A Famine Not of Bread

Click here to listen to this sermon. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! The hymn we just sang stands as a faithful paraphrase of the comforting words of Isaiah in our Old Testament lesson, Isaiah 9:1-2, and its quotation in Matthew 4:15-16. The people that in darkness sat     A glorious light have seen; The light has shined on them who long     In shades of death have been,     In shades of death have been. LSB #412 A valuable addition to the Epiphany section of our hymnal, this text embodies much of what is celebrated during this season: God has revealed Himself in the person of Christ, and we have been brought into His light. It puts the words of Isaiah’s prophecy into our mouths, helping us to realize not only what has been done for us in Christ, but also what we look forward to in His second coming. With the arrest of John the Baptist, Jesus relocates to Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee. ...

Click here to listen to this sermon. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! It is the Second Sunday after the Epiphany, the season of the year in which we focus on Jesus revealing Himself as God Incarnate, the Savior of all mankind. It is also Sanctity of Life Sunday. So, it is fitting that our Old Testament lesson, Isaiah 49, is serving double duty today. Let’s focus especially on verses 5 and 6: And now the Lord says, He who formed Me from the womb to be His Servant, to bring Jacob back to Him; and that Israel might be gathered to Him—for I am honored in the eyes of the Lord, and My God has become My strength—He says: “It is too light a thing that You should be My Servant to raise up the tribes of Jacob and to bring back the preserved of Israel; I will make You as a light for the nations, that My salvation may reach to the end of the earth.” Do you see the connection? This Servant will “bring the preserved of Israel” and will be “a light for the n...

Click here to listen to this sermon. “The voice of the Lord is over the waters; the God of glory thunders, the Lord, over many waters. The voice of the Lord is powerful; the voice of the Lord is full of majesty” (Psalm 29:3-4). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! A common theme of our Psalm, Old Testament reading, and Gospel for today, the Baptism of Our Lord, is the mention of the voice of the Lord over the waters. The creation event begins with the Holy Spirit hovering over the waters. In addition to creation, the Psalm speaks of the Flood, where the powerful voice of the Lord was over the many waters He used to cleanse and recreate His world. In the Baptism of Jesus, we see the waters of the Jordan and the presence of the Spirit in the form of a dove as the voice of the Lord speaks well of His beloved Son. Together, our readings provide a beautiful picture of what God has done in restoring His creation through His Son. Christ has come to make al...

Click here to listen to this sermon. Today, you gather with heavy hearts, remembering someone you loved: Ivan, your Pa, your Grandpa, your friend, neighbor, fellow member of Zion Lutheran. In moments like this, we naturally reflect on the life a person lived—the things they did, the roles they filled, the memories we shared. Many of those things are recorded in Ivan’s obituary. He was married to Margaret for nearly 72 years. They were blessed with eight children. Ivan served his country in the United States Army. He farmed for many years. Taught his children the value of hard work. He enjoyed gardening and cooking, traveling, and spending time with his family. He was quick-witted. Loved to play Rummikub. These are the outward things—good and meaningful things—that people could see. But God reminds us today that His gaze goes deeper. “The Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). While we see the surface, God sees...