Ezekiel 37:1–14 / 1 John 5:4–10a* / John 20:19–31

The Wounds of Christ Give Us Life
“For there are three that testify: the Spirit and the water and the blood” (1 John 5:7). These three point to Christ and flow from Christ. Jesus shows His disciples His hands side, from which blood and water flowed, saying “Peace be with you.” He presents the wounds which turn our fear to gladness and which restore us to the Father. Jesus breathes on His disciples and says, “Receive the Holy Spirit” (John 20:23). His breath, His words are Spirit and life. They raise up our dry, dead bones and give us new and everlasting life (Ezek. 37:1–14). Christ now gives His ministers to speak His forgiving, Spirit-filled words to the penitent in His stead. Our Lord continues to come to His people, presenting His wounds to us in the Sacraments of water and blood. He bids us to touch His side at His table, to receive His risen body and blood in true faith, that believing we may have life in His name.

Sermon text: https://oursaviorlynchburg.notion.site/34075af8d8cd80898536d1535a0ad2b5

Job 19:23–27 / 1 Corinthians 5:7–8* / Mark 16:1–8

Christ’s Resurrection Means That We Will One Day Be Raised
“Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed” (1 Cor. 5:7). By the shed blood of Christ, the Lamb of God, eternal death has passed over us. Now we pass with Christ through death into life everlasting. For Christ the crucified One is risen! The stone has been rolled away from the tomb, revealing that the tomb could not hold Him (Mark 16:1–8). Now our Redeemer lives eternally to save us from sin and Satan and the grave, and we can live in the sure hope of our own bodily resurrection with Christ. “After my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God” (Job 19:26). Feasting on the living Christ, who is our meat and drink indeed, we boldly say: “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? . . . But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Cor. 15:54–55, 57).

Sermon text: https://oursaviorlynchburg.notion.site/33675af8d8cd80acb1b1f07d12e96aad

Prophecies - Major Office: Genesis 1:1–2:2* / Genesis 5:32–6:3, 5–7, 11–22; 7:6–7, 11–14a, 18b–22,
23b–8:3a, 6–11, 15–21a* / Genesis 22:1–19* / Exodus 14:24–15:1a* / Isaiah 54:17b–55:11* / Ba-
ruch 3:9–37* / Ezekiel 37:1–14 / Isaiah 4:1–6* / Exodus 12:1–11 / Jonah 3:1–10a* / Deuteronomy
31:22–30* / Prayer of Azariah 1:24–28*

Mass: Colossians 3:1–4 / Matthew 28:1–7

Special thanks to Rev. Karl Hess for many of the images and ideas for this sermon in his 2018 Vigil sermon

Sermon text: https://oursaviorlynchburg.notion.site/33675af8d8cd8040897de238634ab94f

Hosea 5:15b–6:6* / Exodus 12:1–11* / John 18:1–19:42

Behold the Lamb of God, Who Takes Away the Sin of the World
Jesus, the Lamb of God, is led to the slaughter of His cross as the sacrifice of atonement for the sins of the world. “Despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief” (Is. 53:3), He is the righteous Servant who justifies many by His innocent suffering and death. He bears our griefs and carries our sorrows; He is wounded for our transgressions; He is crushed for our iniquities; He suffers our chastisement, so that “with His stripes we are healed” (Is. 53:4–5). As the Son of God, He fulfills the Law for us in human flesh, and so fulfills the Scriptures (John 19:7, 24). For in Christ, “God was reconciling the whole world to Himself, not counting their trespasses against them” (2 Cor. 5:19).

Sermon text: https://oursaviorlynchburg.notion.site/33675af8d8cd8085b00cdfdfa7b2da7f

[Exodus 24:3–11] / 1 Corinthians 11:20–32* / John 13:1–15

Let Us Love One Another, as Christ Jesus Has Loved Us
“For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes” (1 Cor. 11:26). By eating His body and drinking His blood, we proclaim to all the world that Jesus is, indeed, our Passover Lamb (Ex. 12:1–14), who was sacrificed for us on Calvary. In Christ, the Lord remembers us in mercy and remembers our sin no more; He forgives us all our iniquity. With such love, he “loved His own who were in the world,” and even loves us “to the end” (John 13:1). As He washes us and feeds us in love, let us love one another, just as He has loved us (John 13:34).

Sermon text: https://oursaviorlynchburg.notion.site/33675af8d8cd80edb3efea890a268f0d

Procession: Zechariah 2:10ff.* / Luke 19:29–40*

Mass: Philippians 2:5–11 / Matthew 26:1–27:66

The Cross and Passion of Our Lord Are the Hour of His Glory
“Behold, your King is coming to you . . . humble and mounted on a donkey” (Zech. 9:9–12; Mt. 21:1–9). Our Lord rides in this humble fashion because He is entering Jerusalem to humble Himself even to the point of death on a cross (Phil. 2:5–11). His kingly crown will not be made of gold but of thorns, the sign of sin’s curse. For His royal reign is displayed in bearing this curse for His people, saving us from our enemies by sacrificing His own life. The sinless One takes the place of the sinner so that the sinner can be freed and bear the name “Barabbas,” “son of the Father” (Matthew 26 and 27). It is at the name of this exalted Savior, Jesus, that we bow in humble faith. With the centurion who declared, “Truly this was the Son of God!” (Mt. 27:54), we are also given to confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Phil. 2:11).

