The Son of God goes forth to war and defeats the devil for us. The Prayer of the Day sets the tone for Sunday: the ancient foe warred on mankind in the garden, but God promised to send a champion to battle on our behalf. The Second Adam came to do what the first could not, and in the desert the battle was joined. But for us fights the valiant one … he holds the field forever.

Jesus appears in glory as the Son of God. Before he suffers as man’s substitute, Jesus gives his Church a glimpse of the glory that he set aside to be our Savior. See how he loves us! The Majestic Glory became a man to suffer and die for us, just as Moses and the Prophets had foretold. How good to be here!

Let your light shine! Jesus tells us: You are … so be. You are the light of the world, so be light for the earth. You are the salt of the earth, so be salt for it. Our calling as children of God means our lives will reflect our new status, and the world around us will be blessed by us.

The Savior’s Sermon: Trust in God’s strength! The Beatitudes are hard for us to swallow. Jesus seems to be espousing a Christianity imbued with fatalism at best or defeatism at worst. Look closer, however, and see what he says. The weaker you are, the stronger God is in your life. The weaker you are now, the more ready you are to trust in a future reward. Trust God’s grace and you will find many reasons to trust his strength.

Jesus appears as the light that shines in the darkness. Dark places remain covered in the shadow of sin and unbelief. There are, however, bright places too, and there you can find God’s children. Jesus shines his light by preaching repentance and the good news of the coming kingdom, and he invites us to follow to a new life illumined by him.

Jesus appears as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. This Lamb would take away the sins of the world and bring both Israel and the Gentile nations into the kingdom of God. The hearts that see this Savior in faith cannot help but take news of this salvation to the ends of the earth.

The long-expected Christ has arrived; the waiting is over as the Son of David is anointed. The Father’s approval sounds from heaven and book-ends the season of Epiphany, when with the Holy Spirit and with power it thunders again on the Mount of Transfiguration as the Son is revealed in glory.

The Eastern Church celebrates January 6th as the Nativity of our Lord. For the West, the Epiphany of our Lord is the continued celebration of the birth of the Savior of Nations. So bright is the dawning of the Son, so great is the fullness of his glory, that his light not only fills the dark streets of Bethlehem, but the ends of the earth. Jew and Gentile alike gather to worship him who is born ruler of Judah and Shepherd of all Israel.

The Son of God came into this world to serve as our Substitute under the law of God. As our brother in humanity, Christ did what we cannot — he perfectly kept that law of God, and he freed us from the guilt and power of sin.

“But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.” Just as Mary, on the very first Christmas, we too meditate on the mystery of Christmas. Christ was born in order to live, die and rise from the grave for us! The Word became flesh and through faith we see his glory! Glory to God in the highest!

This last Sunday of Advent, we celebrate together the promise and fulfillment of the One born Immanuel, “God with us.” As we get closer and closer to Christmas, we ask God to prepare our hearts to receive the baby born in Bethlehem as his wonderful gift of salvation.

In this season of Advent (Coming) we focus on the three “comings” of Christ: his coming into this world as a baby to put himself in our place and to pay for our sins, his coming in glory at the last day to take us into the full enjoyment of our salvation, and his coming into our hearts now through the power of his word which gives us faith and makes that salvation our own. And all three of these comings lead us to REJOICE....

Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near! The Forerunner prepares for the coming Christ by preaching repentance that brings renewal of life. The Root of Jesse will come in swift judgment on the unrepentant but in mercy and grace for God’s people. His coming will end the wickedness of the world and usher in a new age restored to the perfection with which God made it.

Eagerly looking forward to Jesus’ second advent, we join in the excitement of the Palm Sunday crowd, making the preparations God instructs and joining our voices to shout: “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” This Sunday, we clearly proclaim the purpose for Jesus’ coming. His coming brings salvation.