Preacher: The Rev. R. Eric Malmstrom

Genesis 3:1–21 / 2 Corinthians 6:1–10 / Matthew 4:1–11

Jesus Does Battle in Our Place
In the Garden, man exalts himself to be a god in place of God (Gen. 3:1–21). He succumbs to the temptation of the devil, and eating of the forbidden fruit, he receives death. But in the sin-cursed wilderness, God humbles Himself to become man in place of man (Mt. 4:1–11). He does not eat but fasts and bears the onslaughts of the devil for us that we may be restored to life. Jesus stands as David in our place to do battle against the Goliath, Satan (1 Samuel 17:40–51). Though outwardly Jesus appears weak, yet He comes in the name of the Lord of hosts. He draws from the five smooth stones of the books of Moses and slings the Word of God. The stone sinks into the forehead, and the enemy falls. In Christ we are victorious over the devil. Let us therefore not receive the grace of God in vain (2 Cor. 6:1–10), but seeing that we have a great High Priest, let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain help in time of need (Heb 4:14–16).

Sermon text: https://oursaviorlynchburg.notion.site/30f75af8d8cd805da12ccf28f6ac2bc1

Preacher: The Rev. Aaron E. Yaeger

Jonah 3:1–10 / [2 Peter 1:2–11] / Matthew 6:16–21

Return to the Lord Your God with All Your Heart.
With Jesus, we set our face toward Jerusalem. We make a pilgrimage with Him by the way of repentance, and thus return to the dying and rising of Holy Baptism. Each day He summons you to return to Him with all your heart because He is “gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love” (Joel 2:13). Do so in faith and confidence before Him, supplementing your faith with “virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love” (2 Pet. 1:5–7). During this Lenten season: set aside special times to pray to your Father in heaven; give to the needy from a heart of love; and fast for the sake of repentance (Matt. 6:3–4, 6, 17–18).

Sermon text: https://oursaviorlynchburg.notion.site/30b75af8d8cd80f2a383db078ee24ae8

Preacher: The Rev. Aaron E. Yaeger

1 Samuel 16:1–13 / 1 Corinthians 13:1–13 / Luke 18:31–43

Quinquagesima (meaning “about 50 days”)
Grace is Not Easily Understood (or Faith Alone in Christ Alone). The seeing are blind, while the one who is blind can see (Luke 18:31–43), for he calls Jesus “Son of David.”. On the Sunday before Ash Wednesday we hear in the Gospel (Luke 18:34) Jesus predict His passion, death, and resurrection. We also hear that the disciples “understood none of these things. This saying was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said.” We pray then that God would be gracious and patient with us and grant faith and understanding to us despite our many sins. Those who behold Him thus by faith follow Him to the cross through death into life eternal.

Sermon text: https://oursaviorlynchburg.notion.site/30775af8d8cd80c2ab4dc03aed68b00a

Preacher: The Rev. Aaron E. Yaeger

Isaiah 55:10–13 / 2 Corinthians 11:19–12:9 / Luke 8:4–15

Sexagesima (meaning “about 60 days”) - Grace is Passively Received (or Scripture Alone)
The Sower sows the seed of His Word (Luke 8:4–15). This Word is living and powerful (Heb. 4:9–13) to conceive new life in those who hear it. But the planting of Christ is attacked by the devil, the world, and our own sinful flesh. In the collect for this Sunday we pray that God would be our strength and that He would mercifully defend us by His power. In Christ, the weak are strong (2 Cor. 11:19–12:9). In the Parable of the Sower (Luke 8:4-15), we hear how the seed of God’s Word is passively received. It transforms bad soil into good and noble hearts. We pray that this would happen to and for us. He is the Word of the Father which does not return void (Is. 55:10–13) but yields a harvest hundredfold.

Sermon text: https://oursaviorlynchburg.notion.site/30175af8d8cd80a1918ad4e8054edce5

Preacher: The Rev. Aaron E. Yaeger

Exodus 17:1–7 / 1 Corinthians 9:24–10:5 / Matthew 20:1–16

Septuagesima (meaning “about 70 days”) - Grace is Undeserved (or Grace Alone) 
The collect for this Sunday implores God to graciously hear us, who are justly punished for our sin, so that we may be delivered by His goodness. The goodness of God is emphasized in the parable of the vineyard workers in the Gospel, Matthew 20:1-16. All the laborers receive the reward because of the goodness of the landowner and not because of their own labor or merit. We prepare for Easter by remembering that God is good and Christ has borne the heat and burden of the day for us so that we might have the goodness He gives for free.

What is pre-Lent? These three Sundays begin the church's countdown to Easter Sunday. More properly, this time is called Gesimatide from the Latin names: Septuagesima (70 days – Grace is undeserved or Grace alone); Sexagesima (60 days – Grace is passively received or Scripture alone); and Quinquagesima (50 days – Grace is not easily understood or Faith alone). These themes, which point us to God's Word and the old truths of the Reformation, help us to prepare for the season of Lent.

