St John 16:5-15/James 1:16-21/Isaiah 12:1-6
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
In the water of Holy Baptism the faithful of God receive the same Spirit. He calls them by the Gospel, enlightens them with His gifts, sanctifies and keeps them in the one true faith. That is what the Holy Spirit does; it is His work and Office. That is what Christ tells His disciples, When the Spirit of truth comes He will guide you into all the truth.
Honestly, though, this is not what usually comes to mind when one talks about God the Holy Spirit. No, mention the Holy Ghost and most think of televangelists, faith healers, speaking in tongues, special knowledge, and “God spoke to me” talk. Sadly, though, all of this misses the real work of the Holy Spirit and destroys the Gospel.
The Holy Spirit does three things: convicts the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment. That is all. He doesn’t tell you who to vote for. He doesn’t pick your college or spouse or career. When Jesus speaks of the Helper, there is no mention of speaking in tongues, receiving special insight, or performing miracles. True, the Holy Spirit has given these gifts, at times, to men; but no place in Scripture speaks of them as remaining in the Church.
What the Holy Spirit does continue to deliver to the Church, however, is Jesus – His Blood and righteousness for you.
The Holy Spirit calls you by the Gospel – in Word and Sacrament – enlightens you with His gifts, namely, love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faitfulness; He sanctifies and keeps you in the true faith, so that you may forever receive Christ and all of His gifts. In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps her with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. This is what matters.
These are the things of the Church: Preaching, Holy Absolution, Holy Baptism, the Eucharist. And these are the things of the Holy Spirit’s work. Everything else in the Church always flows from and back to these. They are what matter. They deliver the merit of Christ to broken sinners.
In Baptism is where sinners condemned to death and hell are buried with Christ into judgment, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, they too walk in new life; real life, abundant life, everlasting life. It is there, with water dripping from your head that you received the Holy Spirit with all of His gifts: victory over death and the devil, forgiveness of sin, God’s grace and favor, eternal life, everlasting salvation; in short, the entirety of Christ. For the Holy Spirit takes what belongs to Jesus and gives it to you.
God makes Christians by water and Word, by way of gift. For every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father. Of His own will He brought us forth by the Word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. St James is speaking of Holy Baptism; just as his brother, our Lord Jesus, spoke to Nicodemus: Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is begotten from above by water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God (Jn 3:5).
It is by the Word, then, that faith is given and sustained, and a life that is pleasing to God is lived. For faith and life do not come by the ears of God being filled with our words of promise; those words are untrue, unsure, uncertain, and even unholy. Faith and life come by hearing the Word and promise of Christ – Now I am going to Him who sent Me; if I go, I will send the Helper to you – these words and promises are most certainly true. And they are unbreakable.
Now, Lutherans have been accused of neglecting the Holy Ghost, of not giving Him His due, maybe even “stifling Him.” As if He is an emotional outlet that can be hampered! We do not diminish the Holy Spirit, His person or His work. He does not point to Himself. He does not draw attention to Himself or to you. If we look for Him in our hearts we end up only talking to ourselves. The Holy Spirit speaks from outside of you, but He does not speak on His own authority; whatever He hears He speaks. He glorifies Jesus, and takes what belongs to the Father and the Son and preaches it to you.
He is, as one theologian has put it, “The shy one of the Trinity.” He has bound Himself to the Word of Christ. Thus through the Word He is alive and well, convicting you with respect to sin because of your unbelief; convicting you of righteousness because even the holiest of your good works are but filthy rags; convicting you of judgment because Satan has already been condemned. In all of this the Holy Spirit preaches the Word of Christ into the ears of the unbelieving and false believing that they might receive true life and righteousness.
And the Holy Spirit preaches the Gospel into your ears as well. And it is this: Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true Man, born of the Virgin Mary, is your Lord. He has redeemed you, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won you from all sins, from death and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy precious Blood and with His innocent suffering and death. By His Blood you are declared holy!
You do not have to be good to go to heaven. In fact, you can’t be good. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Jesus says, I came to seek and to save the lost, that is, the condemned of this world. And again, Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.
Of the goodness and mercy of the Father, for the sake of His suffering, dying, and rising Son, you needn’t lift a finger to inherit eternal life. It is yours as a free gift of the Father for the sake of His Son delivered into your ears and striking your heart by the preaching and work of the Holy Spirit.
And so you sing out, this cantate Sunday, Sing to the Lord a new song. Alleluia, for He has revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations. Alleluia! His right hand and His holy arm [a metaphor for Christ] have worked salvation for Him. This is the proper praise of the holy Christian Church and her rightful confession. And it is created by the preaching of the Holy Spirit through the Word. You hear and believe and then confess and speak back to God.
