Zion Lutheran Sioux Falls

The Feast of the Epiphany centers in the visit of the Magi from the East. 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. 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).

Advent is the season of holy anticipation. Christ arrives in three ways: He came in humility at Bethlehem, He comes now in Word and Sacrament, and He will come again in glory. Each week we live in eager expectation, moved to sing with the shepherds and the saints: Behold your King’s arrival, rich with grace on grace! Today, THE KING WHO CAME IN HUMILITY: The Child of Bethlehem comes in lowliness yet carries heaven’s majesty. The shepherds’ astonishment and haste mirror our anticipation of grace fulfilled in flesh.

Advent is the season of holy anticipation. Christ arrives in three ways: He came in humility at Bethlehem, He comes now in Word and Sacrament, and He will come again in glory. Each week we live in eager expectation, moved to sing with the shepherds and the saints: Behold your King’s arrival, rich with grace on grace! Today, THE KING WHO COMES IN WORD AND SACRAMENT: The King is not absent … He arrives here and now in preaching, water, bread, and wine. In these “commonplace” things God delivers extraordinary miracles of forgiveness and new life.

Advent is the season of holy anticipation. Christ arrives in three ways: He came in humility at Bethlehem, He comes now in Word and Sacrament, and He will come again in glory. Each week we live in eager expectation, moved to sing with the shepherds and the saints: Behold your King’s arrival, rich with grace on grace! Today, THE KING WHO WILL COME IN GLORY: The same King who came in humility and who comes even now will come again as Judge and Deliverer. Advent directs us to prepare in repentance and hope for the trumpet that will peel back the sky.

Advent is the season of holy anticipation. Christ arrives in three ways: He came in humility at Bethlehem, He comes now in Word and Sacrament, and He will come again in glory. Each week we live in eager expectation, moved to sing with the shepherds and the saints: Behold your King’s arrival, rich with grace on grace! Today, ANTICIPATION: PREPARING FOR THE KING: Advent begins in longing. God stirs our anticipation with promises of comfort, a voice crying in the wilderness, and the pledge of a coming King.

Our Bible Reading of the Day is Exodus 7.  God guides Moses to release His people from their slavery in Egypt, but Pharaoh proves less than cooperative.  A series of plagues—foretold by Moses and sent by God—brings destruction and pain upon the Egyptians but only serves to harden Pharaoh’s heart against Moses and the Israelites.  We make idols when we put our trust in creation and not the Creator.  Jesus is true God, and He has delivered us from our bondage to sin, death, and the devil through the cross.  

The Reading of the Day is from Genesis 39:20–23; 41:9–49. Falsely accused, Joseph finds himself in prison interpreting dreams for Pharaoh’s baker and cupbearer. When the Egyptian pharaoh has troubling dreams, God empowers Joseph to explain the visions. Pharaoh appoints him to the second highest position in the land, and Joseph manages the harvest to endure the coming famine. God reversed the fortunes of Joseph, turning his bad situation into a good one. Christ humbled Himself for us, dying on a cross and rising again to new life, and in doing so has turned our bad situation of being slaves to sin and death into the good situation of being adopted children of God.

Our Bible Reading of the Day is Genesis 29:1-30. Jacob experiences love at first sight when he meets Rachel at the well. Welcomed into his uncle Laban’s household, Jacob agrees to work seven years in order to marry Rachel. When the wedding celebration finally arrives, Laban tricks Jacob into marrying Rachel’s older sister, Leah. Realizing the deception, Jacob confronts his uncle, who gives him Rachel’s hand for another seven years of service. Christ came into the world through this broken family of liars and deceivers. He, however, is sinless and perfect, and has come to restore us to a perfect relationship with the heavenly Father.

Our Bible Reading of the Day is Genesis 25:19–34; 27:1–45. When Isaac is sixty years old, Rebekah gives birth to very different twin boys—Esau and Jacob. Isaac ignores God’s promise to Jacob and favors Esau. Esau’s hunger gets the best of him as he sells his birthright for a bowl of stew. Rebekah enables further deception as she plots with Jacob, her favored son, so that he receives Isaac’s blessing. When Esau vows to kill Jacob, Rebekah sends Jacob away for his own safety. Isaac and Rebekah’s family was unfaithful to God and to one another. Jesus, the ultimate fulfillment of the promised line of Isaac, was faithful to God in ways His ancestors were not.

The Reading of the Day is from Genesis 24:1–4, 10–28, 50–67. Abraham tasks a faithful servant with finding a wife for Isaac from Abraham’s homeland. The servant prays for a sign and waits at a well outside the city of Nahor. Rebekah appears, offering to draw water for both man and beast—the sign the servant had asked for. Rebekah invites the servant to come to her family home. Having received gifts from Abraham, Rebekah’s family sends her to Isaac with their blessings. God provided a bride for Isaac and so supported His promise to Abraham. Christ is our Bridegroom, who will return one day for the Bride, His Church, and will take us to our eternal dwelling.