Advent Sermons – What Does This Mean?

Advent and Love

Grace, mercy, and peace be unto you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

You have been hearing sermons about words that surround Advent. In our first week, you heard a sermon based around the word hope. We have hope in the same Lord who came born of the Virgin Mary, who comes now in Word and Sacrament, to come again at the last to take us to be with Him in the New Heavens and New Earth. In our second sermon we discussed the word peace. Peace that comes from knowing Christ has come to reconcile us to His Father. Last week we turned to the word joy and its verbal form Rejoice! And even the midst of our present sufferings we can rejoice in the Lord, knowing that Christ our Savior has come and has saved us from sin and everlasting death and will take away our sufferings at the end. Today we turn our attention to the fourth candle: the candle that has been attached to the word love.

The love of a father for a son is strong. Especially when the father has only one. Abraham and Isaac foreshadow the blessed giving of the only begotten Son of God to be the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world. I could have used John 3 as the gospel lesson for this day, as it fits extremely nicely too. God the Father loved the world in this way that He gave his only begotten Son that whoever believes in Him shall not perish by have eternal life. Love. The giving of the Son to be your Savior is a display of the loving character of your God.

In the testing of Abraham, we also see the first commandment come into play. Are you willing to give up the thing which you hold most dear to be in conformity with the Word of the Lord? How far are you willing to go? Offering up your son is not something that God demands very often, but as the author to the Hebrews puts it: “By faith, Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, of whom it was said, “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named. He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back.” It was done in faith of God keeping his promise that through Isaac the nations of the world be blessed.

Abraham shows his fear, love, and trust in God, in other words his faith by following the word of the Lord. Yes, Abraham loves his son, but He loves the heavenly Father more, trusting in the promise made to him about Isaac and future offspring.

But back to the main point of the event. It was picture of what God the heavenly Father and his Son would do. We have no record of Isaac fighting his father before being bound and put on the altar. Neither do we see the only begotten arguing with His Father about coming down to earth to save His creation from eternal death and hell. But rather we see the Son in lock step with His Father’s will. The great Lenten hymn A Lamb Goes Uncomplaining Forth written by Paul Gerhardt puts words to Christ’s actions:

Yes, Father, yes most willingly I’ll bear what You command Me.
My will conforms to Your decree, I’ll do what You have asked Me.
O wondrous Love, what have You done!
The Father offers up His Son,
Desiring our Salvation.
O Love, how strong You are to save!
You lay the One into the grave,
Who built the earth’s foundation. (LSB 438, Stanza 3)

And that conversation began all the way back at the fall of Adam and Eve. That you might be saved. God spared Abraham from offering up his son, His son’s blood was not spilled, but rather God gave Abraham a substitute in the ram stuck in the thicket behind him. A ram in a thicket, which if you look at the way it has been artistically rendered in the early centuries, even by the Jews in their synagogues, the ram was effectively hanging vertically from a tree.

A ram took the place of Isaac. The Lamb of God, His only begotten Son, took your place. Christ conformed to the will of Father, and made His Father’s will His own, and willingly laid down His life for you, becoming man being born of the Virgin Mary. This is love. This is the Love of God on display for you.

See this love in the incarnation and birth of the Son of God, coming to earth to be your substitute at the cross. To be the once and for all perfect sacrifice for sin. But do not lose sight of the purpose of Christ’s birth. He came to be with you, that is true, but He died on the cross and rose, that you might be saved and be with Him forevermore.

Our hymn for today 360, “All My Heart Again Rejoices,” also tells us to remember that we are at a loss if we do not see Christmas in light of Easter, and Easter in light of Christmas. You need God becoming man for Easter to matter. And you need Christ making full atonement for sin for Christmas to matter. This is Christ, your Savior showing you the fullness of his love for you. He gives up his body and pours out his blood for you at the cross. The very God-Man, does this solely out of love for you and love for His Father.

“In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought love one another.” You are loved by God. Your sins have been taken away from you. You are forgiven. Be at peace in God your Savior, knowing that Christ shed his blood for you. You are welcomed into the presence your heavenly Father for Christ’s sake. Know then also that you are not the only one. But rather Christ also loves your neighbor, even the people you can’t get along with. You cannot and must not see them other than someone for whom Christ died.

