St. John Lutheran
Burlington, IL
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Romans 16:25-27 December 18, 2011
“Soli Deo Gloria”
God's grace be multiplied unto you in abundance for the glory belongs to God alone;
Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Our text for this last Sunday in Advent is the Epistle lesson. Romans 16:25-27. Read.
For your faith and the glory of God. Amen.
Dear Subjects of the King (and I don't mean Elvis),
The Shroud of Turin is one of the greatest religious mysteries of all time. The shroud is a
centuries old linen cloth that bears the image of a crucified man; a man that millions
believe to be Jesus of Nazareth. Is it really the cloth that wrapped his crucified body, or is
it simply a medieval forgery, a hoax perpetrated by some clever artist? Modern science
completed hundreds of thousands of hours of detailed study and intense research on the
Shroud. It is, in fact, the single most studied artifact in human history. We know more
about it today than ever before. And yet, the controversy still rages. Many say it is a fake
but science cannot explain how the markings were made and they cannot reproduce the
image. What really happened to Amelia Earhart? She just disappeared off the face of the
earth during her attempted flight around the world. Who really assassinated President
Kennedy? Did Oswald do it? Who was behind it? Castro? Where is Jimmy Hoffa really
buried? Mysteries of our time. Are there really UFOs? Mysteries are exciting. They draw
us like a magnet.
Paul tells of the greatest mystery of all time.
"Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the
preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept
secret for long ages " Verse 25
What is this mystery? Let's go back...back to the very beginning when God and mankind
lived in perfect harmony. We pick up the story in Genesis chapter 1.
"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male
and female he created them." Genesis 1:27
God and mankind lived in perfect harmony.
Then Adam and Eve disobeyed God and their sin broke the harmony. Sin cracked even
the very foundation of Creation itself. How could perfect harmony ever be restored?
Then the greatest mystery of all began to take shape. God wrote the book. As He began
to write this mystery, He speaks directly to another author, the author of sin: Satan.
"I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her
offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel." Genesis 3:15
God promised that an offspring of Eve would restore harmony. When Eve gave birth to
her very first son, she thought that he was the Messiah God promised. That first-borne
son was Cain. He was not the Messiah. The mystery remained hidden for thousands of
years. Yet God would repeat His promise over and over. Noah knew of this promise. So
did Abraham.
Prophets spoke of this King and kings knew of this King. Isaiah spoke of Him.
"…Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name
Immanuel." Isaiah 7:14b
and
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his
shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6
God spoke of this mystery over and over again. The words were there. The words are
there. But we could not see it on our own.
"But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are
healed.” Isaiah 53:5
The world couldn't see the wonderful mystery. The world still doesn't see the Savior. We
are blind to Himself ourselves sometimes. We exhibit the "Bah Humbug" attitude about the
real meaning of Christmas.
Yet the mystery is revealed through the Babe in the manger. The Savior came…is
coming…will come again. We know of our sins. They are so many. The confession today
is right on target.
“When we sin we act as though Jesus coming into the world is an unsolved
mystery. We think we don’t need Him.”
There is a mystery here. Why should God love us? Because we are good? Because we
always put Him first? Because we practice the real meaning of Christmas? To God be the
glory for He does love you. The mystery is solved. God made His intentions known from
the very beginning. Then in the fullness of time, the Savior came into the world.
Remember the Gospel lesson? Listen once again.
“In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named
Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of
David. And the virgin's name was Mary.”
Luke 1:26-27
And it was so. Mary bore a son. Jesus went to the cross where He suffered and died for
your sin. For my sin. For now. For Christmas morning. Forever. There are many
mysteries in our world. Is the Shroud of Turin the actual burial clothe of Jesus? What
happened to Amelia Earhart? Yet, the greatest mystery of all time is revealed to you by
God. He loves you so. A mystery hidden for long ages past,
“…but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made
known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about
the obedience of faith…” Verse 26
Through His gift of faith given to you by grace alone, you give God the glory. You confess
Jesus, your Wonderful Counselor, your Mighty God, your Everlasting Father, your Prince
of Peace. Merry Christmas. Amen.