Sermon text: https://oursaviorlynchburg.notion.site/33275af8d8cd80dda601cf57ab036532

Isaiah 7:10–15 / Hebrews 10:4-10 / Luke 1:26–38a

Incarnate by the Holy Spirit, Born of the Virgin Mary, and Made Man
“It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins” (Heb. 10:4). But “nothing will be impossible with God” (Luke 1:37). He opens ears to hear and wombs to conceive. “Let it be to me according to your Word,” says St. Mary (Luke 1:38). The Most High who once dwelt in the tabernacle comes to overshadow Mary, who believes the angel’s “annunciation” (Luke 1:35). “The virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Is. 7:14). In Jesus Christ, God is with us—even from the moment of His conception. This miracle, that Mary should become the mother of God, will be a sign against the proud in Israel; but it is the fulfillment of the prophecies of Isaiah and David. “I delight to do Your will, O my God,” says Christ (Ps. 40:8). From Mary’s flesh, the Most High has prepared a body for His Son (Heb. 10:5), a body to be offered “once for all” as the sacrifice that alone takes away sins and gives a righteousness apart from the Law (Heb. 10:10). Through His conception, life, and death, we have been sanctified. God favors us in this child. And like the Blessed Virgin Mary, blessed “are those who hear the Word of God and keep it” (Luke 11:28).

Sermon text: https://oursaviorlynchburg.notion.site/32d75af8d8cd800cb7a7dcad6c7fb483

Genesis 22:1–19* / Hebrews 9:11–15 / John 8:46–59a*

Jesus Is Our Redemption
In the temple Jesus said, “If anyone keeps my word, he will never see death” (John 8:51). For Jesus came to taste death for us—to drink the cup of suffering to the dregs in order that we might be released from its power. Clinging to His life-giving words, we are delivered from death’s sting and its eternal judgment. Christ is our High Priest, who entered the Most Holy Place and with His own blood obtained everlasting redemption for His people (Heb. 9:11–15). He is the One who was before Abraham was, and yet is his descendant. He is the promised Son who carries the wood up the mountain for the sacrifice, who is bound and laid upon the altar of the cross. He is the ram who is offered in our place, who is willingly caught in the thicket of our sin, and who wears the crown of thorns upon His head (Gen. 22:1–14). Though Jesus is dishonored by the sons of the devil, He is vindicated by the Father through the cross.

The Ceremonies of Passiontide
The final stage in our symbolic journey toward Easter is Passiontide, which begins with the 5th Sunday in Lent. The crosses are now covered and even the Gloria Patri disappears for a while.
A common question is, “Why do we drape and cover the crosses as we get closer to Good Friday, as our attention upon the last hours and the sufferings of Our Lord increases?”
We do this because we donʼt deserve to look upon the cross. We are not worthy of the Sacrifice. The cross is our greatest and most cherished symbol. So it is partially taken away from us for a short time, that we might better appreciate it when it returns.
The crosses are not taken away completely. They are not removed; they are covered. We can see outlines of the crosses, but their beauty and details are fuzzy. This symbolizes the reality that our grief prevents us from seeing clearly until the Good Friday liturgy and, of course, Easter.
This also reminds us of Our Lordʼs actions in response to the violence of the people in this Sundayʼs Gospel, and as a sign of judgment against them, the Lord “Jesus hid Himself.” That is why normally the crosses are veiled during the Service after the reading of the Gospel. The idea of removing the Gloria Patri is much the same. The Triune Name given at the Ascension is the fullest revelation of Godʼs Name given to men. To take away the Gloria Patri for two weeks is a bit jarring. It is particularly awkward not to sing it at the end of the Nunc Dimitis. Its short-term removal serves to draw attention to it.
All of this is that we would learn to mortify our own flesh and to depend more and more upon the grace of God in Christ. For never, even in our most somber of ceremonies, is the Church in doubt about the end. Jesus died, but He is not dead. He lives, never to die again. Easter is coming. Our Alleluias, Gloria Patris, crosses, the foods from which we have abstained, and the like shall all return, but even better than that, we shall have them forever in heaven when our own resurrections occur.
Passiontide extends through Holy Week and the Triduum (“three holy days”—which includes Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday). At the conclusion of the Maundy Thursday Service the Altar will be stripped, and the Sanctuary decorations, such as the candelabra, will be removed. Even the main crucifix will be carried out, only to be carried back in during the reproaches on Good Friday. All that will be left in the Sanctuary are the immovable pieces of furniture, laid bare. On Good Friday and the Easter Vigil, while all is bare, the normal responses and introductions are removed from the readings as the liturgy reverts to ancient forms.
The intensity builds from now until Holy Saturday when we finally arrive at the empty tomb. While we recall the death of Jesus and His empty tomb, His Altar is never empty; He is always there for us with His life-giving, sin-forgiving, holy Body and Blood.

