Brothers and sisters, I encourage you join us Sunday mornings as we continue to celebrate Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh so that He would redeem you from sin, death, and the devil. He has changed your eternal future. 1 Peter 2:24—’Jesus Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness.’ By Jesus’ wounds, by His suffering, you are healed, released from death, and reconciled to God. Join us as receive the benefits He distributes through His Word and the Holy Supper.
Sunday, we will follow the liturgy of Divine Service One beginning on page 151 in the LSB hymnal. Hymns selected for the day are #362 O Sing of Christ: #935 Tell Out My Soul: #519 In His Temple, Now Behold Him; #389 Let All Together Praise Our God; and #381 Let Our Gladness Have No End.
Scriptures assigned to the day are Psalm 111:1-10; Exodus 3:12-17; Colossians 3:12-17; and Luke 2:22-40. Redemption is a theme included in each of the texts.
In Psalm 111 the psalmist joins with the congregation to praise God for His mighty works, which are done to benefit the psalmist and all mankind. Among the list of benefits, the psalmist recognizes that God has graciously sent redemption to His people. Throughout history God has set His people free from bondage and oppression. Those actions are foretastes of the redemption paid for by Jesus who sets us free from slavery to sin and fear of death.
In Exodus 13, God establishes an ordinance for consecrating firstborns of men and animals. Their lives would be dedicated or set apart to serving God. God does allow for redemption, that is, an animal can be substituted. The ordinance was a reminder of how God applied a lamb’s life to save the first born from the plague of death while the Israelites were slaves in Egypt. Again, this is a foretaste of Jesus’ redeeming death; His life would be given as a substitute to take the punishment we sinners deserve, and setting us free from slavery to sin.
In Colossians 3 St. Paul uses getting dressed as a metaphor to describe the changes demonstrated among those who trust and receive Jesus’ redemption. As those redeemed by Jesus and chosen by God, we ‘put on’ a number of virtues. Love is especially important because it hold the other virtues together. In addition, the redeemed should let the peace of Christ rule their hearts. And we should let the word of Christ (that is, the gospel and the Law) dwell in us richly as His word teaches, corrects, and encourages His followers. Paul summarizes the point by saying our actions and words should be done with thanksgiving in the name of Jesus.
God’s Old Testament ordinances required a number of things be done after a baby is born. Boys would be circumcised eight days after birth. Forty days after birth, the mother would go through a ritual and make a sacrifice in order to be purified from the blood she released during childbirth. (Contact with blood made one ceremonially unclean.) And as the reading from Exodus 13 reminds us, the first-born child would be consecrated to God’s service, or be redeemed by a sacrifice. In the Gospel reading from Luke 2, Mary and Joseph bring Jesus to the temple to fulfill the required purification and consecration rites. Even though He was only a few weeks old, Jesus is fulfilling Father God’s will, already demonstrating His perfect obedience. In the temple, two old devout believers recognize the infant Jesus as the fulfillment of God’s prophecies, and the redeemer of Jerusalem and the salvation of all people. In a similar way, as we come to hear Jesus’ word and to receive His body and blood in the Lord’s Supper, through faith we recognize Him as our redeemer and salvation. He reconciles us sinners back to God the Father, removing the barrier and separation caused by our sin. Jesus gives us reason to rejoice.
COLLECT: Almighty, Gracious God, our Maker and Redeemer, You wonderfully created us, and in the incarnation of Your Son even more wondrously restored our human nature. Grant that we may ever be alive in Him who made Himself to be like us; through the same Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
Please let me know if you have any prayer requests or questions about Sunday’s Scripture readings. The Lord be with you. Pastor Boster
