December 18, 2011: 2 Samuel 7:1-11, 16, Psalm 89:1-5, Romans 16:25-27, Luke 1:26-38
“And Mary said, ‘Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.’” Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, Amen.
As we have now lit all four of the Advent candles; as we have begun to sing the “O” antiphons of Advent (that is the 7 stanza’s of O Come, O Come, Emanuel); as we have prepared our house and life for the celebration of the Nativity of our Lord-we are reminded, one final time, by the Virgin Mary this morning of just how we are to receive His coming into the world.
For just as the Annunciation of Mary was the start of the fulfillment of the promise made to David in 2 Samuel this morning, so the promise made to Mary by the angel Gabriel is something than we are still waiting for to be finally seen. For on the one hand, we do live and know that in Christ Jesus, the Word of God has been fulfilled. He was the “house” promised to be a kingdom that stretches forever; His cross was the throne that reaches to all generations, as our Psalm sung, the house that established God’s steadfast love and faithfulness to all who have been called to faith.
But yet, we are also waiting for that throne to come to complete sight in the world. For the forgiveness, life and salvation given in Christ is received only by faith today; we live under His eternal victory only by a Word, some water and a bit of bread and sip of wine. That we confess in the Creed each week that we are waiting for the Lord’s 2nd Advent to come to us, to bring about the end of sin, death and the devil and to establish, by sight, the Kingdom of everlasting blessing.
And just in the same way, Mary found herself having to wait for the promised coming of Christ. For nine long months, she sat in the expectation of what it might be for her to hold the very Son of God in her arms. For over 38 weeks she waited, watching and anticipated the coming of her salvation. For the majority of a year, she held bated breath for the outcome of her faith in the angel’s words.
And yet she did it, even against all hardship that this pregnancy brought to her, living upon these simple words recorded by Luke that, “I am a servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” That she received this word with utter faith, holding to only the belief that God’s will, will be done; that God would bring His Word to completion. That any wonder she held-even the wonder, she stated in verse 34, of how one who had never been with a man could conceive-was replaced with a trust that God is able to do what He desires; that with God, nothing is impossible.
And so, as we now sit and wait, trusting not with our eyes, but with our ears that God’s Word will do what it has promised too. For we live under a weight and judgment because of the sin and rebellion that all who are born hold. That we are born under the curse of the Father who is angry that our sinful natures, which lead us to seeking our wills, our wants, our ways over that of Him and our neighbor. That we are burdened with the fact that we will wind up gaining a cold grave for a lifetime of work; that no matter how hard we try to get ahead in this life, all it takes is one accident, one mistake, one phone call and our world as we know it will come crashing down around us.
But yet, we also live with the news that our God is so gracious and concerned over us that He gave His only Son to be wasted and destroyed under our sin so that in His resurrection we might be forgiven. We live with a Word have a God who hates the facts of our bondage to sin, death and the devil, and so fell under their power in order to overcome them in the power of Christ’s triumph over death. And we live we a belief that still have a God who has not forgotten us, that He continues to send His Holy Spirit so to give us Christ and His victory in the Word and Sacraments that we are surrounded by in our worship.
Thus, like Mary, we must learn to live to let nothing is that is found today, came yesterday or arrives tomorrow to gain our vision or receive our attention, for whatever is of this world is here one moment and gone the next. We must learn to trust that this world is not all there in; that the gifts we buy today are nothing in comparison to the gifts God will bestow upon the one who holds onto Christ Jesus alone. That we must not believe in the promise this world offers to those who live for it; we must not trust the hope if we compromise on our core beliefs we will get easy tomorrow; we must not even begin to follow the demands the sin in your life and so give them attention and love.
Instead, let us learn from Mary today and remember just where our true love, hope and faith lie. Let us strive to know and live alone upon the promises God made and makes in the coming, in the Advent, of the Son of the Most High, yesterday, today and forever. Let us not be deterred from laying hold to God’s promise of life and freedom in the power of the Spirit who works in your life because of the victory of your Lord and Savior. Let us receive the promises which await all who wait upon the second glorious revelation of our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ,
And we are wrap up another time of Advent, let us not ever lose the sight, lose the hope, to lose the trust that this world is not all there is, but that we are finally waiting for the world which is to come, when our Lord Jesus comes again and brings about His justice for us and we will receive the grace, peace and mercy that will never end. Amen.