Sermon text: https://oursaviorlynchburg.notion.site/32b75af8d8cd80a685d7f807bb161f30

Exodus 16 / John 6:1–14

Exodus 16:2–21 / Galatians 4:22–5:1a* / John 6:1–15

The Lord Feeds His People
The Lord provided bread from heaven for His people in the wilderness (Ex. 16:2–21). Now He who is Himself the living bread from heaven miraculously provides bread for the five thousand (John 6:1–15). This takes place near the time of the Passover, after a great multitude had followed Jesus across the sea, and when He went up on a mountain. Seen in this way, Jesus is our new and greater Moses, who releases us from the bondage of Mount Sinai and makes us free children of the promise (Gal. 4:21–5:1a). Five loaves become twelve baskets—that is, the five books of Moses find their goal and fulfillment in Christ. For He abundantly provides for us in both body and soul.
Laetare, the first word of the Introit in Latin, means "rejoice." Today is a most joyful and festive Sunday, for the Church briefly interrupts her Lenten mournfulness to gather her strength for Holy Week; She would not want to faint along the way. She is strengthened always by the Body and Blood of Jesus, but today She issues a special call to joy. She calls you to remember that Jesus Christ takes up His sorrows and death willfully, in perfect love, and to redeem humanity, thereby providing bread for both body and soul. To that end, today's readings emphasize joy and consolation. What is most striking, of course, is that the paraments and vestments are rose and not violet. The deacon resumes his dalmatic. The subdeacon again wears his tunicle. Violet is the color of royal mourning, a mix of purple and black. Rose is violet with the shades of black and blue withdrawn, mixed, as it were, with the color of Easter, white or gold. The barrenness of Lent is momentarily set aside in anticipation of Easter. Still, it remains Lent. Our Alleluias and the Gloria in Excelsis are still withheld. Our Fasting-Time continues. The joy of Laetare is anticipatory, celebrated in the midst of sadness, even as we celebrate and anticipate the resurrection to come in the midst of this living death we call "life."

Sermon text: https://oursaviorlynchburg.notion.site/32475af8d8cd803eb9f7fd4303ba2bcc

Daniel 4 / Matthew 26:36–46

Exodus 8:16–24 / Ephesians 5:1–9 / Luke 11:14–28

Jesus Overcomes the Strong Man
Jesus is accused of doing evil when in fact He is doing good. He casts out a demon from a mute man so that he is able to speak (Luke 11:14–28). But some said Jesus did this by the power of Beelzebub, Satan. Like Pharaoh of old, their hearts were hard (Ex. 8:16–24). They did not recognize the finger of God, the power of the Holy Spirit at work in and through Jesus. Jesus is the Stronger Man who overcomes the strong man. He takes the devil’s armor of sin and death and destroys it from the inside out by the holy cross. He exorcizes and frees us by water and the Word. We were once darkness, but now we are light in Christ the Lord (Eph. 5:1–9). As children of light, our tongues are loosed to give thanks to Him who saved us.

Sermon text: https://oursaviorlynchburg.notion.site/31d75af8d8cd804cac6ad3a86ce450e9

Matthew 13:31–34 / Mark 5:1–20

Genesis 32:22–32 / 1 Thessalonians 4:1–7 / Matthew 15:21–28

Holding God to His Word
Jacob wrestled with God; he would not let Him go until he received a blessing from Him (Gen. 32:22–32). So it was with the Canaanite woman. Though Jesus seemed to ignore and reject her, she continued to call upon His name and look to Him for help (Mt. 15:21–28). Even when the Lord called her a little dog, she held on to Him in faith and would not let Him wriggle out of His words: “Yes, Lord, yet even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.” This Gentile woman shows herself to be a true Israelite, who struggles with God and man in Christ and prevails. “O woman, great is your faith! Be it done for you as you desire” (Mt. 15:27–28). This is the sanctifying will of God (1 Thess. 4:1–7)—to test your faith in order that it may be refined and strengthened. For tribulation produces perseverance; perseverance, character; character, hope. And hope in Christ does not disappoint (Rom. 5:1–5).

Sermon text: https://oursaviorlynchburg.notion.site/31575af8d8cd8051a138d48f5e333fa2

Leviticus 10:1–7 / John 2:13–22

Sermon text: https://oursaviorlynchburg.notion.site/31275af8d8cd8079bf35cb8b9062d453

Genesis 3:1–21 / 2 Corinthians 6:1–10 / Matthew 4:1–11

Jesus Does Battle in Our Place
In the Garden, man exalts himself to be a god in place of God (Gen. 3:1–21). He succumbs to the temptation of the devil, and eating of the forbidden fruit, he receives death. But in the sin-cursed wilderness, God humbles Himself to become man in place of man (Mt. 4:1–11). He does not eat but fasts and bears the onslaughts of the devil for us that we may be restored to life. Jesus stands as David in our place to do battle against the Goliath, Satan (1 Samuel 17:40–51). Though outwardly Jesus appears weak, yet He comes in the name of the Lord of hosts. He draws from the five smooth stones of the books of Moses and slings the Word of God. The stone sinks into the forehead, and the enemy falls. In Christ we are victorious over the devil. Let us therefore not receive the grace of God in vain (2 Cor. 6:1–10), but seeing that we have a great High Priest, let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain help in time of need (Heb 4:14–16).

Sermon text: https://oursaviorlynchburg.notion.site/30f75af8d8cd805da12ccf28f6ac2bc1

Jonah 3:1–10 / [2 Peter 1:2–11] / Matthew 6:16–21

Return to the Lord Your God with All Your Heart.
With Jesus, we set our face toward Jerusalem. We make a pilgrimage with Him by the way of repentance, and thus return to the dying and rising of Holy Baptism. Each day He summons you to return to Him with all your heart because He is “gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love” (Joel 2:13). Do so in faith and confidence before Him, supplementing your faith with “virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love” (2 Pet. 1:5–7). During this Lenten season: set aside special times to pray to your Father in heaven; give to the needy from a heart of love; and fast for the sake of repentance (Matt. 6:3–4, 6, 17–18).

