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! Our text for today begins and ends with growing. We read in Luke 2:40: “The child [Jesus] grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon Him.” In Luke 2:52, we are told: “And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man” (Luke 2:52). That’s something to think about. It’s hard to wrap our heads around. How can this be? The eternal Son of God, the Wisdom by whom all things were made, grew in wisdom. The Almighty, All-Present Second Person of the Trinity, grew in stature and strength. The Beloved Only-Begotten Son, with Whom God is well pleased, grew in favor with God and man. Everything in Jesus’ life was preparation for His work as our Savior. Early on, Jesus’ keeping of the Law was done primarily through the actions of His parents, much like most of you were carried to the baptismal font by your parents before you could sp...

"The Presentation of Jesus in the Temple" by James Tissot Click here to listen to this sermon .  And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought [Jesus] up to Jerusalem to present Him to the Lord (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons” (Luke 2:22-23). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Purified and redeemed. That is our theme for today. Two important words of Law from the Old Testament and two important words of Gospel from the New Testament. Purified and redeemed. In our Epistle, St. Paul tells us that at a specific and appropriate time in human history, God acted to fulfill His eternal saving purpose: “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of woman, born under the Law, to re...

Click here to listen to this sermon. “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word; for my eyes have seen Your salvation that You have prepared in the presence of all peoples, a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and for glory to Your people Israel” (Luke 2:28–32). Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! Linda, Rick, and Jim, the words of our text were regularly spoken or sung over the years by your mother as she attended Divine Service at St. James, Memorial, Our Saviour’s and elsewhere. They are the Nunc Dimittis , part of the liturgy of Holy Communion. A few days before the Lord called her home, your mother recited these words, along “with angels and archangels and all the company of heaven,” having received Christ’s body and blood for the forgiveness of her sins and the strengthening and preserving of her body and soul. That individual communion of the Lord’s Supper in her room at Good Samaritan was the last of ...

  Click here to listen to this sermon. "The Circumcision of the Child Jesus" by Guido Reni

"The Angel and the Shepherds" by James Tissot Click here to listen to this sermon. Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ! I’m guessing that most of you have seen “A Charlie Brown Christmas,” the Christmas special featuring Charlie and all the other “Peanuts” characters. First aired in 1965, it, more than any other Christmas special, captures the true meaning of Christmas. On their way to join their friends ice skating, Charlie confides in Linus that, despite all the things he likes about the Christmas season, he is still depressed. When Linus offers little help, Charlie visits Lucy, who suggests that he direct the group’s annual Christmas play so he might get in the Christmas spirit. As he heads for rehearsal Charlie becomes even more discouraged by the commercialization of Christmas. Lucy laments not receiving real estate for Christmas; Snoopy decorates his doghouse for a neighborhood lights and display context; and Charlie’s younger sist...

"Jesus Found in the Temple" by James Tissot Click here to listen to this sermon. The child [Jesus] grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon Him. Now His parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. And when He was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, but supposing Him to be in the group they went a day’s journey, but then they began to search for Him among their relatives and acquaintances, and when they did not find Him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for Him. After three days they found Him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard Him were amazed at His understanding and His answers. And when His parents saw Him, they were astonished. And His mother said to Him, ‘Son, why have You treated us so? Behold, Your f...