This love is more than words but includes actions. Be kind to one another. Speak well of each other. Build one another up by encouraging one another in the faith of Christ. Pray for your enemies. Rejoice in the blessings that God has granted to your neighbor, and do not covet what has been given to them but not to you. Rejoice in the salvation given to you and your neighbor, and see the salvation Christ has given you in love as the source for the love you show to one another.

Be filled with the love of Christ. It is interesting that when Jesus was born, he was placed into a manger, a feeding box for animals. Now, the Lord Christ bids you come to him to feed on Him, eating and drinking His body and blood, which He, out of His love for you, gives to you to eat and to drink for your salvation and strengthening of faith. Gather to where you are fed, come you, His saints, that you might love one another. The Love of God is poured out for you here.

The fourth candle of the Advent wreath is associated with the word love. God’s love for you is made manifest by making good on the promise of your salvation. His only begotten Son became a man and willingly laid down his life for you, his friend, at the cross. In this you know love. And by this love, let us then love one another.

Rev. Jacob Hercamp
St. Peter’s Lutheran Church
La Grange, MO

(Re)Building a House

Grace, mercy, and peace be unto you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen!

David had a fine desire. He, who was building his own house in Jerusalem, desired for the Lord to have such a house as well. A temple to dwell in the midst of His people. For no longer were the people wandering in the wilderness, but had finally been brought into the promised land and had taken over Jerusalem and made it their own. It was time for the ark to stop dwelling in a tent, a more permanent structure ought to be built on Mt. Zion. And David had the blessing of the prophet Nathan to go and pursue it.

But then we hear God’s own words about the situation. God did not ask for such a house in all of the time of the people’s wanderings. And in fact, God tells David it will not be you who builds me a house, but rather I am going to build you a house. A house that will not fall. That one of your own offspring will sit upon the throne forever. It’s the continuation of the promise made to Adam and Eve, Seth, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Judah, David, and the list goes on. The house of David, which the Lord promised to establish comes all the way down to a virgin named Mary, who was betrothed to Joseph who was of the house and line of David. Joseph was a nobody. David and his house were just a stump, a nub, a memory of better days for Israel.

From an earthly view point, the house of David had fallen on extremely hard times. The earthly kingdom and rule of the Davidic Dynasty did not last very long at least as one united kingdom. David united the 12 tribes; Jerusalem was the capitol. But already, David’s house was filled with strife. Just a few chapters later in 2 Samuel we learn of David’s sin with Bathsheba, the attempt to cover up of a sexual indiscretion, then ultimately having Bathsheba’s husband killed in battle. The same prophet Nathan who gives approval of David’s desire to build the Lord a house is the man who comes and calls David to repentance and speaks to him the consequences of his sin. David’s sons would fight over the throne, Solomon would become king and remain king over the 12 tribes, but with his son Rehoboam, the country unraveled. Split in two. And the kings that followed in David’s line were pretty awful more often than not. Only a few actually had a desire to follow in the ways of their father David, having a living faith and trust in the Lord. And then the kingdom was taken from them. Babylon came and carried off their king. They carried off the nobles and the rest of the people is subsequent years as the Lord has warned for years by the mouths of his prophets. In the day that Gabriel visited Mary, the people of Israel are no longer free, but under Roman occupation. They don’t really have their own place any more. And violent men still afflict them. The house of David was full of violent men, the sword would not leave that house. The promise of the David’s house remaining forever? Not even close.

But God does not work according the ways of the world. As Paul says, the world considers God’s actions and ways foolish. Consider the cross of the Christ. “The Word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. ”

Here is the folly of the Lord now. He sends his Angel Gabriel to Mary to speak to her that she who is a virgin will bear a son. And its not just any son, but the very Son of God. The Son of the Most High. That house of David, in all its shambles? Yep, its being rebuilt. A shoot is coming from Jesse’s stump. The throne upon which this Son will sit forever? It’s not a kingdom of this world. It is the throne of heaven. And even in the womb of Mary, God would be there sitting on His throne. And He would be coming to establish the house of David forever. But it’s a crazy promise. How can this be? Mary is still a virgin. Gabriel speaks the truth, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy—the Son of God.”

It must be this way otherwise the Son would not be holy. This is a confession of Original Sin. We pass that original sin from Adam and Eve is transmitted through carnal conception and birth from father and mother. But in Christ’s birth? No seed from the father, no original sin. Christ is born without sin and is the perfect man for you. Yet He is also true God come to save and remove from you and all people the sins and the ultimate consequence of your sins: death.

