The Festival of the Reformation, Rom 3:23-24, The Three Solas Sermon Series

The Three “Solas” of the Reformation
…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus
(Romans 3:23-24, ESV)
The Three “Solas” of the Reformation
A Three Week Sermon Series
For the Reformation
This Week
Scripture Alone
The Text for Today
For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. (Romans 3:20-25, ESV)
What is the “Reformation”

• A movement, in the 16th Century, to restore the Christian (catholic) church to its earlier condition focusing on…


• Salvation by Faith                                          through the work of Christ


• The Reformation focused on three basic teachings


• Sola Scriptura


• Sola Gratia


• Sola Fide

The Three “Solas”

• Sola means “alone”

Sola Scripture – Scripture Alone
Sola Gratia – Grace Alone
Sola Fide – Faith Alone
… all on account of Christ Alone!
The Text for Today
For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. (Romans 3:20-25, ESV)
We are Justified!

• To be “justified” is to be declared _________ by God


• A person is justified by


• ______ alone,


• through ______ alone,


• on account of ______ alone


• we learn about this in ________ alone.


• __________ have no place in becoming  right with God

The Text for Today
For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. (Romans 3:20-25, ESV)
Propitiation

• What is Propitiation?


• Propitiation is…


• To appease anger


• Example #1


• Husband and flowers


• Example #2


• The Safari


• Why is God angry?


• How is this anger appeased?


• Jesus paid the price for our sin

In Other Words

• By grace – God’s ____ that goes way beyond ______


• Grace is “God’s undeserved love”


• Thorough faith – Faith is the _____ that holds on to ______ alone


• On account of Christ – Jesus_____, _____ and _____ _____ in our place


• Through scripture – The Bible ______ ___ God’s work of ________ in Jesus Christ

Where Did Scripture Come From?
For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:21, ESV)

• Scripture is the work of God through the hand of man


• Scripture is…

God’s Word Won’t Deceive

• Therefore, if you cannot feel it, at least believe the Scriptures; they will not lie to you, and they know your flesh better than you yourself. Yea, St. Paul further concludes in Rom. 7, 18: I know that in me, that is, in my flesh, dwelleth no good thing. If St. Paul may speak thus of his flesh, we do not propose to be better nor more holy. But that we do not feel it is so much the worse; for it is a sign that there is a leprous flesh which feels nothing, and yet [the leprosy] rages and keeps spreading. Yet, as we have said, if you are quite dead to all sensibility, still believe the Scriptures, which pronounce sentence upon you. (Large Catechism, V, 76-78)

Scripture God’s Word
All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, (2 Timothy 3:16, ESV)

• “Inspiration” says that all scripture is God-Breathed


• Every part of the Bible is God’s Word


• It is the work of God, the Holy Spirit

Faith in Scripture

• But… faith in Scripture comes by faith in Christ… first!


• We should not expect                       unbelievers to                                            believe in scripture


• i.e. Newsmedia

Jesus is God’s Word
You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, (John 5:39, ESV)

• Jesus says Scripture is about Him


• Jesus is the sum and substance of Holy Scripture

Law and Gospel

• The Bible contains two separate and distinct teachings


• Law and Gospel


• Properly Distinguishing between them…


• Keeps the Gospel pure


• Keeps Jesus at the center

God Works through the Law

• The Law says


• You are a sinful person


• You cannot change


• God hates sin


• God demands eternal punishment for your sin

God Works through the Gospel

• The Gospel says


• God loves all people


• Jesus has done everything necessary to gain forgiveness for all people


• We have that forgiveness through faith in Christ

What we Believe, Teach and Confess

• As Lutheran Christians…


• Scripture alone determines what we believe, teach and confess


• Not Scripture and


• tradition


• human reason


• experience

The Three “Solas” of the Reformation
A Three Week Sermon Series
For the Reformation
Next Week
Grace Alone
The Three “Solas” of the Reformation
…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus
(Romans 3:23-24, ESV)

Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost, Mark 10:2-13, October 22, 2006

Mark 10:2-16
Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost, October 22, 2006
St. John’s Lutheran Church, Howard, SD

