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Most days we have a nice view of the “sun going down,” that big ball of fire that provides us with light and heat, the closest star to the earth, slowly sinking in the western sky. Of course, we are told that the earth is actually revolving around the sun, so the sun does not actually “go down,” it just appears that way to us because of the earth rotating on its axis.

That made me think of a play on words, “The day the Son went down,” speaking of our Lord Jesus. It did not just appear that He came down to earth as one of us – He actually did just that. And as I thought about that phrase, I realized that there are several days in history that could be described that way.

John 6:38 For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.

Let’s start with the first coming of our Lord, the event we commonly know as Christmas. Martin Luther wrote a lengthy hymn about this entitled, “From Heaven above to earth I come. (The Lutheran Hymnal #85). Another Christmas hymn tells us “Love came down at Christmas, Love all lovely, love divine” (Lutheran Worship #46). Yet another hymn says “Love divine, all love excelling, Joy of Heaven to earth come down” (The Lutheran Hymnal #351). From the love of our heavenly Father came the gift this world so desperately needed: The Son went down, was born as a man, took our flesh upon Himself so that He might be one of us. We speak of this often, as we do when we speak the words of the Nicene Creed: Who for us men and for our salvation came down from heaven and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary, and was made man.

 The Son went down so that He could live among us without sin and thereby have the perfect offering to pay for sin. It is our sin and disobedience that made it necessary for the Son to go down from heaven. Because of sin, all men were doomed to die, to be apart from God. That was our Lord’s just and fair judgment against sin, your sin. But God was not willing to let you die eternally. He wanted you to be with Him. So His love led Him to make the Son go down for you.

The day the Son went down, what we celebrate as Christmas, was the beginning of what theologians call the humiliation of our Lord. This comes in part from Philippians 2:

Philippians 2:5-8 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus: Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death– even death on a cross!

His humiliation is not that He became a man, but that as a man, He willingly laid aside the power He had as the Almighty. He still had His power and authority as God, but for us men and for our salvation, when He came down, He chose not to use them. He came to accomplish our salvation, to live as one of us, to pay the penalty for your sins and mine. He set aside His divine power so that He could offer Himself as your payment.

—to be continued—

You are invited to join Donna Snow, Cheryl and me on a Reformation Tour “In the Footsteps of Luther April 6-17, 2025.  You can find the brochure here. It promises to be a wonderful trip. If you have any questions, contact me: mike@revmattil.org

Psalm 51:1–5 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

Some days the enormity of my sin and guilt tries to consume me. I know my shortcomings better than anyone, with the exception of my Lord. And I know that I am truly a poor, miserable sinner. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. I don’t need anyone to point it out to me. And yet Satan continues to attack me with reminders of how I have fallen short of God’s glory.

But even on my worst day, I know that I am a forgiven child of God. When Satan brings up all my failures, my past misdeeds, my ongoing struggle with sin, I remember that my salvation is not dependent on how I feel or even what I do. My forgiveness comes from what Jesus did for me through His cross. Heaven is mine because Jesus defeated death for me. My faith lays hold of what Jesus did.

My hope is built on nothing less Than Jesus’s blood and righteousness;
I dare not trust the sweetest frame, But wholly lean on Jesus’ name.
On Christ, the solid Rock, I stand; All other ground is sinking sand.
(The Lutheran Hymnal #370, stanza 1)

Psalm 95:1 Come, let us sing for joy to the Lord; let us shout aloud to the Rock of our salvation.

Jesus, Thy blood and righteousness My beauty are, my glorious dress;
Midst flaming worlds, in these arrayed, With joy shall I lift up my head.

 Lord, I believe Thy precious blood, Which at the mercy seat of God
Forever doth for sinners plead, For me – e’en for my soul – was shed.
(The Lutheran Hymnal #371, stanzas 1,4)

Thanks be to God. He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Most of you can probably recite John 3:16, which speaks of God’s love for us.

John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

That passage, often called “The Gospel in a Nutshell,” is a beautiful summary statement of God’s love. A passage that is just as noteworthy and instructs us in the way we should love is 1 John 3:16

1 John 3:16 This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.

W ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. Do you see what this is saying? In order to live as followers of the one who laid down His life for you, you should lay down your lives for your brothers and sisters. And something I like to mention in this connection is that laying down your life does not just refer to someone dying for their faith. To be sure, that is one meaning of the term. But laying down your life also means giving up your rights, putting the needs of others ahead of your own. That includes sacrificial giving to support the ministry of your church home, but it is more than that.

