LESSON: LUKE 2:1-14

In that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were filled with fear. And that angel said to them, “Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:8-11.

In a most clear manner the angel proclaims the Gospel besides which nothing else is to be preached in Christendom. He assumes the office of the Word in accordance with the Gospel and says, “I bring you good news.” He does not simply say, “I preach to you,” but, “I bring you the Gospel; I am an evangelist; my word is a Gospel.” Gospel means a good message of joy which shall constitute preaching in the New Testament.

Of what does the Gospel treat? Listen to what He says! “I am proclaiming a great joy to you; my Gospel tells you of a great joy.” Where is it? Listen further! “To you is born this day a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David.” See here what the Gospel is, namely, a joyful proclamation of Christ our Savior.

SL.XI.132,42-43
AE 75,209

PRAYER: We thank you, dear Savior, for all the joy of Christmastide and especially for the glorious gospel that you are indeed our Savior, Christ the Lord. Amen.

LESSON: MALACHI 4:1-6

And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, I am not.” John 1:21

In the question whether John was Elijah, the Jews were evidently referring to the prophecy of Malachi. I am of the opinion that Malachi had in mind no other Elijah but John, and that there are no grounds for assuming that there would be a return of Elijah the Tishbite who ascended into heaven in a flaming chariot (2 Kings 2:11).

The words of the angel Gabriel spoken to Zechariah, John’s father, also support this opinion: “He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just.” Luke 1:17. In these words one sees that the angel Gabriel is referring to the prophecy of Malachi and quotes the same words of the prophet who also says that Elijah will “turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers.” Malachi 4:6. Had Malachi prophesied a different Elijah, the angel would certainly not have applied his words to John.

He followed the same course with the Virgin Mary when he applied Isaiah’s words to her: “Behold, a young woman shall conceive and bear a son.” Isaiah 7:14. These words Gabriel applied to Mary when he said: “Behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son.” Luke 1:31.

In his work as the forerunner of Christ, John the Baptist would be a real Elijah preaching repentance to prepare men for Christ.

SL.XI.101,14
AE 75,174

PRAYER: Thanks and praise be to you, O God, for the great cloud of witnesses who have witnessed to your Son and the salvation you have prepared for us in Him. Amen.

LESSON: 1 JOHN 1:5-10

He confessed, he did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” John 1:20

The confession of John contains two parts: first, that he confesses; secondly, that he does not deny. His confession is the confession of Christ when he says that he is not the Christ. He confessed: “I am not the Christ.” His confession also includes the confession that he is not Elijah or a prophet. When John declares that “he did not deny,” it means that he confessed who he was in stating that he was the voice of one crying in the wilderness and preparing the way of the Lord.

His confession is a free confession, which confesses not only what he is not, but also what he is. For that part of a confession in which one confesses what he is not, is still dark and incomplete, and from which it is impossible to know what and how one should think of a man.

But here John openly states what one should think of him, as well as what one should not think of him. He leaves no grounds for uncertainty, inasmuch as he confesses that he is not the Christ, and does not deny that he is the voice preceding His coming. Inasmuch as he stands quite firm and confesses what he is, and what he is not, his action is a precious confession before God and no denial.

SL.XI.100,10
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PRAYER: In your mercy and grace, O Lord, give us a clear and certain faith which knows what is right and good in your sight, and acts accordingly without any fear of consequences. Amen.

LESSON: JOHN 1:19-28

This is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” John 1:19

What were the Jews from Jerusalem seeking? Christ tells us when He says, “You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. . . He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light.” John 5:33,35.

From these words it is clear that they wanted to increase their own reputation by making use of John, and they wanted to avail themselves of his “lamp,” that is, his high and famous name, to deck themselves out before the people. For, had John shown them favor and accepted the proffered honor, they would have enhanced their reputation before the whole people as those who were worthy of the friendship and respect of such a great and holy man.

What other result could have ensued except that their greed, tyranny, and villainy would have been confirmed as pure holiness and something precious? These men tried to make out of John a Judas Iscariot who would be prepared to justify all their vice and immorality and gain them his approval and the people’s support.

Are they not fine manipulators, offering John honor in order to bring his honor upon themselves? They offer him an apple for a kingdom, and try to exchange pennies for dollars. But he stood fast like a rock.

SL.XI.99,8-9
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PRAYER: Give us constancy and steadfastness of faith, O Lord, that we may ever serve you in singleness of heart and stand fast whatever the cost. Amen

LESSON: MATTHEW 18:1-9

Blessed is he who takes no offense at me. Matthew 11:6

Be on your guard against all and every offense. Who are those who cause offense here? All those who tell you to concentrate on works instead of faith.