Sermon text: https://oursaviorlynchburg.notion.site/30b75af8d8cd80f2a383db078ee24ae8

1 Samuel 16:1–13 / 1 Corinthians 13:1–13 / Luke 18:31–43

Quinquagesima (meaning “about 50 days”)
Grace is Not Easily Understood (or Faith Alone in Christ Alone). The seeing are blind, while the one who is blind can see (Luke 18:31–43), for he calls Jesus “Son of David.”. On the Sunday before Ash Wednesday we hear in the Gospel (Luke 18:34) Jesus predict His passion, death, and resurrection. We also hear that the disciples “understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.” We pray then that God would be gracious and patient with us and grant faith and understanding to us despite our many sins. Those who behold Him thus by faith follow Him to the cross through death into life eternal.

Sermon text: https://oursaviorlynchburg.notion.site/30775af8d8cd80c2ab4dc03aed68b00a

Isaiah 55:10–13 / 2 Corinthians 11:19–12:9 / Luke 8:4–15

Sexagesima (meaning “about 60 days”) - Grace is Passively Received (or Scripture Alone)
The Sower sows the seed of His Word (Luke 8:4–15). This Word is living and powerful (Heb. 4:9–13) to conceive new life in those who hear it. But the planting of Christ is attacked by the devil, the world, and our own sinful flesh. In the collect for this Sunday we pray that God would be our strength and that He would mercifully defend us by His power. In Christ, the weak are strong (2 Cor. 11:19–12:9). In the Parable of the Sower (Luke 8:4-15), we hear how the seed of God’s Word is passively received. It transforms bad soil into good and noble hearts. We pray that this would happen to and for us. He is the Word of the Father which does not return void (Is. 55:10–13) but yields a harvest hundredfold.

Sermon text: https://oursaviorlynchburg.notion.site/30175af8d8cd80a1918ad4e8054edce5

Exodus 17:1–7 / 1 Corinthians 9:24–10:5 / Matthew 20:1–16

Septuagesima (meaning “about 70 days”) - Grace is Undeserved (or Grace Alone) 
The collect for this Sunday implores God to graciously hear us, who are justly punished for our sin, so that we may be delivered by His goodness. The goodness of God is emphasized in the parable of the vineyard workers in the Gospel, Matthew 20:1-16. All the laborers receive the reward because of the goodness of the landowner and not because of their own labor or merit. We prepare for Easter by remembering that God is good and Christ has borne the heat and burden of the day for us so that we might have the goodness He gives for free.

What is pre-Lent? These three Sundays begin the church's countdown to Easter Sunday. More properly, this time is called Gesimatide from the Latin names: Septuagesima (70 days – Grace is undeserved or Grace alone); Sexagesima (60 days – Grace is passively received or Scripture alone); and Quinquagesima (50 days – Grace is not easily understood or Faith alone). These themes, which point us to God's Word and the old truths of the Reformation, help us to prepare for the season of Lent.

Sermon text: https://oursaviorlynchburg.notion.site/2fa75af8d8cd804d9a33ed13ff17b19a

Amos 9:11–15 / Romans 12:6–16a* / John 2:1–11

Jesus’ First Miracle Reveals God’s Glory
The coming of the Messianic kingdom means the restoration of creation. The sign of this restoration is that “the mountains shall drip sweet wine” (Amos 9:11–15). When the elements of a fallen creation fail and run short at a wedding feast, our Lord Jesus steps in to restore creation and miraculously changes water into an abundance of the very best wine (John 2:1–11). With this sign, Christ manifests His glory. The “back” of God (Ex. 33:12–23) is revealed to those who believe. The hour will come when Jesus will again manifest His glory by taking creation’s curse into His own body to release us from its power. The Bridegroom will give His life for the Bride (Eph. 5:22–32), and from His side will flow water and blood, the holy sacraments by which she is cleansed and made one with Him. Through this sacrificial love of Christ we are enabled to “love one another with brotherly affection . . .” and to “outdo one another in showing honor” (Rom. 12:6–16).

Sermon text: https://oursaviorlynchburg.notion.site/2eb75af8d8cd80848f90d9db3ad526ff

Isaiah 42:1–7 / 1 Corinthians 1:26–31 / Matthew 3:13–17

LSB Lectionary
In His Baptism, Jesus Takes His Place with Sinners
Our Lord Jesus is baptized “to fulfill all righteousness” (Matt. 3:13–17). He partakes of a baptism for sinners in order that He might be our substitute and bear the judgment we deserve. In the water, Jesus trades places with us. Our sin becomes His sin. His righteousness becomes our righteousness. Our glory, therefore, is in “Christ Jesus, who became to us . . . righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1 Cor. 1:26–31). Jesus is the “chosen” One sent from the Father to release us from the prison house of sin and death (Is. 42:1–7). Baptized into Christ, we also become the chosen ones, beloved of the Father. We cross the Jordan with Jesus (Joshua 3) through death into the promised land of new life with God.

