Reflections

Today's Reading: Luke 2:21

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 61:1-11; Luke 1:57-80

And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. (Luke 2:21)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Why do we begin each of these Reflections in the Name of Jesus? In one of the first sermons in the New Testament Church, Peter declares, "And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved" (Acts 4:12). Names can designate and differentiate, names can describe and denote, but only the Name of Jesus saves. 

Jesus' parents didn't pick out His Name for Him. "He was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb" (Luke 2:21b). When the angel delivers the Name, he also delivers the Name's meaning. "Behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins'" (Matthew 1:20–21). 

The Name of Jesus literally means, "The Lord saves." While this Name was reserved for the Son of Mary and Joseph before He was even conceived in the womb, it's not officially given to Him until a week and a day after His birth. Names and circumcision go together ever since God changed Abram's name to Abraham and gave him circumcision as a sign of the covenant He made with him. 

But there's also something more significant about the Name of Jesus and His circumcision: The eighth day of His life outside the womb was the first day that He shed His blood. His circumcision is a prelude to the Cross. The salvation that Jesus brings is salvation from sins, "and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins" (Hebrews 9:22b).

The Name of Jesus is given to us in Baptism. Baptism moves us into His Name, and being in His Name we receive all the benefits of that Name. The Lord saves His people from their sins by shedding His blood. So, "whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him" (Colossians 3:17). In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Jesus! Name of priceless worth To the fallen of the earth For the promise that it gave, "Jesus shall His people save." ("Jesus! Name of Wondrous Love" LSB 900, st.3)

-Rev. Jacob Ehrhard is pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church and School in Chicago, IL.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Duane Bamsch

Today's Reading: Luke 12:35-40

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 60:1-22; Luke 1:39-56

Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them. (Luke 12:37)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Happy New Year! The 365th day of 2021 will soon be ending. 2022 is just around the corner. While 2021 had its joys, many people will be glad to put it in the history books. Here's to a new and brighter future!

Do you plan to stay up and wait for the clock to hit midnight? When I was a kid, it was a thrill to be able to stay up late and be a part of the festivities. In my teenage years and in college, midnight was often when evening plans began. Now that I've put quite a few New Years in the rearview mirror, I'm lucky If I can stay awake to watch the ball drop on the east coast before I fall asleep. 

Waiting for the New Year to arrive should also remind you that as Christians, we also wait for Christ to arrive. While we know that the New Year comes at midnight, the coming of Christ is different. "You also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect" (Luke 12:40).

Something strange happens when the Son of Man comes, though. In any other situation, the household waits up for the master so that they can serve his needs. But Jesus turns the tables upside down. "Blessed are those servants whom the master finds awake when he comes. Truly, I say to you, he will dress himself for service and have them recline at table, and he will come and serve them" (Luke 12:37). 

The master serves the servants! This is how things work in the upside-down, topsy-turvy kingdom of heaven. It's worth the wait. But then again, you don't really have to wait. The Master gives you a little preview of His return every Lord's Day as you recline at His altar and He serves you His Body and Blood. 

Watch. Wait. And prepare for the Master's return by going to His altar. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Jesus, guard and guide Thy members, Fill them with Thy boundless grace, Hear their prayers in ev'ry place. Fan to flame faith's glowing embers; Grant all Christians, far and near, Holy peace, a glad new year! Joy, O joy, beyond all gladness, Christ has done away with sadness! Hence, all sorrow and repining, For the Sun of Grace is shining! ("O Rejoice, Ye Christians, Loudly" LSB 897 st.4)

-Rev. Jacob Ehrhard is pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church and School in Chicago, IL.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Duane Bamsch

Today's Reading: Luke 2:33-40

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 58:1-59:3, 14-21; Luke 1:26-38

And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him. (Luke 2:40)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Can God make a rock so heavy that He can't lift it? If God can do anything, He can certainly make a rock that is exceedingly heavy. But if God can do anything He could lift it. We're stuck. Either God can't make the rock or He can't lift it--and then God can no longer do anything.

But questions like this are from the devil. "You shall not put the Lord your God to the test" (Matthew 4:7). It is not our place to tell God what He can or can't do. It's not our place to put God into a paradox from which He cannot escape.

God does the paradox His way.

Luke 2:40 reports one of the most paradoxical events the world has ever seen: "And the child grew and became strong." This Child, who was also God, grew and became strong. This Child, the Lord of heaven and earth, who can move planets with His voice, grew and became strong. Presumably at some point before He became strong, He encountered a rock that He could not lift.

"Kenosis" is the term that describes how Jesus set aside His divine power in the Incarnation. It comes from the Greek word that means "to empty," as it says in Philippians 2:6–7: "Though he was in the form of God, [He] did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men." 

