...We celebrate the birth of our Savior. Because he came, we are saved! The following section is from a sermon Martin Luther preached on Christmas Day. He reminds us that Jesus is our Savior, not only on the cross and at his resurrection, but also in his birth.

"The real reason why a man is saved is that Christ and the believing heart are so united that what each possesses becomes the common property of both. But what does each possess? Christ has a pure, innocent, holy birth. Man has an impure, sinful cursed birth, as David says: 'Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.' There is no remedy for this sinful birth expect through the pure birth of Christ. See, in this way Christ takes from us unto Himself our birth and sinks it into His birth and give us His birth, so that we become pure and new in it, as though it were our own. Every Christian may rejoice and glory in this birth of Christ as though he, too, like Christ, had been bodily born of Mary. Whoever does not believe this, or doubts it, is no Christian." -What Luther Says, p. 197

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As she contemplated the coming of her son, Jesus, Mary’s words recorded in Luke 2 give us insight into her faith and serve as a model for us.

“My soul glorifies the Lord
and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has been mindful
of the humble state of his servant.
From now on all generations will call me blessed,
for the Mighty One has done great things for me—
holy is his name.
His mercy extends to those who fear him,
from generation to generation.
He has performed mighty deeds with his arm;
he has scattered those who are proud in their inmost thoughts.
He has brought down rulers from their thrones
but has lifted up the humble.”
Luke 1:46–52 (NIV)

“He” is the most common pronoun in Mary’s song. Her faith rested on God’s actions. Her hope was in what God had done and would do. She saw God’s gracious hand doing “great things” for her. She saw him helping the lowly and poor because she knew that spiritual blessings far outweighed earthly blessings.

True faith always mirrors Mary’s faith. Our focus isn’t on what we have done, but on God’s actions. He came to the world to save us. He died and rose to take away our sins. As Christmas gets closer let your faith rest on the glorious, life-changing action of your Savior. In him is the life you seek — a life of knowing the true God and serving him with your gifts.

Pastor Aufdemberge

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Pastor Zarling

During Advent we hear the preaching of John the Baptist, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” In repentance, we prepare to meet our Savior — both to celebrate his birth and also on the Last Day. So what is repentance? Martin Luther writes this about repentance: "Beware of placing confidence in your contrition or of ascribing the forgiveness of sins to your own sorrow. For God does not favorably regard you because of contrition or sorrow, but because of faith with which you have believed his threats and promises and which worked sorrow in you. Therefore, we owe whatever good there may be in our penitence not to the conscientious enumeration of sins but to the truth of God and to our faith." (What Luther Says, p. 1213)

True repentance is more than just being sorry for sins. Even unbelievers are often sorry for what they have done. Believers add to their sorrow faith in Jesus as the one who takes away all sins.

John the Baptist tells us the action that will result in the lives of those who repent, “Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.” Repentance is a change of heart as we believe in God and respond with a change of actions as a fruit of faith. Martin Luther writes this about the changed heart of the repentant: "To probe and ponder how bad you have been is not enough if you do not ponder and probe much more how good you desire to become." (What Luther Says, p. 1214)

Pastor Aufdemberge

Pastor Kneser

Pastor Wempner

Pastor Zarling

To the secular world, December is all about Christmas. In the Church, we have a season called Advent. Advent isn’t Christmas. Advent is a time to think about Jesus’ coming (Advent means coming) to us. Of course, part of Advent is about Jesus’ coming at Christmas. But during Advent we also recall that Jesus will come again on the Last Day in glory and power to raise the dead and take believers to heaven. During Advent we also are reminded that Jesus comes to us in the present through Word and Sacrament to touch our hearts with a message of eternal love.

Christmas is on our minds, so we sing some Christmas songs in our worship services and put up Christmas decorations. But the themes of Advent are different than Christmas. The significance of Advent is more than just a warmup for Christmas. In Advent we celebrate that Jesus has come, will come, and is coming. That certainly makes this a joyous season!

Isaiah 9:6 (NIV)
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

John 6:63 (NIV)
“The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life.”

1 Thessalonians 4:16 (NIV)
"For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God."

Pastor Aufdemberge

Pastor Kneser

Pastor Wempner

Pastor Zarling