This is April 8, Resurrection Sunday, 2007, anno Domini, year of our Lord. This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it! When a man comes back from the dead, everything in all history must eventually center on that man. When a man is executed by the most …
Holy Friday 2007
In the Incarnation of our Lord Jesus, we see that God the Father in His infinite wisdom determined to have the eternal Logos take on human flesh. In this, the universal Word became a particular Word, without ceasing to be the everlasting and infinite expression of the Father’s wisdom. This, of course, was all done …
Two Coal Fires/Easter 2007
Introduction: The presence of the Lord Jesus, alive just as He promised He would be, transforms everything. We can see this very clearly in the fall and restoration of the apostle Peter after the resurrection. The Text: “And the servants and officers stood there, who had made a fire of coals; for it was cold: …
Palm Sunday 2007
Introduction: This is a message about three crowds. In the grip of individualism, we have too often neglected to heed what the Bible teaches about group behavior, and the results of this neglect are often tragic. The Text: “And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way; others cut down branches from the …
Christmas Eve Homily 2006
In the name of the Father, who sent His Son to occupy the womb of a virgin, rejoice. In the name of the Son who gladly went, sing and be glad. And in the name of the Spirit, who enabled that virgin to miraculously conceive, bow down and worship. May the Father, Son, and Holy …
What the Angels Said
Introduction: Grace is one of the most difficult things in the world for sinners to grasp. And as soon as we gather that it is difficult, we turn the “grasping of it” into a contest and a work, with the right answer earning the “best in show” award. But of course, grace means that some …
Born to Die
Introduction: As we continue meditating on the meaning of Advent, we are not really resisting attempts to make Christmas meaningless as we are fighting with alternative meanings. There is no such thing (in the last analysis) as a vacuum holiday, a celebration without a point. Attempts to neutralize Christmas are simply an intermediate step—and the …
The Critical Chapter
Introduction: We are in the season of Advent, and we are going to spend our time considering the profound reality of the Incarnation. We have added a bunch of cultural additions to the celebration of the Christmas season, which is absolutely fine, but at the same time we want to take care not to obscure …
God Rest Ye Merry
We are now entering the season of Advent. And just as St. Paul told the Corinthians to observe the festival of Passover—which they did coming to the Lord’s Supper—by getting rid of the yeast of malice and wickedness, so you should take care to observe Christmas in the same fashion. This is the season of …
Just Plain Grateful
We have just finished celebrating Thanksgiving, and we are on the threshold of Advent. Every worship service, every Lord’s Day, culminates in our celebration of the Eucharist, which is the table of Thanksgiving. In contrast, those who rebel against God in the first chapter of Romans are described as having two signature positions—their refusal to …