To God be the glory. Amen.
“Soli Deo Gloria”
God's grace be multiplied unto you in abundance for the glory belongs to God alone;
Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Amen.
Our text for this last Sunday in Advent is the Epistle lesson. Romans 16:25-27. Read.
For your faith and the glory of God. Amen.
Dear Subjects of the King (and I don't mean Elvis),
The Shroud of Turin is one of the greatest religious mysteries of all time. The shroud is a
centuries old linen cloth that bears the image of a crucified man; a man that millions
believe to be Jesus of Nazareth. Is it really the cloth that wrapped his crucified body, or is
it simply a medieval forgery, a hoax perpetrated by some clever artist? Modern science
completed hundreds of thousands of hours of detailed study and intense research on the
Shroud. It is, in fact, the single most studied artifact in human history. We know more
about it today than ever before. And yet, the controversy still rages. Many say it is a fake
but science cannot explain how the markings were made and they cannot reproduce the
image. What really happened to Amelia Earhart? She just disappeared off the face of the
earth during her attempted flight around the world. Who really assassinated President
Kennedy? Did Oswald do it? Who was behind it? Castro? Where is Jimmy Hoffa really
buried? Mysteries of our time. Are there really UFOs? Mysteries are exciting. They draw
us like a magnet.
Paul tells of the greatest mystery of all time.
"Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the
preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept
secret for long ages " Verse 25
What is this mystery? Let's go back...back to the very beginning when God and mankind
lived in perfect harmony. We pick up the story in Genesis chapter 1.
"So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male
and female he created them." Genesis 1:27
God and mankind lived in perfect harmony.
Then Adam and Eve disobeyed God and their sin broke the harmony. Sin cracked even
the very foundation of Creation itself. How could perfect harmony ever be restored?
Then the greatest mystery of all began to take shape. God wrote the book. As He began
to write this mystery, He speaks directly to another author, the author of sin: Satan.
"I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her
offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel." Genesis 3:15
God promised that an offspring of Eve would restore harmony. When Eve gave birth to
her very first son, she thought that he was the Messiah God promised. That first-borne
son was Cain. He was not the Messiah. The mystery remained hidden for thousands of
years. Yet God would repeat His promise over and over. Noah knew of this promise. So
did Abraham.
Prophets spoke of this King and kings knew of this King. Isaiah spoke of Him.
"…Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name
Immanuel." Isaiah 7:14b
and
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his
shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6
God spoke of this mystery over and over again. The words were there. The words are
there. But we could not see it on our own.
"But he was wounded for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his stripes we are
healed.” Isaiah 53:5
The world couldn't see the wonderful mystery. The world still doesn't see the Savior. We
are blind to Himself ourselves sometimes. We exhibit the "Bah Humbug" attitude about the
real meaning of Christmas.
Yet the mystery is revealed through the Babe in the manger. The Savior came…is
coming…will come again. We know of our sins. They are so many. The confession today
is right on target.
“When we sin we act as though Jesus coming into the world is an unsolved
mystery. We think we don’t need Him.”
There is a mystery here. Why should God love us? Because we are good? Because we
always put Him first? Because we practice the real meaning of Christmas? To God be the
glory for He does love you. The mystery is solved. God made His intentions known from
the very beginning. Then in the fullness of time, the Savior came into the world.
Remember the Gospel lesson? Listen once again.
“In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city of Galilee named
Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of
David. And the virgin's name was Mary.”
Luke 1:26-27
And it was so. Mary bore a son. Jesus went to the cross where He suffered and died for
your sin. For my sin. For now. For Christmas morning. Forever. There are many
mysteries in our world. Is the Shroud of Turin the actual burial clothe of Jesus? What
happened to Amelia Earhart? Yet, the greatest mystery of all time is revealed to you by
God. He loves you so. A mystery hidden for long ages past,
“…but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made
known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about
the obedience of faith…” Verse 26
Through His gift of faith given to you by grace alone, you give God the glory. You confess
Jesus, your Wonderful Counselor, your Mighty God, your Everlasting Father, your Prince
of Peace. Merry Christmas. Amen.
To God be the glory. Amen.