And Mary believed the words of Gabriel, the messenger of the Lord. And like her Father Abraham many generations before, it was credited to her as righteousness. Mary is called the favored one. We sang it today: Most highly favored Lady. She is the Mother of God and rightfully should be remembered. And yet at the same time, she is not a perfect person either. She was a sinner just like you and me. By nature, sinful and unclean. Hence why she goes on to sing her song: “My soul magnifies the Lord and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior.” She knew she also needed a savior. The human house and line she was a part of needed to be redeemed.

You all know the song, Mary Did You Know?, And you probably have seen the facebook memes floating around with that question to the Virgin Mary and words in the mouth of Mary, “Yes, Gabriel told me.” She was told her son would be called the Son of God, but I doubt that she had any idea of when He would be called the Son of God. The Disciples would call Jesus the Son of God, when in the boat after watching Jesus walk on the water. But other than that, only Satan, the demons use that title of Jesus. It’s used very seldomly. But it’s used most prominently during the time of Christ’s passion. And it’s a Roman Centurion who says, “Surely, this was the Son of God” upon seeing what all took place at the time of his death.

Jesus would be known as the Son of God in his act of love for his people. The King would come into the holy city, to much and great fanfare but his crown would first be one of thorns. He would take his position as King at His cross. “Nails, spear, shall pierce him through, the cross he borne for me, for you. Hail, Hail the word made flesh, the babe the Son of Mary” (LSB 370 What Child is This, stanza 2).

And by his birth, life, death and resurrection, He establishes a house. And it’s a house that lasts forever. It’s a house which you have been brought into, like Mary by the hearing and trusting of the Word. “Behold I am a servant, let it be to me according to you word.” And Christ speaks to you words of comfort and joy. You who were once in the darkness of sin and death, know that Christ has come to carry your burden of sin and death to the cross. You are forgiven for Christ’s sake and welcomed into the house prepared for you.

God speaks wonderful promises. He spoke to David of establishing a house, and now he speaks to you promising that you are part of that house. You are welcomed into that house as His child by the waters of holy baptism. The world says its foolish and weird. How can water do such great things? Its not just water but rather its water with the Word of God along with the faith that trusts this word of God that makes Holy Baptism what it is, a lavish washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior. Nothing is impossible with God. Why doubt the Lord’s promises made to you now if he kept even a bigger promise in the past? He sent His Son, born of the Virgin, as He promised David and those before Him. Jesus came and dealt with sin and death by the cross, and rose from the dead. Just as He said He would. Why we sit back and doubt the promises made by God to us in Holy Baptism and the Lord’s Supper now is beyond me. But we all do from time to time. Repent. The Lord is faithful and true. Do not spurn His Word and His promises but take them to heart and trust them.

If we cannot be like Mary and say, “Let it be to me according to you word, may we be like the Father of the demon possessed son. “Lord, I believe, help my unbelief!” Because we will have times of forget the Lord and doubt his promise to show us mercy and steadfast love. Even Mary seemed to have forgotten who Jesus was when they searched frantically for Jesus in Jerusalem. He had to be in His Father’s house doing His Father’s business. But that is the reason to run to the altar and to receive the body and blood of your Lord all the more. It is the meal of those of the house. Christ welcomes you with open arms to His table. “Come, you who are weak and heavy laden and I will give you rest.” “Come, taste and see that the Lord is good.” Be strengthened in your faith, trusting the words of promise spoken to you: This is my body, This is my blood, given and shed for you for the forgiveness of sins. What grand promises made to you.

God’s promise to David was kept. The throne of David was established forever, through the sending of His only begotten Son into the flesh via the womb of Mary. And God continues to keep His promises He has made to you. You are part of that house that Christ has established. Let it be. Amen, Lord. Yes, Lord, let it be me to according to your Word.

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

Rev. Jacob Hercamp
St. Peter’s Lutheran Church
La Grange, MO

Advent and Joy

Grace, mercy, and peace be unto you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

There has not been a lot to rejoice over in 2020, at least if you were looking at 2020 from say 38,000 feet. We have seen loved ones die. We have seen businesses shut down and close their doors. We have seen wildfires out west. Riots in the cities. Political and cultural discord becoming much more prevalent in every day life. We have seen friends go to the hospital with the virus. We have not been able to see loved ones in the ways we normally do. We couldn’t celebrate the 165^th anniversary of our congregation with the fanfare it deserved. Events cancelled. From 38,000 feet 2020 looks like a dumpster fire that will still be smoking well into 2021.