Sermon text: https://oursaviorlynchburg.notion.site/2e575af8d8cd8089b374f14546e7c560

Isaiah 60:1–6 / [Ephesians 3:2b–12*] / Matthew 2:1–12

The Lord God Is Manifested in the Incarnate Son
The Feast of the Epiphany centers in the visit of the Magi from the East. In that respect, it is a “Thirteenth Day” of Christmas; and yet, it also marks the beginning of a new liturgical season. While Christmas has focused on the Incarnation of our Lord—that is, on God becoming flesh—the season of Epiphany emphasizes the manifestation or self-revelation of God in that same flesh of Christ. For the Lord Himself has entered our darkness and rises upon us with the brightness of His true light (Is. 60:1–2). He does so chiefly by His Word of the Gospel, which He causes to be preached within His Church on earth—not only to the Jews but also to Gentiles (Eph. 3:8–10). As the Magi were guided by the promises of Holy Scripture to find and worship the Christ Child with His mother in the house (Matt. 2:5–11), so does He call disciples from all nations by the preaching of His Word, to find and worship Him within His Church (Is. 60:3–6). With gold they confess His royalty; with incense, His deity; and with myrrh, His priestly sacrifice (Matt. 2:11).

Sermon text: https://oursaviorlynchburg.notion.site/2de75af8d8cd80e48199dd44059ebee1

Jeremiah 31:15–17 / Revelation 14:1–5 / Matthew 2:13b–18*

The Holy Innocents, Martyrs
“A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children” (Jer. 31:15). Herod rages and sends to kill all boys two years and younger (Matt. 2:16), desperate to destroy the newborn King of kings. The Church remembers these innocent victims as martyrs. They died for the One who came to die for them. This dark commemoration bears witness to the cruelty of sinful men and the world’s hatred of Christ who has sanctified our fragile life even from His conception and birth. But the boy who escaped Bethlehem’s bloody streets unscathed went on to face thorns, nails and spear for them and for us. He is the Lamb whose name is written with the Father’s name on the foreheads of His baptized saints (Rev. 14:1). By His death He has redeemed an inheritance for Himself and brought peace at last by His blood. On the fourth day of Christmas, we sing “the new song” of the Lamb, of Christ the true martyr, whose death testifies that our redemption is won. We “follow the Lamb wherever He goes” (Rev. 14:4), for He will bring our tears to an end.

Sermon text: https://oursaviorlynchburg.notion.site/2d775af8d8cd808ba2e5cd64d6b546a4

Isaiah 52:6–10* / Hebrews 1:1–12* / John 1:1–14

The Living and Life-Giving Word of God Dwells among Us in the Flesh
In the beginning God created all things through His Word, His Son. But man fell into sin, and with man all creation was cursed. Therefore, God spoke His Word again, this time into the womb of the blessed Virgin Mary. The glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle of our human nature (Ex. 40:17–21, 34–38). “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:1–14). The Son of God took on our flesh and blood and died on the cross in order that we might receive the right to become the children of God through faith. Baptized into Christ’s body, we are made partakers of a new Genesis, “the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:4–7). In Christ, the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man has truly appeared.

Sermon text: https://oursaviorlynchburg.notion.site/2d375af8d8cd80b3bef6d34f14847bf8

The Word of the Lord Is Fulfilled in the Flesh of Jesus
Though Ahaz would not ask, the Lord gives a sign to the house of David, that “the Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel” (Is. 7:14). With this promise, He signifies that salvation is by His grace alone; it is no work or achievement of man, but the Lord’s own work and free gift. The promise is fulfilled as the Son of God is conceived and born of the Virgin Mary, and the sign is received in faith by the house of David in the person of Joseph (Matt. 1:20–24). “Incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the Virgin Mary” (Nicene Creed), God is with us (Immanuel) in the flesh of Jesus, Mary’s Son. Joseph believes that Word of God and so demonstrates a marvelous example in his immediate and quiet obedience, taking Mary to be his wife and caring for her in faith and love. He loves her because the love of God is manifest in this, that “the Father has sent His Son to be the Savior of the world,” “to be the propitiation for our sins” (1 John 4:9–10).

Sermon text: https://oursaviorlynchburg.notion.site/2d375af8d8cd80e79a88d18234baa50c

Deuteronomy 18:15–19 / Philippians 4:4–7 / John 1:19b–28

John the Baptist Points Everyone to the Messiah
The coming of God in all His unveiled power at Mount Sinai was terrifying to the people of Israel. The thundering voice of the Lord puts sinners in fear of death (Deut. 18:15–19). God, therefore, raised up a prophet like Moses—the Messiah, the Christ. God came to His people veiled in human flesh. The skies poured down the Righteous One from heaven; the earth opened her womb and brought forth Salvation (Introit) through the blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of the Lord (Luke 1:39–56). The fruit of her womb is the very Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world, the One whose sandal strap John was not worthy to loose (John 1:19–28). In Jesus we are delivered from fear and anxiety. In Him alone we have the peace of God which surpasses all understanding (Phil. 4:4–7).

Sermon text: https://oursaviorlynchburg.notion.site/2d075af8d8cd8064b783dcbb987ad5de

1 Corinthians 4:1–5

Sermon text: https://oursaviorlynchburg.notion.site/2cc75af8d8cd809abf38e1839277f017

Isaiah 40:1–8 / 1 Corinthians 4:1–5 / Matthew 11:2–10

John the Baptist Prepares the Way for the Lord
The voice of the Baptist cried out in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord . . .” (Isa. 40:1). John called the people to be made ready for the Messiah’s coming through repentance, for “all flesh is grass” (Isa. 40:6). Now he asks from prison, “Are you the one who is to come . . .?” (Matt. 11:2). Jesus’ works bear witness that He is. The sick are made well; the dead are raised, and the poor have the Gospel preached to them. Their iniquity is pardoned; they have received from the Lord’s hand double forgiveness for all their sins. The “stewards of the mysteries of God” (1 Cor. 4:1) still deliver Christ’s overflowing forgiveness to the poor in spirit, comforting God’s people with the word of the Gospel which stands forever. This Gospel produces rejoicing among all those who believe.

