New Years Day 2008
New Years Day
Numbers 6:22-27
January 1, 2008 “Beginning with a Blessing”
Introduction: "The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD turn his face toward you and give you peace". These are the words that we use to end many of our Sunday services. Are these tired, old words to you? You've heard them Sunday after Sunday. Year after year, since you were a child, those words have been spoken to you by pastors.
The words might be old, but they are most definitely not tired! By these words the priests of the Old Testament spoke the Lord's blessing. By these words pastors today speak the same blessing of the Lord upon you. They are words that deliver what they say. The words of the Benediction grant you the gracious promises of the Lord - promises of forgiveness, mercy, and grace. Promises fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
Malady: Receiving the Lord's blessing by faith implies that we need his blessing. We must first acknowledge that need. By nature we do not want to admit our need for God. We live by the creed "God helps those who help themselves." Like the people of Israel to whom Aaron and his sons would speak these words, we turn from God's sure blessing and look to our own abilities for "blessing." This is a sin against the First Commandment and a denial of the First Article of the Apostles' Creed. Such a rebellious attitude leads to life apart from God. Such an attitude cuts us off from the blessings he so freely gives. The words of the Benediction speak a word of Law to those who refuse to see the necessity of God's blessing for life and salvation. They are pure Gospel to those people that understand that all blessings come from God and He freely gives them to us.
Solution: God helps those who cannot help themselves. The Gospel announces that Jesus was cut-off, circumcised, for us. That was the first blood he shed. Much more was to come as he suffered the punishment that our selfish sins deserved. He was crucified, and he died for us to free us from our slavery to sin and self. He put us right with God so that we might hear the words of the Benediction and joyfully confess that they are spoken for us. The Benediction is a word of Gospel for those who in repentance acknowledge that the blessings of life and salvation are given them as a free gift from a gracious God through faith in Jesus Christ.
In Holy Baptism God placed his name on you. You were washed, forgiven, and redeemed for Jesus' sake. Jesus' name means "the Lord saves." In Baptism the name "Christ" is placed on you. You bear God's name. You belong to God.
As the baptized people of God, through faith in Jesus Christ the Benediction is a lifelong blessing from God. God continues to deliver to us his message of law and judgment and mercy and grace. He sends his chosen spokesmen to speak his Benediction week after week and year after year. Each day the Lord calls us to repentance and faith. He calls us to a daily reminder of our Baptism-the event when he placed His name on us. Each day God calls us to remember that our Baptism into Christ Jesus means that we are on the receiving end of the blessing of forgiveness and grace.
Closing: Are the words of the Benediction tired, old words? They might be old, but they are most definitely not tired. By these words the Lord places his name on you-and with that name comes his blessing of forgiveness and grace in our Lord Jesus Christ. We start our worship services invoking the name of the Lord, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We close our services by placing His name upon us as we venture out into the day in and day out activities of life. The name of the Lord marks the beginning and end of the service. The name of the Lord marks and blesses the beginning of this New Year. His name will bless us through the New Year. And His name will be upon us when this New Year ends. This is the promise and blessing that God has given us because of Jesus Christ. Because of Him, no matter what, it will be a happy New Year. Amen.