Thursday, December 13, 2018

Weekday Advent Service Three, December 12, 2018


Weekday Advent Service Three
Life in Christ Lutheran Church, Grand Marais, MN
The Hymns of Advent
                        Jesus Came, the Heavens Adoring                   (LSB 353)
                                                                  Godfrey Thring (1823-1903, alt)

Jesus came, the heav’ns adoring,
Came with peace from realms on high;
Jesus came to bring redemption,
Lowly came on earth to die;
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Came in deep humility.
Jesus comes again in mercy
When our hearts are worn with care;
Jesus comes again in answer
To and earnest, heartfelt prayer,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Comes to save us from despair.

Jesus comes to hearts rejoicing,
Bringing news of sins forgiv’n;
Jesus comes with words of gladness,
Leading souls redeemed to heav’n.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Hope to all the world is giv’n.
Jesus comes in joy and sorrow,
Shares alike our hopes and fears;
Jesus comes, whate’re befalls us,
Cheers our hearts and dries our tears;
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Comforts us in failing years.

Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Well, so far in our series of Advent Sermons we’ve looked at two fairly well known hymns. But tonight we’re looking at a treasure from our older hymnal (a hymn in that is in the new one but not in the blue one).  So, although it may be new to us now it is not a new hymn at all, in fact it was probably written around the time this congregation was just getting started.  It is a very strong Christ centered hymn pointing us in two directions at once.  You can see that very clearly if you look at the second word in verse one and verse two.  Jesus came… Jesus comes… now one of the great features of this hymn is that it very nicely sets out for us what Jesus did, what he does and what he’s going to do.  Jesus is clearly at the center of all the doing in this hymn, that’s what makes it a great one to study this evening.
Jesus came, the heav’ns adoring,
Came with peace from realms on high;
Jesus came to bring redemption,
Lowly came on earth to die;
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Came in deep humility.
This verse is deceptively simple.  It packs a lot into a very small package.  It sums up Jesus birth life, death and resurrection in such and economy of words that you can’t get it all in one simple reading.  One of the greatest things is how it reminds me of so many other hymns.  Phrases like came with peace from realms on high remind me of wonderful Christmas hymns like Angels from the realms of glory, wing your flight o’re all the earth and peace on earth and mercy mild, God and sinners reconciled.  When the hymn says Jesus came to bring redemption, I think about I know that my redeemer lives, what comfort this sweet sentence gives. Madison Master Singers sang right here in our church and one of the hymns they sang was a well known carol Infant lowly, infant holy for his bed a cattle stall; Oxen lowing, Little knowing Christ the child is Lord of all.  (another new hymn in our new hymnal) echoing the words from this hymn Lowly he came on earth to die.  Every time I read it, another connection to another great hymn pops into my head.  I think that’s because firstly, it is such a very well written hymn.  Secondly it does what all good advent hymns do, (actually what all good Christian hymns should do) it talks about Jesus and what he did.  His birth, perfect life, and death on the cross are all tied up in this small package.  It says what St. Paul said to the Philippians. 
Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. (Philippians 2:5-8, ESV)
All that is important because it sets Christmas time (that is Jesus being born in human flesh), the time we are getting prepared to celebrate, at the center of everything else the hymn is going to say.  It’s as if it says, “because He came from heaven as a humble infant, amid adoring angels singing God’s peace on earth, and because He has redeemed us by coming to die; You can be sure that when He comes He’s going to do this and this and this…”  And there’s that change from Jesus came to Jesus comes.  And the whole rest of the hymn is about Jesus comes. 
Jesus comes again in mercy
When our hearts are worn with care;
Jesus comes again in answer
To and earnest, heartfelt prayer,
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Comes to save us from despair.
There’s a phrase we chant on Sunday mornings together, it’s Lord, have mercy.  It’s a biblical phrase; it’s asking God for promised blessings:  For the peace of the whole world and for our salvation; for the well being of the church of God; for this holy house…  Lord, have mercy.  We get it from the bible.  In the accounts of our Lord from Matthew, Mark, Luke and John people make requests of Jesus using that phrase.  Every single one of them is asking for healing.  Lord, have mercy on me, cure my blindness; cure my leprosy; cast out this demon.  The hymn says Jesus comes in mercy when our hearts are worn with care.  I just love the way that’s said.  You can just feel the ragged places on your own heart as you’ve dealt with illness and death in your family.  We care when people we know are sick.  We pray for them with heartfelt prayer.  And Jesus answers by coming in mercy.  During advent we rejoice in knowing that when Jesus comes as he has promised and brings all history to its conclusion all sickness will end forever.  It will be a great day.  The hymn talks about that, but it also talks about now.  Through you and me, through God’s Word spoken to comfort the sick and dying Jesus comes in mercy.  Jesus comes in mercy when we help our neighbors and friends whose hearts are worn with the care, too.  It is one of the things that Jesus has called us to do in this community. 
Jesus comes to hearts rejoicing,
Bringing news of sins forgiv’n;
Jesus comes with words of gladness,
Leading souls redeemed to heav’n.
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Hope to all the world is giv’n.
The key to this very is the third phrase.  Leading souls redeemed to heaven.  I think it’s talking about death.  Oh I know that’s not usually a time we think about rejoicing, and yet, look at what it says.  Jesus comes… brining news of sins forgiven and words of gladness.  When we are standing at graveside we need words of gladness, words of forgiveness.  The hope for the whole world is the forgiveness of sins won by Our Lord on the cross that changes the sorrow of death to the joy of eternal life.  One of the prayers we say at funerals uses the words Comfort us with the certain hope of the resurrection to everlasting life and a joyful reunion with those we love who have died in the faith. When we are staring at our loved ones dead and in the grave we need to know that Jesus’ death means that the death we see isn’t forever.  Jesus comes in His Word right now to bring us that comfort and joy.
Jesus comes in joy and sorrow,
Shares alike our hopes and fears;
Jesus comes, whate’re befalls us,
Cheers our hearts and dries our tears;
Alleluia! Alleluia!
Comforts us in failing years.
The last verse we’ve sung tonight talks about Jesus coming in what’re befalls us.  It says he comes in joy and sorrow and shares alike our hopes and fears.  These words remind us of God’s great promise in Jesus to be with us always.  The last words he spoke to the disciples as he ascended into heaven was that very promise, And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (Matthew 28:20b, ESV) And St. John tells us Jesus promise in a different way, I will not leave you as orphans (John 14:18 ESV) Jesus is with us through the presence of the Holy Spirit given to us in Holy Baptism.  Every day when we rise we can begin each day weather facing joy or sorrow, hope or fear, in whate’re befalls us, with Jesus.  I like the way Martin Luther encourages us to start our day in the Small Catechism:
In the morning when you get up, make the sign of the holy cross and say:
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Then, kneeling or standing, repeat the Creed and the Lord's Prayer. If you choose, you may also say this little prayer:
I thank you, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, You dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.
Then go joyfully to your work, singing a hymn, like that of the Ten Commandments, or whatever your devotion may suggest.
Jesus, Our Savior, indeed cheers our hearts, and dries our tears, to the end of the age, in failing years the hymn says.  We go through our life every day knowing we are not alone.
As Christmas draws near, we sing with the hymn, Alleluia! Alleluia! Because we are reminded again of Jesus, Our Savior; the one who was born in a stable for us, the one who died on the cross for us, the one who lives with us every day, and the one who, for us, is coming again.  Amen.
The peace of God that passes all understanding, keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

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