Midweek Advent 2 12/11/24
Advent Midweek2 12.11.24 vespers PDF
MIDWEEK ADVENT WORSHIP
Wednesday, December 11, 2024
IN THE NAME OF JESUS, WELCOME TO ST. PAUL’S!
VESPERS
7:00 p.m.
✠ ✠ ✠
PRELUDE Hark! A Thrilling Voice Is Sounding Setting: Marilyn Biery
ENTRANCE VERSE (Stand) LSB 229
ADVENT HYMN Hark! A Thrilling Voice Is Sounding LSB 345
1 Hark! A thrilling voice is sounding!
“Christ is near,” we hear it say.
“Cast away the works of darkness,
All you children of the day!”
2 Startled at the solemn warning,
Let the earthbound soul arise;
Christ, its sun, all sloth dispelling,
Shines upon the morning skies.
3 See, the Lamb, so long expected,
Comes with pardon down from heav’n.
Let us haste, with tears of sorrow,
One and all, to be forgiv’n;
4 So, when next He comes in glory
And the world is wrapped in fear,
He will shield us with His mercy
And with words of love draw near.
5 Honor, glory, might, dominion
To the Father and the Son
With the ever-living Spirit
While eternal ages run!
FIRST READING (Be seated) Isaiah 9:1-2,6-7
But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish. In the former time he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the latter time he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the nations.
The people who walked in darkness
have seen a great light;
those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness,
on them has light shined.
For to us a child is born,
to us a son is given;
and the government shall be upon his shoulder,
and his name shall be called
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace
there will be no end,
on the throne of David and over his kingdom,
to establish it and to uphold it
with justice and with righteousness
from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
PSALM 24 (sung responsively)
The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof,
the world and those who dwell therein,
for he has founded it upon the seas
and established it upon the rivers.
Who shall ascend the hill of the Lord?
And who shall stand in his holy place?
He who has clean hands and a pure heart,
who does not lift up his soul to what is false
and does not swear deceitfully.
He will receive blessing from the Lord
and righteousness from the God of his salvation.
Such is the generation of those who seek him,
who seek the face of the God of Jacob.
Lift up your heads, O gates!
And be lifted up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord, strong and mighty,
the Lord, mighty in battle!
Lift up your heads, O gates!
And lift them up, O ancient doors,
that the King of glory may come in.
Who is this King of glory?
The Lord of hosts,
he is the King of glory!
SECOND READING Titus 2:11-14
For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.
This is the Word of the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
RESPONSORY (Stand) LSB 230
Behold, the days are coming, says the Lord, when I will
raise up for David a righteous Branch.
This is the name by which He will be called: The Lord Is
Our Righteousness.
In His days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely.
This is the name by which He will be called: The Lord Is
Our Righteousness.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.
This is the name by which He will be called: The Lord Is
Our Righteousness.
GOSPEL READING John 5:16-18: 8:48-59
The Holy Gospel according to St. John, the 5th chapter
Glory to You, O Lord.
And this was why the Jews were persecuting Jesus, because he was doing these things on the Sabbath. But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working.”
This was why the Jews were seeking all the more to kill him, because not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own Father, making himself equal with God.
The Jews answered him, “Are we not right in saying that you are a Samaritan and have a demon?” Jesus answered, “I do not have a demon, but I honor my Father, and you dishonor me. Yet I do not seek my own glory; there is One who seeks it, and he is the judge. Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death.” The Jews said to him, “Now we know that you have a demon! Abraham died, as did the prophets, yet you say, ‘If anyone keeps my word, he will never taste death.’ Are you greater than our father Abraham, who died? And the prophets died! Who do you make yourself out to be?” Jesus answered, “If I glorify myself, my glory is nothing. It is my Father who glorifies me, of whom you say, ‘He is our God.’ But you have not known him. I know him. If I were to say that I do not know him, I would be a liar like you, but I do know him and I keep his word. Your father Abraham rejoiced that he would see my day. He saw it and was glad.” So the Jews said to him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have you seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.” So they picked up stones to throw at him, but Jesus hid himself and went out of the temple.
This is the Gospel of the Lord.
Praise to You, O Christ
SERMON (Be seated)
Grace, mercy and peace be to you from God our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus. Amen. Dear friends in Christ:
I think it’s safe to say that people today love superheroes. And I will submit as evidence for this the large number of movies that have been made which tell their stories.
I don’t know if there’s any superhero movies playing at the theaters right now. I’m pretty sure Moana 2 isn’t one of them (although I’m not exactly sure either). But we all know that there have been plenty of these movies in the past, including multiple ones about Batman, Superman, Spiderman, Wonder Woman, Cat Woman, the Hulk, Captain America, Black Widow, Iron Man and Iron Maiden. Okay, maybe not that last one. That was a rock group. But you get the picture.
In our midweek Advent services this year, we are studying Isaiah’s message about a special child to be born – one who would resemble a superhero in many ways. And one of the things we are noting in this message is that Isaiah gives the child many names – each of which serves to highlight his greatness.
In chapter seven, Isaiah calls this child “Immanuel” – a name which means “God with us.” Two chapters later, he gives the child four more names: “Wonderful Counselor,” “Mighty God,” “Everlasting Father,” and “Prince of Peace.” These are the names we heard in our first reading this evening.
