The Absolution
The Introit p. 16
The Gloria Patri
The Kyrie p. 17
The Gloria in Excelsis
The Salutation and Collect p. 19
The Epistle and Gradual
Praise be to Thee, O Christ!
The Nicene Creed p. 22
The Sermon Hymn #90 Come, Your Hearts
Faith and Confessing the Truth
The Hymn #87 Joy to the World
The Sanctus p. 26
The Lord's Prayer p. 27
The Words of Institution
The Agnus Dei p. 28
The Nunc Dimittis p. 29
The Benediction p. 31
The Hymn #85:10 - 15 From Heaven Above to Earth I Come
- December 21st - Star of Bethlehem, Jupiter Saturn conjunction.
- December 22nd - Norma Boeckler's Birthday
- Luther's Galatians in color has been ordered for many. Thank you Norma Boeckler, Alec Satin, Virginia Roberts, and Janie Sullivan.
- Walther, the American Calvin is next. Then Creation Flowers, then the Bible text and translations.
- In treatment - Rush Limbaugh, Mary Howell will be home for Christmas, Christina Jackson has excellent blood tests.
- Randy Anderson is doing very well.
- Doctor's care - Pastor Shrader, Pastor K, Dr. Lito Cruz, Jeshra Palangyos.
- Pray for Lyne Cruz' retirement red tape to be removed.
- Our media ministries - Alec Satin, Norma Boeckler, Travis and Lauren Cartee, Pastor Jordan Palangyos.
- Our President and his staff/cabinet, our military justice system.
Fourth Sunday In Advent
Lord God, heavenly Father, it is meet and right that we should give thanks unto Thee, that Thou hast given us a more glorious baptism than that of John the Baptist, and hast therein promised us the remission of sins, the Holy Spirit, and everlasting life through Thy Son, Jesus Christ: Preserve us, we beseech Thee, in such faith in Thy grace and mercy, that we may never doubt Thy promise, but be comforted by the same in all temptations: and grant us Thy Holy Spirit that we may renounce sin, and ever continue in the righteousness bestowed upon us in baptism, until by Thy grace we obtain eternal salvation, through the same, Thy beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, one true God, world without end. Amen.
Faith and Confessing the Truth
KJV John 1:19 And this is the record [GJ - witness] of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou?
We have this reading because this Sunday is so close to Christmas. Therefore, this Gospel lesson concerns the witness about Christ and John's role as the Last Great Prophet before Jesus. Each Gospel is very concise, so the wording is important to consider. A delegation from Jerusalem was sent to John the Baptist, so that means the Jewish leadership wanted to know. Priests and Levites, as a group, came to see John and ask him questions.
This alone signals the great concern of the leaders and their Roman minders about John the Baptist. The two great signs from God were 1) The Star of Bethlehem, 30 years before. 2) The new Elijah preaching in the desert.
The Star left a permanent impression. When scientists dismissed Kepler as a "mystic" meaning "You actually believe the myths of the Bible?" - the Star receded in our scientific culture as a reality. But in John's time, the memory was fresh, like ours of the Hale Bopp Comet, 1995. Christina and I were in the car, heading somewhere, and that comet was quite vivid, the brightest in our lives. I once owned two reflector telescopes because a chemist talked me into a 10 inch, which had 3x the gathering power of his 6 inch reflector. I eventually owned his and sold the 10 inch to a medical doctor. (When I sold a booklet on religious publishing, all the male customers were MDs.)
So the Star of Bethlehem was a current topic, a remembered miracle, and a great portent. Something was going to happen in Israel. The mission of John in the desert wilderness became the certifying sign of vast changes ahead, so the great and powerful wanted to know John's role in the future. One person was not enough, but a group representing the religious leadership came out to do this job. They were "sent," a major theme in John's Gospel, because the apostles were sent by Jesus just as the Son was sent by the Father.
20 And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ.
Everyone taking Greek or the Gospel of John class is smarter than the Evangelist. I remember us being snarky about the repetition in this verse. Martyr is the English derivative of "witness," and it also forms the verb, to witness. Why write the same thing twice, when the Gospels are stingy with words and details? This shows especially - with simple words - that John is the steadfast witness for the Messiah, and not the Messiah. This delegation is extremely concerned because their overlords, religious and Roman, are quite worried and want to know all the details. Thus the group, not just one, and the mixed collection, to see and hear all the information. This is a fact-finding tour.
Many people would have assumed that John was the Christ, the Messiah (both words, Greek and Hebrew, for the anointed King). His witness is especially strong and clear, to remove any doubts about his identity. Because of his fame, he could have assumed the Messianic role falsely, but he did not.
