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January 17, 2025

Broadcast

                   The Baptism of Our Lord - Part 5
                             Matthew 3:17
                              01/16/2025


        17   And behold, a voice from heaven said, "This is my
             beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."  (ESV)

        When Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan River, He
   accepted the task of redeeming all people from sin, death, and
   the power of the devil.  He was anointed with the water as the
   Word of God, as one who speaks on behalf of the Father.  This is
   the office of prophet.  He was anointed as one who offers
   prayers, sacrifices, and intercessions of behalf of all people.
   This is the office of priest.  He was anointed as one who rules
   over all of creation, over the church, and over heaven.  This is
   the office of King.

        At His baptism, the heavens opened and the Holy Spirit
   descended on Jesus in the form of a dove.  The Father was also
   present.  "And behold, a voice from heaven said, `This is my
   beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.'"

        All three Persons of the Trinity accepted the coming
   sacrifice of the Son of God upon the cross for the redemption of
   all sinners.  All three Persons of the Trinity are present when
   we are baptized into the death and resurrection of Jesus.

        The theme of the Epiphany Season in the Church Year is the
   revealing of the true man, Jesus, as the true Son of God.  Please
   join us at Trinity Lutheran Church each Sunday morning at 9:00
   a.m. to learn more of God's rich grace, love, and mercy as found
   in Christ Jesus alone.

        May our Lord grant us wisdom to recognize our Savior with
   whom the Father is pleased, and faith to trust in Him alone.
   Amen.

January 16, 2025

Broadcast

                   The Baptism of Our Lord - Part 4
                             Matthew 3:16
                              01/16/2025


        16   And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went
             up from the water, and behold, the heavens were
             opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God
             descending like a dove and coming to rest on him.
             (ESV)

        Jesus came to John at the Jordan River to be baptized.  In
   this baptism, Jesus took upon Himself the guilt of all sins in
   order to pay the price of our rebellion upon the cross.  He
   fulfilled all righteousness, He fulfilled the grace and love of
   God, by His death and resurrection.

        And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up
        from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to
        him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a
        dove and coming to rest on him.


        Jesus was anointed with the waters of the Jordan in His
   threefold office of prophet, priest, and king.  Jesus was
   anointed with the Holy Spirit to affirm that He and His coming
   sacrifice were acceptable to each of the Persons of the Trinity.
   God imparted the Holy Spirit upon Jesus, upon His human nature,
   as Jesus took up His task of redeeming you and me from sin,
   death, and the power of the devil.

        May we see the Holy Spirit descending on Jesus as the Holy
   Spirit also descending on us in our baptism, giving us the faith
   to trust fully in the One anointed to take away the guilt of our
   sin.  Amen.

January 15, 2025

Broadcast

                   The Baptism of Our Lord - Part 3
                            Matthew 3:14-15
                              01/15/2025


        14   John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to
             be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"
        15   But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now, for
             thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all
             righteousness." Then he consented.  (ESV)

        Jesus sought out John the baptizer in the wilderness of the
   Jordan River for the purpose of being baptized by him.
        John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be
        baptized by you, and do you come to me?"  But Jesus
        answered him, "Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting
        for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he
        consented.


        Jesus came to John to stand with the repentant sinners.  In
   order to take the place of all who had broken God's Law, Jesus
   had to take on the transgressions of all people, of all times, of
   all places.  "To fulfill all righteousness" did not mean that
   Jesus needed to be baptized in accordance with the ceremonial
   laws given to Moses, it was not like His circumcision or
   purification when He was forty days old.  This righteousness of
   God is His declaration that our sins are forgiven, not by our
   works, but because Jesus took our sins upon Himself.  There, in
   the waters of Jordan, Jesus was anointed as the sinner, to bear
   the full wrath of God for each transgression.

        In the Jordan, Jesus became the Christ, the Messiah, as the
   water was poured over His head.  He who needed no repentance took
   upon Himself the sins of which other had repented, and paid the
   full price for their transgression.  Jesus fulfilled all
   righteousness on the cross when He cried out, "It is finished."
   Once, for all time, for all people, the debt of sin was paid in
   full.  This righteousness is offered to you as a gift, freely
   given because of God's love.

        May our Lord grant us faith to receive the righteousness
   fulfilled by Jesus at His baptism, on the cross, and in the empty
   tomb.  Amen.

January 14, 2025

Broadcast

                  The Baptism of Our Lord - Part 2
                            Matthew 3:14-15
                              01/14/2025


        14   John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to
             be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"
        15   But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now, for
             thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all
             righteousness." Then he consented.  (ESV)

        John, the forerunner of the Messiah, was in the wilderness
   by the Jordan River baptizing those who heard his message.
   "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."  Those who came
   to John did so because they recognized their own sin and desired
   the proof of repentance and the mercy of God.

