Posts tagged “John the Baptist”

Sermo Dei: Rorate Coeli (Advent IV)

Posted on December 23rd, 2012

Well, the Mayan apocalypse was a bit of a disappointment. Don’t you find it strange that people of our age would pay any attention to the calendar of a long-ago-ruined civilization? It demonstrates how hungry people are for clues to our destiny, knowledge about the future, some truth about the world. The continuing debates regarding the age and origin of the world are part of the same question: Is there any reason for our existence as the race of men? Does my life have any meaning? So we are willing to pay attention when someone claims to have a window into these mysteries—and then revel in ridicule when their claims are proven false. John the Baptist garnered plenty of attention when he arose as…

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Sermo Dei: Beheading of St. John the Baptist

Posted on August 29th, 2012

New school year – excitement, mixed with fear. In everything that causes us concern, Ps. 31 tells us how to respond: “In thee, O LORD, do I put my trust…. Into thine hand I commit my spirit: thou hast redeemed me, O LORD God of truth.”   These were the words of our Lord Jesus on the cross. We don’t know what John’s demeanor was when he was beheaded, but we can infer based upon the praise our Lord gives him that he died well.   From the Gospel lesson today we learn many things: Sexual lust will destroy you. Call upon God to keep you free from this evil. Whether you are married or not, ask Him to give you chastity. Avert your…

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Advent 4: Christ the Sacrifice

Posted on December 19th, 2011

Gospel: John 1.19-28. This is the last in a four-part Advent series on the Sunday gospels: Christ the King, Christ the Judge, Christ the Scandal, Christ the Sacrifice. A few years back a story began to make the rounds in Advent and Christmas sermons about a storefront window display in Japan of a crucified Santa. It turned out to be an urban legend, which should be a lesson to preachers not to steal illustrations from each other. But the point was supposed to be that the Japanese, being largely unfamiliar with Christianity, had juxtaposed the American Santa Claus with the Jesus who dies on the cross, thus unwittingly capturing more about Christianity than our own Christmas celebrations. Well, as you may be aware, a…

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Advent 3: Christ the Scandal

Posted on December 11th, 2011

Third in a four-part series: Christ the King, Christ the Judge, Christ the Scandal, Christ the Sacrifice Gospel for Advent 3: Matthew 11:2-11 Dearly beloved, today is called Gaudete, from a Latin call to rejoicing. But the church gives us a strange story for rejoicing: the imprisonment of John the Baptist. We know how things will end for him: Imprisoned for calling King Herod to repentance for taking his brother’s wife, John’s head will be lopped off when Herod could not say no to a dancing girl’s request. John is in prison, and the Baptist’s disciples come with a question for Jesus: Are you the Coming One, the promised Messiah, the Christ who will save His people? Someone doubts; either John in prison, or…

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Sermon for Rorate Coeli (Fourth Sunday in Advent)

Posted on December 19th, 2010

John 1:19-28 – Baptism of William Michael Horning And it came to pass, when American cinematography reached its apex, that our noble artists in Hollywood decreed that a classic for the ages should be released. And Lo! it was called: “Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby.” For those of you who are more pious and cultured than I am, let me describe for you the movie’s best scene. Ricky Bobby is, besides being a successful racecar driver, the quintessential American Christian. As the family gathers for a meal of Dominos and KFC, Ricky Bobby begins his table prayer, “Dear Lord Baby Jesus.” As he keeps on praying to the tiny infant Jesus, his wife interrupts him to remind him that Jesus did grow…

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Ich bin eine Stimme eines Rufers

Posted on December 18th, 2010

Because the ministry of the Word is that of God Himself, which He Himself wants to carry out through ordained means and instruments in His church, Luke 1:70; Heb. 1:1; 2 Cor. 5:20, “We are ambassadors for Christ, as though God” [who is not far away from His ambassadors as king or ruler] “were appealing through us.” Therefore it is absolutely necessary, if you want to be a faithful pastor of the church, that you be certain that God wants to use your labors and that you are such an instrument of His. For in this way you can apply also to yourself these statements of Scripture: such as Is. 59:21; 2 Cor. 13:3; Luke 10:16. And as John the Baptizer says in John…

Categories: Theology

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Baptism of Our Lord

Posted on January 13th, 2010

January 13 is the traditional date for the observance of the Baptism of Our Lord. The following is the sermon preached at Immanuel’s Divine Service for the Feast. The Gospel reading is Matthew 3:13-17. One of the first things to go when pastors start tinkering with the church’s liturgy is the absolution. Some pastors are uncomfortable with what’s called the “indicative-operative” formula of absolution: “I forgive you all your sins, in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” And it’s one of the common complaints a pastor hears: “Who do you think you are, forgiving sins?!”

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Gaudete sermon

Posted on December 13th, 2009

Gospel: Matthew 11:2-11 “Whose way John the Baptist prepared.” These words are in our Advent liturgy every year. They’re about Jesus, “Whose way John the Baptist prepared.” They’re about Jesus. Everything John the Baptist did was about Jesus. It was that way from the beginning, when he was yet in his mother Elizabeth’s womb. He leaped for joy when, while still an unborn child, he heard the greeting of the Blessed Virgin Mary, come to visit her cousin Elizabeth. John knew his Lord, God in the flesh, was near, and so he danced in her womb, and Elizabeth knew this was no ordinary kicking a baby does. John knew. And later, when he made the desert his habitation and made locusts his diet, John…

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Rorate Coeli

Posted on December 21st, 2008

Sermon for Advent IV: John 1.19-28   “There stands One among you whom you do not know.” John the Baptist is referring to Jesus, who is the Christ. He was in their midst, but they did not recognize Him. Could that be said of you? You come outwardly to worship Christ here, but do you know Him? Does your life testify that you know Him? Do your words? Do the desires of your heart?

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