And Pharisees came up and in order to test him asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and to send her away.” And Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” And in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” (Mark 10:2-12, ESV)

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

Well, I think this topic might be even less popular that what we talked about last week.  How do you talk about God’s perfect plan for marriage without seeing what goes on all around us?  Broken marriages.  Divorce.  Unfaithfulness.  How do you speak about how God created a man and women to be in a lifelong marriage relationship without pouring tons of guilt on folks who have divorced?  Or have had marriage problems?  Well, I think that first we just need to let the God’s Word speak to us.  We need to see what Jesus is doing here in this text.  We need to see the purpose for saying what he’s saying.

Notice first how clearly St. Mark tells us what’s up.  The first sentence is:

Pharisees came up and in order to test him

These folks, these Pharisees, want to “test” Jesus.  You should know that this question about divorce was a big theological debate of the day.  Some of the religious leaders argued that God only allows divorce for reasons of “infidelity, and abandonment.”  Others said that divorce was available for a host of other reasons.  (Sounds a lot like today doesn’t it?)  The question they are asking, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” isn’t really a question about divorce and what’s lawful, it’s designed to put Jesus in the middle of an argument.  They want to trap him into choosing sides in the argument.  They want him to be stuck between a rock and a hard place.  One of my seminary professors at this point would say something like this: “It’s always a bad idea to try to trap Jesus.”  Jesus won’t be trapped and instead he turns the tables back on the guys who try to do the trapping.  He springs their own trap on them so that they are caught in a hopeless situation.  And he almost always does it by first asking a question of the askers.  He does it here, “What did Moses command you?”  It’s a question they can answer.  “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of divorce and send her away.”  The case seems cut and dried.  But Jesus turns their belief on its head.  

And Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote you this commandment. But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ ‘Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two but one flesh. What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate.” (Mark 10:5-9, ESV)

Jesus actually points to a different part of the bible.  “You’re reading in the wrong place.  You’ve got to go back to the very beginning.  God created a man and a woman to be united together for their whole life, one flesh.  God doesn’t allow divorce for any reason!  You are not permitted to divorce at all.”  Jesus has turned their world on its head.  They want to trap him in the debate and he ends the debate by trumping their argument with Creation, with God’s ordering of the universe.  

Ah, and here we are too.  We hear Jesus and cringe just like the Pharisees did.  They wanted exceptions to God’s rules.  We want exceptions to God’s rules.  “What about an unfaithful spouse?  What about when a marriage is really bad?  What about when dad is beating up on the kids?  What about when a wife’s life is in danger?  What about… when I just don’t love her anymore?”  Jesus bypasses all these questions.  He’s not talking about all the rotten, sinful, broken, selfish things human beings bring into they’re relationships.  He’s not talking about how sin destroys what God has joined together.  He’s talking about how God designed the permanent union of marriage.  He’s talking about what God wants for married people.  What we have in common with the Pharisees is that we want to talk about exceptions.  We want to know when we can divorce. We want to know how to do it properly.  Jesus answers from the perfect creation of the world.  God’s answer is “Don’t do it, ever.”  In other words divorce is never God’s will for marriage.  That is not to say that divorce will never happen.  That’s not Jesus’ point here.  There’s no way to get into a discussion of “exceptions” without having to talk about choosing between evils.  Sometimes we have to have divorce as the lesser of two evils.  Sometimes in this sinful world there will be divorce.  But divorce is always sinful.  The problem is that everyone then thinks their situation must fall into the exceptions, and instead of using divorce as the lesser evil, the lesser sin becomes the greater one.  Jesus skips the whole discussion.  “Don’t!” he says.  We still want to find out.  We want to justify ourselves or our relatives.  Well, the disciples had the same questions.  Later when they get Jesus alone, they ask the question again.  And Jesus gives another very clear answer.  