Such teachers turn Christ into a lawgiver and a judge and will not let Him remain a pure helper and comforter. They plague you with the idea of having dealings with God and for God on the basis of works. They say you must make atonement for your sins to obtain God’s grace. Such people, of whom there are always many in this world, direct you to a different Christ from the one to whom you are pointed in this Gospel. If you want to have true faith and really attain to Christ, you must give up all hope in works as a basis for negotiating with God and before God. Works are all so many offences to keep you away from Christ and God.

Before God, no works at all avail except Christ’s own works. These you must plead on your behalf before God, and perform no other work before God but to believe that Christ has performed these works for you and offers them before God on your behalf. Your faith must always remain pure faith, doing nothing and keeping silence, allowing itself to be benefited, accepting Christ’s work and allowing Christ to exercise His love upon you.

You must be blind, lame, dead, leprous, and poor or you will become offended in Christ. The Gospel does not lie. Christ permits Himself to be seen only by those who are really in need and bestows His blessings only upon them.

SL.XI.94,53
AE 75,155

PRAYER: O Lord, grant us your grace in full measure, that we learn to entrust ourselves to you alone and are never offended at your humility. Amen.

LESSON: MATTHEW 7:15-27

Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have the good news preached to them. And blessed is he who takes no offense at me.” Matthew 11:4-6

Our faith is strengthened and improved inasmuch as Christ is set before us in His own simple works. He is simply concerned with the blind, lame, lepers, deaf, the dead, and the poor, and has nothing but pure love and well-doing for all who are poor and needy. In short, Christ is nothing else but a consolation and a refuge for all who have a troubled and weakened conscience.

Here there is need of faith that builds on His Gospel and relies on it without any doubt that Christ is just as His Gospel portrays Him. Such faith holds nothing else about Christ and will not suffer any other view to be upheld about Him. And such faith has the Christ in whom it believes and as His Gospel describes Him. For as you believe, you will receive. “Blessed is he who takes no offense at me.”

In this way we recognize Christ aright and receive Him in true faith. This is what the Christian faith includes. Those who think that they can render satisfaction to God by their works and become righteous thereby, do not really know the Christ portrayed in this Gospel. If they persist in their mistaken views they will be lost.

SL.XI.93,52-53
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PRAYER: Give us a simple faith, Lord Jesus, that we always believe with our whole hearts that you are our Lord and Savior in the simple manner you have revealed yourself to us in your holy Word. Amen.

LESSON: PSALM 98

Christ Jesus our hope. 1 Timothy 1:1

The Greek word for Gospel [euaggelion] means “a joyful message” because in it there is proclaimed the salutary doctrine of life by God’s assurance and grace, and the forgiveness of sins is offered us. So the Gospel is not a matter of works, for it is not Law. The Gospel is a matter of faith alone, because it is absolutely nothing but the promise and offer of divine grace.

He who believes the Gospel receives grace and the Holy Spirit. As a result of this, the heart becomes joyful and well-pleased with God, and a willing and free obedience to the Law ensues. There is no longer any fear of punishment and the pursuit of meritorious works. The heart is content and satisfied with the grace of God.

From the beginning of the world, however, such promises have all been based on Christ. God has not promised such grace to anyone but in Christ and through Christ. Christ is the messenger of divine promise to the whole world. For this purpose He also came into the world and has sent out this promise through the Gospel into all the world. Before His coming He made known this promise through the Prophets. Everything points to Christ and is concluded in Christ. He who does not hear Christ does not hear God’s promise. For just as there is no law outside of Moses and the prophetical Scriptures, so God gives no promise except through Christ alone.

SL.XI.84,26-27
AE 75,146

PRAYER: Thanks be to you, O heavenly Father, that you have conferred your grace and salvation upon us on the certain and sure ground of faith in Christ alone, our one and only hope of eternal life. Amen.

LESSON: ROMANS 1:16,17

The gospel of the grace of God. Acts 20:24

The Gospel is neither Law nor command; it makes no demands on us. If wretched distress and misery in the heart have come about through the first word of the Law, the Gospel comes as a loving and living word; it promises and assures us, undertaking to give us grace and help so that we may get out of such distress. It not only forgives us our sins but actually destroys them and, in addition, gives us love and the desire to fulfill the Law. This divine assurance of God’s grace and the forgiveness of sins is what the Gospel really is.

I say once more that one should not understand the Gospel as anything else but God’s promise of grace and the forgiveness of sins.

The reason why Paul’s epistles have for so long been misunderstood and, indeed, cannot be understood, is that men do not really know what is Law and what is Gospel. They regard Christ as a lawgiver and the Gospel as nothing but the proclamation of a new law. This is nothing else but locking up the Gospel and hiding everything.

SL.XI.83,24-25
AE 75,145

PRAYER: Enlighten us, O Lord, in such a way by your Holy Spirit, that we really understand that your sole purpose and aim in the revelation of your Gospel is to lead us to salvation as a completely free gift of your wonderful grace in Christ. Amen.