        Jesus traveled into the wilderness for the express purpose
   of being baptized by John.  Saint Matthew recorded:
        John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be
        baptized by you, and do you come to me?"  But Jesus
        answered him, "Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting
        for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he
        consented.


        Did John have a point?  John's baptism was a baptism of
   repentance, for conversion from unbelief to faith in light of the
   coming kingdom of heaven.  Jesus, the sinless Son of God, had no
   need to repent, no need of conversion from unbelief to faith, no
   need of restoration into the fellowship of the Church.

        John, himself, confessed his own sinfulness, "I need to be
   baptized by you."  How could a sinner baptize the One who knew no
   sin?  He was unworthy, unqualified, and would be performing a
   disservice to Jesus, if human reason had anything to say.  "Do
   you come to me?"

        Yet Jesus did, in full knowledge of His sinless state, come
   to John for this express purpose.  Jesus came to be anointed as
   king, and prophet, and priestly victim as foretold by the Magi
   and their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

        May our Lord bless us with His grace, to use our sinful
   hands in His service.  Amen.

January 13, 2025

Broadcast

                   The Baptism of Our Lord - Part 1
                             Matthew 3:13
                              01/13/2025


        13   Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to
             John, to be baptized by him.  (ESV)

        Last week the Church celebrated the Feast of the Epiphany,
   the revealing of Jesus as the Son of God to the Gentiles.  As the
   wise men offered their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh to
   the infant, they confessed that He is a king, that He is God, and
   that He would die for His people.

        Traditionally, the baptism of Jesus was part of the
   celebration on the day of Epiphany, January 6.  In some Christian
   churches, the Baptism has been moved from Epiphany to the First
   Sunday After Epiphany.

        "Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be
   baptized by him."

        The word "Christ," like the word "Messiah," means "The
   Anointed One."  Prophets, priests, and kings were anointed with
   oil to signify their service to both God and the nation.  Aaron,
   the first high priest, was anointed by Moses at God's command.
   God instructed the prophet Elijah to anoint his successor,
   Elisha.  Samuel anointed David to be king in the place of Saul.

        Jesus, Himself, recognized that He was anointed to
   accomplish God's work when He applied the words of Isaiah to
   Himself.
        The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD
        has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has
        sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim
        liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison
        to those who are bound.[1]


        May our Lord grant us faith to see Jesus as the Prophet,
   Priest, and King anointed by God for our salvation.  Amen.
   ____________________

   1. Isaiah 61:1 (ESV) quoted in Luke 4:18

January 10, 2025

Broadcast

                           Epiphany - Part 5
                             Matthew 2:12
                              01/10/2025


        12   And being warned in a dream not to return to
             Herod, they departed to their own country by
             another way.  (ESV)

        The story of the Magi, the Wise Men, brings hope to all
   people.  As they sought the King of the Jews, they found the
   Savior for all people.  Jew and gentile alike find hope in the
   infant, the King who is the God who dies for His people.

        Jesus' death and resurrection were in the future, however.
   Yet the devil, working through evil men such as King Herod,
   sought to kill the baby Jesus.  They would succeed, but not
   before Jesus had taught His disciples about the love, grace, and
   mercy of the Father.  Everything Jesus taught can be found in the
   pages of the Old Testament, even as the scribes found the place
   of His birth in the book of Micah.

        ``And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they
   departed to their own country by another way.''

        The Wise Men found the King of the Jews for whom they were
   looking.  By their gifts they proclaimed Him a king, but His
   kingdom is not of this world.  They proclaimed Him to be God, one
   to whom the incense of prayer ascends, one who hears and answers
   in love.  Finally, they proclaimed His death for the redemption
   of Jew and Gentile alike, a death which could not hold Him.

        There is so much more to learn of the Infant of Bethlehem.
   Wise men still seek Him, the King of the Jews, the one born to
   redeem us from sin and death.  Please join us at 9:00 each Sunday
   morning to hear of Jesus Christ, our only hope.

        May our Lord grant us faith to find Him.  Amen.

January 9, 2025

Broadcast

                           Epiphany - Part 4
                            Matthew 2:9-11
                              01/09/2025


        9    After listening to the king, they went on their
             way. And behold, the star that they had seen when
             it rose went before them until it came to rest
             over the place where the child was.
        10   When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly
             with great joy.
        11   And going into the house they saw the child with
             Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped
             him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered
             him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh.  (ESV)

        The Wise Men from the east were seeking the King of the
   Jews.  Having learned of the prophecy by Micah, they took their
   leave of Herod in Jerusalem and traveled to Bethlehem.

        After listening to the king, they went on their way.
        And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose
        went before them until it came to rest over the place
        where the child was.  When they saw the star, they
        rejoiced exceedingly with great joy.  And going into
        the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and
        they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their
        treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and
        frankincense and myrrh.


        Was the star the Magi followed a rare conjunction of planets
   or other stellar bodies?  Was the star a miracle which will never
   be repeated?  We don't know, but many theologians and astronomers
   have proposed different answers to this question.  We will leave
   speculation about the star to some other occasion.

        The gifts brought by the Magi were a testimony about the
   Child.  Gold is the perfect gift to pay tribute to a king, and
   Jesus is certainly the King of Creation.  Frankincense gives a
   pleasing odor as it burns, the smoke rising.  Often incense is
   likened to the prayers of the faithful to God, as the Psalmist
   said, ``Let my prayers rise before you as incense.''[1] Myrrh is
   used to embalm a body before burial.

        The gifts proclaimed that Jesus is the King, true God, who
   will die for His people.

        May our Lord grant that we recognize the Infant of Bethlehem
   as confessed by the Wise Men who sought Him.  Amen.

January 8, 2025

Broadcast

                           Epiphany - Part 3
                             Matthew 2:7-8
                              01/08/2025


        7    Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and
             ascertained from them what time the star had
             appeared.
        8    And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, ``Go and
             search diligently for the child, and when you have
             found him, bring me word, that I too may come and
             worship him.''  (ESV)

        Wise Men from the east came to Jerusalem seeking the King of
   the Jews.  Being astronomers and astrologers, they looked to the
   heavens to discern what would be happening on earth.  God, in His
   wisdom, did not disappoint them, but showed them a clear sign
   which pointed to the birth of the Messiah.

        Eager to find the One foretold, the One of whom their
   predecessors had heard about from Daniel and other Jewish
   captives, the Magi traveled to Jerusalem.  There, the scribes and
   chief priests pointed them to the prophet Micah and his
   prediction that the Messiah would be born in Bethlehem.

        Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and
        ascertained from them what time the star had appeared.
        And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, ``Go and search
        diligently for the child, and when you have found him,
        bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.''


        The Magi, who were not aware of local politics in Judea,
   heard the request of Herod.  This seemed a reasonable request.
   When they heard where the Child was to be born, they left the
   city, vowing to return with the good news.

        May our Lord grant us the faith to seek the Child of
   Bethlehem for our eternal blessing.  Amen.

January 7, 2025

Broadcast

                           Epiphany - Part 2
                             Matthew 2:3-6
                              01/07/2025


        3    When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled,
             and all Jerusalem with him;
        4    and assembling all the chief priests and scribes
             of the people, he inquired of them where the
             Christ was to be born.
        5    They told him, ``In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it
             is written by the prophet:
        6    `And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are
             by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for
             from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my
             people Israel.'''  (ESV)

        Yesterday, the Feast of the Epiphany, we began the story of
   the Magi who sought Jesus.  Where else would you go to seek the
   King of the Jews but the capitol city, Jerusalem?  That is where
   the Wise Men asked, ``Where is He who is born the King of the
   Jews?"
        When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and
        all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief
        priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them
        where the Christ was to be born.  They told him, ``In
        Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the
        prophet: `And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
        are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for
        from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people
        Israel.'''


        The prophet Micah had clearly foretold the birth of the one
   for whom the Wise Men were seeking.  For years the chief priests
   and scribes had known this prophecy, which had now come true.

        We also can trust the Word of God to show us the truth where
   we find our Savior, Jesus Christ.  Only the Bible tells us of
   God's rich grace, love, and mercy.

        May our Lord grant that you find the Redeemer as you hear
   His Word.  Amen.

January 6, 2025

Broadcast

                           Epiphany - Part 1
                             Matthew 2:1-2
                              01/06/2025


        1    Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in
             the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from
             the east came to Jerusalem,
        2    saying, ``Where is he who has been born king of
             the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and
             have come to worship him.''  (ESV)

        Today is the Feast of the Epiphany, the day where the Church
   celebrates the visit of the Magi to the infant Jesus.  Because
   the Magi, the Wise Men, were not Jewish, today is often called
   the Gentile's Christmas.

        Epiphany comes from the Greek word which means ``dawn'' or
   ``sunrise.''  It is an unveiling, a revealing, or an appearance.
   During the Epiphany season, which lasts from January 6 to the
   Tuesday before Ash Wednesday, we see how Jesus is revealed as
   both true God and true man.

        Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the
        days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east
        came to Jerusalem, saying, ``Where is he who has been
        born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose
        and have come to worship him.''


        Since before the days of the Babylonian Captivity, six
   hundred years before the birth of Jesus, the sages of Babylon and
   Persia were astronomers.  While the children of Israel lived in
   Babylon, Daniel and several other Jews rose to positions of power
   in the court.  The Magi would have known about the prophecies of
   the Messiah, and would study the stars to seek wisdom.

        When a star appeared in the appropriate place in the sky,
   the Magi saw the sign that a new King was born in Israel.  They
   went seeking for this king.

        Please join us at Trinity this evening, at 7:00 p.m. for the
   Epiphany Service with Saint Paul, Fulda, where we will hear more
   about the Magi.  May our Lord continue to bless you with faith
   and wisdom.  Amen.