Following the example of Jesus, you will live a life of love. You will put the needs of others ahead of your own. You will express that love in words of encouragement. You will express that love in deeds that show you care. You will express that love in service to Christ both in the Church and the community. You will express that love because you have known and experienced that love in your life. We love because He first loved us.

Want some specifics? As followers of Christ, we understand that love is not just something we talk about or limited to how we feel. Love is what we do. I have seen so many examples of that kind of love throughout my life and ministry. Around the congregations I served, I saw loving acts of service like:

• Tending a flower bed at the church
• Washing the dishes in the kitchen
• Teaching a Sunday School class
• Passing out pocket crosses and sharing a kind word
• Folding the bulletins
• Running the Audio and Video equipment during worship
• Cleaning the pews, restocking the cards and sharpening the pencils
• Taking time to visit the elderly and the shut-ins
• Sending cards to those going through a difficult time just to let them know you care
• Serving on a committee
• Mowing the grass and trimming the shrubs
• Working on Disaster Response Teams after a hurricane or a tornado.
• Being a friend who listens and offers a shoulder to cry on and then praying with each other.

I know this same kind of love has being shown by followers of Jesus in your homes, where you work, with your neighbors in ways that I did not see. Lives that are built on the foundation of Jesus Christ will have this kind of love and make this love evident in action and in truth. That is a life worthy of the calling we have received to be followers of Jesus: humble, gentle, patient, bearing with one another in love.  May we continue to lay down our lives for the sake of others.

One of the first things most parents try to teach their children when they start interacting with other children is to “play nice.” We see original sin rear its ugly head when one toddler is playing with something that another toddler sees and wants to have. One will try to snatch it away from the other. Sometimes a tug of war will ensue, perhaps it will even come to blows. Sometimes one child will be driven to tears when the other child runs away with the toy they had just been playing with a moment ago. This is definitely a “teachable moment” in the lives of children.

Unfortunately, some are not taught and some do not learn how to “play nice” and get along. So many in our world today live with a sense of entitlement and do not care how their actions affect anyone but themselves. How should we deal with this? It is not easy, but God gives us advice in His Word.

Ephesians 4:32 Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Many times people will sink to the level of the person who has wronged them. We don’t want to forgive others because we feel like it “let’s them off the hook.” What followers of Jesus need to remember is that we have all been “let off the hook” by Jesus. We don’t get the punishment our sins deserve. So why do we try to impose punishment on others? We all have a tendency to act like the man in Jesus’ parable who was forgiven a great debt that he could never repay, and then showed no mercy to his neighbor who owed him a few dollars.

Matthew 18:21–35  Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother when he sins against me? Up to seven times?” Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. “Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is like a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants. As he began the settlement, a man who owed him ten thousand talents was brought to him. Since he was not able to pay, the master ordered that he and his wife and his children and all that he had be sold to repay the debt. “The servant fell on his knees before him. ‘Be patient with me,’ he begged, ‘and I will pay back everything.’ The servant’s master took pity on him, canceled the debt and let him go. “But when that servant went out, he found one of his fellow servants who owed him a hundred denarii. He grabbed him and began to choke him. ‘Pay back what you owe me!’ he demanded. “His fellow servant fell to his knees and begged him, ‘Be patient with me, and I will pay you back.’ “But he refused. Instead, he went off and had the man thrown into prison until he could pay the debt. When the other servants saw what had happened, they were greatly distressed and went and told their master everything that had happened. “Then the master called the servant in. ‘You wicked servant,’ he said, ‘I canceled all that debt of yours because you begged me to. Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?’ In anger his master turned him over to the jailers to be tortured, until he should pay back all he owed. “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from your heart.”

When you and I forgive each other, it frees us from the anger and burden of holding a grudge. It enables us to live the new life to which we have been called, responding to the forgiveness and salvation givin to us by trying to please God and serve our neighbor.

Perhaps we need to be reminded that forgiveness does not mean there will be no punishment. Our forgiveness involved punishment. Jesus took that for us. When you forgive others, it is because you know that you have been forgiven. You should not be concerned about the punishment phase for your neighbor. Either they will repent and the punishment Jesus took will pay their price, or they will not repent and be punished by God for their sins. Either way, that should not be your concern. Just follow God’s advice: forgive one another, just as in Christ God has forgiven you.

