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If you watch television, you have no doubt seen commercials for different medications. Some of them tell you what they are supposed to cure, things like psoriasis, asthma or lower you A1C. But some of those commercials don’t even mention what ailment the medication is meant to cure. They just simply say, “Ask you doctor if _____ is right for you!”

Something else you will hear on those commercials, because of the litigious society in which we live, is a long list of warnings about possible side effects. If you listen closely, some of them list a side effect as the very thing they are claiming to heal! And the one that gets me is when they say some people who have taken their medication had severe side effects, including death. So what they are saying is: “Trust us. We will help you. But you might die.”  Not a convincing argument.

God offers us the cure for what ails us: sin.  And when God tells you about the solution, it is simple.

Mark 16:16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved…

When you follow Jesus, there are no warnings about His solution to sin not working. It does work. Jesus saw to that by paying for your sin. The warnings come from not following Him.

Mark 16:16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.

Believe in Jesus and you get what He earned for you through His life and death: forgiveness and salvation. Don’t believe, and you will get what your sins deserve: condemnation and eternal death.

The great thing about God’s promise is that He did it all. All you have to do is take it, believe it, trust Him. Paul said the same thing when the jailer in Philippi asked him, “What must I do to be saved.”

Acts 16:31 “Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved—you and your household.”

God’s cure, God’s solution, is for everyone. And it is simple.

Some would argue, “Yeah, if it works, why do people still die?” God has given us victory over death, but you will still die physically unless our Lord returns first. This it is not because of the cure God provided. It is a consequence of sin, but it is also your entry into the presence of your Savior where you enter the next phase of your eternal life. Do you really want to live forever in this fallen, sinful world? God doesn’t want that for you. That is why He banned Adam and Eve from the Garden and access to the tree of life. Physical death will be a reality until this world is no more. But victory over death is our because of Jesus.

Others might object and say, “Jesus said we will have trouble in this world, and if you follow Him, the world will hate you.” I guess that might be a kind of side effect, but it does not negate the cure, the solution to sin that Jesus accomplished. Your trust in Jesus will still give you what you need. Life. To the full. Life now and life Forever. With your Savior.

I’ll take that medicine. Thanks be to God, He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 12:1–3 1 Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

The previous chapter lists some of those who are a part of that cloud of witnesses: Abel, Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, and the list goes on. The apostles of the New Testament are also part of that cloud…Peter, Paul, Andrew, Philip. And there are countless others down through the ages who have been faithful witnesses to our Lord who are a part of that great cloud of witnesses: Augustine, Luther, Walther. Each of them makes up one little drop in that cloud. And so do all of the faithful. Each of you are also a drop in that great cloud of witnesses.

The point of it being mentioned here is to remind you that you have people of the past and present whose exemplary Christian lives encourage you to press on. They do that by pointing you to Jesus, and it is a wonderful thing to see others live the life of faith. But the real incentive and power to run the race comes from Jesus. Having loved us, he loved us to the end.

You have seen that love demonstrated on the cross. The love of God found its ultimate expression in the suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. God carried out His plan to save mankind by taking the sins of the world and placing them on His sinless Son. Jesus made full payment for those sins through His death. It was for your sake that He was willing to suffer the shame and agony of the cross. And God has promised that all who believe that Jesus is their Savior will receive the benefit of His payment. Through repentance and faith, you are assured that forgiveness is yours. God claims you as His child.

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus. You do this when you listen His Word, when you come to his Supper, when you remember that He suffered, died and rose again for you, when you remember your Baptism. Eternal life with Him awaits you, just as He promised. But the road is rocky and rough, just as the path to Calvary was a difficult one. Just remember the one who endured the cross for you is with you every step of the way. Living with your eyes fixed on Jesus, you will someday see Him at the right hand of God and join Him in glory forever.

Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

I have a memory of my school days that may or may not be one that you share. It was shortly after my family had moved to Dallas, and I was the “new” kid in school entering the Third Grade. Not only that, but I was pretty much the runt of the class. And to top it all off, I was the preacher’s kid at the parochial school, which wasn’t something that made you very popular. At recess, when it was time to choose sides for whatever game we were playing that day, I was usually among the last to be chosen. Truth be told, I couldn’t blame them, because I wasn’t very coordinated or good at the games. Then came the day when one of the captains was a friend of mine, another of those usually chosen at the end. He did something a little different. Rather than choosing those who seemed to be the most deserving or the best athletes, he chose his friends. I was among the first ones chosen, even though I knew I didn’t deserve it. The feeling of joy and happiness that gave me is something I can still recall to this day. We had a great time playing that day, even if we didn’t win, because we had our friends on the team with us! Although I didn’t realize it at the time, when my friend chose me that day, he gave me a picture of what God has done for you and for me in Christ Jesus. He has chosen us to be His own even though we are not deserving of it. It is something that comes from His friendship, His love, His grace.