The irony is that by making Himself unable to lift the rock, the Son of God shows that He can indeed do anything--including suffering and dying for humanity's sins. The Child Jesus grew and became strong, but His strength is measured in weakness. Likewise, the Child was filled with wisdom, but His wisdom is measured in foolishness. "For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men" (1 Corinthians 1:25). 

God could do anything (including making a rock so heavy that Jesus couldn't lift it when He was a boy). But God chooses to do the Cross. The Cross is strength in weakness and wisdom in folly. But He does it. He does it for you. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Abide with richest blessings Among us, bounteous Lord; Let us in grace and wisdom Grow daily through Your Word. ("Abide, O Dearest Jesus" LSB 919, st.4)

-Rev. Jacob Ehrhard is pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church and School in Chicago, IL.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Duane Bamsch

Today's Reading: Small Catechism: Table of Duties, To Workers

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 55:1-13; Luke 1:1-25

Bondservants, obey your earthly masters with fear and trembling, with a sincere heart, as you would Christ, not by the way of eye-service, as people-pleasers, but as bondservants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart, rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man, knowing that whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord, whether he is a bondservant or is free. (Ephesians 6:5–8)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Work. Everyone's got to do it. Not everyone likes it. Some people detest it. And then there are some who do incredible amounts of work in order to avoid work. 

But work is not itself bad. God works. "And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done" (Genesis 2:2). God likewise made man for work. "The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it" (Genesis 2:15). But Adam inverted this scheme. He worked where he should have rested and harvested fruit when he should have been hearing God's Word.

Sin breaks work. Instead of working for the good of creation, we want to work to please God. Instead of resting to receive God's gifts, we relax our efforts when our neighbors truly have needs. Sin turns work upon its head.

But to this broken world of work, God speaks His Word. "Bondservants, obey your earthly masters. . . as you would Christ. . . rendering service with a good will as to the Lord and not to man." Works done for others are works done for Christ! Whether you are a servant bound to a boss or a free person bound to your neighbor's needs, your works benefit the world around you. God sanctifies work once again with His Word.

And this allows us to relax before God. "Whatever good anyone does, this he will receive back from the Lord," not in the way of rewards or karma, but that God also sends workers for your good. Through the work of others, God also blesses you. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

With the Lord begin your task; Jesus will direct it. For His aid and counsel ask; Jesus will perfect it. Ev'ry morn with Jesus rise, And when day is ended, In His name then close your eyes; Be to Him commended. ("With the Lord Begin Your Task" LSB 869, st.1)

-Rev. Jacob Ehrhard is pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church and School in Chicago, IL.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Duane Bamsch

Today's Reading: Matthew 2:13-18

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 52:13-54:10; Matthew 2:13-23

Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, "Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him." And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, "Out of Egypt I called my son." (Matthew 2:13–15)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Emperor Caesar Augustus reportedly once said that it was better to be Herod's pig than his son. That's because Herod executed several of his own sons to prevent them from taking power away from him. So it's really no surprise that when he got wind of a baby born to be king, he turned to violence once more. 

The Holy Family could have gone anywhere outside of Herod's reach for safety, but the angel directed them to Egypt. Perhaps Joseph was familiar with Egypt and even knew some people there who would let him lay low with his wife and newly born Son. But God certainly knew Egypt. That's where He sent His son Jacob for safety during a famine. And there, Jacob became a great nation. But a time came when Egypt's safe haven became an oppressive prison. So God called the sons of Jacob out of Egypt by His servant Moses.

The story of salvation echoes throughout history. God called His sons out of Egypt in the Exodus and He calls His Son Jesus out of Egypt. Both calls are surrounded by death, however. The flight from Egypt and the flight to Egypt are both initiated by the deaths of sons in the final plague and the martyrdom of the innocents. Even though Joseph found safety in Egypt for the Child, His death really was inevitable. The martyrdom of the Holy Innocents bears witness to the death of Jesus.

But just as God raised His Son from Egypt, He also raised Him from the dead. And because Christ is risen, the Holy Innocents will also rise. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Ah, what availed King Herod's wrath? He could not stop the Savior's path. Alone, while others murdered lay, In safety Christ is borne away ("Sweet Flowerets of the Martyr Band" LSB 969, st.3)

-Rev. Jacob Ehrhard is pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church and School in Chicago, IL.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Duane Bamsch

Today's Reading: John 21:19-24

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 51:17-52:12; Matthew 2:1-12

This is the disciple who is bearing witness about these things, and who has written these things, and we know that his testimony is true. (John 21:24)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. John wrote many things, including several letters and the book of Revelation. But many scholars of the Bible place John's Gospel at the very end of the apostolic era, and consider it perhaps the last book of the New Testament to be written. In the final years of his life, John sets down the life of Jesus one final time. His Gospel is different from those of colleagues Matthew, Mark, and Luke. As an evangelist, John is depicted as an eagle because his Gospel soars with rich theology. 