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Song of Songs 2:8-14

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Song of Songs 2:8b–14* / Romans 15:4–13 / Luke 21:25–33*

Lutheran Missal
The Lord Comes to His Beloved on the Last Day
The day on which our Lord returns will be a “great and awesome day” (Mal. 4:5). For He will come in a cloud with great power and glory. The signs preceding this Day will bring distress and perplexity, fear and fainting. But to those who believe, who fear the name of the Lord, Christ our Redeemer is coming; the Sun of Righteousness will bring healing in His wings. Christ is the Church’s Beloved Bridegroom, who comes to rescue us at the end of a long, dark winter. He points to the signs of flower and fruit; now is the time of singing. So let us, then, give attention to the words of the Lord, which do not pass away. Let us “through endurance and through the encouragement of the Scriptures” (Rom. 15:4) abound in hope by the Holy Spirit and watch diligently for Jesus’ coming. Then, by God’s grace, we shall escape all these things that will come to pass and stand before the Son of Man. Therefore, dear Christians: “. . . straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:28).

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Romans 13:11–14

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Jeremiah 23:5–8 / Romans 13:11–14 / Matthew 21:1–9

The Lord Jesus Comes in Gentleness to Redeem Us
The new Church Year begins by focusing on the humble coming of our Lord. “Behold, your king is coming to you, humble, and mounted on a donkey” (Matt. 21:5). Even as He was born in a lowly manger, so Jesus rides into Jerusalem on a beast of burden. For He bears the sin of the world. He is the Son of David riding to His enthronement on the cross, where He shows Himself to be “The LORD is our Righteousness” (Jer. 23:5–6). Our Lord still comes in great humility to deliver His righteousness to us in the Word and Sacraments. Before receiving Christ’s body and blood, we also sing, “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” (Matt. 21:9) And as we receive the Sacrament, we set our hearts on His return in glory, for “our salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed” (Rom. 13:11).

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Isaiah 65:17–25 / 1 Thessalonians 5:1–11 / Matthew 25:1–13

By Faith We Are Prepared for Christ’s Return
“The day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night” (1 Thess. 5:1–11). The arrival of the bridegroom will be sudden and unexpected. Therefore you are to be watchful and ready like the five wise virgins. “For you know neither the day nor the hour” when the Son of Man is to return. (Matt. 25:1–13). The lamps are the Word of Christ. The oil in the lamps is the Holy Spirit, who works through the Word to create and sustain the flame of faith in Christ. The foolish are those who do not give proper attention to the working of the Holy Spirit in baptism, preaching, and the supper, and so their faith does not endure. The wise, however, are those who diligently attend to these gifts of the Spirit, and who therefore have an abundance of oil. The flame of faith endures to the end. By God’s grace they are received into the eternal wedding feast of the Lamb in His kingdom, the new heavens and the new earth created by the Lord for the joy of His people (Is. 65:17–25).

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Micah 6:6–8 / Philippians 1:3–11 / Matthew 18:23–35*

Walking humbly with our God and forgiving one another 
With what shall we come before the Lord (Micah 6:6) who forgives all our sins, and how often shall our fellow Christians sin against us and we forgive them (Matt. 18:21)? Our gracious God on high does not need our “burnt offerings” or “thousands of rams” (Micah 6:6-7), which we could legitimately offer in thanksgiving. He is the Savior who gave His only-begotten Son for our transgression. He offers the fruit of His body, once hanging dead on a cross but now living and giving life in His holy Meal, for the sin of our souls (Micah 6:7). Because He releases us from our enormous debt of sin against Him, we need not imprison our fellow sinners with our lack of love and refusal of forgiveness (Matt. 18:24, 27, 30). As partakers of His grace, we yearn for one another “with the affection of Christ Jesus” (Phil. 1:8). As forgiven sinners, “filled with the fruit of Christ’s righteousness,” our “love may abound more and more, with knowledge and discernment” (Phil. 1:11, 9), for He leads us “to do justice, and to love kindness, and to walk humbly with [our] God” (Micah 6:8).

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Genesis 1:1–2:3* / Ephesians 6:10–17 / John 4:46b–53*

God Declares Us Righteous Unsheathing His Word Against All Evil
“‘Let there be light,’ and there was light” (Gen. 1:1—2:3). The Father speaks, and it is so. His Word accomplishes what it says. He created all things out of nothing through His Son by the power of the Holy Spirit. The Father’s creative Word became flesh in Jesus Christ, that He might restore fallen creation and save fallen man. To the nobleman whose son was deathly ill, Jesus says, “Go; your son will live” (John 4:46–54). And in the very hour Jesus spoke, the nobleman’s son was made well. The Word of Christ still accomplishes what it says. In baptism, absolution, and the Lord’s Supper, He declares His life–giving forgiveness to you, and it is so. This saving Word of God is the sword of the Spirit by which you are able to fight off all the onslaughts of the devil (Eph. 6:10–17). “Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.”

