Romans 8:31–39; New Year's Eve; December 31, 2013;

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Creston, Iowa;

What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised—who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, “For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:31-39, ESV)

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

If God is for us, who can be against us? Well, that doesn't even sound quite true, does it? I could make a list as long as my arm of those who are against us. I could make a list as long as my arm of those public figures who claim Christianity and how they are publically rejected and ridiculed by the culture. I could make a list as long as my arm of the issues floating around that are decidedly leaning very heavily against what we believe, teach, and confess. It seems things in the coming years could get very difficult for a church like ours.

When St. Paul wrote these words he understood exactly what he was talking about. He knew tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, danger and sword. Just listened to his list:

... imprisonments, with countless beatings, and often near death. Five times I received at the hands of the Jews the forty lashes less one. Three times I was beaten with rods. Once I was stoned. Three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I was adrift at sea; on frequent journeys, in danger from rivers, danger from robbers, danger from my own people, danger from Gentiles, danger in the city, danger in the wilderness, danger at sea, danger from false brothers; in toil and hardship, through many a sleepless night, in hunger and thirst, often without food, in cold and exposure. And, apart from other things, there is the daily pressure on me of my anxiety for all the churches. (2 Corinthians 11:23a–28, ESV)

And notice, that these things he suffered directly because of his life as a preacher of the Gospel.

We are not yet talking about this kind of persecution of the churches in our country. But you can feel the culture against us. It is in the open, but it is not unexpected. Jesus himself tells us that the world will hate us.

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” (John 15:18–19, ESV)

The world hates the message we have to bring. Just as Jesus says, it will hate those who bring the message because it hates the one who sends the message. And again St. Paul draws the battle lines clearly. We believe our issues are with the people of the world. They are not. They are lost and aligned with evil forces that are set against God.

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)

But even with all these forces arrayed against us, God being for us is an even greater treasure. The hymn writer Martin Franzmann said, "God for us" is a "three – word summary of redemptive history." God is indeed "for us" in human history in Jesus Christ. The creator of the universe is the one who we are aligned with. There is no greater ally. And no greater enemy. Imagine if the opposite was true. If God was against us, who could be for us?

But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.” (2 Corinthians 4:7–12, ESV)

What makes the difference? The difference is the life of Jesus, the death of Jesus, the resurrection of Jesus, for us.

He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things?

All of this aligned against us is nothing compared to all of God, in Jesus Christ, aligned for us. One who is the creator of the universe and yet willing to sacrifice himself on the cross, and defeating death through his own resurrection, cannot be defeated by any other means. None of these things, none of this persecution, none of this trouble, is able to separate us from the love of God that is shown in Jesus Christ.

Jesus' life, death, and resurrection conquers all of these things for us. He is the one who won for us and who gives to us the victory over death (1 Cor 15:57). The ultimate power that all our enemies hold over us his death. The sting has been taken out of our death. The sting of death is the threat of punishment in hell. Jesus Christ his removed our promised punishment.

And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.” (Colossians 2:13–15, ESV)

And Jesus promises you and me a resurrection.

Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live,” (John 11:25, ESV)

and he also said:

So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. (Matthew 10:26–31, ESV)

Notice that St. Paul doesn't say "I think" but

...I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord.

"I am sure" St. Paul says. But in the face of persecution, you want to know if you can be sure. It's a new year. What will come is still unknown. Will the world be a more troubled place for Christians? Will the world be a more troubled place for you because you are a Christian? I don't know. But, this I do know, you can be sure as Paul was sure. He put his trust, his faith, in the crucified and risen Jesus Christ. But don't take my word for it. Take God's word for it.

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:6–8, ESV)

This is the one on whom you can depend. This is the one who promises that even in the face of persecution you can be sure that you will not be separated from him. As the hymn writer said, "God for us." There are no more important words that you can hear from Scripture. There are no more important words you can remember under persecution. There are no more important words than you can say as you look at the cross of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ did this all for me. Amen.