ISAIAH 42:1-7  1 “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations. 2 He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets.  3 A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; 4 he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope.” 5 This is what God the LORD says– he who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it: 6 “I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, 7 to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.

This passage was read in many Christian congregations today. God is speaking of His chosen Servant, whom we can easily identify as Jesus Christ. The descriptions in this passage line up with what we read in the New Testament. For example, it says I will put my spirit on him, which we heard happened in the form of a doveat the Baptism of Jesus in today’s Gospel lesson. We know that He brought forgiveness to the world through His work of redemption, his perfect life and death in our place. He placed Himself under the Law of God for your benefit. He lived a perfect life for you. He went to the cross for your sake, and rose again to announce to the world that He had brought His justice.

Isaiah recorded that the chosen Servant of God would bring justice to the nations, that he would establish justice on the earth. This justice is not the normal justice we would expect from the world, but is tempered with mercy. This justice is a reference to the Gospel, the Good News of Jesus and the forgiveness he offers. The world was found guilty according to the justice of the Law. It was condemned to death before the judgment seat of the Almighty. But standing in the same court is the innocent Servant of the Lord. Because of this, God does not hold our sins against us. Instead He charges them all to Christ Jesus, who took them on Himself and made payment for the sins of all nations, reconciling the world to Himself. The justice of God through Christ, which is actually mercy, is the only way you can be spared from your deserved punishment.

Jesus was chosen to be your Savior because He was the only one capable of accomplishing salvation for all people. God has also chosen people to be His own. The choosing of Jesus to be the Savior was a gracious act, something God did for undeserving mankind. And as far as you and I are concerned, “chosen” is certainly a grace-alone word. Being chosen by God is like that playground incident–it was not deserved, but done from compassion and love.

Those of us who have come to faith in Jesus are God’s chosen people. Through grace, the Spirit of God has called you through the Gospel to believe in Jesus Christ. It is important that you understand this, that you are chosen by God. You did not choose God, He chose you. Jesus says that in John 15: You did not choose Me, but I chose you…  You did nothing to earn it. God’s choosing you is a gift. The fact that you are chosen frees you from trying to be acceptable on your own, since you are already declared righteous through faith in Christ. And you can rejoice that your salvation is certain; it is based on what Jesus did for you; it was accomplished by God Himself. God chose His Servant before the foundation of the world, to be your Savior. His redemption was so complete and successful that it removes any possibility of merit or contribution on your part. The fact is that you are chosen by God’s grace, not because of who you are or what you have done.

Even though you are not chosen because of what you have done, you have been chosen to do something. Jesus said,

You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit—fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name. This is my command: Love each other. (John 15:16-17)

You have been chosen to receive the salvation Jesus earned and to share it with others. Your purpose in being chosen is to be a servant of the Servant. You are to be “little Christs” who bring the news of salvation to all nations, giving God the glory.

The fact that you are chosen means you are a part of the kingdom of God. This “chosen” aspect was made sure in your Baptism. In Baptism, God does something for you. He washes away sins, the Spirit creating faith in your heart, and God announces that you are His dear child. This is not because of your worthiness, but because He declares you righteous. It is not because of your nationality, but by water and the Word. And you have been made His child not for your own glory, but for service to your God. He has chosen you to be His witness, to be a light to the Gentiles. God grant this.

Like many of you, I was watching last Monday night as a young athlete in excellent physical condition made a tackle, stood up, then crumpled to the ground and stopped breathing. Heroic measures were taken to resuscitate him before transporting him to an area hospital. While this was going on, his teammates knelt on the field together and offered a prayer. No one criticized them for doing so.

The broadcast continued for another hour, waiting to see whether or not the game would resume. It was eventually decided that it would be suspended indefinitely. During the time, every broadcaster that spoke mentioned the need to pray for Damar Hamlin. No one criticized them for doing so.

The next day, on NFL Live, former NFL quarterback and current ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky mentioned everyone talking about praying for Damar. He said he was going to do so right then and there. He bowed his head and offered a prayer on the air. You can watch it here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1Vs59RDITc

I applaud Mr. Orlovsky for not being shy about his faith or the expression of it. I don’t know how much criticism he received for doing so, but I don’t think it mattered to him.

I’ve noticed over the years that news commentators will often mention “thoughts and prayers” at a time of crisis or tragedy. That is acceptable. But what about in “normal” times, when things seem to be going well?

