Brent Kuhlman

Third Sunday in Advent             Trinity Lutheran Church
14 December 2008                     Murdock, NE

                                                        + Jesu Juva +

St. John 1:6-8, 19-28

John sure blows it.  This is the biggest opportunity of his life.  People are ready to follow him anywhere.  He’s the hottest preacher on the circuit.    Remember last week.  All of Judea and all of Jerusalem were going out to hear him preach.  He was baptizing people by the truck load.  They were even willing to let him hear their confession.  Now that’s really something!  Christ-like stuff here going on with this John.   

So what do you say John?  Want to step up to the plate and play the Christ game?  You could pull it off.  The people would believe it.  Really, when people come to you to confess sins and be baptized in the desert . . . that’s huge!  So what’s up John?  Who are you?  “Sorry folks.  I’m honored that you think so highly of me.  But I’m not the star of the show here.  Let’s get that straight right now.  Let there be absolutely no misunderstanding!  I am not the Christ!  Did you hear me?  I am not the Christ!” 

Bummer.  We thought maybe that’s who you were.  So who in the world are you?  Elijah?  “Nope!”  Are you the Prophet promised in Deuteronomy 18?  “No way.  Not even close.”   Well, then we don’t have a clue.  We give up.  Who are you?  Tell us please?

“All right, since you insist.  Here’s who I am.  I’m just a VOICE.  A voice in the wilderness.  The voice in fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy.  It’s time to get ready for the real Messiah.  The real Christ.  The Savior of the world.  He’s coming after me.  I’m nothing.  He’s everything.  He’s the light of the world.  He’s Jesus.  I’m here to bear witness to Him.  Nothing more.  Nothing less.  After all, Jesus is the Savior.  He’s come to die for you.  To answer for all your sin.  Give you eternal life.”

Now that’s a sermon.  Really.  It is.  Voice John preaches Jesus.  And not just any Jesus.  But the Jesus promised by God Himself through the Old Testament prophets.  The suffering, crucified, and risen Jesus.  John is bullish about one thing in the pulpit.  You can always count on him preaching Jesus. 

Such preaching so that you believe.  Not in John.  Not in yourselves.  But in Jesus.  And so that believing in Jesus you have life.  Life eternal. 

John will not be a hindrance to the Christ.  He won’t get in Jesus’ way. 

Why?  Because John knows what’s at stake.  If he preaches anything but the good news of the Gospel of Jesus, what’s the use?  No Jesus, no salvation.  For you.  For me. Or for anyone.  If it’s not Jesus, then whom will you believe in for salvation?  John?  That would end disastrously!  Yourself?  Double disastrously!

So John’s just a voice to prepare the way for the Lord Jesus Christ. 

And so Jesus has come.  At Bethlehem.  At Calvary.  Doing His Good Friday work for you.  Winning your salvation.  He comes today.  His word of forgiveness is for you.  What He says is true.  Your sins are forgiven.  Proof is His Body and Blood and the promise of forgiveness there too.  And He will come again in glory on the Last Day.  He will come for you. His Good Friday wounds and scars will be showing even then. 

And there will be that preacher named John.  Still pointing us to Jesus.  Still confessing Jesus.  Still bearing witness to the Savior.  And what joy for all of us who believe in Jesus.  It will be heavenly.  That’s a promise you can count on.

In the Name of Jesus.                
 

Second Sunday in Advent            Trinity Lutheran Church
7 December 2008                           Murdock, NE

                                                         + Jesu Juva +

St. Mark 1:1-8

Somebody obviously didn’t get the memo.  Did you see the new preacher?  Did you check out what he’s wearing?  Good grief.  What is this?  It looks like a human costume from the old movie The Planet of the Apes.  A camel hair body wrap.  Hand made leather belt and all.  What a get up!  I’ll bet he hasn’t washed his hair or had a hair cut his entire life!  

And how about the food this preacher eats?  Is the Reverend on a diet?  Or is it the latest health food fad? He refuses prime rib, cheesy potatoes, green beans, hot rolls with butter, and an ice-cold beer.  He insists on dipping locusts into wild honey.

He won’t come in to town.  Bullish on country preaching. Hears sinners make confession! Stubborn on baptizing in the Jordan River.  And thus his nickname:  The Baptizer.  John the Baptizer.

He claims that he’s come as a voice in the wilderness to prepare for the Mighty One!  In other words, the Messiah, the Savior, is soon coming after him.  The Baptizer is only the pre-game.  But when the Mighty One comes, then it’s game on! 

Will you listen to this preacher today?  Or are you bored and totally indifferent to his message?  Would you be embarrassed to be associated with this critter looking country parson?  Would you dare take the chance to be a member of his country congregation?  Would you?  Would you take his words seriously?  Who would?  I mean he wouldn’t be taken seriously by any of the church big wigs of today.    

Well, let’s take another look.  The Lord has good use for this Baptizing-Hearing Confession-Pastor John.  All of Judea and all of Jerusalem goes out to him.  To hear his preaching.  To confess their sins.  And to receive his baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of their sins!

For the forgiveness of their sins! 

The life and death issue.  The eternal life and death issue.

Try to deal with your sin on your own and it won’t be good.  Attempt to answer for your sin by your lonesome and it will turn out hellishly. 

Ignore the Baptizer’s sermon at your eternal peril. 

Or believe what he promises about the Mightier One, the Messiah, the Savior, Jesus, for the forgiveness of your sin and the gift of eternal life. 

