Christmas- Luke 2: 10

In our Christmas festivities, let us pause to meditate on the meaning of our celebration. To do that, let us focus on the announcement of the angel to the shepherds. St. Luke 2:10 says, “And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.”

The angel’s message “I bring you good tidings” is a translation of two Greek words which could also be translated as “I announce good news to you” or “I proclaim the gospel to you.” So the announcement of Christ’s Birth is the beginning of the preaching of the Gospel. His Nativity is an integral part of the whole story, the entire Christian message. This joy or inner happiness of this birth cannot be isolated from all that Christ means.

Christmas continues to bring us a similar message. The deliverer or redeemer that we have longed for still comes through the work of the Holy Spirit in Word and Sacrament. This is really good news- tidings of great joy. However, the joy is not to be confused with external worldly happiness. Whether we have a great external celebration with lots of people, gifts, and food or we just have a simple and small observance, let us focus on what God does- how He sends His Son, the eternal Word, to become flesh and dwell among us to save us. Thanks be to God for His greatest gift- Jesus!

Transfiguration of Christ - Last Sunday after Epiphany (year C)- Luke 9

The feast of the Transfiguration commemorates an important and mysterious event from the Gospels (e.g., Luke 9:28- 36). Nevertheless, the Transfiguration has not always received very much emphasis. Although observed in the Eastern church since the fourth century, it was slow to spread in the Western church and did not become a universal feast observed on August 6 until 1457.

After the Reformation, the Feast of the Transfiguration on August 6 was discontinued by the majority of Lutherans. However, the Lutheran reformers Johannes Bugenhagen and Viet Dietrich began celebrating the Transfiguration on the Last Sunday after the Epiphany. These Lutheran reformers viewed the Transfiguration as an epiphany or a manifestation of Christ's identity similar in some respects to the coming of the Magi and Christ's Baptism. It was also an appropriate reminder of our Lord's glory before the penitential season of Lent.

From 1917 onwards, many English Lutheran service books in North America included an observance of the Transfiguration, and in the common Eucharistic lectionaries from the 1970s onward, a Transfiguration gospel has been used on the Last Sunday after the Epiphany in all three years.

As an Epiphany story, the Transfiguration provides one of the most distinctive and dramatic manifestations of Jesus' divinity. In the synoptic Gospels, our Lord takes Peter, John, and James up onto a mountain where He has a shining appearance during prayer. Moses and Elijah appear and converse with Jesus, and a divine voice proclaims, "This is my beloved Son; hear him" (Luke 9:35 KJV).

This event says three things about Jesus: 1) the Law and the Prophets witness to Him as He continues their work, 2) His earthly ministry will culminate in His dying at Jerusalem, and 3) He is the unique, glorious, and beloved Son of the heavenly Father who transcends all previous revelations of divine grace.

First Sunday after Epiphany- Mark 1:4-11- Baptism of our Lord

By placing a Gospel about the Baptism of our Lord (St. Mark 1:4-11) on this first Sunday in the Epiphany season, the framers of the lectionary paid homage to ancient associations of Epiphany. When the feast of Epiphany began among the eastern churches during the third century, the chief epiphany or manifestation of Christ that they had in mind was His Baptism which marked the beginning of His public ministry. A secondary association of the day was Christ's Birth, but associations with His infancy became central as Epiphany spread among the western churches during the fourth century.

Commemorating our Lord's Baptism on this particular Sunday is certainly appropriate. We should reflect upon this important Gospel event. Although Jesus of Nazareth did not need to be cleansed from any sin, He underwent this ritual of cleansing to express solidarity with humanity, to give His followers an example, and to dedicate Himself publicly to His mission. And as He did so, the Holy Spirit blessed Christ's human nature while the heavenly Father proclaimed His approval of His only Son (notice the Trinitarian symbolism). This Baptism is distinctive because Jesus Christ is unique, but it pointed ahead to a new use of washing among His followers (Matthew 28).
Every Christian Baptism is an outpouring of divine grace. It is a uniting with Christ, a blessing by the Holy Spirit, and an adoption as a child of God the Father.  May we always remain aware that we have been baptized, and thus we have been claimed by God and offered His saving grace.

Epiphany- January 6- Matthew 2

Epiphany has long been one of my favorite Christian festivals. The name Epiphany comes from a Greek word meaning “showing forth,” “manifestation,” or “appearance.” After Good Friday-Easter and Pentecost, Epiphany on January 6 is the oldest Christian holy day. At first in the Greek Church, Epiphany combined the observance of several manifestations of Christ, including His Birth.

 Eventually, different epiphanies of our Lord were observed on different days. In the Western tradition to which Lutheran calendars and liturgies belong, January 6 focused on the manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles or non-Jewish people represented by the Wise Men (St. Matthew 2:1-12). The First Sunday after Epiphany has often been associated with Christ’s Baptism, and the Second Sunday after Epiphany with His first miracle at the wedding in Cana. Depending on the dates of Lent and Easter, the Epiphany season may have between 4 and 9 Sundays.

Unfortunately, many American congregations seem to neglect Epiphany. Since it only falls on Sunday occasionally, Epiphany tends to be observed on the second Sunday of Christmas or skipped over in favor of observing Christ's Baptism. However, Epiphany is important on its own. It reminds us of Christ's mission to all peoples, of His guiding light, and of growth in faith. And since the secular holiday is over, paying greater attention to Epiphany could be one way for Christians to counteract some of the worldly Yuletide. It is a great time for serious reflection on the Incarnation and the manifestation of the Christ Child for our salvation.

The Circumcision and the Name of Jesus- January 1

The first of January has been associated with several liturgical observances over the history of the Church. Although the association began earlier in places, from the ninth century onward, the Roman rite commemorated the Circumcision on this eighth day of Christmas. At the Reformation, Lutheran calendars continued this emphasis. (By the way, January 1 was not observed as New Year's Day  in parts of Germany until 1582 and in the English-speaking world until the 18th century.) Stressing Christ's circumcision fits in with the reality of the Incarnation. Jesus of Nazareth, God the Son, was a real Jewish male who humbled Himself, continued the covenant with Abraham, and came to fulfill all righteousness.

There is also another emphasis for this day- the name of Jesus. In recent decades, some revised calendars have changed the title of the observance, but the theme of the name has long been in the traditional Gospel and Epistle. In Luke 2:21, we read that at the circumcision the child "was called Jesus, which was so named of the angel before he was conceived in the womb." In the Epistle from Philippians 2:9, we read, "God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow..." Of course, Jesus, or its equivalent in ancient languages was a common Jewish name, meaning "The LORD saves."

In the particular case of this holy Child, the common name takes on special significance. For this Child named Jesus is the Lord Himself come to save His people. And Christ's work accomplishing the heavenly Father's plan for human salvation is what gives Him a name above every name. What better way for us to begin the New Year than by praising Jesus' holy name and giving thanks for the salvation that has come in the Christ Child!