Sermon text: https://oursaviorlynchburg.notion.site/2fa75af8d8cd804d9a33ed13ff17b19a

Preacher: The Rev. Aaron E. Yaeger

Amos 9:11–15 / Romans 12:6–16a* / John 2:1–11

Jesus’ First Miracle Reveals God’s Glory
The coming of the Messianic kingdom means the restoration of creation. The sign of this restoration is that “the mountains shall drip sweet wine” (Amos 9:11–15). When the elements of a fallen creation fail and run short at a wedding feast, our Lord Jesus steps in to restore creation and miraculously changes water into an abundance of the very best wine (John 2:1–11). With this sign, Christ manifests His glory. The “back” of God (Ex. 33:12–23) is revealed to those who believe. The hour will come when Jesus will again manifest His glory by taking creation’s curse into His own body to release us from its power. The Bridegroom will give His life for the Bride (Eph. 5:22–32), and from His side will flow water and blood, the holy sacraments by which she is cleansed and made one with Him. Through this sacrificial love of Christ we are enabled to “love one another with brotherly affection . . .” and to “outdo one another in showing honor” (Rom. 12:6–16).

Sermon text: https://oursaviorlynchburg.notion.site/2eb75af8d8cd80848f90d9db3ad526ff

Preacher: The Rev. Aaron E. Yaeger

Isaiah 42:1–7 / 1 Corinthians 1:26–31 / Matthew 3:13–17

LSB Lectionary
In His Baptism, Jesus Takes His Place with Sinners
Our Lord Jesus is baptized “to fulfill all righteousness” (Matt. 3:13–17). He partakes of a baptism for sinners in order that He might be our substitute and bear the judgment we deserve. In the water, Jesus trades places with us. Our sin becomes His sin. His righteousness becomes our righteousness. Our glory, therefore, is in “Christ Jesus, who became to us . . . righteousness and sanctification and redemption” (1 Cor. 1:26–31). Jesus is the “chosen” One sent from the Father to release us from the prison house of sin and death (Is. 42:1–7). Baptized into Christ, we also become the chosen ones, beloved of the Father. We cross the Jordan with Jesus (Joshua 3) through death into the promised land of new life with God.

Sermon text: https://oursaviorlynchburg.notion.site/2e575af8d8cd8089b374f14546e7c560

Preacher: The Rev. Aaron E. Yaeger

Isaiah 60:1–6 / [Ephesians 3:2b–12*] / Matthew 2:1–12

The Lord God Is Manifested in the Incarnate Son
The Feast of the Epiphany centers in the visit of the Magi from the East. In that respect, it is a “Thirteenth Day” of Christmas; and yet, it also marks the beginning of a new liturgical season. While Christmas has focused on the Incarnation of our Lord—that is, on God becoming flesh—the season of Epiphany emphasizes the manifestation or self-revelation of God in that same flesh of Christ. For the Lord Himself has entered our darkness and rises upon us with the brightness of His true light (Is. 60:1–2). He does so chiefly by His Word of the Gospel, which He causes to be preached within His Church on earth—not only to the Jews but also to Gentiles (Eph. 3:8–10). As the Magi were guided by the promises of Holy Scripture to find and worship the Christ Child with His mother in the house (Matt. 2:5–11), so does He call disciples from all nations by the preaching of His Word, to find and worship Him within His Church (Is. 60:3–6). With gold they confess His royalty; with incense, His deity; and with myrrh, His priestly sacrifice (Matt. 2:11).

Sermon text: https://oursaviorlynchburg.notion.site/2de75af8d8cd80e48199dd44059ebee1

Preacher: The Rev. R. Eric Malmstrom

Jeremiah 31:15–17 / Revelation 14:1–5 / Matthew 2:13b–18*

The Holy Innocents, Martyrs
“A voice is heard in Ramah, lamentation and bitter weeping. Rachel is weeping for her children” (Jer. 31:15). Herod rages and sends to kill all boys two years and younger (Matt. 2:16), desperate to destroy the newborn King of kings. The Church remembers these innocent victims as martyrs. They died for the One who came to die for them. This dark commemoration bears witness to the cruelty of sinful men and the world’s hatred of Christ who has sanctified our fragile life even from His conception and birth. But the boy who escaped Bethlehem’s bloody streets unscathed went on to face thorns, nails and spear for them and for us. He is the Lamb whose name is written with the Father’s name on the foreheads of His baptized saints (Rev. 14:1). By His death He has redeemed an inheritance for Himself and brought peace at last by His blood. On the fourth day of Christmas, we sing “the new song” of the Lamb, of Christ the true martyr, whose death testifies that our redemption is won. We “follow the Lamb wherever He goes” (Rev. 14:4), for He will bring our tears to an end.

Sermon text: https://oursaviorlynchburg.notion.site/2d775af8d8cd808ba2e5cd64d6b546a4

Preacher: The Rev. Aaron E. Yaeger

Isaiah 52:6–10* / Hebrews 1:1–12* / John 1:1–14

The Living and Life-Giving Word of God Dwells among Us in the Flesh
In the beginning God created all things through His Word, His Son. But man fell into sin, and with man all creation was cursed. Therefore, God spoke His Word again, this time into the womb of the blessed Virgin Mary. The glory of the Lord filled the tabernacle of our human nature (Ex. 40:17–21, 34–38). “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:1–14). The Son of God took on our flesh and blood and died on the cross in order that we might receive the right to become the children of God through faith. Baptized into Christ’s body, we are made partakers of a new Genesis, “the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit” (Titus 3:4–7). In Christ, the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man has truly appeared.

Sermon text: https://oursaviorlynchburg.notion.site/2d375af8d8cd80b3bef6d34f14847bf8