The story of Jesus could have been written in many different ways. In fact, John himself testifies, "Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written" (John 21:25). But why did John write these things? And how do we know that his testimony is true?

John wrote the things that he wrote for a reason. "Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name" (John 20:30–31). John writes for faith and life--faith that Jesus is the Christ and God's Son, and the life that comes in His Name. 

And we know that his testimony is true because it's not just his testimony. "He who saw it has borne witness--his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth--that you also may believe" (John 19:35). He writes this just after he reports the blood and water that flowed from Jesus' side when He died. The water and the blood testify with the Spirit (1 John 5:7–8). The testimony of John is the testimony of God. For you. For faith. For life. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Merciful Lord, cast the bright beams of Your light upon Your Church that we, being instructed in the doctrine of Your blessed apostle and evangelist John, may come to the light of everlasting life; for You live and reign with the Father and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. (Collect for St. John, Apostle and Evangelist)

-Rev. Jacob Ehrhard is pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church and School in Chicago, IL.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Duane Bamsch

Today's Reading: Acts 6:8-7:2, 51-60

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 49:22-26; 50:4-51:8, 12-16; Matthew 1:18-25

But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. (Acts 7:55)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. You can't get one day into the season of Christmas without rocks flying. Yesterday was a day of joy, of glory for God, peace on earth, goodwill toward men. Today men grind their teeth in a rage at the message of Jesus. It's perhaps the second starkest contrast in the Church's entire year of grace. Jesus is born and then Stephen is martyred.

The Greek word "martyr" means "witness." A martyr is anyone who bears witness about anything and the content of their testimony is their "martyria." Eventually the term martyr took on a more specific meaning to denote anyone who bore witness to the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus unto their own death. Their blood was the witness that they bore. Martyrdom was common in the early years of the Christian Church.

Stephen's martyria is one of the longest in Scripture. You should read the verses in between Acts 7:2 and 7:51. Stephen rehearses the history of Israel, then demonstrates that it all was a prelude to Jesus. Yet God's work is met with resistance every step of the way. Stiff-necked people always resist the Holy Spirit. 

Stephen preached the Law and it enraged his opponents. But what got him killed is the essence of his martyria. "And he said, ‘Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God'" (Acts 7:56). It's interesting to note that every week in the creed we confess that Jesus sits at God's right hand, but Stephen specifically says that Jesus is standing. 

This should remind us of the starkest contrast in the Church's entire year of grace. One Friday Jesus hangs on a tree until He is dead. And then on the Third Day after that, He stands again. That's what resurrection means--the dead man stands up again. And so Stephen's martyria is not a witness unto death, but a witness unto life--the life that we have in Christ. Stephen will stand again. And so will you. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Heavenly Father, in the midst of our sufferings for the sake of Christ grant us grace to follow the example of the first martyr, Stephen, that we also may look to the One who suffered and was crucified on our behalf and pray for those who do us wrong; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. (Collect for St. Stephen, Martyr)

-Rev. Jacob Ehrhard is pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church and School in Chicago, IL.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Duane Bamsch

Today's Reading: Luke 2:1-20

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 49:1-18; Matthew 1:1-17

"Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" (Luke 2:14 NKJV)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. A peculiar choir gathers in the field outside Bethlehem. Angels gather before an audience of shepherds and sing a new song, for the Lord has done a marvelous thing. Their hymn of three parts praises the birth of Jesus and what it means for God and for us.

"Glory to God in the highest." Glory is revelation. The glory of God in the Old Testament was the visible manifestation of His presence in cloud and fire. But as the first chorus of the angels' hymn reverberates through the countryside, God makes Himself known in a new way. No longer wrapped in fire and clouds, the shepherds can find Christ the Lord wrapped in swaddling cloths. The flesh of a newborn baby is glory for God. The One who reigns in the highest has made Himself known by descending among the lowest.

"And on earth peace." Jesus was born in a time of relative peace in the world. But peace on earth is often maintained by force and threat of violence; the world is always on the edge of war. The peace that comes with the birth of Jesus isn't worldly peace, however. Since Adam's sin, humanity has been at enmity with God. The only solution for this war was for God's Son to cross enemy lines, to Himself become a man, and to suffer the violence that a ruler thought necessary to keep the peace. But by suffering violence, Jesus brings peace on earth. "Peace be with you," is the message of the resurrection (John 20:19). 

