Concordia Lutheran Church
Second Sunday of Christmas January 3, 2010
He Has Made Known…His Salvation!
Psalm 98:1-3, 124:8
† IHS †
May you, the gathered of Christ sing His praises as only those who know how marvelous His salvation is, as you grasp the depth, the height, the breadth and width of the Father’s love!
Struck by Luther’s view
Four building parallels
A 16th century pastor wrote these timeless words,
We are here called upon again to sing unto the Lord a new song, as before, Ps. 96:1. “Sing a most excellent song, the best song you have.’ ’ Let the song of Christ’s love be like Solomon’s on that subject, a song of songs. A song of praise for redeeming love is a new song, such a song as had not been sung before; for this is a mystery which was hidden from ages and generations. Converts sing a new song, very different from what they had sung; they change their wonder and change their joy, and therefore change their note. If the grace of God put a new heart into our breasts, it will therewith put a new song into our mouths.
Today, they are as relevant as they were for the congregation in Wittenberg. We are here this day, to celebrate our conversion, our change, the fulfillment of the prophesy Ezekiel described in chapter 36
I shall pour clean water over you and you will be cleansed; I shall cleanse you of all your filth and of all your foul idols. 26 I shall give you a new heart, and put a new spirit in you; I shall remove the heart of stone from your bodies and give you a heart of flesh instead. 27 I shall put my spirit in you, and make you keep my laws, and respect and practice my judgments. Eze 36:25 (NJB)
As Luther goes on in this article, he will repeat the reason for such praise, such focus on the majesty and awe and glory of God. As we start this year, it will be good and right to focus on the work of God will continue to do, in our presence.
1. The wondrous works
The first praiseworthy parallel that the psalmist writes about is that our LORD, and there it is the name of God, not just a title, does marvelous things. The word is simple – it describes the awe of things done that are beyond human ability, the incredible, magnificent things that God does – like cause life, and redemption. Luther phrased it this way,
The work of our salvation by Christ is a work of wonder. If we take a view of all the steps of it from the contrivance (conceptualization) of it, and the counsels of God concerning it before all time, to the consummation of it, and its everlasting consequences when time shall be no more, we shall say, God has in it done marvellous things!
Can we even begin to to see the complex nature of our salvation, of God finding us not sinners, but righteous? Of how God uses each of us, in combination with each other, to see people delivered from sin to everlasting life? Truly this is incredible in its scope, to see how all the puzzles fit together, to see God even redeeming our errors and shortcomings and using them for the good of those whom He loves, who He has called according to His purpose!
Herein lies the challenge, and the benefit of faith, of trusting in God’s presence, and His ability to use all, not just for His glory, but for our best interests.
2. The Work of His might (the Victory)
As we look at this Psalm, the next thought is similar to the first – God is worthy of us praising Him with our voices, because “His right hand and his holy arm have worked salvation for him.”
Working through this passage, Luther focused on an interesting aspect of salvation – the aspect of its victory,
Our Redeemer has surmounted all the difficulties that lay in the way of our redemption, has broken through them all, and was not discouraged by the services or sufferings appointed him. He has subdued all the enemies that opposed it, has gotten the victory over Satan, disarmed him, and cast him out of his strong-holds, has spoiled principalities and powers (Col. 2:15), has taken the prey from the mighty (Isa. 49:24), and given death his death’s wound. He has gotten a clear and complete victory, not only for himself, but for us also, for we through him are more than conquerors. He got this victory by his own power; there was none to help, none to uphold, none that durst venture into the service; but his right hand and his holy arm, which are always stretched out with good success, because they are never stretched out but in a good cause, these have gotten him the victory, have brought him relief or deliverance.
Again, this God, our God, the One who is, has overcome. When we focus on that, when we realize that there is a plan in effect, it is not that we stop working, or striving, but we can trust rather than be paralyzed by worry. We can focus on serving, rather than trying to figure out how to survive.
Its how those who have come before us endured. As the writer of Hebrews states,
Heb 11:33 (NJB) These were men who through faith conquered kingdoms, did what was upright and earned the promises. They could keep a lion’s mouth shut, 34 put out blazing fires and emerge unscathed from battle. They were weak people who were given strength to be brave in war and drive back foreign invaders. 35 Some returned to their wives from the dead by resurrection; and others submitted to torture, refusing release so that they would rise again to a better life. 36 Some had to bear being pilloried and flogged, or even chained up in prison. 37 They were stoned, or sawn in half, or killed by the sword; they were homeless, and wore only the skins of sheep and goats; they were in want and hardship, and maltreated. 38 They were too good for the world and they wandered in deserts and mountains and in caves and ravines. 39 These all won acknowledgement through their faith, but they did not receive what was promised, 40 since God had made provision for us to have something better, and they were not to reach perfection except with us.
Faith not being trust in their own hands, but in the God who guides them to victory. Who opens the doors, and removes the obstacles, that would stand between Him and those He loves!
3. The Salvation made known to all nations
The third point is the one from which I took the name of this sermon – He has made it known – His victory – His work of redeeming not just a person here and there, but buying back a world crushed and tossed aside. Before all peoples – before men and women from every nation on earth, God has shown His righteousness. The picture in Hebrew is putting it right before their eyes – so dramatically that it gains our attention – because nothing else is so dominant in our vision.
But not just our eyes, anymore than God’s victory was solely for the Jewish people. The symbols of our faith – the story of the cross and the manger – have literally infiltrated the world. There are crosses in the remotest villages of India, and the stories of God’s love permeates the ice covered villages of Siberia. The promise of God’s word are now read in more languages – and it grows day by day. Even now, in Korea there are being printed Bibles in the language of the Haruai tribes of Papua New Guinea – the first books printed ever in that language, to be delivered this spring! There is a global resurgence in missions, with third world nations, once considered heathen, sending missionaries out by the thousands, to proclaim the cross of Christ. Some are even being sent..here.
4. Mercy Promised – cHesed fulfilled
Because God has made His salvation known, because the Victory is assured by the strength and character of God, because this work is indeed marvelous – and it is the fulfillment of His love, His mercy and His grace to the house of Israel. Every promised fulfilled – His faithfulness assured.
The depths of the meaning of cHesed – the Hebrew word sometimes translated loving kindness, sometimes mercy, sometimes loyalty, His unwavering faithfulness is incredible!
A few days ago, we closed the books on the year of our Lord, 2009. The overwhelming sense I picked up from people, was “good riddance”, and a desperate plea for a chance to catch our breath – and a strongly spoken desire for twenty-ten to be better. It indeed was a rough year – there is no doubt there – yet it was a year where I saw many people make tremendous growth in their faith as well. In the midst of trauma – they cried out to God, to know if He was there…and found it so.
Is there a lesson to 2009? Perhaps it is found in a favorite Christmas Carol,
And in despair I bowed my head
“There is no peace on earth,” I said,
“For hate is strong and mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good will to men.”
Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
“God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The wrong shall fail, the right prevail
With peace on earth, good will to men.
Till ringing, singing on its way
The world revolved from night to day,
A voice, a chime, a chant sublime
Of peace on earth, good will to men.
There is God’s peace, true peace, the kind of peace that will make your heart soar in praise of Him who brings you that unsurpassable strength. Trust in Him, live life in Him, for there your hearts and minds are kept safe and secure.
For God has made His salvation known to us, this magnificent work of His hands, the victory known, the fulfillment of the mercy He promised. AMEN?
I can think of few responses to the message of God’s grace, as needed for our world today, as the prayer of our offertory. May you sing it, knowing He will be merciful, and faithful, and by the strength of His arm, this wonderful prayer request will be answered truly.