And he said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her, and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” (Mark 10:11-12, ESV)

Maybe Jesus is turning your whole world upside down.  “Well, what about this situation or that situation?”  Jesus only tells us what God expects.  It’s hard for us to hear because we stand condemned.  That’s God’s law staring us right in the face.  We turn God’s the gift of marriage into something other than how God gives it.  We might even be angry at God about it.  “Well, if that’s the way God is, He’s not a God I want to worship.”  And now you and I have gone right back to Genesis, too.  

It is the essence of sin to say we know better than God.  It is the very heart of sin to say that we want to decide for ourselves what is best for us.  It is wanting to be god for ourselves.  That’s the sin that lives in our hearts speaking.  Of course, that sin isn’t just related to marriage.  We want to be in control every aspect of our lives.  We want to be able to dislike a brother or sister in Christ because they think differently about things than we do.  We want to be able to agree with our neighbors about moral issues even when they disagree with scripture.  We want to be able to cheat just a little bit on our business deals to make them more profitable.  We want to be able to talk about how other members of the church don’t give their fair share in the offering, without giving sacrificially ourselves.  It’s not the sins we do, it’s the sin that’s in our hearts.  It is wanting to decide for ourselves what is right and wrong, to be our own god.  That is the sin would separate us from the true God forever; if it weren’t for our Savior, Jesus.

One of the ways that can help us to understand exactly what Jesus has done for us to end our separation is to look at marriage the way God wants it to be for us.  That’s just what St. Paul does in his letter to the Ephesians.  

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. (Ephesians 5:22-27, ESV)

When we do marriage as God would have it done, it’s a picture of God’s love and forgiveness in Jesus.  I haven’t had a wedding here yet, but when I do I’ll try bring this point home by starting the wedding just like we start Sunday morning worship, with a confession and absolution.  Forgiveness in Jesus Christ is the foundation of a good and successful marriage.  It is all about wives submitting to their husbands and husbands loving their wives… “as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her.”

Forgiveness is the foundation of our relationship with God.  Just as Paul says, it’s all about what Christ did for us, He is the bridegroom we are his bride.  He sanctifies us, by cleansing us with water and the word.  To be baptized is to be a member of the church, the bride of Christ.  To be baptized is to be washed clean of sin, even the sin of not wanting to submit to the Bridegroom and God’s Word about marriage or anything else.  St. Paul says that Christ gave himself up for the Church, for His bride.  That is talking about the cross.  A husband is to give his life for his bride, to provide for her, to protect her, to hold her welfare above his own, to sacrifice all for her.  That’s what Jesus did.  Our sin, our rejection of God’s control over our lives deserves a permanent divorce from God.  But Jesus brings us to God as his perfect bride because he takes our place in punishment.  He holds our welfare above his own.  He sacrifices his life for ours.  He suffers the permanent separation from God on the cross, we see that when he shouts “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matthew 27:46, ESV)  And so when God look to us in judgment he only sees that we have been washed clean, that we are “without spot or wrinkle or any such thing,” that we are “holy and without blemish.”

There’s lots of talk about marriage these days but none as important is the picture that God gives us as a way of understanding His relationship to us in Jesus.  Because of what Jesus has done for us, we don’t want to have marriage any other way then the way that God defines it.  Because of what Jesus has done for us we want to submit to God’s will for our lives and our marriages.  Because of what Jesus has done we have a forever relationship with God, through faith in Christ Jesus.  Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost, Matthew 6:25-34, October 15, 2006

Nineteenth Sunday after Pentecost, October 15, 2006, Matthew 6:25-34
St. John’s Lutheran Church, Howard, SD

Grace and peace to you from our Lord an d Savior, Jesus Christ.