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

Philippians 2:5-13; The Festival of the Naming and Circumcision of Our Lord Jesus Christ; December 31, 2012;

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Creston, Iowa;

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

The tiny bundle was brought forward. The happy parents gathered around the font, and the congregation stood in eager expectation. Grandparents beamed and sponsors nervously twitched. It was an important day for everyone, but mostly for the little unnamed baby. It was a big day not only because the child was about to receive the promises of God given in the sacrament, but because her name would be spoken in public for the first time. “Dearly beloved…” the pastor began, and continued describing the benefits and blessings that come through Baptism. The promises God makes to His people in baptism that were being made real for this little child. Finally, the moment everyone was waiting for arrived. “Clara Mae Jones, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” The sound of water was heard returning into the bowl. And the act was finished. The name was spoken and given. God’s adoption of another lost human being enacted.

That’s the way it was in the old days. Names were not given to children until they were baptized. In some places, you can still find grave markers that say “Baby Smith” “Baby Albert” not just because they died at birth but because they died before baptism. We don’t see it that way any more, and maybe we’ve lost something; some meaning of the importance of a name.

Really that’s the scene we have in this very short Gospel lesson. Luke 2:21 says only this. And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. Luke 2:21 (ESV) He was named Jesus. Probably like our old tradition, His name was left unspoken until the ceremony. But, it’s not as if Mary and Joseph didn’t know what the name would be. Jesus was given the name that was given by God to Mary and Joseph through angels. But why this name? What kind of meaning is there in the name Jesus?

That’s the topic of the Epistle lesson: It’s a beautiful section of scripture and may have even been a hymn in the early church. It has that melodic ring to it and very nice rhythms that are easily lost in translation from Greek to English. But even more than that, the text is beautiful because of how well it tells us about who Jesus really is. And it does it by telling us the meaning of Jesus’ name. And actually, it’s a great way to begin the New Year: to think about Jesus and His Name and what it means. In fact, there may be no better text to begin a New Year… as we look forward to all the events that it will hold. Especially the things we will remember here at church. Lent, Palm Sunday, Holy Week and Easter.

⁵Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, ⁶who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, ⁷but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, ⁸he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. ⁹Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, ¹⁰so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. ¹²Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, ¹³for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure. Philippians 2:5-13 (ESV)

Jesus and His name are the center of this text. Jesus Christ is Lord! It says.

This is the name which we believe in our hearts. This is the name we confess with our lips. It’s the name we confess together here week after week. At the mention of this name, we bow together in holy awe. It is the desire to place this name into the hearts and upon the lips of all people that motivated the forming of this congregation. Jesus Christ is Lord! What’s the name all about? What does this name mean? It means everything!

He is Jesus. Jesus, born in a stable (as we just celebrated!), laid in a manger, raised in humble surroundings by humble parents, Mary and Joseph. Jesus “born in the likeness of men.” Jesus the baby, the boy, the man, “true man born of the Virgin Mary.” Jesus was a man, a true human being. Just as human as you and me. Breathing the same air. Living a life very much like yours. “Being found in human form.” Like you and me in every way, except without sin. The One who bears this name, Jesus, is truly human.

He is Lord. That’s the part of his name that tells us that he’s not only human but also God. That’s the “name that is above every other name.” Jesus is Lord means that He, and no one else, is Lord of all. God above all things. True God, begotten of the Father from eternity. He is truly God. Equal by nature, not by force. The one who bears this name is completely God.

He is Christ. Christ means Messiah, or anointed one, Savior. This part of His name means that the one who is man and God is the one who through His life and through His suffering and death restores the broken relationship between God and human beings. He does it by pouring out himself on the cross for us. He did it by being obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

The cross is were we find out who this person really is and what is really involved in His name. Because it is at the cross that we see more clearly than anywhere else what this Name means to us, what it means that our Savior is both God and Man. “For us and our salvation,” as the creed says. Jesus Christ was hanged on a cross to take away the guilt and punishment of our sin. What does it mean to you and me that Jesus did that? Very much! Really it means everything to you and me.

