God’s grace is a wonderful thing indeed. The favor of God is toward you because of Jesus and his work done on your behalf. God’s face looks and shines upon you because your sin has been atoned for by Jesus and you are baptized into his name. This life is lived under the cross and sometimes the work is backbreaking. Sometimes it looks as though the day will never end and that promised denarius will never be seen. But the day will end, and the night will come when no one will be able to work. On that day, though, you will rest with Jesus and all his saints reaping the fruit of Christ’s labor for you. You will sit and drink the fine wine of salvation which overflows at the eternal wedding feast.

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Dear Christian, here is the Lord Jesus fulfilling all things in your place. Purification is now yours. Redemption is now yours. That is why we return one last time to the story of Christ’s infancy. The Lord enters his temple for the first time, ready to return with a sacrifice that will pay for all sins, once and for all.

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Our Lord gives you this sign of the transfiguration so that as you begin your journey down the mountain and to the cross, as you enter into the season of Lent, as you meditate on the holy, bitter, sufferings and death of your Lord Jesus Christ, you might have the strength and encouragement by receiving just a taste of your future glory.

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God marvels at you as you behold him in faith. The Father sees Jesus who has atoned for you sin. For his sake you are righteous in his sight. That means absolutely everything as you sit here now and go from this place. Your Lord calls you as his own and he guides you through this life through his word.

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Jesus’ miracle points to the future day, the day after the end of days, when man will enjoy the richest of foods and the most delectable of wines in an unmeasured amount, and it will be good. The joy will never end. The mirth and laughter will not stop. Even if that was not realized with the wedding at Cana of Galilee, even if there was still an abuse of God’s good gifts, our Lord wants to show his disciples the reason why he has come: to grant all the benefits of his kingdom.

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See the baptism of Jesus and know what God has given you in your own baptism. Rest in the arms of the Beloved Son of the Father in whom the Father is well pleased.

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Those who were under the darkness of blindness, now have been illumined by the Holy Spirit and know of the true God. Those who were under the darkness of death, now have tasted eternal life in Christ. Those who were under the darkness of despair, now have the hope of the resurrection. And this work must and will continue. Through the mouths of preachers, through the mouths of parents, through the mouths of neighbors, through the mouths of teachers, the light of Christ will scatter the darkness of unbelief.

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God preaches to you today and places his name upon you again and again in this place and throughout this whole divine service. God is for you and that means everything. Rejoice loudly dear Christians and greet this new year in the name of the Lord. Your Lord has saved you and his name is Jesus.

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We have seen! We have beheld the glory of the only-begotten Son of God. You look at this man and what do you see? You look at this man and you see the Master and Lord, you see the potter who fashioned us all, you see the one who feeds and nourishes all, you see the creator of the stars of night. Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ that we get to marvel at something so profound and wonderful!

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This is the joy of Christmas; Christ is born for you. Listen to God this very moment. He cries out to you all, young and old, great, and small, near and far, dear people of God. Each one of you sitting here in this place tonight Jesus says to you, “I came, I was born all for you.” God fixes your eyes on the manger to see your Lord lying there who has come for you.

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This voice of John the Baptist was not only for early 1st century Jewish people living in Palestine. No, this voice proclaims for all people. All should prepare the way of the Lord. All should prepare until that final coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. If we are to know better who this Jesus is, we compare him to what was promised about him. When others thought John the Baptist to be the Christ or to be the prophet or to be Elijah, his testimony (what he said or what he did) helps to shine the light on the true Christ, the true prophet, to whom the true Elijah pointed. He is the one we await to greet at the manger. He is the one we await coming in glory, riding on the clouds with his angels.

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People of God, it’s Advent. The Lord has come, he comes to you now, and he is coming again. The day for rejoicing is here. Jesus has redeemed you by his blood and you are an heir of eternal life. Always remember that and cling to it. Christ is yours and you are his forever.

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Look around and know “the best is yet to come” so “straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” It most certainly is for Jesus has come, he comes now, and he is coming again for you people of Zion. Come, Lord Jesus! Even so, come quickly.

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Jesus prepares you to meet him for he has come and redeemed you. He comes now to forgive you through his means of grace, and he comes again to take you to himself even as he will create a new heavens and new earth for you and all his saints to dwell.”

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Especially in this holiday season, when sentimentalities and thankfulness abound but always alongside a vagueness concerning to whom exactly it belongs, it is your duty to be explicit and specific for your praise towards Jesus. To him belongs all the glory. To him belongs all the praise. His is the name above every name. His is the love and mercy to heal and to save.

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This Church Year is ending. Jesus says, “Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour.” As the people of God made wise in Christ you cry out knowing Advent is on the horizon, “Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly!”

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There are many ways God shows his love for the unlovable. Yet, this is an important way: he loves by being patient. O, this love of God which suffers the pain and grief of seeing so much evil done! He does not exact vengeance immediately (although he has every right). He waits; and waits; and waits.

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Rejoice dear saints of God and take courage to face the days right now as ones who have eternal life. Not even death can take life away from you. That’s a bold statement to make but that’s the truth of who you are in Christ.

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Death has been defeated and as God’s saints this salvation, this eternal life, is yours. Fix your eyes on Jesus this day and cling to him.

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What is the end of this violence? Is the kingdom of God overpowered? Does the scowling of the devil amount to anything? No, of course not! The almighty fortress of God’s kingdom remains through the Word of God purely taught. The Valiant One was not stopped by his death on the cross. No, he rose from the dead, conquered death, and gave power to the Gospel he handed off to the apostles….That one man Martin Luther was not quieted. Through the grace of God more and more saw the truth of the Scriptures: man is justified by faith alone on account of Christ’s merit. Though the pope and the emperor were all eager to devour Luther and the reformers, the Word of God could not be stopped.

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You are God’s people. Rejoice, “All is ready.” Feast now and feast forever.

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When you go through times of trial and testing, rejoice. In all things fix your eyes on Jesus for he and he alone is the one who has redeemed you and gives you reason to always rejoice and in all circumstances.

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When you open your Bible and read from any place, you will find God commanding you to love him either by the “You shall…” statements or by examples of how God’s people have lived. But that is not everything God has to say in His Word. There is also his love for us in Christ Jesus. That is the other great topic of the Bible. Jesus wanted to remind the lawyer of this other great topic, so he asked his own question. He noticed them focusing on the “love God with all your heart, soul, and mind” to the detriment of “the LORD your God.” How do we know this? They fail to see that the LORD their God stands right before them, that they could touch their God if they reached out and grabbed Jesus. Without acknowledging that Jesus is their God, they miss the whole point of loving God.

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Jesus is your Lord who humbled himself so that you are exalted and baptized into his exalted name which is above every name.

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It is for our sakes that Jesus has done this miracle. He certainly knows that we are afraid of death. To that He says, do not be afraid and let not your heart be troubled. Though death is terrible, what can it harm you? It may terrify you. But learn to avoid judging by your feelings and following your fears: look to Jesus and remember what He can do and what He desires to do. He can raise you from death as easily as you awaken a person out of sleep. And, He will do it cheerfully and with pleasure.

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