On Saturday Cheryl and I drove down to The Woodlands, a city just north of Houston. We did that so that we could gather together with the saints at Living Word Lutheran Church yesterday for worship. As part of that service, I was given the privilege of administering the Sacrament of Baptism for my great niece, Isabella. I have no idea how many Baptisms I have been a part of in my life, whether it be in the role as pastor or parent or witness or sponsor. I always get a bit emotional when I contemplate the enormity of what takes place in Baptism. God is the one at work. By the power of His Word of promise, connected to the water, He washes away sin and claims a person as His own dearly loved child. He puts His name on that person and welcomes him or her into His family. It is a way He assures us of His grace, His undeserved love, in our lives. He gives through this Sacrament the forgiveness Jesus earned for us with His life of perfection and His sacrifice on the cross.

The baptism of Isabella was especially emotional for me. Her mother, for whom I was a baptismal sponsor, is already in heaven with Jesus. I officiated at her graveside three months ago. As Isabella was welcomed into the family of God, I wonder if the saints in heaven, including her mother, were rejoicing. Is this part of what Jesus was speaking about in Luke 15, when he described the rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents (Luke 15:7, 10) ?

There was a billboard across the highway from the hotel in which we stayed. It was advertising another church in the area and proclaimed that “Miracles, signs and wonders happen every Sunday at 11:00 a.m.” at that church. I mentioned that billboard at yesterday’s baptism, reminding the family and the congregation that God was doing a miracle in Isabella’s life, washing away her sin and making her His child.

Take some time today to remember your Baptism and the wonderful assurance that it gives to you, the assurance that Jesus has paid for your sin so that you can be confident of God’s love and your forgiveness. Take some time to ponder and reflect on this as you read through the Scripture passages below.

Acts 2:38 Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

Titus 3:5–7 …he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

Acts 22:16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’

1 Peter 3:18–22 ¹⁸ For Christ died for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive by the Spirit, ¹⁹ through whom also he went and preached to the spirits in prison ²⁰ who disobeyed long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built. In it only a few people, eight in all, were saved through water, ²¹ and this water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a good conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ, ²² who has gone into heaven and is at God’s right hand—with angels, authorities and powers in submission to him.

Romans 6:3–5 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.

My last devotion encouraged you to “Stop Living Like Gentiles” based on this passage:

Ephesians 4:17-24 ¹⁷So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking. ¹⁸They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts. ¹⁹Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more. ²⁰You, however, did not come to know Christ that way. ²¹Surely you heard of him and were taught in him in accordance with the truth that is in Jesus. ²²You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; ²³to be made new in the attitude of your minds; ²⁴and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

How much of your life is spent in “futility of thinking” – possessions, status, earthly wealth, things that will pass away? It is tempting to think on such things, especially when you see things other have and you wish you had them, too. At such times I find it helpful to remember who I am. I am someone purchased and won from all sin, from death and the power of the devil by Jesus Christ Himself. And so are you. His perfect life was lived for you. His death was to pay for your wrong. His resurrection assures you that He has conquered death for you. Everything that He did while living among us here on earth was so that you could be His own. He paid the price. You belong to Him.  So now, you are to live a new life, a life of righteousness and holiness.

You were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; ²³to be made new in the attitude of your minds; ²⁴ and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness.

So what does this mean for you? Don’t watch the filth that is so easily available on streaming. Make God-pleasing choices about what you allow into your home. Don’t let your children watch shows or play video games that teach values contrary to God’s Word. And don’t just say “No, you can’t watch it because I said so!” Think about the content, the message those shows are sending. Talk to your spouse and kids about why you should not subject yourself to sinful influences. Remind them and yourself that those who have been redeemed by Jesus try to live in a way that displays  their gratitude to the world. We live in a different way because we are different. You have been changed. You have been transformed. You are a new creation. With a new attitude. One that has been influenced by Jesus, who died in your place and rose again to give you eternal life.

Your faith in Christ makes necessary a change in your life and behavior. Others should be able to see a difference between those who believe in Jesus and those who do not. The actions of the faithful should reflect their faith. Knowing Jesus and all He has done makes you different than the Gentiles. So you shouldn’t live like them.

You have been called to live a new life of righteousness and holiness, not to merit of earn your forgiveness, but because you have been forgiven. Stop living like Gentiles. Live like the redeemed children of God you are.

Everyone has their own ideas about what “love” means. I can across an old email recently entitled “What children say about love.” Some of them are very insightful:

• When you’re born and see your mommy for the first time, that’s love
• Love is when a girl puts on perfume and a boy puts on shaving cologne and they go out and smell each other
• Love is when you kiss all the time. Then when you get tired of kissing, you still want to be together and talk more.
• Love is that first feeling you feel before all the bad stuff gets in the way.
• Love is like a little old woman and a little old man who are still friends even after they know each other so well.
• When my grandmother got arthritis, she couldn’t bend over and paint her toenails anymore. So my grandfather does it for her all the time, even when his hands got arthritis, too. That’s love.