Yes, Jesus.  The Baptizer’s voice declares Him.  “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”  Gospel.  Gospel means “good news.”  Jesus is the good news.  Jesus is the gospel.  For you.

The Mightier One than preacher John has come.  The way of the Lord is that He will answer for your sin. 

What sins do you have?  Can you name any?  I’ll bet there’s a bunch you’ve forgotten.  Perhaps a few that you’d rather not give up because you love them so much.  Maybe some sins that you want to stop doing but can’t.  And don’t try to blame someone else for your sin and sinning.  You’re to blame.  All of it is your fault.  Your own fault.  Your own most grievous fault.  In thoughts, words, and deeds.  And the pay check that you’ve earned is death.  Eternal death.  Damnation. 

But today there is good news!  Gospel!  For you!  Jesus, the Son of God!  “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God,” is front and center this Second Sunday in Advent. 

While the world frets and despairs over the markets, Detroit’s Big Three, 401ks, unemployment, and trampling over anyone who gets in my way to get a big screen TV at Wal Mart, the Baptizer says it’s time to REPENT! 

And so does the apostle Peter who tells you in his epistle that God doesn’t want you to perish, but come to REPENTANCE!  

Repent.  Confess your sin.  Whatever sin that bothers you.  Whatever doesn’t bother you but you know it’s wrong.  All the living for the self.  All the hurting of others.  All the living and believing that you’re your own god and savior.  All the apathy to the preaching of Jesus and His gifts.   

Leave all your sin on the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  He’s answered for its enormous entirety in His Body on that Friday we call Good between Noon and Three. 

Repent.  In other words, believe the good news that Jesus died for you and that your sins are totally forgiven.  You are!  Really you are!  Your sin, all of it, now belongs to Jesus not you!  It does not condemn you any more. 

This is God’s promise to you and He does not lie.  Jesus gave Himself into death for you and your salvation.  This was the Baptizer’s message.  And the Baptizing Preacher John was only a voice pointing to the Mighty Savior.   

But in a few minutes John will gives way to Jesus.  John will be quiet.  He’ll get out of the way.  He must decrease.  Jesus must increase.  Shortly you’ll hear Jesus make another promise.  More good news.  “My body.  Eat it.  It’s for you.  My blood.  Drink it.  It’s for the forgiveness of your sins.”     

Forgiveness of sins is everything.  It’s salvation.  And it all comes as gift from the Lord to you. 

John’s pointing us to good news Jesus for forgiveness is the best gift we could ever receive from such a preacher.  Or any preacher for that matter. 

Have a happy Advent.

In the Name of Jesus. 
 

First Sunday in Advent                                         Trinity Lutheran Church
30 November 2008                                        Murdock, NE

+ Jesu Juva +

St. Mark 11:1-10

Who does this Jesus think He is?  Good grief!  Tells His disciples:  “Go into town.  You’ll find a colt there.  Untie it and bring it to me.”

Doesn’t Jesus know the Seventh Commandment?  You shall not steal?  And here Jesus stands saying:  “Go into town.  Untie the colt and bring it to me.”

Someone call the police!  Get a deputy sheriff over here now!  Jesus would steal a colt that doesn’t belong to Him.

But it does belong to Him.  All things belong to Him.  He created the universe.  Made you and all creatures.  And that includes this colt.  No wonder He then says:  “And if anyone asks, ‘Why are you doing this?’ just say, ‘The Lord has need of it;’ and immediately the owner will gladly let you have the colt.” 

The Lord would use a colt.  Why?  To carry Him into Jerusalem.  He comes to Jerusalem.  As King.  The Davidic King who goes to die.  To justify the ungodly. 

He comes.  He comes.  He comes.  Advent means just that.

He comes to sinners who are dead in their sins.  We cannot come to Him.  Adam and Eve ran and hid in the bushes.  He came to them.  Israel rejected God’s promises.  And yet the Lord came to them.  Prophet after prophet sent to call her back to Himself in contrition and faith.  The prophets always pointed to the promised Messiah King – Immanuel – Root of Jesse – the LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS – who would come and free Israel, you, and me from sin’s damnation and reconcile us to the Father. 

Behold, here He is!  Riding into Jerusalem.  He will die there.  He is the sacrifice that atones for the sin of the world.

Advent leads to Good Friday.  The cry and prayer of the crowds who see Him riding on the colt are answered.  “Hosanna,” means, “Lord, please save now!”  He does.  Salvation’s job is done by Him.  He saves because He shed His Blood that covers your sin.  His Blood that cleanses you from sin’s pollution.  His Blood which holies you for entrance into His most holy gracious presence.

That Jesus would come and do that for you is the most stupefying, wonderful thing!  That He would come to die for you is your salvation.  He comes.  He comes to serve.  To give His life into death. 

Now He is risen from the dead.  He reigns from His Father’s right hand.  And still He comes.  He comes in water to the child.  Cleanses the child from sin with His pardoning grace and shows the Father’s kindly face.  He did that for you at your Baptism. 

He comes to you in bread and wine.  To give Himself and gifts divine.  Forgiveness, life, and salvation. 

Jesus comes.  Advent is the time where you learn once again how to receive Him.  Time to let His Word have its way with you.  Refocus your life on Jesus who comes in the Name of the Lord.  A season to intentionally take the time to receive His gifts in preaching and His Supper. 

Jesus comes.  He comes at Bethlehem.  He comes to Jerusalem.  He comes to you.  With His words and with His Body and Blood.  For your salvation.  “Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord!” 

In the Name of Jesus.