Jesus Christ is man. Because he was human, what He did, the life he lived he was able live in our place. He was no outsider. He wasn’t an impostor, not pretending to be human, but truly and completely human. Everything he did he did as a living human being. He could take your place and mine in life because he was an equivalent substitute, except that He never sinned. He was perfect and didn’t deserve punishment. He didn’t deserve the wages of sin. But since he was truly human the punishment he received, was valid punishment for human beings. The punishment of Jesus Christ was punishment for you. It is the punishment and death of the Human being Jesus Christ, for you.

Jesus Christ is God. Jesus was not forced to die. He was instead a willing recipient of death on the cross. He didn’t do it for himself. He did it for you. It is the fact that Jesus is God that makes His death sufficient for all people everywhere for all time. No matter how many billions and billions of people ever live, the death of Jesus true God, is enough to satisfy their punishment and death. The death of Jesus is good enough for you.

That’s what this name Jesus gives us. This man, this humble servant, bleeding dying on the cross, is God. He is God and Man together. That is the very remarkable thing that His name tells us: This Man is God. God is this Man.

at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

What is this name to you? Well, these days we don’t save the naming of our children until baptism. You have to write something on the birth certificate before they’ll let you leave the hospital. (Believe me I tried!) But in a way, we are still named at our baptism. We are given the name of Jesus. And when that happens God promises everything that Jesus did, His life, His death and especially His resurrection are yours. We are placed into the name of Jesus! I baptize you in the name of the Father… God uses simple water and His promise to make the work of Jesus, God and Man, yours. And we gather here together in the name of that same Jesus. We receive the gifts He has to give us: rescue from sin, death and the power of Satan. It’s all here in Word and Sacrament. Given and shed for you for the forgiveness of your sins. The body and blood shed on the cross for you and given to you here, given freely, because of the One in who’s name we gather.

So, what’s the name of Jesus to you? Nothing less than everything. Everything you believe about God is wrapped up in the name of Jesus. His name tells you everything about who God is and what He has done to save you. His name tells you how he brings that salvation human beings, and how he brings that same salvation right to you. In the name of Jesus… Amen.

