Midweek Advent 1 Christ’s First Coming: Who Lies in the Manger? Psalm 8 Isaiah 11:1–10 Romans 1:1–6 John 1:1–18 Audio only.
Midweek Advent 1 Christ’s First Coming: Who Lies in the Manger? Psalm 8 Isaiah 11:1–10 Romans 1:1–6 John 1:1–18 Audio only.
Almighty and gracious Lord, pour out Your Holy Spirit on Your faithful people. Keep us steadfast in Your grace and truth, protect and deliver us in times of temptation, defend us against all enemies, and grant Your Church Your saving peace; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
“Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are his judgments and how inscrutable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who has been his counselor?” “Or who has given a gift to him that he might be repaid?” For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen. — Romans 11:33–36
“Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, and hope does not put us to shame.”
The First Sunday after Epiphany Luke 2:41–52; Romans 12:1–5
Ironically, though, our Lord does not instruct us to watch and look for these signs in the world. He doesn’t tell us to keep an eye out for the signs of the end times, to look for messages in the sun, the moon, and the stars, to watch for the distress of nations, etc. He instructs us, rather, to watch ourselves, so that we are not weighed down with dissipation, that is with self-indulgence, and drunkenness and the cares of this life.
And as you continue to struggle against your flesh and this world, remember that your King is coming to you. For He did not just come once in the past. He is coming for you in the future, even as He continually comes to you now in His Word and Sacrament. He rides into your presence every Lord’s Day upon humble means to forgive you sins, to speak you righteous, to give you strength for today and courage and hope for tomorrow. He is your king. A new day is dawned.
And thus we celebrate today, that despite the anxiety we feel from our enemies—from the devil and the world—who attack us, and despite the feeling of hopelessness that comes from our enemy within, we, in fact, have every reason to hope. We have every reason to be confident. We have every reason to rejoice. For Jesus Christ, who was crucified for our transgressions, is raised for our justification.