Lutheran Service Book, 357, Stanza Five

Rev. Robert E. Smith
Concordia Theological Seminary
Fort Wayne, Indiana

O Adonai, My Lord

Encore Post: O Adonai and Ruler of the House of Israel, who appeared to Moses in the burning bush and gave him the Law on Sinai, come with an outstretched arm and redeem us.

O Adonai, et dux domus Israel, qui Moysi in igne flammae rubi apparuisti, et ei in Sina legem dedisti, veni ad redimendum nos in brachio extento.

Moses was minding his own father-in-law’s business — his sheep — when he saw a bush on fire that did not burn up. When he went up to see what was happening, the Angel of the Lord (the pre-incarnate Son of God himself) spoke with him from the bush. He commissioned Moses to free the people of Israel from slavery in Egypt. Doing everything he could to avoid the subject, Moses asked for the Name of God. “I am who I am,” the Messiah replied. (Exodus 3) That name we pronounce Yahweh. It is spelled with four consonants in Hebrew — יהוה (YHWH) After the Babylonian exile, the Jewish people decided not to pronounce that name so it could not be taken in vain. Instead, they said, “Adonai” which means “my Lord.” Wherever the Angel of the Lord appears in the Old Testament, this name is given to him. He revealed God’s Law to Moses on this same spot after the Exodus.

Because the Messiah is God, there is nothing he cannot do. He loved his people Israel, so he sent Moses to free them. He displayed his power to free them with plagues and miracles, including the parting of the Red Sea. Later, the Scriptures would describe it as his outstretched arm.

The prayer calls on the Messiah to come and redeem us — which he did. This time the miracle was not raw power, but the power of God himself paying the price of our salvation — not with silver or gold, but with his own blood. He himself became the sacrifice of our sin, paying its price in full.

One day he will come again in glory, to redeem the world once and for all, defeating death, sin and the devil. On that day, his outstretched arm will restore all things and bring all to his throne. There all will confess Jesus Christ as Lord to the glory of God the Father.

O come, O come, Thou Lord of might,
Who to Thy tribes on Sinai’s height
In ancient times didst give the Law
In cloud and majesty and awe.
Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel
Shall come to thee, O Israel!
— Lutheran Service Book 357, Stanza Three

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

Preparation for the Gospel: Judaism

Encore Post: When the Babylonians conquered Judah, destroyed the temple and the walls of Jerusalem, and carried off most of her people into exile, the people had a crisis of faith. How could they worship God without a temple where they could sacrifice? How could they relate to him at all? God sent prophets to help them work all this out. The result was the birth of a brand new religion — Judaism. A religion is a series of customs, duties, practices and rites that people do to serve their god or gods. It is a culture, really. God used Judaism as a place where true faith in him could be planted, nurtured and grow, even when there was no temple, sacrificial system and functioning priesthood to support it.

Judaism — especially the party of the Pharisees — was built on a devotion to the Torah. They read it, taught it and even vowed to practice traditions that kept them from ever violating the commandments it teaches. To prevent accidental violation of a particular commandment, the Rabbis taught you should follow a tradition stricter than the Law requires. So, for example, to avoid taking the name of the Lord in vain, they did not pronounce the name of God at all, but said Adonai — my Lord — instead. This practice is called “building a hedge around the Torah.”

During the exile, wherever ten men were available to worship (called a minyan), Jews would gather to pray on the Sabbath. These congregations became known by the Greek word “Synagogue” (“coming together”). When they built houses of prayer, these buildings became known as synagogues. By New Testament times, the worship service settled into a pattern of saying the Shema (“Hear, Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one”), prayer, readings from the Torah and the prophets, a sermon and a benediction.

When Cyrus the Great ended the exile, not all Jews returned home. Some stayed in Babylon and Persia, others moved to Greece, Rome and other parts of the world. The Synagogue went with them, along with other aspects of Judaism. In these events, God prepared the world for the ministry of Jesus, the apostles, and especially the Apostle Paul.

Rev. Robert E. Smith

Pastor Emeritus

Fort Wayne, Indiana

Note: This series of blog posts is available as a Kindle book and eventually as a print booklet at: Amazon.com: Preparation for the Gospel. Please note the author makes a small profit on the sale of this book.

At Just the Right Time

Encore Post: Time is a funny thing. We use clocks that measure the vibrations of atoms, coordinated with telescopes to record its passage with great precision and consistency from place to place, transmit them to us via computers, satellites, radio, television and other digital signals and synchronize our clocks with them. We barely notice that time is a human thing — except on leap year or when we change our clocks twice a year or move from time zone to time zone.

Time is the way we record the change we notice more and more with each year of life. Time passes quickly. When you are a child, an hour drags on forever. As an adult, it passes before your realize it. What is important, our culture has noticed, is not time itself, but what you do with it. It has become our new currency. We sooner will write a check than hang out.

The Greek of the New Testament has two different words for time. καιρός (Chairos) translates roughly “the right time.” χρόνος (Chronos) is about the passage of time, minute after minute, hour after hour, year after year. Seasons like Advent, days like Christmas and New Years Day are χρόνος, times that we plan for, come and go, forming a part of the rhythm of life. That Christmas when you opened your first present is καιρός

The fullness of time when God sent his son, born of a virgin, is God’s καιρός (Galatians 4:4-5). His acts and plans unfolded slowly, one building on another, leading to just that right time. The next big καιρός is the Second Advent, when time itself will come to an end in God’s eternal life with his people.

The persons, events and institutions leading to that first right time, the incarnation, life, suffering, death, resurrection and ascension of Immanuel — God-with-us — were called by the Early Church the praeparatio Evangelii (The Preparation of the Gospel).

Rev. Robert E. Smith

Pastor Emeritus

Fort Wayne, Indiana