You see, the holy Christian Church on earth is the hearing Church, not the seeing Church. It is all by way of the Word of the Lord, preached and proclaimed into the ears; not by the seeing of the eyes. Preaching and Absolution are the things. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Thus James exhorts you: Know this, my beloved, let every person be quick to hear and receive with meekness the implanted Word which is able to save your souls. For this reason absolutely everything in the Christian Church is so ordered that the Gospel and Absolution are daily preached into the ears of those who would believe such words and promises of God by the work of the Holy Spirit.
The Lord’s Supper and Baptism are the things. Yet when you come to the altar seeking with your eyes you see only bread and wine. But if you listen with your ears, the ears of faith, then you behold Christ’s Body and Blood for us to eat and to drink for the forgiveness of sins. Witness a Baptism with your eyes and see water. Listen with your ears and you hear the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.
The Church lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. And what is that Word? Or better, Who? Why, it is Christ, the Eternal Logos, the begotten Word; delivered to you by the Spirit who proceeds from the Father and the Son. You are not apostles. So if you wish to see Jesus pluck out your eyes and place them in your ears. For just as Saint Mary, the Mother of our Lord, received Christ into her womb by the preaching of the Holy Ghost in her ear, so Christ dwells in the depth of your being by the work of the Holy Spirit, who preaches Him into your ears.
“Dear Christians, one and all rejoice! With exultation springing. And with united heart and voice and holy rapture signing, proclaim the wonders God has done, how His right arm (there He is again – Christ) the victory won! What price out ransom cost Him!” (LSB 556:1).
You have been declared righteous, for the sake of Christ who went to the Father through suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension.
You are righteous because He absorbed your unrighteousness in the font of the river Jordan and put it to death on the Cross.
You are righteous because He gave you His righteousness in the Sacrament of Rebirth.
You are righteous because He is your Mediator with the Father in heaven, beseeching Him to count your sins against Him, and to see in you His perfect righteousness.
You are righteous because the Holy Spirit preaches the righteousness of Christ through your ears and into your heart and then upon your lips and in your life.
Sing praises to the Lord, for He has done gloriously. Amen.
In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.
In the water of Holy Baptism the faithful of God receive the same Spirit. He calls them by the Gospel, enlightens them with His gifts, sanctifies and keeps them in the one true faith. That is what the Holy Spirit does; it is His work and Office. That is what Christ tells His disciples, When the Spirit of truth comes He will guide you into all the truth.
Honestly, though, this is not what usually comes to mind when one talks about God the Holy Spirit. No, mention the Holy Ghost and most think of televangelists, faith healers, speaking in tongues, special knowledge, and “God spoke to me” talk. Sadly, though, all of this misses the real work of the Holy Spirit and destroys the Gospel.
The Holy Spirit does three things: convicts the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment. That is all. He doesn’t tell you who to vote for. He doesn’t pick your college or spouse or career. When Jesus speaks of the Helper, there is no mention of speaking in tongues, receiving special insight, or performing miracles. True, the Holy Spirit has given these gifts, at times, to men; but no place in Scripture speaks of them as remaining in the Church.
What the Holy Spirit does continue to deliver to the Church, however, is Jesus – His Blood and righteousness for you.
The Holy Spirit calls you by the Gospel – in Word and Sacrament – enlightens you with His gifts, namely, love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faitfulness; He sanctifies and keeps you in the true faith, so that you may forever receive Christ and all of His gifts. In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth, and keeps her with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. This is what matters.
These are the things of the Church: Preaching, Holy Absolution, Holy Baptism, the Eucharist. And these are the things of the Holy Spirit’s work. Everything else in the Church always flows from and back to these. They are what matter. They deliver the merit of Christ to broken sinners.
In Baptism is where sinners condemned to death and hell are buried with Christ into judgment, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, they too walk in new life; real life, abundant life, everlasting life. It is there, with water dripping from your head that you received the Holy Spirit with all of His gifts: victory over death and the devil, forgiveness of sin, God’s grace and favor, eternal life, everlasting salvation; in short, the entirety of Christ. For the Holy Spirit takes what belongs to Jesus and gives it to you.
God makes Christians by water and Word, by way of gift. For every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father. Of His own will He brought us forth by the Word of truth, that we should be a kind of firstfruits of His creatures. St James is speaking of Holy Baptism; just as his brother, our Lord Jesus, spoke to Nicodemus: Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is begotten from above by water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God (Jn 3:5).
