LESSON: MATTHEW 2:1-12

Arise, shine; for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. Isaiah 60:1

The admonition to “arise” is without doubt spoken to one who has not arisen, that is, to one who is lying asleep, or is dead. I think St. Paul had this passage in mind when he said in Ephesians, “It is said, ‘Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light.’” Ephesians 5:14.

Without doubt Christ is the “light” of which Isaiah speaks here, the light which through the Gospel shines forth throughout the whole world and gives light to all men who arise and desire Him.

But who are these sleepers and dead men? Without a doubt they are all those who are in subjection under the Law, for they are all dead through sin. They also include those who are dead, who disregard the Law and live a free life without the restraints of the Law.

The work-righteous are the sleepers who do not feel any shortcomings at all. Neither of these two groups pays much attention to the Gospel. They keep on in their sleep and a life which is nothing but death. The Spirit must awaken them so that they see and recognize the light.

There is a third group who feel the Law biting their conscience; they also long for grace and sigh for the Gospel; they also see to it that the Gospel comes and is given to men; they proclaim it, like Isaiah, to awake the sleepers and those who are dead so that they may accept the light.

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PRAYER: Shine in our hearts, O Lord, with true Epiphany light, that we, through this light, may at all times be a true light in this world to all our fellowmen. Amen.

LESSON: HEBREWS 9:11-14

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

Concentrate on the great treasure in the Sacrament, the forgiveness of sins, and have nothing to do with the tomfoolery of the schools of theology and their preoccupation with all kinds of curious questions in efforts to explain how Christ’s body is in the Sacrament and how He hides Himself under such a restricted form.

You must prepare yourself so that the words of the Sacrament really have their intended effect upon you. This takes place when you feel the bite of sin and your conscience troubles you with temptation from your flesh, the world, and the devil. You may be subject to bouts of anger and impatience; covetousness and the cares of this life may assail you. Offenses continually cross your path and at times you even fall in a rather gross manner, doing harm to the welfare of your soul.

You also experience how you are nothing more than a poor, wretched, human being whom death terrifies; you become despondent and all joy disappears. On such occasions it is high time for you to come before God with an open confession of your needs saying, “Dear Lord, you have instituted the Sacrament of your body and blood and left it to us as testament in which we may find the forgiveness of sins. I know full well that I need this Sacrament. I have fallen into sin, and I have my fears; there are even times when hopes are rather dim. I am not at all bold in the confession of your Word, and there are always so many besetting weaknesses. So I now approach your throne of grace in the Sacrament looking for healing, consolation, and strengthening.”

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PRAYER: You have given us many invitations to come to you in all our needs, dear heavenly Father. Strengthen us especially when we turn to you in repentance, and seek forgiveness in the Sacrament of the body and blood of your Son our Savior. Amen.

LESSON: HEBREWS 10:19‒25

The blood of Jesus His [God’s] Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7

We must take hold of Christ’s words in the Sacrament and be quite sure that we understand them. For the whole power and might of the Sacrament depends on these words. We must all know them, understand them, and cling to them in firm faith so that we may defend ourselves with them and, when the need arises, repulse our enemies with them. Hence, if you want to partake of the Sacrament, heed these words and be quite sure that they contain the treasure on which you are to take your stand and place your reliance, for they are spoken to you individually.

Jesus speaks of His body which is given and His blood which is shed (Matthew 26:26, 28). Why does He speak in this way? That you should do nothing but eat and drink here? No! Note very carefully how He adds: “for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:28). This is the point which really concerns you. Everything else that is done and spoken in this connection is calculated to emphasize the central fact that your sins are forgiven you in this Sacrament.

If the Sacrament is to serve you in regard to the forgiveness of sins, it must also help to conquer death. For where sin is wiped out, death is also wiped out, and hell as well. Where these three foes are vanquished, all our misfortunes are removed, and nothing but salvation and eternal blessedness remains for us.

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PRAYER: O Lord, may Your body and blood given and shed for us on the cross, and now offered to us in the holy Sacrament, always be a pledge and seal of the forgiveness of sins, for Your name’s sake. Amen.

LESSON: 1 CORINTHIANS 11:23‒25

The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? 1 Corinthians 10:16

Christ’s words of institution in the Lord’s Supper cannot be denied by man or the devil. On these words we must take our stand. No matter what explanations are added to them, we have here a clear word of God which declares that the bread is Christ’s body given for us, and the cup His blood shed for us. We are also told to celebrate the Sacrament in remembrance of Christ.

There was a time when the clergy forbade the laity to interpret the Word of God, and even denied them the right and ability to do so. But the laity have the same God and the same Word of God as the clergy. When it comes to the things that are to be believed, the layman has only one course to follow—to take his stand on the clear Word of God, to defend his faith with the clear Word of God, and to refute all doctrine that is contrary to God’s Word with the clear Word of God. Every layman has the right to interpret the Word of God for himself, and to hold fast to the clear Word of God against all gainsayers.

In the words of institution, the evangelist says that Jesus took the cup, and when He had given thanks He gave it to His disciples saying, “Drink of it, all of you; for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins” (Matthew 26:27‒28). So we say: Unless we can be taught that drinking here means something quite different from what it has meant everywhere else in the world, we stick to the opinion that all should drink of the cup in the Sacrament, just as all should eat of the bread.

