St. Luke Ev. Lutheran Church

Sermon delivered by Pastor Anthony E. Schultz

Christmas 2 Series A January 2, 2005

Isaiah 61:10,11

I delight greatly In the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.

People of God—rescued from the flaming lake of fire in hell by the innocent blood of the very Lamb of God:

People are breakable. It’s easy to forget that—when you are anywhere between 14 and 21 and feel like you are indestructible. But the fact is—people are very breakable. We are breakable because of sin. Adam and Eve—in the paradise of Eden were breakable. Satan tempts them. They doubt God’s love and plunge the universe into death and decay. God sent his one and only Son to pay for our sins so that we might have eternal life by grace alone. Perhaps at no time do we think about our own mortality more than New Year’s. This is the time of year—each year when USA Today publishes two pages of obituaries. This past year Superman died! Again—of all the things Superman could do—the most wondrous—bar none—was his ability to fly around the world so fast—he could make the earth spin backwards—backing up time—undoing evil. Imagine if you could do that! If you could take back thoughtless careless hurtful words spoken in haste and in anger. Imagine if you could put back what you took—that wasn’t yours. If you could take back every evil, gross and disgusting thought. We have precious priceless forgiveness for all those mistakes! We have forgiveness for Jesus’ sake. It is tempting when you are young—to think—if I work really hard—I will become rich and famous—rich and famous! Lots of rich people died again this year. The CEO of McDonalds died. Do you know his name? Have you heard of Jim Cantalupo? Jesus did! Jesus knows Jim Cantalupo! The grandpa named William 92 years old—the little grandpa who invented Pop Rocks candy—who owned patents for Cool Whip and Tang died. Jesus knew him, too! The guy who invented the International House of Pancakes—the I Hop guy died. Jesus knew him, too. A grandpa named Claus—who figured out that the size and shape of the wine glass—affects the taste of the wine died. I wonder if he knew about the miracle of the real presence—wine that is made by the power of God’s Word to be at the same time Jesus’ blood—shed for you and for me—for the forgiveness of all our sins! This second Sunday after Christmas—with new calendars, new appointment books—new days of grace before us we pray:

God Bless Us, Everyone!

1. The LORD was with us in the past

2. and the LORD will be with us into the future

The Old Testament Lesson for today from the scroll of the Prophet Isaiah. The People’s Bible Commentary on Isaiah was written by President John Braun. There are two volumes for the scroll of the prophet Isaiah. Like the Psalms—there is so much law and Gospel to ponder and apply in Isaiah. There’s Isaiah chapters 1 through 39 and then Isaiah 40 through 66. To rightly understand God’s Word we need to rightly understand and rightly divide and apply law and gospel. The scroll of Isaiah contains both. 1 through 39 are mostly law—40 to 66 mostly gospel—but both parts surely contain both—a law that makes the little hairs on the back of your neck wake up—gospel that is sweeter than the proverbial honey in the honey comb. Any time you spend reading Isaiah will be a powerful blessing. In the first chapter those precious words, Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. V. 18 In chapter 2 you read, “They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.” Isaiah 2:4b Unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given…We all like sheep have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all… are all memory treasures from the scroll of Isaiah. How precious is that?

The Scripture before us today is from Isaiah chapter 61—from the second part—the more Gospel part. It is good news that the LORD has been with us in the past. It is a song of praise and thanksgiving—that the LORD is gracious and good. The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because the LORD has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release for the prisoners…to comfort all who mourn…a crown of beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the LORD for the display of his splendor. Isaiah 61:1-3 How Jesus came to fulfill all of this in the most wondrous and complete way! Jesus preached an unconditional forgiveness to people who were spiritually homeless. Jesus healed hopeless hearts—broken from sin and painful mistakes—discouraged and depressed. Jesus set people free from all manner of addiction and substance abuse. He set them free from the power of the devil. Jesus gave comfort to people when there was no other comfort to be had! When all people can do fails—because our hearts are shattered—Jesus gives us a new heart of hope!

I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God. It has been a week now—since people opened their Christmas presents. The beautiful paper has been torn to shreds, the ribbons crumpled—the cardboard recycled—the batteries worn out—parts broken perhaps during the original some impossible assembly required. I would imagine more than one toy wasn’t quiet as wondrous as they made it look on the commercials. Christmas cookies are growing stale—and more and more pine needles are on the carpet than on the tree. People are growing bleary eyed from watching DVDs and football. More and more you will hear people say—“Am I glad that’s over for another year!” But for humble faithful children of God—the real joy of Christmas will not fade. It will burn brightly through just 5 Sundays of Epiphany. February 9^th will be Ash Wednesday. The last Sunday of March will be Easter! We will celebrate Jesus’ absolute victory over death and the grave! Girl Pioneers will serve breakfast—little Sun Beams will pour coffee and milk and juice. And we will continue to have hearts warmed by the fact all our sins are forgiven and we have an inheritance safe and secure in heaven!