In our lives as followers of Jesus Christ, one of the essential ingredients is love. Love must be part and parcel of a being a disciple.

Ephesians 4:1-3  As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace.

The kind of love we are told to share involves

• Humility – not thinking more highly of yourself than you ought, but thinking about the other person
• Gentleness – not running over others in an overbearing way, even when you have their best interests at heart, but a gentle nature that is concerned how you are perceived by others.
• Patience – our lives should be marked with a willingness to wait for others
• Bearing with one another – our love leads us to join others in good times and bad
• keep the unity of the Spirit – the love we are to show wants to be united with others in faith
• Bond of peace – our love should desire to live in peace with our fellow man

Going back to that list of what children said about love, there is one more that came off of that list that you should hear:

• God could have said some magic words to make the nails fall off the cross, but He didn’t. That’s love.

It was love that led God to send His Son into this world. It was love that caused Jesus to be born as one of us. It was love that led a perfect life that would be credited to your account. It was love that led Jesus to be crucified in your place. It was love that held Jesus on the cross for you. The almighty God had more than enough power to not only come down from that cross, but also to obliterate all those who stood around mocking Him and questioning His identity. It was His tremendous love for you that led Him to stay on the cross for your sake, to pay for your sin. That love is what enables us to be forgiven children of God, confident of our salvation. That love is also to be our example and the pattern we follow as we live our lives for Jesus.

Last month I filled in for a preacher on vacation. I wore a stole I received as a present from my inlaws years ago. It was a hand woven, multicolored, stole from Central America that had Christian symbols in it like a Chi-Rho and a cross. One of the members of that congregation was upset, thinking I was wearing it for “Pride Month” because it had all the colors of the rainbow in it. Let me just say that the rainbow was a symbol for God’s people long before the LGBTQ bunch appropriated it for their agenda (Genesis 9:13-16).

I personally don’t pay much attention to “Pride Month.” The federal government first recognized it in 1999 when President Bill Clinton declared June “Gay & Lesbian Pride Month.” In 2009, President Barack Obama declared June LGBT Pride Month. On 1 June 2021, President Joe Biden declared June LGBTQ Pride Month.

I recognize the right of people to believe differently than I do. I don’t agree with them, but they can make that decision. I find it interesting that those who take pride in their sin will turn around and tell me that I do not have the right to believe the way that I do. Yet another reminder of the Old Evil Foe at work in our world.

I saw a post last month that said we don’t need a pride month. We need a humility month. Scripture seems to agree with that sentiment.

Proverbs 11:2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.

Proverbs 15:33 The fear of the Lord teaches a man wisdom, and humility comes before honor.

Proverbs 16:18 Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall.

Proverbs 18:12 Before his downfall a man’s heart is proud, but humility comes before honor.

Philippians 2:3 Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves.

Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

1 Peter 5:5 Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.”

God’s grace has been given to us. Even though we are undeserving sinners who continue to offend our God with our behavior that is contrary to His will, He covers us with His grace for Jesus’ sake. We know and believe that He has paid the price our sins demanded so that we would not have to do so. He gives us a clean slate in God’s sight and the certainty of eternal life with Him.

Listen to where Scripture says our Pride should be:

2 Corinthians 10:17 But, “Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.”

Galatians 6:14 May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world.

Please continue to pray and show love towards those who take pride in their sinful behavior and lifestyle. God loves them and wants to show His Grace to them, too, that they might repent and be saved.

The last devotion was about Job’s afflictions in chapter one. Satan was not successful in getting Job to curse God. Chapter two has God pointing that out to the Devil. The old evil foe has this comeback:

Job 2:4–5 ⁴ “Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give all he has for his own life. ⁵ But stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face.”

So the Lord gave Satan permission to afflict Job physically, but not take his life. Again, the attack was severe. Painful sores over his entire body. His wife encouraged him to curse God and die so that he could be put out of his misery. But Job remained faithful

Job 2:10 He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?” In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.

I think about the physical impairments and afflictions I have had. I recall all the times I have witnessed people suffer terrible ailments and disease. As terrible as injuries and illnesses can be, those of us who have put our faith and confidence in Jesus need to keep things in the perspective of eternity.

2 Corinthians 4:16–18 Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. ¹⁷ For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. ¹⁸ So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

We can have this attitude thanks to knowing what God has done for us in Christ. He took our place in punishment to give us the certainty of forgiveness and life forever with our Lord. May we be willing to accept whatever comes our way with the grace and steadfast faith that Job displayed.