"Goodwill toward men!" How does one please God? A mountain of good works won't begin to please Him; even our best works are like a pile of dirty rags. All our works are stained by bad intentions and inherited sin. But Jesus, the Son of the Virgin, earns His Father's pleasure by His obedience. "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased," declares the Father's voice from heaven (Luke 4:22b). The same voice that declares God's goodwill at Jesus' Baptism also declares you to be His beloved son or daughter, and that He is pleased with you for the sake of Christ.

"Gloria in excelsis Deo." Glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

Come to Bethlehem and see Him whose birth the angels sing; Come, adore on bended knee Christ the Lord, the newborn King. Gloria in excelsis Deo. ("Angels We Have Heard on High" LSB 368, st.3)

-Rev. Jacob Ehrhard is pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church and School in Chicago, IL.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Duane Bamsch

Today's Reading: Isaiah 7:10-14

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 44:21-45:13, 20-25; Revelation 12:1-17 

Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14)

In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. In his book on Christian doctrine, St. Augustine writes that there are two kinds of signs: natural and conventional. Natural signs are those that have a relation of cause and effect, such as smoke signifying fire or a paw print in the mud pointing to a particular kind of animal. On the other hand, conventional signs do not have any intrinsic relation to the things they signify. They point to ideas or feelings or theology. In fact, this page is filled with conventional signs. Words mean things because the shapes of the letters of the English alphabet signify certain things when they're arranged in a certain order.

But signs are not always clear. Sometimes signs are ambiguous: They could mean one thing; they could mean another thing. They could mean several things at once or nothing at all. Signs need to be interpreted properly. If you've ever been misinterpreted, you know how frustrating it is when you mean one thing and someone thinks you mean another. 

God also gives signs. He gives natural signs, like a beautiful sunrise to signify His majesty and glory. He also gives conventional signs, like the Holy Scriptures. But His signs are often misinterpreted. So sometimes He gives a sign that is neither conventional nor natural. "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel" (Isaiah 7:14). 

The Lord Himself provides the sign and the Lord Himself provides the interpretation. "All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: ‘Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel' (which means, God with us)" (Matthew 1:22–23). The meaning of this sign isn't just an idea or a feeling or even theology. It's God Himself. The unconventional and unnatural sign of the virgin conception and birth signifies that God Himself is now with us. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.

We praise You, Jesus, at Your birth; Clothed in flesh You came to earth. The virgin bears a sinless boy And all the angels sing for joy. Alleluia! ("We Praise You, Jesus, at Your Birth" LSB 382, st.1)

-Rev. Jacob Ehrhard is pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church and School in Chicago, IL

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Duane Bamsch

Today's Reading: Philippians 4:4-7

Daily Lectionary: Isaiah 43:25-44:20; Revelation 11:1-19

The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:5b-7)

 In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. You may have already realized that I did not start where you thought I might. I skipped vs. 4, and I suggest you read it after we are done. The true hope Paul has, that allows him to be so content in every situation, (Philippians 4:11), is in this Gospel good news promise: "The Lord is at hand!" It means that what He promises is here, right now, for you.

Today is the "day before," the day before the day when God put flesh on a long-standing promise. Emmanuel will come! God will take on flesh and blood and dwell among us. The Prince of Peace will bring what His Name describes. "The Lord is at hand" to calm our anxious hearts. About 18% of the United States is on medication for anxiety. Many more limp along without treatment. We worry, fret, and fear. The cares of the day, the season, our health, and family concerns keep us up at night. How is your anxiety level just two days before Christmas? 

Anxiety is not new. Since sin came into the world sinners have been anxious. Jesus addresses anxiety directly in His Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 6). Likewise, Paul directs our anxious lives to hope and peace: "The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything." Did you notice how Paul did not direct you to the self-help section of the bookstore in order to decrease your stress? He simply and calmly says, "The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything." Jesus brings peace.

For three years Jesus preached and healed and brought peace. He calmed an anxious wedding host who ran out of wine. He slowed anxious Martha from her frenzied serving. And with the completion of His work on the Cross, He forgave you and reconciled you to God. 

Your past is forgiven. It died with Jesus on the Cross. The Lord is at hand. You are forgiven. The cares of today are not unknown to our omniscient (all-knowing) God. That is why He makes promises to you. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

Now go read vs. 4. That is the result of living in the peace and forgiveness of Jesus. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. 

Wait, then, in quiet confidence, Your anxious thoughts at rest. God knows your needs before you ask And works for what is best. ("Be Still, My Soul, before the Lord" LSB 771, st.3)

-Rev. Randy Sturzenbecher is pastor of Divine Shepherd Lutheran Church, Black Hawk, SD. He is also the vice president of Higher Things.

Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Duane Bamsch