I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God; For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness… All that matters is that Jesus has taken away all our sins. All that counts—is that we are forgiven for the sake of the Carpenter from Nazareth. Norris McWhirter died this year. Did you know that? Norris McWhirter—twin brother of Ross McWhirter. Norris was 78 years old. Norris and his twin brother Ross invented the Guinness Book of World Records. Do you know why? To settle arguments in pubs about who was the greatest at anything. Norris McWhirter—the guy who made a list of people who are willing to risk it all—to be what? To be famous as the greatest at the dumbest stuff—himself perished and who know? Who cared? Jesus cared. Jesus died for Norris and Ross. Jesus died for the guy who ate the most pancakes—the people who made a pile of mashed potatoes that they mixed inside a cement truck. You see—all this stuff that people do to try and draw attention to themselves doesn’t matter. In the eternal scheme of things it doesn’t matter at all. It really doesn’t! The question is—will we figure this out early on? Or will we squander a whole lifetime—in pursuit of what moths and rust can destroy? Will we squander a lifetime—chasing after things that any robber or thief can break in and take away from us? Our reason to be joyful, thankful and content—is the robe of righteousness that Jesus won for me! Around the world there are people who literally wear gym shorts and a T-shirt—and that’s all the clothes they own. But the fact is—Jesus’ forgiveness is in their heart. And one day—maybe one day soon—when they come home to heaven—they will look more wonderful than words can express—in that robe of righteousness that is a gift of Jesus’ love.

The LORD—by grace alone—will be with us through the new year. We have his promise: For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations. I really like new calendars. I like a new calendar on the wall—with pictures of Jesus—a new calendar thing on my desk for writing down appointments—a new appointment book full of pages for writing down texts and hymns and psalms and new baby information—written on the day they were born. I like each month when it’s a new start—a fresh beginning—clean pages! Will I need all the pages in my appointment book? Will I be here next year—when New Year’s Eve is on a Saturday—and Sunday will be New Year’s Day? What will we write on the blank pages of this New Year? No one knows! What is certain is—one day we will die. This year Joe Gold died—the guy who invented Gold’s Gym—a guy who knew all about physical fitness. A guy who had access to state of the art fitness equipment. As strong and healthy and careful as he must have been—he died! Bill Bennett—the guy who pretty much invented hang gliding—who made the world’s highest and longest unassisted free flight. The guy who knew all there was to know about hang gliding died—he died hang gliding. I would bet he didn’t regret that. I would bet—if you could have asked him—he would have said this was what he had given his life for. This was what he was dedicated to. This would be how he would want to spend his last hours. How will we spend our time—what might be the last year—last months—last days and hours? Will we spend them—waste them—squander them on what doesn’t really matter? Or will we plant the seeds of the gospel in the hearts and lives of our family? Will we spread the seeds of the Gospel—with our thankofferings—all around the world? Will we say and do things in this New Year that will give all glory to God around the world? A man named Harold died this year. Harold was supposed to be a doctor—supposed to heal people—supposed to do what the Hippocratic Oath says first and foremost—do no harm! Harold was convicted to taking 15 lives—and was suspected of taking 200 lives. Harold despaired and in that despair self-destructed. This New Year every one of us needs to remember—Jesus’ forgiveness never fails. Whatever we have been—whatever we have done—know that Jesus still loves you. He has paid for all your sins. There is always hope. There is always forgiveness! Jesus’ love will not fail you!

All that matters—all that counts—all that means anything—is the simple profound truth—that Jesus took away our soul destroying guilt. Fay Wray died this year. She was almost 100 years old. She was famous for shrieking for help and rescue—as King Kong carried her to the top of the Empire State Building. The news papers said she died of natural causes. The fact is—death is not natural. Oh, you can say—everything dies! Plants die. Animals die. People die. But it’s not natural. God did not “invent” people to die—even though in his wondrous wisdom and knowledge he knew we would fall and sin and die. Before creation started our Heavenly Father planned our rescue—even knowing it would be at the price of his Son’s innocent blood. How much love and grace is that? Janet Leigh died this year, too. She was the lady who became famous in Alfred Hitchcock’s movie Psycho. The fact is—if you slow the film down—they never actually show Janet Leigh getting stabbed. They show her grabbing the shower curtain fasteners—breaking—dink, dink, dink! They show the water swirling down the drain—even as her life goes down the drain. It’s masterful—the fear and the absolute terror generated by the music and the scream. Not unlike how the devil tries to make us afraid—to terrorize us—with the fear of death. How precious the good news that Jesus died and rose again. Because Jesus lives, we too shall live. Jesus said—He who lives and believes in me will never die! How comforting is that? Ray Charles died. Ray Charles was famous for singing the blues. Nancy bumped into Ray Charles—at the air port once. I mean she literally bumped into him. Her hand touched his. We were going one way on one of those moving sidewalks—he was coming the other say—and doink! Her hand bumped into his. Excuse me! Hey—you’re Ray Charles! And he was gone. Kind of neat—literally bumping into someone so famous. Ray Charles died from liver disease. How sad is that? I wonder if we will bump into Ray Charles in Heaven. Some people in this world are always singing the blues. In Heaven no one ever will. Instead we will sing thanks and praise to the glory of our Savior. Until then—each day of this new year—God bless us everyone for Jesus’ sake. Amen!

To God alone all glory!

Rev. Anthony E. Schultz