Well…  today after church we’re going to talk about and approve a budget for next year.  And whenever we do things like this in the church there’s bound to be some conflict.  There’s bound to be some heated discussion.  It’s because it has to do with our wallet.  Anytime you stick a bunch of South Dakotan’s in a room to talk about money you’re going to get an argument.  There’s an old saying about German people that says if you put two Germans in a room you’ll get three opinions.  I think we are like that when we talk about money.  And don’t forget the old idea that lots of people think, “the only thing the church thinks about is money.”  Well, the budget is about money, and I don’t have to tell you that the budget around the church here has been tight.  In fact, there were a few months I didn’t think I was going to get paid.  But I don’t want you to give money to the church to balance the budget.  I want you to be a good steward of the gifts that God has given you.  So today we’re going to talk about Christian Stewardship but we’re not going to talk about the budget.  You see, Jesus tells us that here in the church we are to be focused on the most important things and He will take care of the rest.  I’m not saying, nor is our Savior, that if we do the right thing the budget automatically fall into balance.  I don’t see that He promises that.  We may always struggle with our budget.  What He does promise is that He will take care of the rest, for our best benefit.  What we need to do is trust that if we struggle to meet the budget, while we are focusing on what’s most important, it’s ok.  I think that’s what Jesus is saying to us here:

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. (Matthew 6:25-34, ESV)

From the very first time I stepped into this pulpit I’ve been speaking to you over and over again about just what Jesus is saying here.  In fact, that last part is my confirmation verse.  Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness.  What is God’s righteousness?  What is God’s Kingdom?  What is it that we are to seek after?  St. Paul says it very clearly:

And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. (1 Corinthians 2:1-2, ESV)

The church, that’s me and you, the Baptized Children of God, are to be focused on Jesus Christ and Him Crucified.  We are to be focused on the forgiveness of sins that comes to us through Jesus Word and Sacraments.  If you’re the kind who wants a mission statement for the church, well Jesus gives us that, too.

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:19-20, ESV)

Baptizing and Teachings.  Word and Sacrament.  Seek ye first, the Kingdom.  That’s what we are to be about.  That’s what we are to be doing.

Ok, so we still have to talk about the budget.  Fine, we’ll do it today after church.  I want you to know that I’m as tempted to worry about the budget as anyone.  After all it’s how my family gets fed.  I’m not immune to worry.  I’m no SuperSaint.  Satan tugs at my heart, too.  You worry about the crops.  You worry about how you’re going to pay your bills.  You worry about your kids getting through school.  You worry about weather they are drinking and driving.  You worry about the double digit Miner county population decline and the empty seats in this church.  You worry… you want things to be the way they used to be… lots of kids running around and full church pews.  And maybe it’s not all wrong to have concerns about these things, except when they get in the way of the Cross.  If we want to get new members into the church to balance the budget, if we want the numbers of worshippers to grow because we want the collection plate full, because we want things in the church to be easy…  well, my brothers and sisters in Christ, that’s a sin.  And it’s easy to get caught up in that sin.  I get caught up in it and so do you.  God may never grant us again a full church, and an easy budget, that’s His call, not mine and not yours.  We just have to get around the idea that if we have it easy, we are under God’s blessing and if we have it hard God isn’t blessing us.  Well, it’s like the hymn just sang:

I lay my wants on Jesus; All fullness dwells in him;
He heals all my diseases; My soul he does redeem.
I lay my griefs on Jesus, My burdens and my cares;
He from them all releases; He all my sorrows shares.
(Lutheran Worship, 366)

How about an example from Luke’s Gospel:

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:38-42, ESV)

How easy it is to get tied up in the work that’s necessary to keep things going, and miss the main thing.  How easy it is to get tied up in how to pay the bills and forget that the reason we pay the bills is because we come to this place to see the one thing necessary, Jesus.  There’s no better way to put it than the way Martin Luther says it in the Small Catechsim:

I believe that Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true man, born of the Virgin Mary, is my Lord, who has redeemed me, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won me from all sins, from death, and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy, precious blood and with His innocent suffering and death, that I may be His own and live under Him in His kingdom and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness, just as He is risen from the dead, lives and reigns to all eternity. This is most certainly true.

“That I may be His own” just think about that for a moment.  Jesus Christ came, is born a human being, “that I may be His own.”  Jesus lives on earth, walks the roads of the middle east “that I may be His own.”  He hangs on the cross, and suffers not just the physical suffering of that punishment, but also the spiritual suffering that our sins deserve, “that I may be His own.”  He ascends into the cloud up to the throne of God, the Father, and prays for me there, “that I may be His own.”  He comes here in His Word, in Water connected to His Word, and in His very body and Blood, in with and under bread and wine, “that I may be His own.”  His own to serve Him in worship, with the time that He gives me, with the talents that He gives me, and even with the money that He gives me.  That’s Christian Stewardship.  That’s giving to the church for the all the right reasons.

