S-1524 2MWIA/3C 12/09/15Hymns:
#338; #357; #348
Texts: Psalm 67; Exodus
3:7-12; Acts 1:6-11; Matthew 1:18-25
Theme: “Jesus Came For Me” Matthew
1:18-25
Question: “Has anyone done something special for you?”
(13th sermon at Trinity).
Fellow
travelers on our journey to eternity, in the name of the Babe of Bethlehem,
Jesus Christ, a blessed Advent to you; The text is a portion of the Gospel
lesson. “Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When His mother Mary had
been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she
was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. And her husband Joseph,
being a just man and unwilling to put her to shame, resolved to divorce
her quietly. But as he considered these things, behold, an angel of the Lord
appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph,
son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is
conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins,” (Matthew 1:18-21).
In
Nomine Iesu
God’s beautiful and Advent people, the
movie “The Day after Tomorrow”
is a touching story, of a drama, emotions and destruction all due to a “superstorm”
that is setting off catastrophic natural disasters throughout the world. A
world-renowned paleoclimatologist Prof. Jack Hall, played by Dennis Quaid,
warns of the impending disaster that is about to take place. Many people around
the world ignore the warnings. His teenage son goes to New York City from
Washington D.C. for an academic competition. While his son is in New York, the
natural disasters on a global scale strike the Earth, the planet plummets into
an ice age virtually in one day and many people are caught unaware and die by
freezing to death. While the son is trapped in New York, Jack and his crew must
travel by foot from Philadelphia, braving the elements, risking his own life to
get to Sam before it is too late. Out of
his great love for his son, the father doesn’t stop until he reaches his son
and rescues him from the impending disaster.
The Advent message for
all of us this evening is to know that God’s gracious love moved Him to come to
rescue me—the sinner. We see this soon after the Fall of man in the Garden. God
came to them while hiding to deliver them from the impending death. We see His
hand’s of mercy extended to rescue the Israelites from the bondage of slavery by
sending Moses to be His mouthpiece. Walk through the corridors of Holy
Scripture and you will see God’s blue print in sending one prophet after
another to care and deliver His people from the spiritual enemies—the devil,
the world and our sinful flesh.
The Gospel chosen for
this evening is a reminder that God sent His Son, Jesus Christ to be born in the flesh for me. He didn’t send Him only
for the world (2 Corinthians 5:19), but for me. God cared enough to send His
Holy, innocent and ONLY Son to earth to take upon Him flesh and blood to be
like us. He loved me enough to spare nothing to deliver and save me from death,
hell the eternal punishment. Yes, and so also for
you too who thinks of yourself so highly.
The message of the Angel to Mary is God
intervening in the lives of those who are broken and bleeding because of sin
and doing EVERYTHING to rescue, restore and redeem mankind from the curse of
sin and the power of the grave and the bite of Satan. PAUSE.
Beautiful and precious
God’s Advent people, this evening we reflect on the coming of the Babe of
Bethlehem, His perfect life, His unimaginable suffering at the hands of His
enemies who nailed Him to the cross and put Him to death; and was raised to
life again on the third day states clearly that you and I needed saving. And we
are so thankful for what Dr. Luther once said: “Is it NOT wonderful news to believe that salvation lies outside of
ourselves.” And indeed it is! Salvation is NOT found in the glittery gifts under the Christmas tree, or
still to be purchased from a store. NO! It is God’s gift to humanity—me—the
sinner; of His only Son.
The coming of the Babe
of Bethlehem in the flesh is the story of our redemption. As we have been
brought to this house of prayer called Trinity, this evening, we are reminded
again and again of God’s enormous love for us sinners in sending His Son for
me.
Jesus came for me. If
I was the only person in the world, Jesus would have come to rescue, restore
and redeem me. Thanks be to God for Advent that shows me what real love looks
like—a great and glorious sacrifice that cost this Child of Mary to die for me.
In the manger, outside of us we see love par excellence. God’s love is
manifested in a gift that is freely given. This is the love of God that comes
into our hearts and we cherish. On His shoulders we see the price paid. In His
blood we see the cleansing agent of our sins, and by His resurrection on the
third day, we know God the Father accepted the price paid by His Only Son for
me—the sinner so that I might become His Son forever and ever. NEVER to be
separated from His gracious and pierced hands. PAUSE
Beautiful and precious
God’s Advent people, the movie “The Day
after Tomorrow” is a Hollywood fiction story. It is the story of a
father who does everything humanely possible to save his son.
As we reflect and
meditate on the Gospel of St. Matthew we see not a made up story, but true and
living pageant. In this story we see our
loving Father, God, who sent His Son Jesus to Earth to save us from the
coldness of sin and apathy and unbelief. God would stop at no lengths for us.
He traveled much further than from Washington D.C partly by SUV and the rest of
the way on foot. God traveled from Heaven to Earth for us! He would travel that
lonely road up to Golgotha, all for you, beloved! So complete is His love for
us. His love is so powerful it breaks the bad climate of sin in our lives and
it melts icy hearts with the warmth of the Gospel. Great is God’s love for us.
This
is the great and glorious “love that the Father has lavished upon
us, that we should be called children of God; and
so we are” (1 John 3:1). By the
grace of God you and I are the recipients of this undeserved love and through
this love we know that Jesus came for me.
Tonight, by the power of the Holy Spirit, we say
thank you Jesus for coming for me, blessing me and giving me heaven. Amen and
Amen.
Now the peace…
SOLI DEO GLORIA
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