Hallelujah! You praise, servants of Yahweh; praise the Name of Yahweh!
Be the Name of Yahweh, blessed; from now and forever. From the rising of
the sun to its going down; to be praised– the Name of Yahweh. High, over
all nations--Yahweh; over the heavens–His glory. Who is as Yahweh, our
God? He sits enthroned on high. He lowers Himself to see; in heaven and
on earth. He raises from dust, the helpless; from the ash heap He lifts
up the needy. To make sit with nobles; with nobles of His people. He
makes the barren abide in the house; a mother of sons, filled with joy!
Hallelujah!
Have you ever noticed that when a cartoon character gets a bright idea,
a light bulb suddenly appears above its head? This is supposed to show
that this character has been enlightened. Some significant bit of
information, previously unknown, has now been revealed. This *Aha!* or
*Eureka!* moment comes often to the most dim-witted character, to make
it appear instantly bright. So it is to us, in the darkness of our own
sin & despair, a great Light has shined upon us–namely Jesus!
Don't be like some, though, who don't think they need any enlightenment.
You may be tempted to assume you don't need to repent each day, as
though you no longer sin. You might think you already know *enough*, and
don't need Jesus' regular teaching. You may think you can make yourself
more bright, foolishly trying to lift yourself up out of the darkness of
despair. But you do better to be reminded that you are but *servants* of
the LORD, who must rely on Him for to brighten each day.
But Jesus surprised many by the manner in which He came to enlighten
mankind. He did not come as a scholarly professor. He did not arrive in
the palace of an influential king. He never ran for public office. He
had little financial wealth from which to draw as resources. He did not
show the charisma to be the next American Idol. He is not interested in
becoming Donald Trumps next Apprentice. He came humbly, lowering Himself
from His heavenly glory, right down to our sad & sorry level.
Yet the 2nd Person of the Trinity's light was the brightest of anyone's.
His glorious star shown greater than any other. Yet He was willing to
give it all up, relinquishing His Own glorious luster to become a mortal
man like you. He could have come down to be with princes & nobles, but
He didn't. Previously, Jesus had sat on the throne of heaven, at the
right hand of His Father. Over all of heaven & earth, He reigned. Then
He left all of that glory, humbling Himself as a man, under the Law of God.
Jesus comes right down into the dust & ashes of sin for you. Yet He knew
no sins of His Own, for He was perfect. His obedience to the Father and
His commandments was perfect. Yet this Holy One of God lowers Himself
into the dust & ashes of repentance for sins He didn't commit. He
willingly took your sins upon Himself, suffering the punishment you
deserved at the + of Calvary. He gave up His body unto death, and shed
His life-blood for you, in your place.
Why did Jesus do this? To enlighten you to a better, more glorious life
than you had before. "The Kingdom of Heaven is near!" He proclaims. He
takes you, helpless & needy in the poverty of your sins, and lifts you
up on high. No longer the lowly, in God's eyes you are now numbered with
the highest princes & nobles of society! You are no longer like a
depressed, barren, childless woman all alone. Now you are made to be
like one who is blessed with a house full of joyful children.
The darkness of sin, and the shadow of death is now removed from your
life, now & forevermore! For God has brought you to repentance, turning
you away from sin through Christ Jesus, and toward the enlightened life
He came to bring. You no longer consider yourselves residents of this
dying world, but as those who dwell in the kingdom of God in heaven. You
have been baptized in His blessed Name, and now belong to Him, do abide
in His heavenly home of paradise for eternity.
As citizens of heaven, you feast this day like wealthy nobles! You are
invited to the most opulent dinner table, a guest of the Lord Jesus,
invited to His Supper. Your food is the richest of delicacies, His holy
precious blood, and His body, which innocently suffered death for your
forgiveness. And if this meal were not rich enough, in and of itself,
the dessert which Christ's forgiveness brings you is salvation from sin,
death & the devil, and eternal life in the paradise of heaven above.
You were sitting in great darkness, now you've seen a great Light–Jesus!
Hallelujah! Praise the LORD! His light continue to dawn upon you in His
loving words & actions, forevermore! Amen.
John C. Drosendahl, Pastor
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