Advent Midweek 4 2021

Advent Midweek 4

St. Matthew’s Lutheran Church Cornwalll

Isaiah 52

You Are Free

Alright guys, here we are, now is the time, this is the end of Advent, Christmas is just two days away. Now is the time. Awake, awake. Put on your garments. For the uncircumcisedand the unclean shall enter you no more.

This is the word that was spoken to the people in captivity. The people in exile. This is the Word spoken to the people who had been entered, who had been overcome by, who had been conquered by the uncircumcised, by the unclean.

This is the Word spoken, to “Captive Jerusalem.”

Shake off the dust, rise up. Loose the bonds from your neck. You, are... free. For the king has come, to proclaim release to the captives. To proclaim peace to the war torn. To proclaim resurrection those dead in the dust and the ash.

Awake O sleeper. Loose your bounds, O slave of sin. Rise from the ashes you have been brunt in the fires of torment. For salvation has come. Put on your beautiful garments, the white robe of Christ’s righteousness. Receive the circumcision of the heart, enter into the mighty fortress who is your salvation.

For thus says the Lord: You were sold for nothing, and you shall be redeemed without money

To what price did we sell our freedom to Satan for? We charged him nothing. We’re just likethe woman in Ezekiel 16; you were not like a whore, because you scorned payment. 32 Adulterous wife, who receives strangers instead of her husband! 33 Gifts are given to all whores; but you gave your gifts to all your lovers, bribing them to come to you from all around for your whorings. 34 So you were different from other women in your whorings: no one solicited you to play the whore; and you gave payment, while no payment was given to you

In the same way we have sold ourselves into slavery for free – no, we have paid our captors to enslave us! What then could possibly be more fitting than to be redeemed, to be bought back, without money. For the Lord Jesus Christ, true God, begotten of the Father in eternity, and also a true human being, born of the Virgin Mary, has redeemed us, purchased and freedus 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.

But no longer is something that shall happen. The time has no come. Awake awake. And greet the new dawn. For Lo He comes in clouds descending. No longer do we sing O come O come Emmanuel for He has come. He is whit us. Loose the bonds of slavery from off your necks. Get up from the dusty ashes and rise to greet your King, your saviour, your redeemer. For though you sold yourself into slavery at the cost of your own freedom, the Lord Christ has redeemed you whit a price far beyond the worth of any money. The very birth of God, the very life of God lived under Law, under oppression, in the midst of infirmities, the very death of God upon the cross, taking your sin, being named sin for you, being named accursed for your sake this is the cost.

The message today is one of freedom, of release

Titus 2: 11 For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all; the manifestation of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. 14 He it is who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity

Isaiah 9:

The people who walked in darkness

have seen a great light;

those who lived in a land of deep darkness—

on them light has shined.

3 You have multiplied the nation,

you have increased its joy;

they rejoice before you

as with joy at the harvest,

as people exult when dividing plunder.

4 For the yoke of their burden,

and the bar across their shoulders,

the rod of their oppressor,

you have broken as on the day of Midian.

5 For all the boots of the tramping warriors

and all the garments rolled in blood

shall be burned as fuel for the fire.

6 For a child has been born for us,

a son given to us;

authority rests upon his shoulders;

and he is named

Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

7 His authority shall grow continually,

and there shall be endless peace

for the throne of David and his kingdom.

He will establish and uphold it

with justice and with righteousness

from this time onward and forevermore.

The zeal of the Lordof hosts will do this

Luke 2:

I am bringing you good news of great joy for all the people: 11 to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord

Glory to God in the highest heaven,

and peace on earth, good will to all men

There is nothing more to say than this;

Amen.