But if you land that plane and begin walking around, you would find things that would cause one to have joy and rejoice. Maybe it was getting to be an eye witness of a friend’s wedding. Getting to witness the Lord bring another dear child into His Family via Holy Baptism. Watching your son graduate high school, albeit in a socially distanced manner. Perhaps it was just spending time at home going through those closets that needed cleaning but never got the time due to your busy schedules. Maybe it was the summer months being outside and enjoying the pool deck. Getting your beans planted and harvested, and seeing a good yield. Or having the opportunity to be in this place Sunday in Sunday out, Wednesday in Wednesday out. When we begin to look deeply at 2020, I think we all could find more things to rejoice over than what meets the eye at 38,000 feet.

The prophet Zechariah was a prophet to the people of Israel after they had returned to the land of Israel from exile in Babylon. From 38,000 feet life looked like a bit of a dumpster fire. Yeah, they had returned to their land, but the temple, it paled in comparison to what they had before their exile. They had their own social issues to work through: what do they do with the numerous widows, orphans, and foreigners in their midst? It did not always go well. The once large population was decimated to a mere remnant. Israel was a shell of its former self at best. Broken and beat down, licking their wounds even though they were now back in their own land. Not a lot there to rejoice over either, at least from the altitude of 38,000 feet.

But get down on the surface and you find reason to rejoice. Listen to Zechariah to this despondent lot. “Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion, for behold I come and I will dwell in your midst, declares the Lord. And many nations shall join themselves to the Lord in that day, and shall be my people. And I will dwell in your midst, and you shall know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. And the Lord will inherit Judah as His portion in the holy land, and will again choose Jerusalem.”

And the prayer that God actually bring this to fruition: the prayer that we heard back on the first Sunday of Advent is happening. Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down! “Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for He has roused himself from His holy dwelling.” God is coming. He is coming to save. So, rejoice Daughter of Zion. Rejoice and be glad. God is coming to be with you: Emmanuel. To save you.

There’s much to rejoice over for God promised to be dwell in the midst of his people and to bring many nations into his fold. For in the middle of the dumpster fire of our time, while we were yet sinners, God the Son came and dwelt among His people. The time had come.

Tonight’s reading from the Gospel gives us Mary’s song. When Mary was told that she would be the mother of her Lord, it had to at least bring upon her some questions. A year when she was betrothed and to be married to Joseph, a very joyous occasion, now would have to clear a very difficult hurdle. I can only imagine that conversation. We know what Joseph set out to do. He had planned to divorce her quietly over the situation. From 38,000 feet Mary was in the middle of her own dumpster fire situation. A lowly girl of humble estate, nothing to look at. But she is not concerned with that. She rejoices in God her Savior. For He was coming to the world which was created through Him that the world might be saved and reconciled to the heavenly Father.

It’s Mary’s womb by which the Word would become flesh and tabernacle among His people. And Mary rejoices in God her savior, playing the part of the faithful servant. She sings and we with her those beautiful words of her song of praise. For in midst of our own times of suffering, Christ, the Lord comes to be with His people. He chose to come and save you. He roused himself from his holy dwelling and came to dwell with you. To give you light in the midst of the darkness of our sin and sin-filled world. To bring you great joy and peace. To make you heirs according to the hope of eternal life. Rejoice. For the Lord whom Zechariah and the faithful remnant of Israel hoped did indeed. He is the babe, the son of Mary.

God literally gets his hands dirty and works to put out the fires and make things right. And He begins by turning the whole world upside down. It’s the humble who will be exalted. It’s the hungry being filled with Good Things. The poor have good news preached to them. The rich are sent empty away. Sins are being dealt with and are being forgiven. The author of life is here for you. And He grants you new life in Him. By His death on the cross and His resurrection you have the promise of everlasting life with Him forever. And it is there at the cross that the nations are joined to Him and together. Rejoice for God has come, He is Emmanuel, God with us. His Name is Jesus. The Lord saves. God is with us to save us. Rejoice, O Daughter of Zion.