My wife mentioned the irony that it was okay for players to pray when someone was injured, but Tim Tebow was constantly criticized for praying at all times during his career. He prayed on good days. He prayed on bad days. He prayed on every day in between. It is part of his life, his relationship with his Lord. And the criticism was non-stop.

I thought of Paul’s admonition in his letter to the Philippians.

Philippians 4:4–7 ⁴ Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! ⁵ Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. ⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

“In everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” In EVERYTHING. Prayer is not just for the bad times. Society seems to tolerate prayer when there is a crisis, but sees no need for it when things are rolling along as they should. But our decision to pray should not be based upon what the world says. We pray because it is our right, our privilege, to speak to the one in control of all things and be assured that He listens to us because of our faith in Jesus.

1 John 5:14 This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

He is listening. Always. The one who came to earth to pay for our sins and give us salvation invites us to talk to Him about all things. Whether the world approves or not, this is our right. This is how we exist as followers of Jesus. Speaking to Him through our prayers and listening to Him through His Word. It empowers us in our daily efforts to live for Him.

And yes, I have prayed for Damar as well.

Happy New Year! I’m sure many of you are ready to put “the holidays” behind you, but not me. Not yet. I think there is something refreshing about hearing and saying “Happy New Year”, even a week or so into the year! Those words give you the feeling that you can start over or begin something new! That is the idea behind New Year’s Resolutions. You resolve to improve your lives, to lose weight, to exercise more, to spend less time watching TV and more time in Bible Study and prayer, to come closer to God in some way, to be a better person. You make all these resolutions and then you strive to keep them. A New Year is a fresh start! But it doesn’t take long for you to lapse in your efforts and find that those resolutions are more difficult to keep than you thought!

Today is the day of Epiphany! Sometimes people wonder why my wife and I leave up our Christmas decorations so long. According to the church year calendar, Christmas continues all the way through today, January 6. The festival of Epiphany is connected to the coming of the Magi, the Wise Men, as described in Matthew 2.

Thinking about those travelers we call “the Wise Men,” something that impresses me is their resolve. They made a resolution to find the Christ, the one born King of the Jews, no matter how far they had to travel. It could not have been an easy journey. We don’t know exactly where they came from, but it was likely a great distance. Their journey would have been dusty and dirty and difficult. Yet they were so committed to this, they were so determined to find this king, they were even willing to stop and ask directions! That should tell you something about their resolution: Guys known for their wisdom who were willing to stop and ask directions! And it paid off for them. They were directed to Bethlehem, where they found the Christ-child, and they rejoiced in God’s goodness to the world. Even though they were not part of the chosen people through whom the Savior had come, they knew that Jesus had come for them as well. His birth was heralded as “good news of great joy that will be for all the people.”

Sometimes your journey may also be long and dusty and dirty. You have obstacles to overcome and have to stop for directions from time to time. You decide to make a New Year’s resolution to come closer to God in some way, but your own efforts are not enough and you fail. People and circumstances work against you in your resolve to live as the redeemed child of God you are. The good news for you again today is this mystery and miracle of your faith: because Christ Jesus came, and died to pay for your sins, you also are able to approach God. Paul wrote about it this way: In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. (Eph. 3:12)

You are “In Him” by virtue of your connection to Jesus through Baptism. Scripture tells us that Baptism connects us to Jesus in His death and resurrection, so much so that God sees His death as your death for sin, so that you will also share with Him in His resurrection (Romans 6). You are “In Him.”

Working through the Word, the Holy Spirit invites you to share in all the riches God has provided for you: forgiveness of sins, life and salvation. Everything earned by Jesus is yours for the taking if you will only believe. And that is what is meant by faith, through faith in Him: believing though you have not seen, standing on the promises of God’s Word, confessing Jesus as Lord with your mouths, believing in your hearts.

Think back to those Wise Men. They are a model for us. They had a star that led them to Jesus. You and I are led by the power of the Holy Spirit to Christ. When the Spirit enables us to “find” Jesus, then in Him and through faith in Him we have the freedom and confidence to approach God!

In all of this, the Church has a central place. Even though it is made up of sinful people who sometimes hurt each other, even though the church has sometimes caused harm, the church is something God established and is His chosen instrument for bringing people into fellowship with one another. What needs to be remembered is that Christ is the head of the church, not people. The church is the joining together of those Jesus redeemed, Jews and Gentiles, as a united people in one body. This is God’s plan and purpose for His church. The thing that unites believers everywhere is Jesus. The things that don’t matter are the ethnic origin or color of one’s skin, the language they speak or where they live, poverty or wealth. What unites us is the knowledge that when God sent His Son into this world it was to for the purpose of saving all people, reconciling all men to Himself. Jesus lived the life that God demanded, keeping every requirement of the Law and never sinning. He offered that life in your place. Because of Him, you have peace with God. The angels told us that: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men…

When you contemplate the one who is in charge of everything, the one who made the heavens and the earth, you might be tempted to think “What right do I have to approach the throne of Almighty God, much less imagine doing so with confidence?” But the answer is simple: Because of Jesus, that little toddler the Magi sought. In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence.