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PRAYER: We thank You, O God, for the clarity with which You have revealed Your plan of salvation to us and also for the simple language in which You have taught us that the Holy Supper is one of Your chief means of grace. Continue to bless us and strengthen our faith through Your means of grace, for Christ’s sake. Amen.

LESSON: ROMANS 5:15-17

Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift! 2 Corinthians 9:15

He who does not have the faith which believes that Christ with His every blessing is his very own, does not have true faith, and is not a Christian. His heart also cannot be truly joyful and happy. For true faith will make Christians joyful and happy, sure and blessed, as God’s dear children in whom the Holy Spirit also dwells. What a lovely, bright and precious garment this is, to which is attached the most costly adornment, jewels, and gems, every kind of virtue, grace, wisdom, truth, righteousness, and whatever else there is in Christ. Little wonder that Paul exclaims, “Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!” 2 Corinthians 9:15

St. Peter joins him when he speaks of “his precious and very great promises.” 2 Peter 1:4. This is Joseph’s many-colored robe which his father made for him in preference to all his other children (Genesis 37:3), for Christ alone is full of grace and truth. This is likewise the special garment of the high priest Aaron in which he served God and on which we could say a great deal.

Just as we put on Christ and receive Him as our own, so He also puts us on and receives us to Himself with all that is ours, as though we were His own possession. He finds nothing good in us because we are full of sins. These He takes upon Himself and drives them from us.

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PRAYER: O Lord, bless us richly in and through your Word, that our hearts may be filled with real joy and happiness and become the dwelling of your Holy Spirit, for Christ our Savior’s sake. Amen.

LESSON: EPHESIANS 1:11-14

He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom, our righteousness and sanctification and redemption. 1 Corinthians 1:30

It is quite certain that Christ has been given to us so that all His righteousness, and also all that He has and is, stands before us as though He is our very own possession. He who believes this will also experience, it, just as St. Paul said, “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, will he not also give us all things with him?” Romans 8:32. Likewise, in the Epistle to the Corinthians, “He is the source of your life in Christ Jesus, whom God made our wisdom, our righteousness and sanctification and redemption.” 1 Corinthians 1:30.

So, you see, he who believes in Christ in this way, puts Him on. Faith, therefore, is such an important matter that it saves such a man and justifies him; for faith brings him all the blessing of Christ on which the conscience can comfort itself and rely.

Such a man also becomes joyful in Christ, and happy to do all good and avoid what is evil. He fears neither death nor hell, nor any evil, and is richly clothed in Christ.

Hereby a full satisfaction is also rendered to the Law, and such a man is never under the subjection of the Law. For he has also received the Holy Spirit with the garment in his soul: he is clothed with God’s adoption and so he is God’s child.

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PRAYER: Thanks and praise be to you, O God, for the fullness and riches of your mercy and grace in Christ, and not least for the earnest of your Spirit in my soul, assuring me that I am, indeed, your beloved child. Amen.

LESSON: COLOSSIANS 3:12-17

Put on Christ. Galatians 3:27

What is meant by “putting on Christ”? The unbelievers have a ready answer here. They say it means following Christ and measuring up to His example. But in this way I could also put on St. Peter, Paul, and other saints, and putting on Christ would have no special significance at all. Therefore we let faith speak here, which Paul delightfully describes under the idea of “putting on.”

It is obvious that those baptized have not previously followed Christ, but begin to follow Christ in baptism. Therefore Christ must be “put on” before one follows Him. “Putting on Christ” must be something quite different from following Him.

“Putting on Christ” is a spiritual matter. It comes to pass when the soul puts on Christ and all His righteousness, takes confidence in and relies upon that righteousness. This is just as though the soul itself had achieved all this and merited it. It is just like a man putting on his clothes. Such a putting on of Christ is a spiritual matter.

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PRAYER: We thank you, Lord, for your wonderful means of grace, and especially that you accepted us as your dear children in baptism, in which we have put on Christ and all that He is and means to us as our Savior. Amen.

LESSON: ROMANS 6:1-4

Now before faith came, we were confined under the law, kept under restraint until faith should be revealed. So that the law was our custodian until Christ came, that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a custodian; for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Galatians 3:23-27

The Apostle Paul observes an excellent flow of thought in this context. He says, “Now that faith has come, we are no longer under a custodian.” Why so? “In Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith.” How does it come to pass that we become God’s children? “As many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ.”

Christ is God’s child. Therefore, he who clothes himself in God’s child, is also God’s child, for he steps forth as God’s adopted child, which certainly makes him God’s child. If he is God’s child, he is not under the subjection of the Law, in the position of an abject slave, but free. When we put on Christ in baptism His righteousness becomes our righteousness, and thus all the claims that the Law can make on us are fulfilled, and we are now God’s free children in Christ.

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PRAYER: In your mercy and peace, O Lord, you have freed us from the curse of the Law and made us your free children in Christ. For this we praise and thank you, and ask your grace so that we may always serve you in the freedom wherewith you have made us free. Amen.