Even in the trials and tribulations that we face now we can still rejoice and have joy. It does not mean that everything will be easy in this life. Far from it. And it does not mean that this life will be “fair.” But we can still rejoice knowing that our God cares and actually came to be with us in our sufferings, having promised that our time of suffering will end. In His coming, He has made everything right. And continues to do so, even when we don’t feel it is. When Christ returns at the last, you who put your trust in Him will be vindicated. For now, rejoice in all circumstances. Look at St. Paul as an example. In all circumstances He is able to rejoice in God His Savior. When times are bad, rejoice and lift up your head and know the day of your salvation draws nigh. When times are good, rejoice in the plentiful blessings that God has granted to you for the day. Rejoice in the Lord always.

So, we come here to our Lord’s altar, rejoicing in the faithfulness of God who promises to come and be in our midst. He is here for us in Word and Sacrament that we might be saved from our sin and eternal death. He comes bearing you gifts of forgiveness of sins and life everlasting, filling you with the good things: His body and blood. Remembering you in mercy. Rejoice, for God has shown his mercy and continues to shower you with His mercy. He has not forgotten you but has indeed come into your midst to save you.

The third candle of Advent is the rose color, pointing us to the find our joy and rejoice in the One who has come into our midst to save us. Let us then rejoice with the Mary and the whole church in God our Savior, who did what He promised, and the promise of His return.

Rev. Jacob Hercamp
St. Peter’s Lutheran Church
La Grange, MO

Who are You, John the Baptist?

“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, makes sense. He must be Elijah then, for Elijah was said to return according 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 which was to come, the Prophet like Moses. Nope that 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.

We heard that prophesy from Isaiah 40 last week. And we heard Mark’s account of what 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 coming into place. For the Lord was coming soon to the river Jordan and the His ministry was soon beginning. Rejoice!

That should have been the first thought in the head 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 an 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 of a 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 on the basis of God’s Word. John trusted the promises of God, he himself being the fulfillment of the prophesy of Isaiah 40, and also the promise that he would have the spirit and power of Elijah. He certainly has the voice and the appearance down, wearing rough camel hair clothing and eating locusts and honey. And he desires that you trust boldly in the promises that God has made. May we be so bold 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 prophesy 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 a devastation. In the return from exile, the Jews would rebuild yes, but it would be 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 for 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 and 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 to sent to perform. He is pointing to Christ, not to himself. Don’t worry too much about knowing who 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 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 you 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 onto 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 nut shell. Continually recognizing our failings to do 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 of 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 prophesies that He would come, so He comes know 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.

Rev. Jacob Hercamp
St. Peter’s Lutheran Church
La Grange, MO

Advent and Peace

Grace, mercy, and peace be unto you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Being a hunter, I have been in the woods well before the break of day. It was on one such early morning before the sun broke forth that I heard one of the most awful sounds I have ever heard. As the sun was just beginning to illuminate the hillside, an owl swooped through and picked up a squirrel that had wandered from its resting place. It is what happens. Owls are predators, squirrels are prey. And the Owl hunts them down ruthlessly. You have probably seen this play out elsewhere. Coyotes chasing after deer. Animal Planet shows where the lions lie in wait to pounce on a zebra getting a drink at the local water hole on the savanna. It is what we know. There are some animals who are higher up on the food chain. Wolves eat lambs. Leopards, goats. Lions, calves.

But what we see in Isaiah 11 is that this is not going to always be the case. Lions will eat straw like the ox. A child will play over the den of the snake and not be bothered. Everything will be at peace with one another.

You look now and there is nothing but conflict, contention, unrest, and strife all around us. That squirrel on the hillside never stood a chance against that owl. And to throw it into our own circumstances, we are at war with one another and even at war with ourselves. We fight and bicker back and forth. Our words towards one another sting just as badly as a yellow jacket in the summer if not worse. Peace is something that just isn’t here, and what we read from Isaiah 11 sounds like a fairy tale more times than not because of the events we keep seeing play out in the world, our nation, state, and even our own streets. Then there is the spiritual war going on as well.

The context in which Isaiah’s prophesy comes is not much different than our own. Judah was in trouble because they had a crummy king in Ahaz and Ahaz was no believer in the Lord. The house of David was in shambles, so much so that the line of David is just a stump, barely alive if not by the grace of the Lord, who would bring about the new shoot, and we know who this shoot is.

But it’s this One whom Isaiah prophesied of that the remnant of believers hoped and longed for. They hoped for the type of peace spoken of in the imagery of Isaiah 11:6–9. A bear lying down next to cow. Wolves dwelling with lambs rather than making them their lunch. They longed for the day when spears would be beaten into plowshears.