Maybe I’ll just say it this way:  You and I know that everything is God’s.  He created the world and everything in it, including you and me.  He gives things to you and me to take care of us, and so that we can take care of our neighbors.  I think it’s absolutely beyond my understanding that He then lets us give some of it back to Him and He uses it what we give to give us the forgiveness of sins, and eternal life.  It used to be so much clearer.  In the old days, people gave their offerings, not in cash, but in kind.  So piled up in the front of the church would have been hams, and corn and bread and milk and wine.  The pastor would take some of the bread and some of the wine and carry it up to the altar for the Lord’s Supper.  And the gift that was given by God’s people came back to them with the body and blood of Jesus for the forgiveness of sins, and life, and salvation.  

Now I want you to stand up and look around you.  You see this church.  It’s a beautiful building, it’s been well taken care of.  We’ve been good stewards of this gift.  What a blessing it is.  I wish you could see through the stained glass to the house that sits next door, you know, that house with the new roof.  I count it as one of the great blessings in my life.  It’s a beautiful house.  It’s been well taken care of.  What a blessing it is to have a place for your pastor to live.  See this font.  I put water in it just for today as a reminder of what happens there.  I wish we had the Lord’s Supper today, too.  But since we don’t I set out the chalice.  In it is some wine.  It’s to remind you also of what God does here through that gift.  

All of this is God’s gift to you… and he gives you a part in taking care of it.  The question you should ask yourselves as you think about the budget and think about how you are going to support that budget is this?  Do you need what God gives you in this place?  Do your friends and neighbors need what God gives in this place?  Do your children and grand children need what God gives in this place?  Does this community, this state and the world need what God gives in this place?  If the answer is “yes”, then recognize the work of the Holy Spirit in you right now.  He’ll guide you in what you can do to support the work that He does here.  Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

LWML Sunday, John 8:12

Eighteenth Sunday after Pentecost, October 8, 2006
LWML Sunday.

Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12, ESV)

(from an LWML Sunday outline)
Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

“Let there be light.” Those are the first words we hear from God in the beginning of the Bible, “and there was light” the account continues.  “And God saw that the light was good.  And God separated the light from the darkness.”  These words begin a consistent theme of light and darkness that stretches all the way through scripture.  Right up to the last page of scripture, in the book of Revelation, we have it again as St.  John tells us about his vision of Heaven.  

And night will be no more.  They will need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they will reign forever and ever.  (Revelation 22:5, ESV)

As people who live since the harnessing of electricity we don’t really quite get the full understanding of what these symbols are all about.  Before people could flip a switch and fill a room with light, darkness was the rule when the sun went down.  Oh, they had oil lamps, candles, torches, and fires but they only barely pushed back the darkness for a time.  Dusk meant that darkness was in control.  Danger and difficulty thrived in the darkness.  Evil lurked in the shadows were it could not be seen clearly.  The sunrise brought safety.  Light scattered whatever hid in the night.  Back then, life was centered about the light.  Darkness was limiting.

We just don’t have a firm grasp on these ideas.  Maybe we’ve experienced it in a small way.  Power outages caused by snowstorms sometimes bring the nighttime darkness.  But it is seldom dark for long.  And even then we have generators that put the light back in our homes.  Some people have a better understanding.  Police know that happens in the darkness.  They know one of the best ways to control crime is to flood light where trouble breeds.  We know about crime in the dark, but crime is the most shocking when it is perpetrated in broad daylight.

We should keep in mind the nature of darkness and light as understood by earlier generations when we hear Jesus words, “I am the light of the world.” For them it had a very important meaning beyond only the end of night time.  Darkness and light in the bible is used to describe sin and salvation.  Sin in human lives causes the darkness of pain, and trouble and death.  When Jesus came he brought the light of salvation, forgiveness of sins, a canceling of the effects of sin.  Jesus birth, life, death and especially His resurrection are the light of life to a dark and dying world.

