Pious Lutheran

The Light of the World , William Holman Hunt, 1904 Make ready your hearts For Christ. Why was there circumcision in the Bible? Circumcision of the heart Don, therefore, the name of Christ and your baptism this new year From a secular perspective we consider today New Years’ Eve and tomorrow New Years’ Day. However, in the church January 1st is the Feast of the Circumcision and Naming of Jesus. The appointed Gospel for this day of the church year is the shortest of them at just one verse: “ Luke 2:21: 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. ”  This may seem like a strange thing to celebrate, especially since on Sunday we heard about Jesus being presented in the temple at 40 days old, and now we go back to the eighth day. However, 8 days after December 25th is January 1st, so it is only logical that we Christians would observe this. From ancient times Christians refused to even acknow...

The Presentation of the Christ Child in the Temple, Phillippe de Champaigne, 1648 The Lord Redeems by the sacrifice of the firstborn Son The Lord’s wrath passed over the Israelites, but killed the firstborn sons of man and beast, and only spared the Israelites through death of a lamb The firstborn males had to continue to be given to the Lord; beasts were sacrificed, sons were redeemed Jesus is the ultimate firstborn Son of God, set apart to the Lord, and is also the Lamb of God, who is sacrificed for the redemption of all of God’s people, so that we may go in peace. Merry Christmas!  The first Sunday of Christmas, today, we hear of perhaps a strange thing happening to Jesus. At forty days old His parents had to take Him to Jerusalem and present Him to the Lord at the temple. For this purification of Mary and presentation of Jesus, a sacrifice had to be made. The requirement was really that a lamb had to be sacrificed, but if the parents couldn’t afford to sacrifice a lamb, then a ...

Madonna of Lilies and Pieta , William-Adolphe Bouguereau 1899 & 1876 Christmas is the preface to Easter Empty Sentimentalism doesn’t last The celebration of Christmas is always balanced with the anticipation of Easter Here you have come to Mt. Zion I’m dreaming of a white Christmas, Chestnuts roasting on an open fire, sparkling lights glimmering in the bleak midwinter amidst a chorus of pensive voices, and a smorgasbord of sweet potatoes, green bean casserole, decadent dressing, roast beast, and a hot toddy to top it all off. But for how long? The sentimental traditions of yesteryear hold on by a piece of tinsel with a bow on top. Christmas is a grand celebration of the enfleshment of the second person of the Trinity, who in flesh was crucified and risen for the deliverance of mankind. But without that divine commemoration, Christmas is just a party about nothing. This holy day becomes a hallmark holiday without the incarnation of Jesus. It’s a wrapped box filled with nothing save...

Adoration of the Shepherds , Gerard von Honthorst, 1622 December is a very dark month here in Minnesota. December 21st was the darkest day of the year and now the days are growing longer and the sun is shining longer and longer. It’s incredible that Christmas falls at this time of year when the days are so short and the darkness seems overpowering. The date of Easter was chosen before the date of Christmas, since we do know approximately when Jesus was crucified and risen. The date for Christmas was chosen based upon Easter, because it has been a long standing tradition that saints die on the day of their conception. Thus, if Jesus was crucified and conceived on March 25th, nine months later is December 25th, which would be His birth. Perhaps what’s most interesting is that others have attempted to date Jesus’ birth, and typically they conclude that He was very likely born the end of December! Really, this is something worthy of marvel, that the Lord chose such a birth and we would cel...

The Preaching of St John the Baptist , Giovanni Battista Gaulli, circa 1690 The Word Gathers the Church in the Wilderness The world apart from Christ is a barren desert The wilderness is prepared through repentance Christ is the fruitful vine growing in the desert into whom we are grafted This world, apart from Christ, is a barren, fruitless, wilderness; a desert if you will. In a way however, Satan imposes a mirage in front of you, suggesting that this world is able to satisfy your every desire. Christianity tears down that illusion, revealing the ugly truth hidden behind the mirage, in order to transform this barren landscape into a fruitful field. Christianity reveals the sin sickness infecting our souls, in order to sow God’s Word and reap a bountiful harvest of faith. So it is that the Word gathers the church in the wilderness. This is stunningly illustrated in the book of Exodus. While the Israelites were in Egypt they were slaves to the Egyptians, although they were surrounded b...