It is by the Word, then, that faith is given and sustained, and a life that is pleasing to God is lived. For faith and life do not come by the ears of God being filled with our words of promise; those words are untrue, unsure, uncertain, and even unholy. Faith and life come by hearing the Word and promise of Christ – Now I am going to Him who sent Me; if I go, I will send the Helper to you – these words and promises are most certainly true. And they are unbreakable.
Now, Lutherans have been accused of neglecting the Holy Ghost, of not giving Him His due, maybe even “stifling Him.” As if He is an emotional outlet that can be hampered! We do not diminish the Holy Spirit, His person or His work. He does not point to Himself. He does not draw attention to Himself or to you. If we look for Him in our hearts we end up only talking to ourselves. The Holy Spirit speaks from outside of you, but He does not speak on His own authority; whatever He hears He speaks. He glorifies Jesus, and takes what belongs to the Father and the Son and preaches it to you.
He is, as one theologian has put it, “The shy one of the Trinity.” He has bound Himself to the Word of Christ. Thus through the Word He is alive and well, convicting you with respect to sin because of your unbelief; convicting you of righteousness because even the holiest of your good works are but filthy rags; convicting you of judgment because Satan has already been condemned. In all of this the Holy Spirit preaches the Word of Christ into the ears of the unbelieving and false believing that they might receive true life and righteousness.
And the Holy Spirit preaches the Gospel into your ears as well. And it is this: Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father from eternity, and also true Man, born of the Virgin Mary, is your Lord. He has redeemed you, a lost and condemned person, purchased and won you from all sins, from death and from the power of the devil; not with gold or silver, but with His holy precious Blood and with His innocent suffering and death. By His Blood you are declared holy!
You do not have to be good to go to heaven. In fact, you can’t be good. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Jesus says, I came to seek and to save the lost, that is, the condemned of this world. And again, Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick.
Of the goodness and mercy of the Father, for the sake of His suffering, dying, and rising Son, you needn’t lift a finger to inherit eternal life. It is yours as a free gift of the Father for the sake of His Son delivered into your ears and striking your heart by the preaching and work of the Holy Spirit.
And so you sing out, this cantate Sunday, Sing to the Lord a new song. Alleluia, for He has revealed His righteousness in the sight of the nations. Alleluia! His right hand and His holy arm [a metaphor for Christ] have worked salvation for Him. This is the proper praise of the holy Christian Church and her rightful confession. And it is created by the preaching of the Holy Spirit through the Word. You hear and believe and then confess and speak back to God.
You see, the holy Christian Church on earth is the hearing Church, not the seeing Church. It is all by way of the Word of the Lord, preached and proclaimed into the ears; not by the seeing of the eyes. Preaching and Absolution are the things. Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God. Thus James exhorts you: Know this, my beloved, let every person be quick to hear and receive with meekness the implanted Word which is able to save your souls. For this reason absolutely everything in the Christian Church is so ordered that the Gospel and Absolution are daily preached into the ears of those who would believe such words and promises of God by the work of the Holy Spirit.
The Lord’s Supper and Baptism are the things. Yet when you come to the altar seeking with your eyes you see only bread and wine. But if you listen with your ears, the ears of faith, then you behold Christ’s Body and Blood for us to eat and to drink for the forgiveness of sins. Witness a Baptism with your eyes and see water. Listen with your ears and you hear the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit.
The Church lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. And what is that Word? Or better, Who? Why, it is Christ, the Eternal Logos, the begotten Word; delivered to you by the Spirit who proceeds from the Father and the Son. You are not apostles. So if you wish to see Jesus pluck out your eyes and place them in your ears. For just as Saint Mary, the Mother of our Lord, received Christ into her womb by the preaching of the Holy Ghost in her ear, so Christ dwells in the depth of your being by the work of the Holy Spirit, who preaches Him into your ears.
“Dear Christians, one and all rejoice! With exultation springing. And with united heart and voice and holy rapture signing, proclaim the wonders God has done, how His right arm (there He is again – Christ) the victory won! What price out ransom cost Him!” (LSB 556:1).
You have been declared righteous, for the sake of Christ who went to the Father through suffering, death, resurrection, and ascension.
You are righteous because He absorbed your unrighteousness in the font of the river Jordan and put it to death on the Cross.
You are righteous because He gave you His righteousness in the Sacrament of Rebirth.
You are righteous because He is your Mediator with the Father in heaven, beseeching Him to count your sins against Him, and to see in you His perfect righteousness.
You are righteous because the Holy Spirit preaches the righteousness of Christ through your ears and into your heart and then upon your lips and in your life.
Sing praises to the Lord, for He has done gloriously. Amen.
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