Greetings in the name of our eternal Great High Priest, Jesus. His sacrifice has reconciled you to God. He continues to intercede on your behalf. Come, join us Sunday morning to worship Him and receive His gifts of forgiveness and eternal life.
I remind you of some upcoming events. I encourage you to make plans to attend.
Thanksgiving Eve Service is scheduled for Wednesday November 27th beginning at 6:30 pm.
Advent Season begins Sunday December 1. In preparation for the Christmas celebration we have scheduled mid-week services for December 4th, 11th, and 18th, each beginning at 6:30 pm.
On Sunday, November 10 we will follow the liturgy of Divine Service Setting One beginning on page 151 of the LSB hymnal. We will also review the first three petitions of the Lord’s Prayer and Luther’s explanation of them.
Hymns chosen for the day are #530 No Temple Now, No Gift of Price; #337 The Night Will Soon Be Ending; #642 O Living Bread From Heaven; and #509 Christ is Surely Coming.
Scripture texts that will be read include Psalm 16:1-11; Daniel 12:1-3; Hebrews 10:11-25; and Mark 13:1-13.
The superscription preceding Psalm 16 says it is a ‘miktam’ of David. The meaning of the term ‘miktam’ is uncertain. One translator suggests it means “mystery” indicating the psalm deals with one of the mysteries of life. Another translator suggests it means a poem with a surprising end. Yet another translator suggests the term means that the psalm has something to do with atonement. All three of these meanings are evident to some degree in the psalm. My New American Standard Bible summarizes the psalm as “The Lord is the Psalmist’s Portion in Life and Deliverer in Death’. The psalmist refers to God as his preserver and refuge in times of trouble, who gives counsel and assurance. God will not abandon the psalmist at death. For these reasons, the psalmist is glad whatever his situation might be. Those who look to false gods will only find sorrow. David may have written the psalm during one of his flights, seeking cover and trying to evade the attacks of King Saul or some other enemy. He was thankful that God has his life in His hands. St. Peter in his Pentecost sermon (Acts 2:25) says the psalm is a prophetic reference to Jesus whom God the Father raised from the dead. In a sermon preached at Pisidian Antioch (Acts 13, esp. verse 35) St. Paul makes a similar connection between the psalm and Jesus. We ought to thank God for the gifts He gives us here on earth. Even more, we ought to give God thanks for the eternal heavenly gifts He is preparing for us, made possible because of Jesus’s substitutionary, reconciling death for us and His victory over death.
Daniel was one of the members of royal families from Judah who were taken as prisoners to serve the Babylonian king around 605 BC. God used Daniel as a prophet to remind the people that God was still in control, no matter what circumstances they might be experiencing. Daniel receives and describes several mysterious, symbolic visions of a future day when God’s promised Messiah would recue them. When and how these visions are to be fulfilled remains a matter of great debate today. In the text we will read Sunday, Daniel sees Michael, one who is described as the great prince and angel/messenger who has protective charge of the Israelite people. There are arguments about who this mysterious Michael is. The name Michael means ‘who is like God’. He is often referred to as an archangel. He is described as a great warrior. In Jude he is described as contending with the devil over the body of Moses. In Revelation he fights against the dragon/devil. Michael does not protect or defeat using ordinary weapons, but with the word of God, the same weapon God has provided you to fight evil forces. In Jude 9, Michael battled Satan by saying, “The Lord rebuke you.” In Revelation 12:11 St. John hears a voice explaining that when Satan was thrown out of heaven, Michael and other angels “conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony.” It should be understood that the power Michael and other angels demonstrate is power that flows from Jesus’ power and authority which extends over all things in heaven and on earth.
God warns that Michael’s appearance will trigger a time of great trouble. When this will happen is not certain. It is foolish to try to predict because only God knows. But be sure of this: God also promises He will preserve His people. Those whose names are written in His book of life, whether living or buried in the dust at that time, will arise to everlasting life. Those who do not follow God will be sent away to everlasting contempt. God assures His people that nothing—including trouble and the end of earthly time—will end His care, protection, and deliverance for them. Since we do not know the day or the hour this will take place, we should continually turn to Jesus, our Savior.
As we continue to read through the Book of Hebrews, the writer continues to make the argument that Jesus is far superior to the Old Testament religious figures, including the high priest. Jesus offered Himself as a sacrifice that completely fulfilled the demands of the Law, that one should die for sin. He died for all of us, the payment due for sin has been paid in full. By this blood sacrifice He has torn down the curtain that separated us sinners from holy God. So, you can now approach God with confidence, sure that He hears you. With that confidence, the writer of Hebrews encourages people to gather to worship and to encourage one another to love and good works. The writer would remind us and Christians of every generation that this worship and encouragement becomes more important as the day of Jesus return draws ever closer.
In the 11th and the 12th chapters of his gospel account, St. Mark describes Jesus’ activities and teaching in the temple during the week before His crucifixion. At the end of one day (probably Tuesday) Jesus and His disciples were leaving. The disciples stopped to admire the way the temple walls reflected the evening light. Jesus used the moment to warn them that a day was coming when the temple would be torn down. The disciples asked an obvious question, ‘when would this happen?’ Jesus doesn’t give a specific answer to their question but does describe a number of signs warning that the time is approaching. The list includes events that are common to every generation, an indication every generation should be prepared. In the near term, the temple was destroyed by the Romans during a five-month siege in 70 AD. But Jesus would warn us more trouble is coming. The one who endures to the end, believing in Jesus, will be saved.
COLLECT: Almighty and merciful God, by Your bountiful goodness release us from the bonds of our sins, which by reason of our weakness we have brought upon ourselves, that we may stand firm trusting in Your grace until the day of our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