Another Christmas come and gone. Today is the twelfth day of Christmas, the end of the season. How was it for you? Are you glad it is all over? Or is it? For some, the parties and gift exchanges may not yet be over. I know in my household we will have our last gift exchange with part of our family tomorrow.

So what has been the focal point of this season for you? Did you remember whose birth we were supposed to be celebrating? The following story, sent to me many years ago, helps put Christmas in the proper perspective.

A woman was out Christmas shopping with her two children. After many hours of looking at row after row of toys and everything else imaginable, and hours of hearing both her children asking for everything they saw on those many shelves, she finally made it to the elevator with her two kids.

She was feeling what so many of us feel during the holiday season time of the year. Overwhelming pressure to go to every party, every housewarming, taste all the holiday food and treats, getting that perfect gift for every single person on our shopping list, making sure we don’t forget anyone on our card list, and the pressure of making sure we respond to everyone who sent us a card.

Finally the elevator doors opened and there was already a crowd in the car. She pushed her way into the car and dragged her two kids in with her and all the bags of stuff. When the doors closed she couldn’t take it anymore and stated, “Whoever started this whole Christmas thing should be found, strung up and shot.”

From the back of the car everyone heard a quiet calm voice respond, “Don’t worry we already crucified him.” For the rest of the trip down the elevator it was so quiet you could have heard a pin drop.

For me, the message is straightforward and powerful. Those who are looking for joy in gifts and shopping and parties and people will never find it. True Joy is found in the birth of Jesus Christ. That was and always will be the most significant event in the history of this world.

The reason this is true is because without Jesus, we would have no hope. We would be doomed to destruction and eternal separation from God because of our sin. But God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not counting men’s sins against them (2 Cor. 5:19) That was all part of God’s plan. He was crucified to pay for the sins of everyone. That’s why He came. His resurrection sealed the deal, proclaiming His victory over death and the grave for everyone. Faith in Him assures you of forgiveness and eternity with Him.

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift. And a very merry twelfth day of Christmas to you all.

Galatians 4:4-7 But when the time had fully come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out,  “Abba, Father.’ So you are no longer a slave, but a son; and since you are a son, God has made you also an heir.

A little boy was walking along a seashore with his mother. He started asking those kinds of questions that children ask their parents, the kind that can drive you crazy in no time at all. Pointing up to the beautiful blue sky he asked his mother, “Is God up there?”  “Yes” she answered. After thinking about it for a minute, the boy said, “Wouldn’t it be nice if He would put His head out and let us see Him?” In a sense, that is exactly what God did for us at Christmas.

This passage above, no doubt heard by many of you last Sunday, is the text I used on the first occasion I had to preach at Christmas time. I was in my first year of seminary and invited by my father to preach at my home congregation in Dallas the Sunday after Christmas. These words are a beautiful description of what God did for us at that particular point in history. He “put His head out” by coming into this world as Jesus, a man, so that we could better understand who He is and what He wants for us.

That phrase when the time had fully come tells us that God had selected the timing of this event very carefully. The conditions in the world at that time were just right for the Savior to come and fulfill all the prophecies of the Old Testament. And this was no accident — God knew all along that at this particular time He would send the Savior He had promised over and over again to His people. That is why the prophecies were worded as they were — they were pointing to what God had long since determined would happen. God had acted lovingly in the past, and continues to do so, as evidenced by what Paul describes here. God put His head out and let us see him.

But this portion of Paul’s letter tells us more than “the time was right.” He also tells us exactly what Jesus did. He was born as one of us–born of a woman. He shared our humanity to the fullest extent, even to the point of being subject to the commands of God — born under law. Being born under the law, He did what we were not able to do — He lived a life of perfect compliance to God’s Law. And why? …to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Jesus came for you. His life of obedience was for your benefit. Everything He did was for you. The redemption was for your sake. That’s why the Christmas story is important for you. That is why Jesus was born.

Some translations say that we might receive adoption as sons rather than full rights. I think that makes the message of this passage easier to understand. Through faith in Jesus Christ, we are the actual children of God, not second-class citizens. And as children, we are the legitimate heirs to the riches God offers–eternal life and salvation. Being the children of God through faith means that our sins have been forgiven. Jesus took care of that. Having full rights as sons means that we stand righteous in the presence of our God because of the atoning work of Jesus Christ. His righteousness becomes our own, allowing us to stand blameless before our God.

Merry tenth day of Christmas.