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

Matthews 1.18-21; New Year’s Eve; December 31, 2009

Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Creston, IA
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.” (Mt 1:18-21, ESV)
Grace and peace to you from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
My older brother had an interesting tradition that he and his wife followed. When they had children the name that was given to the baby wasn’t spoken until the very moment the church gathered around the baptismal font and said, “Luke Watt, I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” They even held off printing the name on the birth certificate until the baby was named at baptism. I always thought it was a nice tradition. It isn’t new; it was a common practice in the old world. It was a common practice in bible times (With the noted difference that instead of Baptism the child was named at the time of his circumcision).
The Gospel lesson for New Year’s Day talks about just one such instance.
And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. (Lk 2:21, ESV)
Now you might not realize it but “Jesus” was a common name in those days. Jesus, that name that was picked by his heavenly Father, was also the name of a national hero. Jesus’ name is really the name Joshua. Joshua was the leader who took over after Moses. He led the people and conquered the land for God and his people. You probably remember the story of Joshua and the walls of Jericho, where they marched around the city and the city walls came tumbling down. The name Joshua (and also Jesus) means “God Saves.” You can understand how it fits the Joshua who God used to bring his people into the land that He promised them. And you can see how it fits Our Savior very well, too. The angel that visited Joseph made it clear: …you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.
Even though Jesus had a common name, he was very uncommon. In fact, no one like him had ever been born before, and none like him will ever be born again. Jesus name fits him like no other name. Jesus – God Saves – is God who saves. That eight day old child who was circumcised was not just a human baby but he was also God, born into the world to save us from our sins. He did it by dying on the cross.
When we consider the birth of Jesus and his circumcision we are thinking and talking about his humanity. We are thinking about what it means that God humbled himself to become a man. St. Paul writes about it for us to contemplate:
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. (Php 2:5-8, ESV)
Jesus wasn’t just another Joshua. He wasn’t just another great leader. Jesus was God, come in human flesh to do very much more than give the people land. When Jesus was a grown man, he walked on water, healed the sick, and even raised the dead back to life. He came to free people from sin and death. People around him were slow to understand what the demons declared right away. I know who you are—the Holy One of God! (Mark 1:24 ESV), they said.
You may have seen that graffiti spray painted on some wall somewhere. “Jesus Saves.” Well, it is true. He is aptly named. “God saves through Jesus.” Jesus is “God Saves.” That’s the name that we want to think about some more today. It’s important because it’s not just God-in-the-flesh’s name. It’s the name that is also put on you.
Baptized into your name most holy,
O Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,
I claim a place, though weak and lowly,
Among your seed, your chosen host.
Buried with Christ and dead to sin,
I have your Spirit now within.
That’s talking about Baptism. If you talk at all about Jesus name you eventually have to get to baptism. That’s because it’s baptism that God used to bring “God Saves” right to you. In baptism God is at work doing something. He’s performing an adoption. In an adoption a young person takes the name of his new family. That new name says which family they belong to. A person who is baptized takes a new name, too. God’s name, more specifically Jesus name, is put on us. It tells us whose we are. It tells us who we belong to. I have a niece that’s the same age as my daughter. When we go home for Christmas Grandma always seems to get them the same gifts. Right away when the presents are opened the first thing Grandma says is, “Let’s put your name on that so we can tell them apart.” The name identifies ownership. God’s name on you identifies his ownership of you, too.
Before you were baptized whose where you? God tells us that everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. (John 8:34 ESV). We think we belong to ourselves. We think that we are capable of living our lives without God. We think that if we just get our act together, we’d be able to make it on our own. But the nature of sin is that it affects everything we do. As we live our lives it is pretty obvious. It’s not just our lives are full of accidents. In our hearts we see that we really belong to sin. We are enslaved to it. There isn’t any way to change the selfishness that controls our thoughts. There was a young child who was with mom Christmas shopping. Amazingly he found gifts for his brothers and sisters in the first isle he was in. When that task was done he quickly asked, “Now can we look for my presents?” The only difference between that child and you and me is that we have learned to hide our greed. We’ve learned to cover up what’s in our hearts. We haven’t gotten rid of it at all. We are still slaves to sin.
When Jesus comes to us with his name in baptism he changes who owns us. He claims us for God. Jesus, whose name is God saves, saves us from our sin.
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. (1 Jn 3:1a, ESV)
What happens is this: When you are baptized God puts Jesus name on you, and with Jesus name comes everything that Jesus did for you. He lived a perfect life, it is given to you. He died for sin. His death is given to you, too. That’s how it happens that in his death on the cross, Jesus dies for you.
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (Ga 2:19-20, ESV)
So that sin that you and I hide, that sin is sin that we were enslaved in. It isn’t our owner anymore. We have been set free from it by Jesus death, our death.
It’s a New Year. You can probably come up with at thousand things for New Year’s resolutions. So could I. But maybe this year instead of a resolution you can just remember something. Remember that you have been given Jesus name. You’ve got lots of new challenges coming this year. You’ve got lots of new troubles coming this year. But the thing that makes the difference for you and me isn’t that we make promises to ourselves about how we are going to be different. The thing that really makes a difference for us is that we have been made different already. We have died to sin, and are made alive to Jesus. The life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God. We are dead to sin and alive to Christ. (Romans 6:11). The thing that really makes a difference for you and me this coming year is that God has made us His and placed His name on us. The name that He gives you and me says it all. The name is Jesus, God saves. Amen.
The Peace of God that passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen