What's In a Name?

“And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call His name Jesus.”  Luke 1:31

What’s in a name?  Do you know what your name means?  We live in a society in which parents select names for their children mostly because of how they sound rather than because of what they mean.  The significance of a name was especially true in Biblical times.  In the Old and New Testaments, names that were given reflected personal experience or expressed character.

We look ahead these days of Advent to the birthday of the One whose parents were told by an angel messenger what to name Him.  “You shall call His name Jesus,” the angel said to both Mary and Joseph.  The name Jesus was probably pronounced “Yeshua” in their language.  It means “Yahweh saves” or “The Lord saves”.  While many Hebrew men bore the name Yeshua or Joshua, Jesus was the only one who would fulfill its meaning.  His name still has life-giving meaning for us.

His name still has life-giving meaning for us because our Lord, Jesus Christ, still saves.  We constantly fall short of God’s Law.  Our sinfulness far outweighs any good we do.  Yet each and every time we repent of our sin, the nail-marked hands of Jesus are evidence that we are saved – we are forgiven!  Our sin and failures have been washed away by the blood of Christ – truly, He still saves!

What’s in a name?  When it comes to the name of Jesus the answer is – EVERYTHING.  For as Acts 4:12 says, “And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.”

Attitude of Gratitude

“Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.  Let your reasonableness be known to everyone.  The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.”  Philippians 4:4-6

One night on his way home, the Bible commentator Matthew Henry was robbed.  After this unfortunate incident he recorded this prayer in his journal: “I thank thee that I have never been robbed before.  I thank thee that even though they took my wallet, they did not take my life.  I thank thee that though they took my all, it was not much.  I thank thee that it was I who WAS robbed, and not I who robbed.”

This almost unbelievable prayer reminds us that we always have something for which to thank our Lord.  As Matthew Henry’s words demonstrate, thanksgiving is an attitude, an attitude of the heart.  It is something that is brought about inside of us because of all the wonderful things God has done for us.

On Thanksgiving, we certainly have many things to be thankful for – like family, turkey, and football – just to name a few.  But what about the times when it feels like we have nothing to be thankful for.  When the economy is bad and jobs are hard to find, heath problems or illnesses come, and family problems seem to keep growing.  Sometimes there seems to be more things to worry about than things to be thankful for.  Paul though, reminds us that we are not to worry about anything.  Our Lord’s teaching in Matthew chapter 6 also shows this.  “Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body; what you will put on.  Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing…Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.  Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”  Instead of becoming anxious about all the troubles and cares over which we have no control, Paul tells us to present our requests to God. 

Even though our Heavenly Father knows our thoughts, needs, and desires even before we ask Him, He still wants us to bring our requests before the throne of Grace.  One of the greatest joys and blessings we have as Children of God is the invitation to cast all our anxieties on God - because He cares for us.  What God is saying is that there is nothing to worry about because in everything, no matter what the concern, the request may be brought before Him.

All of us can think of times when we don’t feel much like giving thanks.  God’s promise to us is this – nothing can separate us from Him and His love and His Salvation won through Christ!  Since we have this fantastic promise, we can thank God even for life’s hardest times, knowing that he is at work in them – for us – for our good!  When we give thanks, even when we don’t feel especially thankful, hope and encouragement begin to grow in our hearts.  Thankfulness will then follow.  We live in a negative, ungrateful world.  But in the midst of all the pessimism, God calls us to exercise thanksgiving.  He is faithful to bless His people with reasons to be thankful no matter what situations we face in life.

Once again this Thanksgiving - God’s Word directs us to be thankful – not for His benefit, but for ours – because it will change our lives for the better.  When we’re not at our best, we give thanks that God always is.  When we are unmerciful, we thank God for his unconditional mercy.  When we tell or spread lies, we are thankful that we can turn to the one who always leads us in truth.  When life’s circumstances leave us in a cloud of anxiety, God meets our prayers and words of thankfulness with peace in Jesus.  Even when life threatens to crush us, we have God’s promise to work in the worst of circumstances for our good!  What great reasons to be thankful!

Scary Without Christ

With October in full swing, we are now seeing some of the highlights of the season.  Some of the mainstays that come into mind in October are pumpkin spice latte’s, football, playoff baseball, the leaves changing colors, and so much more.

Of all the things that October brings, most people thoughts immediately go to the end of the month and the celebration of Halloween.  Yards are starting to be decorated with spooky decorations.  Many people love the scary costumes, movies, and so forth.  Sometimes it can be fun to be scared, but something truly scary has nothing to do with Halloween.

You see, it would truly be scary for us all if we didn’t have Jesus as our Lord and Savior.  If not for the perfect life, sacrificial death, and victorious resurrection of Jesus Christ we would be dead in our sins – a scary thought indeed.  If it weren’t for Jesus we would have no peace or comfort in the face of death.  There is nothing scarier than the thought of what we would face without Christ with us!

Thanks be to God – for we have Christ as our Lord and Savior!  And with Jesus as our Lord and Savior we have nothing to fear.  Nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus.  No matter what you face, always remember that you face it with your Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ – therefore you have nothing to fear…not even on Halloween.

Identity in Christ

“By the grace of God I am what I am”

1 Corinthians 15:10a

How secure is your identity?  Identity theft is a growing problem in our country.  It is important to be on guard and be protected from identity theft.

When we look at Jesus’ Baptism in Scripture, we also look to our Baptism and the identity we were given at our Baptism.  Our identity is with God, who came to identify Himself with us.  Baptism is at the heart of the Christian faith because it is God pursuing us for life - finding us in the midst of sin and death to give us life through His name.  We no longer bear our name, we bear the name of God’s beloved sons and daughters with whom God is well pleased.  God gives us a daily identity - so that no matter what temptation, burden, or challenge which tears at the very core of our being and identity - we hear those wonderful words from God, “You are Mine!”

Baptism is not merely a one-time affirmation that melts away over time.  It is an all-time affirmation that grows over time.  It changes our very being, not just our temporary self-image.  As a result of Baptism’s grace, we are empowered to do things we couldn’t do - forgiving, giving, interrupting our own schedule to help someone else, spending our energies on others rather than ourselves, healing through loving, loving despite not liking, being able to enjoy the blessings of God and being connected to His presence, now and for eternity.  With that affirmation, we know that who we are is really whose we are.

Like a professional scam-artist, the devil will try to steal away your identity as a child of God.  The devil will point to your sins and failures as evidence that you aren’t really a child of God.  He will point to illness and disasters that plague our lives and say, “you can’t really be a child of God!”

But thanks be to God – your identity as a child of God cannot be stolen or taken away from you!  The promises of forgiveness, life, and salvation that God gave you at your Baptism ring true each and every day for all eternity!

How secure is your identity?  Your identity as a child of God rests secure in the precious promises of your Baptism!

The Power of Forgiveness

A certain married couple had many sharp disagreements.  Yet somehow the wife always stayed calm and collected.  One day her husband commented on his wife’s restraint.  “When I get mad at you”, he said, “you never fight back.  How do you control your anger?”  The wife said, “I work it off by cleaning the toilet.”  The husband said, “How does that help?”  She said, “I use your toothbrush!”

It’s amazing what we’ll do when we take the bait of unforgiveness.  Someone has said that unforgiveness is like taking poison and waiting for the other guy to die.  We live in a litigious society in which we like to hold others responsible for things.  “Who is to blame?” we want to know.  “Someone has to pay” or so we have been taught.  In a world of debt, nobody gets away with anything.  When we say, “We can’t forgive,” we really mean, “We won’t forgive.  We’ve taken the bait.  We have made the clear choice to seek revenge, to hold the grudge, to get even or keep the wound open and unhealed.”

But God holds the cross before our eyes.  As Jesus hangs from that cross, the way of the world would expect Jesus to cry out with words like, “Who is responsible for this?  The Romans?  The Jews?  The Pharisees?  The disciples who betrayed and denied Me?  The people who stood by and did nothing?”   Could He not have cried out looking at each and every one of us saying, “It’s your fault – your sin put me here!”  Instead, we hear Jesus say, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.”

The mercy that God in Christ had for you when He passed over your sins and laid them on the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, is the same mercy that He had for that “brother” of yours who has sinned against you.  The patience the Lord had, and has, for you when He endured the scouraging that were due to you, is the same patience that Jesus had, and has, for the “brother” who hurt you.  The forgiveness that the Incarnate Son of God earned for you on Calvay’s cross and guaranteed in His Easter Resurrection, is the same forgiveness earned for your “brother” and which we are all called to share.

As sinful people, we’ll do some amazing things when we take the bait of unforgiveness.  But as healed, redeemed, and forgiven people, we have been granted the privilege of sharing some amazing blessings when we say and hear said, “You are forgiven.”

The Good Samaritan Gospel

We all know the Good Samaritan law – but do you know the Good Samaritan Gospel?  The lawyer who spoke to Jesus knew the law inside and out.  He knew it so well, that his question to Jesus wasn’t for an answer to learn something he didn’t know, but rather to test Jesus to see if Jesus knew as much as he did.  Can you imagine?  The lawyer quoted directly from Deuteronomy 6 “You shall love the Lord your God with all of your heart and mind and strength and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”  It was a part of the Shema, a confession recited twice a day by every faithful Jew.  And the lawyer would be quick to see everyone he met in reference to this law.  We know this because he tried to justify himself to Jesus.  Yes, to stand before Jesus, the Son of God, and justify himself!

Our culture certainly hasn’t changed a bit.  We, too, know the law – especially when we can apply it to others.  “I may not be perfect, but nobody is.  Therefore, I have the so-called cultural right to say – ‘they get what they deserve because of their lifestyle, their choices, their thoughtless acts, their failure to follow the proper steps, their negligence.”  You name it – we can justify it!

           

When we get caught doing something we ought not to do or not doing something we ought to do – we EXPECT mercy.  But for everyone else – LAW.  Most people hearing Jesus’ parable hear law, not Gospel.  We can’t make the same mistake!

           

The Parable of the Good Samaritan is Gospel.  How do we know?  Because Jesus is speaking about eternal life.  Even if we can recite the law word for word, not one of us can fulfill it perfectly.  And perfection is the requirement of the law for eternal life.  If we received what we deserve for our sin, both inherited and thought, word, and deed – we could only receive condemnation.

           

The point of Jesus’ parable is the answer to His question “Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?”  It is the ONE who showed him mercy.  Jesus is THE ONE.  He demonstrates mercy by taking what we deserve so that we don’t receive it – eternal death!

           

The lawyer didn’t search for a loophole in the Law that commanded him to “love God” because he didn’t think he needed one.  He thinks that he does love God with his whole heart, mind, strength, and soul – and he could probably prove it by pointing to such evidence as worship attendance, giving, devotional time and prayer.

           

But notice, when it comes to “love your neighbor as yourself”, he need a little help.  SO he starts by asking, “Who is my neighbor?”  If he can define “neighbor” minutely enough, narrow enough, then he can justify himself – pronounce himself to be a righteous man.  But just like the lawyer, none of us can justify ourselves before God.

           

Jesus’ parable reveals the sin of omission.  We have sinned against God in thought, word, and deed by what we have done and by what we have left undone.  WE are the ones who pass by.  The Law in the Good Samaritan underscores our sin of omission – our unwillingness to get involved to do what God has called us to do – to be His representatives of mercy to a world in need.

           

The Lord’s parable drives us to our knees in repentance for all the times we have looked at the world around us in judgment, limiting our love and concern to those whom we judge to be worthy to be our neighbor.  But in the revelation of Christ for us – a Savior who did not pass us by but gave us the full measure of His love and mercy to the point of dying on the cross – we live our lives in response to the unconditional love, grace, and mercy of God.  By this very same unlimited mercy that has been and continues to be poured out on us – we have the joy of looking at the whole world as our neighbor – for by God’s mercy and grace, that’s who we are.

           

Sometimes we can hear Scripture a thousand times and never “get it”.  The Holy Spirit helps us “get it” by revealing the only ONE who showed mercy.  Jesus tells this parable to us because there is no one we will ever see who does not need the mercy of God.  The Gospel is clear: Jesus is the one who shows mercy.

           

The Bible tells us that God responded immediately to sin with mercy.  He clothed Adam and Eve who fell into sin and promised a Savior – His own Son to shed the blood that needed to be shed to pay the price for sin.  The Good Samaritan became involved and stayed involved.  Regardless of our pitiful condition, Jesus Christ became involved in a very personal way in our lives as Lord and Savior – and remains involved every day!  We have the Gospel message to share with the world in which we live – God does not pass us by – NEVER – not for any reason!  Talk about a message that’s needed today! 

           
Jesus, our Good Neighbor, answers our question, “What must I do” with the Gospel answer, “It’s already been done!”  Jesus, the Good Samaritan, sees our plight, has mercy, stops and binds our wounds.  He reveals what He has done and continues to do:  He doesn’t meet out sin with what we deserve – but with His mercy!

The Narrow Door

“Strive to enter through the narrow door.  For many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able.”  Luke 13:24

A man asks Jesus the question, “Lord, will those who are saved be few”?  Most likely, this man has been following Jesus and has heard Him teach that the salvation is not going to be automatic or based simply on genealogy as some had thought.  The rabbis had taught the people that God was offering salvation to all those who had been born as a part of the Jewish race, that this gift was confirmed by the symbol of circumcision and maintained by the works of the Law.  The average Jew took heaven for granted because they held the view that all Jews were saved and a few Gentiles would be saved by becoming Jews.  But then Jesus came along and taught over and over that God the Father offered salvation only, exclusively, by grace through faith in Him as the promised Savior, the Narrow Door.

           

Whether you are aware of it or not, the prevailing theology of our culture today denies judgment.  Some are nihilistic who believe that when you die you cease to exist.  Some are optimistic believing that since God is love He will let everyone into heaven.  And some are fatalistic believing that if there is a hell, it can’t be that bad because they’re friends will be there with them.  Is salvation necessary?  If so, from what must I be saved?

Jesus declares the Law: The door to the banquet feast of heaven is a NARROW door, and MANY will not fit through.  So how does one fit through?

Martin Luther quotes on this text: “Why, for what reason can they not enter?  For the reason that they do not know what the narrow door is; for that is faith in Jesus, which makes a person small, yea, altogether nothing, that he must despair of his own works and cling only to God’s grace, forgetting all other things because of that.  But the saints of Cain’s kind think that good works are the narrow door; therefore, they do not become humble, do not despair of their works, yea, they gather them with great sacks, hang them around themselves, and thus endeavor to get through; but they have as little chance to go through as the camel with its great hump has to pass through the eye of a needle.”

Faith in Jesus makes us small.  John the Baptist was the first to say that as he saw Jesus and said, “He must increase, I must decrease.”  Jesus would later say, “I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the Kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” 

Jesus tells us to strive to enter through the narrow door.  Our striving has nothing to do with earning a right to enter through the narrow door.  The Greek word for striving is an athletic term which literally means, “passion for only one alone.”  It’s how the athlete trains - with passion for only one goal alone.  The follower of Jesus strives with a passion for only one alone - Christ - for with faith in Him, the Narrow Door, we have all we need for eternity!

Imitating Grace

“Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.  And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.”  Ephesians 5:1-2

It’s been said that imitation is the highest form of flattery.  I can remember many times as a child when my brother and I would imitate our favorite athletes and even go through pretend seasons and win championships together.

Now, when I think of imitation, my thoughts go immediately to my daughter, Olivia.  From time to time, Olivia will pick up on and imitate things that are said around her.  There are times when I leave for work and my wife will say, “Bye Honey”…almost immediately afterwards, there will be Olivia waving saying, “Bye Honey”!

           

Paul directs us to think of imitation in this way in Ephesians chapter 5:  We are to be imitators of God – as His beloved children.  We are to walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us!

As children imitate their fathers, we are to imitate our Heavenly Father.  But how can we be imitators of God if God is perfect and holy, and we are imperfect sinners?  According to our sinful nature, we tend to imitate things of this world that really aren’t worth imitating at all!  We imitate the images of what the world sees as popular and acceptable rather than listening to God’s Word.  So once again – how can we be imitators of our holy and perfect Heavenly Father?

           

Paul gives us the answer in Ephesians 4:24 when he says, “And put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness”.  This new self was created at our Baptism, as our old sinful nature was drowned and a new self emerged.  This continues for us each and every day!  2 Corinthians 4:16 tells us, “So we do not lose heart.  Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day”.

           

With that in mind, I think we could also say that if imitation is the highest form of flattery – that imitation is the highest form of worship!  Our daily lives of worship center around letting the love of God show through us – His grace show through us – His forgiveness show through us! 

Yes, our imitation of God gives Him the glory.  As Paul reminds us, one of the chief ways that we imitate God is by walking in the way of love and forgiveness that was shown to us by Christ Himself.  Christ was not only the perfect example of love and forgiveness, but He was also the perfect and ultimate sacrifice for our sins.  His perfect life, sacrificial death, and victorious resurrection has given us complete forgiveness for our sins – and along with that, the ability to imitate that love and forgiveness to others.

           

Paul gives us some ways that we are to be imitators of God.  He says, beginning in verse 26: “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.  Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his own hands so that he may have something to share with anyone in need.  Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, and fits the occasion, that is may give grace to those who hear…Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice.  Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another as God in Christ forgave you.

Like a child who is eager to imitate everything their parents do – we are to be just as eager to imitate the love, grace, and forgiveness of God.  What a difference this imitation will make in our lives – in our families, our church family, our workplaces, our communities.

The way we witness about Christ in our everyday lives, and the imitation and example that we show by our love for our neighbors, show that our lives are truly shaped by Christ living in us.  One of my favorite Bible passages, Galatians 2:20 says, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in us.  And the life I live, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me.”  That verse is another reminder of how we can be imitators of God in our lives. 

Grace truly has its effect in shaping our lives.  There are many familiar examples from scripture that we listen to every week about the changing power of grace.  In the story of the prodigal son, the father showed grace to his son after his son had wasted his inheritance.  He even threw a party and killed the fattened calf.  Jesus showed grace to the adulterous woman who the people were going to stone to death.  Jesus also showed grace as he was suffering on the cross.  The criminal on his right asked Jesus to remember him when he went into his kingdom.  The criminal realized he was getting what he deserved, but Jesus gave him the grace his actions did not deserve and said, “Today you will be with me in paradise”. 

Through what Christ has done for us – not only are we made God’s beloved children – but we are also clothed with Christ’s righteousness and equipped to imitate the love, forgiveness, and grace of God!

Something Good out of Nazareth?!?!

Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” John 1:46

Today is the day the Church has set aside to honor St. Bartholomew (also known as Nathanael in the book of John). Bartholomew’s road to becoming a disciple of Jesus first included some doubts. Bartholomew was one among many who seems to have expected that the Messiah would come from somewhere a little more highly regarded than Nazareth. “Can anything good come out of Nazarth?” Bartholomew asked Philip. Bartholomew would soon find out that indeed the very Son of God would come out of Nazareth!

We too, may have doubts about the ways of God from time to time. We often times think in the ways of the world, which are completely opposite from God’s ways. True glory is not found in wealth, riches, status, or hometown. True glory is found in humility and service – which is exactly what Jesus came to do. In humility Christ came to serve as the once and for all perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world.

God’s ways are not our ways and sometimes this causes us to lose heart. But may the Holy Spirit continue to strengthen and nurture our faith that we can boldly confess of Jesus along with Bartholomew, “You are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel.”

Can You Hear Me Now?

“The sheep hear His voice, and He calls His own sheep by name and leads them out.  When He has brought out all His own, He goes before them, and they follow Him, for they know His voice.”  John 10:3-4

Most of us remember the old Verizon Wireless commercial.  The one where the guy walks around to various places where a phone normally wouldn’t work – where the voice message would be unclear or dropped all together such as in stores, in valleys, and way out in the middle of nowhere.  As he goes further and further away from the main connection, he asks, “Can you hear me now?”  And getting the affirmation that he has been heard loud and clear, he responds, “good!”

God’s Word gives us a renewed clarity – clearer than any Verizon cell phone – we serve a risen Shepherd!  He is alive and He is still speaking to us as the Christ.  And when He speaks it is clear and precise.  He is our shepherd, and by the grace flowing from His work on the cross and the empty tomb, we are His sheep!

As sheep of the Good Shepherd we listen to His voice in His promises found in Scripture.  We rely on the promises made in our Baptism that made us sheep of the Good Shepherd.  This equips and enables us to hear our Good Shepherd’s voice through anything that life throws our way.

When the storms of life are raging, the Shepherd says, “Can you hear Me now?”  When we’re down to our last dime, the Shepherd says, “Can you hear Me now?”  When the doctors have given up and said there is nothing left to do, the Shepherd says, “Can you hear Me now?”  When we come to a crossroads in life, the Shepherd says, “Can you hear Me now?”  And the Shepherd says to us once again today: “My sheep listen to My voice; I know them and they follow Me.  I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of My hand.”

Thanks be to God – for we are sheep of the Good Shepherd.  Because of the words and actions of our Shepherd, we are His sheep.  And by those same words and deeds, may we be strengthened to listen and follow Him now and for all eternity!

A Lightbulb Moment

Have you ever had a moment where an idea or an answer just came to you out of nowhere?   A moment, where if you were in a cartoon – a little light bulb would turn on over your head?  We call a moment like that an epiphany.

This Friday is Epiphany in the church year.  In much the same way as we speak of today, “the light bulb went on” for the wise men.  Instead of a cartoon light bulb flashing on over their heads, their inspiration came from a special star that arose in the sky.  Through that sign, these men were now made aware of the greatest gift that mankind was ever given – the gift of our Savior, Jesus Christ.  The wise men were no longer in the dark about the coming of the Savior, but instead it was revealed to them where the Savior was born – the Savior who is the King of the Jews.

As Christians, we have all had this epiphany – this knowledge of the Savior born for us, through the working of the Holy Spirit.  Unfortunately though, there are still many in the world today who are left in the dark.  Therefore, it is our mission as the Lord’s church to share the Light – Jesus Christ – with those who don’t yet know Him.  It is a great privilege and joy that we have to share the Good News of Jesus in every opportunity we have.  We can do this joyfully and confidently, knowing that the Holy Spirit will work through our sharing of the Word to provide an “epiphany” to those who have yet to see the light of Christ in their lives.

May the Holy Spirit strengthen our faith in Jesus Christ, the Light of the world, and work through us to bring this light into our workplace, our school, our homes, our activities, and everywhere we go in Jesus name!