What Jesus does is necessary.  It’s easy to see the need.  People of all times and places are in the darkness.  It’s not just “out there” either.  We confess to each other that we are sinful and unclean.  We know about sin because we see it everywhere and most of all we see it in ourselves.  Sin is darkness.  As real as the darkness that was there before God said “Let there be light.”  We know our place before God when we hear the truth about who we are.  

If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? (Psalm 130:3, ESV)

Although we’d like to believe we are better, we know we are only a step away from those who kill young children; those who steal from the poor; and those who scandalize their office.  There are those among us who are involved divorce and drug abuse.  And although we try to say we aren’t guilty of these things, what those who do them openly is the same sin that you and I have in our hearts.  That darkness that brings pain and sorrow and grief and death is very close and unavoidable.

And we must not forget that we have an enemy that takes full advantage of our condition.  St. Peter warns us:

Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8, ESV)

Satan creates darkness.  He first brought sin into the world through his words to Adam and Eve.  He continues to nurture it.  He wants nothing more than for the darkness to grow.  He wants nothing more than for you and I to spend our eternity in the darkness of Hell, that absence of God for all eternity.  And make not mistake Satan is powerful.  We are helpless against his attacks, without God’s Holy Spirit.

For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. (Ephesians 6:12, ESV)

Jesus is necessary.  He brings light.  And we need it because our sorry sin-filled condition is darkness and it is all around us and it is in us.

It is God’s nature to give light.  In the beginning He said “Let there be light” and the darkness scattered.  For our sake He sent Jesus, “the Light of the World.”  It’s Good News about Jesus.  When the bible talks about the coming light its talking about Jesus.  Like Isaiah’s words to God’s people:

The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined. (Isaiah 9:2, ESV)

That’s Jesus whom God sent to save His people from their sin.  He is the great light that walked among people, healing and teaching, preaching and forgiving.  He shined on them the light of God’s Word.  He made it clear that God was in the world to save them from sin.  He hung on the cross and died.  The sky turned black.  Sin and death and Satan seemed to have won.  But Easter brought light and life.  Jesus takes back our lives from the darkness of sin and death.  He defeated them by rising again after death.  He promises to you and me that after our eyes close in death we’ll see the light of our own resurrection to eternal life, too.  It’s all too amazing to contemplate.  This plan of God’s for our salvation, this pure light, was planned before time and eternity.  You and I were in God’s mind, He loved us and planned to save us through Jesus, before the world began.  That’s light.  That’s light that we want to see and hear about again and again.

What’s most interesting about light is how it reflects.  Think of the moon.  It shines during the blackest night.  It’s not its own power but the power of the sun.  God’s people reflect His light.  We don’t have light of our own either.  But God’s plan of salvation for us can’t be concealed.  You know the song, “This little Gospel Light of mine…”  the Gospel light is the story of Jesus.  The Gospel light is Jesus and all that He has done for us.  

“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16, ESV)

for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (Ephesians 5:8, ESV)

that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, (Philippians 2:15, ESV)

It’s automatic when we have the light.  We shine it into every corner of our dark world.  You know how a child can’t leave their new flashlight alone.  They keep turning it on.  “Sally, leave that light off until later or the batteries will be dead.”  Well, we don’t have to worry about the batteries.  We’ve got the eternal light, Jesus.  He’ll never go out.  We can enjoy shining His Good News on everyone.  Showing them what He has done about their sin.  Pointing them to their one and only Savior from a life of terrible darkness.  Let there be light!

Today we celebrate the work of the LWML.  Not one of the women involved would tell you what they do is from them.  They know they shine the light of Jesus because He shines through them.  I don’t have a list of all the wonderful ways this international organization shines, but just ask any of them, they’ll give you some idea.  One of the things I like best is that they start right here, with their light shining and then point it to the world out there.  It’s been suggested that their name could just as well be Lutheran Women’s Missionary Lights.  And it fits.  God has used them, they listen when He says, “Let there be light.” Amen.

The peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.  Amen.