As we have now lit all four of the Advent candles; as we have begun to sing the “O” antiphons of Advent (that is the 7 stanza’s of O Come, O Come, Emanuel); as we have prepared our house and life for the celebration of the Nativity of our Lord-we are reminded, one final time, by the Virgin Mary this morning of just how we are to receive His coming into the world.
For just as the Annunciation of Mary was the start of the fulfillment of the promise made to David in 2 Samuel this morning, so the promise made to Mary by the angel Gabriel is something than we are still waiting for to be finally seen. For on the one hand, we do live and know that in Christ Jesus, the Word of God has been fulfilled. He was the “house” promised to be a kingdom that stretches forever; His cross was the throne that reaches to all generations, as our Psalm sung, the house that established God’s steadfast love and faithfulness to all who have been called to faith.
But yet, we are also waiting for that throne to come to complete sight in the world. For the forgiveness, life and salvation given in Christ is received only by faith today; we live under His eternal victory only by a Word, some water and a bit of bread and sip of wine. That we confess in the Creed each week that we are waiting for the Lord’s 2nd Advent to come to us, to bring about the end of sin, death and the devil and to establish, by sight, the Kingdom of everlasting blessing.
And just in the same way, Mary found herself having to wait for the promised coming of Christ. For nine long months, she sat in the expectation of what it might be for her to hold the very Son of God in her arms. For over 38 weeks she waited, watching and anticipated the coming of her salvation. For the majority of a year, she held bated breath for the outcome of her faith in the angel’s words.
And yet she did it, even against all hardship that this pregnancy brought to her, living upon these simple words recorded by Luke that, “I am a servant of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word.” That she received this word with utter faith, holding to only the belief that God’s will, will be done; that God would bring His Word to completion. That any wonder she held-even the wonder, she stated in verse 34, of how one who had never been with a man could conceive-was replaced with a trust that God is able to do what He desires; that with God, nothing is impossible.
And so, as we now sit and wait, trusting not with our eyes, but with our ears that God’s Word will do what it has promised too. For we live under a weight and judgment because of the sin and rebellion that all who are born hold. That we are born under the curse of the Father who is angry that our sinful natures, which lead us to seeking our wills, our wants, our ways over that of Him and our neighbor. That we are burdened with the fact that we will wind up gaining a cold grave for a lifetime of work; that no matter how hard we try to get ahead in this life, all it takes is one accident, one mistake, one phone call and our world as we know it will come crashing down around us.
But yet, we also live with the news that our God is so gracious and concerned over us that He gave His only Son to be wasted and destroyed under our sin so that in His resurrection we might be forgiven. We live with a Word have a God who hates the facts of our bondage to sin, death and the devil, and so fell under their power in order to overcome them in the power of Christ’s triumph over death. And we live we a belief that still have a God who has not forgotten us, that He continues to send His Holy Spirit so to give us Christ and His victory in the Word and Sacraments that we are surrounded by in our worship.
Thus, like Mary, we must learn to live to let nothing is that is found today, came yesterday or arrives tomorrow to gain our vision or receive our attention, for whatever is of this world is here one moment and gone the next. We must learn to trust that this world is not all there in; that the gifts we buy today are nothing in comparison to the gifts God will bestow upon the one who holds onto Christ Jesus alone. That we must not believe in the promise this world offers to those who live for it; we must not trust the hope if we compromise on our core beliefs we will get easy tomorrow; we must not even begin to follow the demands the sin in your life and so give them attention and love.
Instead, let us learn from Mary today and remember just where our true love, hope and faith lie. Let us strive to know and live alone upon the promises God made and makes in the coming, in the Advent, of the Son of the Most High, yesterday, today and forever. Let us not be deterred from laying hold to God’s promise of life and freedom in the power of the Spirit who works in your life because of the victory of your Lord and Savior. Let us receive the promises which await all who wait upon the second glorious revelation of our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ,
And we are wrap up another time of Advent, let us not ever lose the sight, lose the hope, to lose the trust that this world is not all there is, but that we are finally waiting for the world which is to come, when our Lord Jesus comes again and brings about His justice for us and we will receive the grace, peace and mercy that will never end. Amen.
posted by Weekly sermons at 1:29 PM
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