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Revelation 7:2–17 / 1 John 3:1–3 / Matthew 5:1–12

Saints Are Blessed in the Eternal Presence of Christ
“A great multitude from all tribes and peoples and languages,” cry out “salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne” (Rev. 7:9–17). Faith-filled saints from every place and time with unified voices eternally magnify the Lamb of God. As His beloved children, we too, “shall see him as he is” (1 John 3:1–3). Joined with the throng of angels and a myriad of saints, we shall “serve him day and night in his temple” (Rev. 7:9–17). In our earthly tension vacillating between saint and sinner, faith and doubt, sacred and profane, we earnestly seek Jesus to calm our fears, comfort our spirits, and forgive our sins. The Holy Spirit, through faith in Christ propels us forward, fortifying us in Word and Sacrament, to our eternal home. In the midst of our constant struggle as believers, we need to be blessed. And so we are. The poor in spirit, the meek, the hungry, the thirsty, the merciful, the pure, and the persecuted are all blessed and we will most certainly inherit the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 5:1–12).

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Deuteronomy 10:12–21 / 1 Corinthians 1:4–8 / Matthew 22:34–46

In Life and Death, Christ Fulfills the Law of God
The Pharisees ask a Law question. Jesus asks a Gospel question. The Pharisees seek to test Jesus in His own words. Jesus seeks to “test” them in the saving reality of who He is as the Messiah (Matt. 22:34–46). The Law requires you to “fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul” and to “love the sojourner” (Deut. 10:12–21). Failure to keep the Law perfectly brings judgment. On the other hand, the Gospel brings the grace of God given by Jesus Christ, that you may be blameless in the day of His return (1 Cor. 1:1–9). Jesus is David’s Son yet David’s Lord, true God and true man. He is Love incarnate who fulfilled all the demands of God’s Law on our behalf, that we might be saved from the Law’s condemnation and sanctified in the Gospel’s forgiveness. Thereby we see that “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord” (1 Cor. 1:9).

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Proverbs 25:6–14 / Ephesians 4:1–6 / Luke 14:1–11

Whoever Humbles Himself Will Be Exalted 
“Do not put yourself forward in the king’s presence” (Prov. 25:6–14). Rather, take the lowest position at the table. Humble yourself before Him. For your place is not for you to take but for Him to give. Conduct yourself with all lowliness and gentleness, bearing with one another in love (Eph. 4:1–6), that the King may give you glory in the presence of those at the table with you. “For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted” (Luke 14:1–11). Is this not the way of Christ? He is the one who took the lowest place, who humbled Himself even to the point of death for us. He is now exalted to the highest place at the right hand of the Father that penitent believers may be exalted together with Him in the resurrection. To the humble at His Supper He says, “Friend, move up higher,” giving you His very body and blood for your forgiveness that you may ascend to take part in the great wedding feast which has no end.

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1 Kings 17:17–24 / Ephesians 3:13–21 / Luke 7:11–16*

Jesus Calls forth Life from Death 
A large funeral procession carrying the only son of a widow is confronted by another large procession, Jesus and His followers. Death and Life meet face to face at the gate of the city (Luke 7:11–17). Filled with compassion, Jesus comes into direct contact with our mortality in order to overcome it. He touches the coffin and speaks His creative words of life, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” Jesus does what is neither expected nor requested. For through Christ, God the Father “is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think” (Eph. 3:14–21). Jesus bore our death in His body that we may share in His resurrection. Even as Elijah stretched himself out three times over the Zarephath woman’s son (2 Kings 17:17–24), God stretched Himself out over us in the threefold application of His name in the baptismal water, breathing new and everlasting life into us. “To Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

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Daniel 10:11–13; Daniel 12:1–3 / Revelation 12:7–12 / Matthew 18:1–11

Our Father in Heaven Protects His Children by Giving His Holy Angels Charge Over Them 
We live in “a time of trouble” (Dan. 12:1), in great tribulation; Satan and his wicked angels have been thrown out of heaven and have come down to earth “in great wrath,” with woeful “temptations to sin” and with constant accusations (Rev. 12:8–12; Matt. 18:7). Even so, we are encouraged by the presence and protection of St. Michael and the holy angels, whom God sends to help amid the strife (Dan. 10:11–13), and even the Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity, the Son of God Himself (Josh. 5: 13–15). By “the authority of his Christ,” His holy angels guard and keep us in body and soul. These heavenly servants of God preserve His human messengers on earth, the ministers of “the blood of the Lamb,” against all the power of the enemy; for by “the word of their testimony,” the Church is saved and the devil is defeated (Rev. 12:10–11; Luke 10:18–19). By their preaching and Baptism of repentance, the old Adam and the old evil foe are “drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matt. 18:6); and as God raised Christ Jesus from the dead, so are His people delivered and raised from the dust of the earth through the forgiveness of their sins (Dan. 12:1–3).

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Ezekiel 2:8—3:11 / Ephesians 4:7–13* / Matthew 9:9–13

St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist
Our Ascended Lord gives gifts to His Church. In particular He gave apostles and evangelists like St. Matthew, prophets like Ezekiel, and still gives pastors and teachers (Eph. 4:8, 11). All are for the common good, empowered by the same Spirit (1 Cor. 12:7, 11). They speak Christ’s truth in love to wind- and wave-tossed children so that the saints may be equipped, served, and built up as the body of Christ (Eph. 4:12–15). Christ is not only the Head of this body; He is her Good Physician (Matt. 9:9–13). He has come not for the well but for the sick, not for the righteous, but for sinners—even notorious tax collectors like Matthew. Christ’s team of spiritual physicians must serve faithfully. Their instrument is “Thus says the Lord God,” to be spoken “whether they hear or refuse to hear” (Ezek. 3:11). To those stubborn, rebellious patients who believe they need no physician, the Word of lamentation, mourning, and woe must be fearlessly spoken: God’s Law calls to repentance. To those who recognize their trouble and sickness, the salve of the Gospel is to be applied. So Christ works to save us, as Matthew’s Gospel records.