The hostility we see in the world even in the realm of animals, reflects the greater hostility that is felt between us and God because of the innumerable sins we have committed against Him. We sinful human beings can only think of God as the big bad wolf who will chomp us to bits. A certain lion who roars seeking someone to devour will get us to believe that it’s not Him we should be worried about, but God who has said the sinner must die. Satan says it is God who we should be afraid of, that we should be afraid of the Lion that came from tribe of Judah. Satan loves to lie to you. But is that what God really wants? Does He desire the death of His people? Not at all.

You see when God created the world in the beginning, he loved the world and all of his creation. He was proud of it. He called it very good, after all. And it was not God’s demeanor towards His creation and creatures that changed in the fall, but Adam and Eve’s. They were the ones who changed. They alienated themselves from God. They hid because they were afraid. Tricked by Satan’s lies. God’s demeanor did not change, nor has it now. Why did he call out to them? Why did He give them the promise of the One to come and give them clothing if His love for them had changed? He never stopped loving, and I argue actually showed even greater love because He has worked to restore us to what we once were so that we might not die eternally. And He still loves his creation and will do everything to bring back in alignment with Him so that everything will be at peace have eternal life.

And that peace comes by the birth of the One prophesied by Isaiah. The Spirit of the Lord did rest upon Him. We have the apostolic witness of this occurring at His Baptism. The Spirit remained on Him says John the Baptist. Jesus himself reads Isaiah 61 in Luke 4 and that the day Isaiah prophesied of there had been fulfilled as the people heard Jesus speak. His birth brings peace to the world. Hence, why the Angelic host sing: “Glory to God in the Highest and on earth peace, good will toward men!” This babe who is Christ, the Lord brings about Peace which only God in the Flesh can bring.

And most importantly He came while we were still sinners. There is nothing that we did to deserve our God coming to save us from our eternal demise, but He did because He loved us and wanted us to be at peace with Him forever. He came and preached peace while we were still far off! Even when we still enemies of God and hostile towards Him, he came bearing peace and good will. Jesus knew what would happen. He knew He would be led like a sheep to the slaughter and even then, not a single word of hostility came out against those whom He came to save. He loved us unto the end. And He still does love us. For look what he does now for you.

He brings you salvation and peace by his blood. He poured it out at the cross that you might be brought near to God, being made His child. And now pours that blood into your very mouths at His Supper. Think of that, you are a member of the household of God for Christ’s sake and welcomed to His Table to eat the finest of foods. Fellowship that lasts forever. The angels rightly proclaim that peace was coming to men. Peace which only Jesus, the Son of God could give. It is a peace which you receive every time you come up to this altar to receive the body and blood which He gave up for you at the cross. And he speaks to you upon receiving this blessed Sacrament: Depart in my peace, knowing with all certainty that your sins are forgiven for my sake.

Knowing and believing that God is not out to get us and catch us like an owl hunting down a squirrel, we can be at peace knowing God’s love for us. And knowing and believing that we are peace with God, let us then be at peace with one another for Christ did not just come for you, but He came also for your neighbor. That you both may be fellow citizens together in God’s Kingdom. Fellow members of the household of God. So, you kneel together at this altar, confessing the same faith in Christ Jesus, trusting in his promises, receiving peace together. Build each other up knowing that you both have the same foundation: Jesus Christ. Do not fight and bicker with one another, but talk gently to one another. Speak kindly. Do not lie to one another. Do not steal one another’s honor or break down each other’s reputation. But rather build up fellow members of the Church of God. Be at peace with one another, for Christ has brought you into the state of peace with His heavenly Father.

The second candle of the advent is associated with the word peace. May we see that true peace, peace with God comes in the gift of God sending His beloved Son to the world that He might shed his blood at that we who were once far off would be brought near and bring an end to the hostility between Man and God once and for all. No longer separated but living in perfect peace for the sake of Christ our Lord.

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

Rev. Jacob Hercamp
St. Peter’s Lutheran Church
La Grange, MO

Advent and Hope

Grace, mercy, and peace be to you from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

I don’t remember how many times this happened for me but I remember going to the mall a few times to sit on old St. Nick’s knee. You know how that went. Santa would ask some questions about being a good child, and what you hoped to unwrap on Christmas Day. And like the Christmas Story, you could hear all kinds of gifts being hoped for, from BB guns, fishing poles, to ponies and dollies. And the kids I remember being around walked away talking about how much they hoped Santa was listening.