Sidebar - John's Gospel is the simplest to read in any language, including Greek. We read it and translated it 54 years ago in the first week of Greek class 101, after learning the alphabet and the pronunciation. This intrigued a redhead I met in English class, because she knew that only theology students took Greek.
21 And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No.
This is an extremely important conversation, so we have the concise wording before us. Doubtless many locals were also there to hear this witness. They figure that John would point them to the Messiah, or pretend Messiah, and the authorities could deal with that fact. They could not lose. If he were the Messiah, they would report him as a disruptive element. If he were the final prophet, they would follow his work and identify this new Messiah.
The truth always excite people. Those who hate the truth will react in various ways, questioning, opposing, or remaining silent. This is not always bad, since it can make the brain work overtime and come to a realization of that truth. Our generation's fear of being precise about the truth is very dangerous, because that back-and-forth attitude allows an excuse for harboring and protecting lies in the name of a false peace. However, truth also excites people who instinctively - or by training - know the truth and love to hear it expressed.
22 Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself?
They are exasperated and emotional. They have to report to the overlords, but they have nothing concrete. "Now tell us so we can go home!"
If we go over the arguments about John's identity, there is nothing adequate. Only John identified the man Jesus as the Messiah. Only John baptized Jesus, knowing the true identity of Jesus and witnessing to it. Only John said, "This man before you bears the sins of the world, the atonement expressed visually."
The atonement is the Gospel preached to plant faith and nurture faith in the hearts of those who hear it. Those who believe this Gospel have their sins forgiven. Those who harden themselves against the Gospel are not forgiven.
There was a great build-up of hope in the coming Messiah. The Jews were oppressed by the Roman Empire's soldiers and taxes. They did not own their own land, in that sense. They had the entire Old Testament teaching them about the Son of David. It was both a religious expectation and a political one, because they did not separate King David's military might from his religious role as the Christ.
23 He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias.
Here is exactly John's role. He announces the immediate coming of the promised Messiah. He is the messenger, the advance that warns and wakes up the world for the work and miracles of the Savior. This is the 40th chapter of Isaiah.
Isaiah 40 Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God.
2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the Lord's hand double for all her sins.
3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:
5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
6 The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:
7 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.
8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
9 O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!
10 Behold, the Lord God will come with strong hand, and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.
11 He shall feed his flock like a shepherd: he shall gather the lambs with his arm, and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
John citing this passage is a warning to the opponents and a comfort to those waiting for the Savior. Doubtless some in that delegation began to believe, even as some began to plan against the Promised King.
What they missed on both sides was the manner of His work. The Savior would be the greatest foe of all, but that would be worked out in history, not on the battlefield with material weapons. Christ is the greatest friend for all who believe and come to a knowledge of the truth. He is a terrible enemy to those who oppose faith in Him and harm the weak, the vulnerable, and the wounded.
It is possible that the greatest and most monstrous evil of all time will collapse before our eyes - the Communist regime of China. But maybe not in this generation. In contrast, the good fruit grows on the tree of faith. America's relative peace and prosperity comes from God's design, giving us the protection of the oceans, distance from enemies, the most fertile land in the world, vast mineral resources, and ocean ports in the Midwest via the Great Lakes, which are wonders by themselves. Our history began with perfidy in England and persecution in France, a way to leave Europe behind and beget a new land of freedom and human rights.
24 And they which were sent were of the Pharisees. 25 And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet? 26 John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; 27 He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose.
The Pharisees miss the point which is obvious. There is no other prophet like John. He is greater than all the rest, because he is the messenger, as Malachi 3 called him. The old age has ended. The Messianic age has begun, but they do not know it.
John tries to help by signifying his special role. John immediately precedes the Messiah, so they should be on alert. Jesus is after him in being revealed but before Him in importance. Even now people argue over who is first in the procession and England has rules for its royalty about that. One pastor told me about the rules in clergy processions in his district, which were based on years there. The newly ordained women at the back said, "Why are we always last?" It is easy to play up to those games. John places Him above all others and humbles himself.
28 These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.
This is not the Bethany near Jerusalem, so important in the raising of Lazarus. This is another indication of John's familiarity with the region, another reason why we know it is apostolic and not from 300 years later.
29 The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.
For years a Preus tried to make this a declaration of universal absolution - without faith. I pointed out a dozen times or so that this means the Lamb of God pays for the sins of the world - that is the atonement, the Gospel which creates and renews faith by the work of the Holy Spirit.