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[Numbers 21:4–9] / 1 Corinthians 1:18–25 / John 12:20–36a*

The Exaltation of the Holy Cross
Sir, we wish to see Jesus! (John 12:21). Then look to His Holy Cross. For just as Moses lifted up the bronze serpent in the wilderness, so Jesus, when He is lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to Himself (v. 32). He humbled Himself and became obedient even to the death of the cross to save us (Phil. 2:8). Everyone who is bitten by the ancient serpent’s venom of sin, when he sees Christ shall live (Num. 21:8). The true Holy Cross is lost to history, and we cannot return to Calvary to find our salvation. So Christ brings the New Testament in His Blood to us. We preach Christ crucified . . . the power of God and the wisdom of God, though foolishness to the unbelieving world (1 Cor. 1:23–24). It pleases God through the folly of the cross we preach to save those who believe (v.21). We find the fruit and benefit of this Holy Cross poured out in Holy Baptism, spoken in the preaching of Holy Absolution, and delivered in the Body and Blood given and shed there for us. Thus are we strengthened to take up our crosses, sanctified by His (John 12:25–26).

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Isaiah 29:17–24 / 2 Corinthians 3:4–11 / Mark 7:31–37

Faith Comes from Hearing
A man who was deaf and therefore also had an impediment in his speech was brought to Jesus (Mark 7:31–37). In the same way, all are by nature deaf toward God and therefore also unable to confess the faith rightly. For “faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Rom. 10:9–17). Jesus put His fingers into the man’s ears, and He spat and touched His tongue. Even so in Holy Baptism, water sanctified by the words of Jesus’ mouth is applied to us; and the finger of God, that is, the life–giving Holy Spirit (2 Cor. 3:4–11) is put into our ears in the hearing of the baptismal Gospel. Jesus’ sighing “Ephphatha,” opened the man’s ears, and his tongue was loosed to speak rightly as Isaiah prophesied of the Messiah, “In that day the deaf shall hear the words of a book” (Is. 29:18–24) So also, He who sighed and breathed His last on the cross for us has given us to hear and believe in Him and has opened our lips that our mouths may rightly declare His praise.

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Genesis 4:1–15 / 1 Corinthians 15:1–10 / Luke 18:9–14

The Lord Lifts Up the Lowly
“And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard” (Gen. 4:1–15). For unlike Abel, Cain’s offering did not proceed from a heart that revered and trusted in the Lord. Thus, the lowly tax collector who prayed, “God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” was the one who went down to his house justified before God, not the respectable, outwardly righteous Pharisee who trusted in himself and his own good living (Luke 18:9–14). “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Eph. 2:1–10). The one who penitently despairs of his own righteousness and relies completely on the atoning mercy of God in Christ is the one who is declared righteous. For Christ died for our sins and rose again the third day (1 Cor. 15:1–10). Therefore, “everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”

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Proverbs 3:1–8 / 2 Corinthians 4:7–10 / Luke 22:24–30

St. Bartholomew, Apostle
Skinned alive! According to tradition, Bartholomew (likely called Nathanael in John) was thus martyred. For this reason Bartholomew is often depicted holding his flayed skin. Christ’s preachers are not to be great lords, but servants who faithfully stay with Christ in His trials (Luke 22:24–30). They are jars of clay; the Savior they preach is the surpassing power (2 Cor. 4:7). Christ’s servants are afflicted in every way, always carrying in their bodies the death of Jesus, so that His life may also be manifested there (v. 8–10). On the foundation of their prophetic and apostolic confession, the Church is built, held together by Christ the cornerstone (Eph. 2:20–21). As an apostle (Luke 6:13–14), Bartholomew manifested the Son of God in his preaching and his death. Christ is the Son of Man—the King who opens heaven to us by His wounds (John 1:49–51). We bear sufferings not leaning on our own understanding, but trusting in the Lord (Prov. 3:5–7). Life will be manifested in our bodies too when the Lord brings healing to our flesh and refreshment to our bones in the resurrection (v. 8). 

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Proverbs 16:1–9 / 1 Corinthians 10:6b–13* / Luke 16:1–9

The Steward’s Shrewdness Sanctified
“The master commended the dishonest manager for his shrewdness” (Luke 16:1–9). The steward’s shrewdness is praiseworthy for two reasons. First, he knew the master would be merciful. He trusted that the master would honor the debts he forgave in the master’s name. In the same way, though we have squandered our heavenly Father’s possessions in selfishness and sin, Jesus is the Steward who has canceled our debt, knowing that His forgiveness will be honored by the Father because of the holy cross. Secondly, the steward was shrewd in using oil and wheat to provide for his earthly welfare. So also do these earthly elements aid us when pressed into heavenly use in the anointing of baptism and the wheat of the Lord’s Supper. Those who have the Sacraments will have an eternal home when their earthly home fails. These provide us aid in times of temptation (1 Cor. 10:6–13). For the Lord is our strength and a shield to all who trust in Him (2 Sam. 22:26–34).

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Readings: Luke 17:7–10 / Romans 8:25–28