Imagine the surprise awaiting John the Baptist who announces Jesus to be the One who was to come with a winnowing fork in his hand, to bring the wrath of God to bear, and then he sees Jesus doing nothing of the sort. And to throw in another wrinkle, John has been put in prison for his preaching! Had John hoped in the wrong guy?

What was going on? Where is the fire and brimstone Jesus, the one whom John preached? We must investigate. So, John, who was in prison directed his disciples to go and seek Jesus. The direction to ask the question: “Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?” Or in the words of our advent wreath: Are you the one we should put all our hope in?

The promise of the one to come begins all the way back in Genesis chapter 3. Adam and Eve hooked their wagons to the offspring of the woman’s seed who would crush the head of the serpent. And the waiting game would begin. The first one to come was Cain. Eve when she gave birth to him, announced in Hebrew, “Behold, I have gotten God, a man.” She hoped that Cain was the One. And we should know the story of how that goes. And the story of hoping for the One to come went all through the Old Testament, from Noah to Abraham to Isaac, Jacob, Judah, David, etc. Every male child was hoped to be the One. Until many gave up hope. The light of the promise flickered and nearly when everything fell apart in Jerusalem. When Israel lost its standing as a nation and went into Exile, only a small remnant had hope in the One who was to come. But they had the hope of the promise of Isaiah 61, “The spirit of the Lord is upon me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to who are bound, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” To comfort all who mourn, and to give a garment of praise instead of a faint spirit.

Was Jesus the One? Jesus does not answer the question with a direct answer. But he teaches us something very important. He says to the inquisitors, “Look at you see. Look at what you hear.” And then He then quotes from our Old Testament Lesson and then also Isaiah 42 which also speaks of the servant of the Lord being anointed by the Lord’s Spirit. The blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the dear hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them.” The Good News which Jesus has to offer to all is that it is the time of the Lord’s favor. The One long hoped for has arrived. He is on the scene, and He is working. And John’s disciples knew as did many others. And the disciples of John went away back to John having their faith and hope in Christ as the One strengthened. And their faith and hope would need that as they would be burying their own teacher in the not so distant future when Herod would have him executed. They would go to the One for whom they had hoped.

And He still is working granting you mercy now in these dark and dreary days that offer little hope. Hope in the Lord for no one else keeps His promises. No politician, no king, not even a father keeps every promise made. But the Lord? Indeed, he does. And He even bids us to remind him over and over again of the promises He has sworn to us. Jesus has been sent to bind up the brokenhearted, down trodden by sin and death. He has come to release you from the prison of sin by taking sin upon Himself and dying your death on the cross.

John sent his disciples to Jesus to ask a question. The disciples left with the answer. Of course Jesus is the One. There is no other to look for. He is the guy, John was right all along. But before the axe is laid, the proclamation to the those bound must go out. Jesus actually quotes Isaiah 61 at the beginning of his ministry in Luke 4 when He takes up the scroll of Isaiah in the Synagogue. Jesus reads up to the first line of the second verse. Jesus does not speak about the day of vengeance. It will come, but first mercy for sinners like the tax collectors and the prostitutes, soldiers and every other sinner out there, sinners like you.

The Day of vengeance will come when all the world will be brought to account, and the Lord’s faithful will be gathered to the kingdom prepared for them. But the vengeance first comes upon Jesus’ own head at the cross. He gathers all his wheat first to His cross, and places them in to the barn of the church until He will return in glory and power on the Last Day that they may not face the judgment but be covered by His blood and saved. John’s hope was not ill placed. Neither is your hope. Hope in the Lord Jesus Christ, who has come to grant mercy to you, proclaiming forgiveness for his sake, giving you hope in the life and the world to come even as we live in this life now.

Look at the advent wreath, remember the first candle, the candle of hope. Know it points to Christ, the One for which the world longs to see. You see Him here at this altar still working for you and your salvation, giving you mercy, forgiveness, faith, hope, and love in His body and blood.

The root of Jesse has and will come, even he who arises to rule the Gentiles, in him will the Gentiles hope. May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you abound in hope.

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

Rev. Jacob Hercamp
St. Peter’s Lutheran Church
La Grange, MO