St. Matthew tells us, in his Gospel account, that the prophecy of the child called “Immanuel” has been fulfilled. It was fulfilled when Jesus was born in Bethlehem. Jesus is that special child who came to do great things for his people.
And this means that the four names for the child in Isaiah nine are also to be seen as names for Jesus.
Knowing this, we should pay close attention to what they say about Jesus and note how he fulfills their meaning.
Last Wednesday we examined the first of these – the name “Wonderful Counselor.” We noted how the name highlights the great and wonderful teaching that Jesus gave during his ministry.
Tonight we are examining the second name, which is “Mighty God.” And here we might begin by noting how this name is a big step up from the first name. And that’s because wonderful counsel can come from a human, and a “Mighty God” is certainly no human.
Certainly the fact that this child is given a very divine name shouldn’t surprise us. For Isaiah has already called him “Immanuel” – God with us.
But some people over the years have thought that there must be another explanation for these names. They usually start by saying that the name “Immanuel” is merely meant to remind us that God is with us like he always is – with us in Spirit. The child to be born, they say, is simply a human like the rest of us, albeit a little more heroic, and he will bring a reminder of God’s presence by leading his people to better days.
Those who think this way then suggest that the name “Mighty God,” from the chapter nine prophecy, should be translated in a way that reflects this same understanding. One of the names that some have put forward for this is “Mighty Hero” – a name that coincidentally or not fits well with our superhero-loving culture.
Well, Jesus certainly is a hero. But he is much more than this too.
In the original Hebrew, the name given here is El Gibbor. And this does sound to our ears like it might be some kind of hero. A quick internet search shows that there are Spanish language superheroes named El Fuego, El Castigo, El Bagual and other Els. El Gibbor seems to fit right in with them.
But seeing El Gibbor as a mere hero ignores all the evidence. The word “El” in Hebrew is short for Elohim – which is clearly God. And this shortened form is used with another common name for God – El Shaddai – a name which occurs seven times in the Old Testament and means “God Almighty.”
El Gibbor is also found multiple times in the Old Testament. Four of them in total. And in each case, the name clearly refers to God.
It’s first found in Deuteronomy 10:17, which reads, “For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the GIbbor (meaning mighty), and the awesome God, who is not partial and takes no bribe.” Here the descriptor “mighty” is doubled by the descriptor “awesome.”
Later, El Gibbor is found as a name on its own – just like in Isaiah. Jeremiah 32:18 begins a prayer to God by saying: “O great and El Gibbor [Mighty God], whose name is the LORD of hosts . . .”
And finally, the name is also used again in Isaiah chapter ten, which follows up on the prophecies of the child in chapters seven and nine. There we’re told that: “A remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the El Gibbor (the Mighty God).” We know that this is a reference to God, for God never desires that his people return to a human leader. Only to him.
Based on this evidence, the name El Gibbor in Isaiah 9:6 can only mean “Mighty God.” And this means that the child born of the virgin will be called this because he is the very Son of God in human flesh.
This is also the evidence presented by the New Testament, whether it be from the message of Jesus’ virgin birth, the message of his many miracles, or the message of his very own words. We heard some of these words in our Gospel reading from John. And St. Paul echoed them in his letter to Titus, calling Jesus “our great God and Savior,” as heard in our second reading. In all of these scriptures, we see that Jesus is the child prophesied by Isaiah, and that he is no ordinary child but rather God among us.
This is a critical understanding for us to have. Because ordinary human leaders can help us in certain ways, but they cannot help us in the most important ways.
Let me just share two thoughts on this. First, while human leaders might be able to raise our hopes for a time, they cannot sustain us in hope. Sooner or later, their optimistic promises of good days will be shown for what they are – mere optimism and not reality. And their hope-inspiring actions will fail to deliver as well.
We see this from all our human leaders – of nation, culture, and also of church. We see this even from those we consider to be heroes. Their words and actions may inspire us greatly for a time, but they can only accomplish so much.
The Mighty God, on the other hand, is an ever-present help to us. His words are not just inspiring but a proclamation of truth. His actions are not just help for a moment or even a lifetime, but a help that lasts forever.
Jesus is Mighty God because his work is God’s work. This work includes creating, defending and preserving us, and sending the Holy Spirit as well.
What’s more, Jesus is Mighty God because the record of his words and actions in the scripture witness to the nature and character of the one true God. In other words, Jesus makes God known to us.
But perhaps above all, Jesus is Mighty God because he has made possible our salvation. He did this by coming to earth, taking on human flesh, fulfilling the obligations of the Law, and then offering himself as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.
Only a Mighty God could make payment for our sins. AND, only a Mighty God could rise to life again. Jesus did these both. The first of these on Good Friday, and the second on Easter Sunday.
Because we are saved from our sins, and because Jesus has defeated death, we will rise from the dead someday as well. And we look forward to that day, with great anticipation and joy, for on it we will be given gifts greater than those of any superhero. Our bodies will be glorified. And we will live without sin in the full presence of God.
Jesus is Mighty God, and he has claimed us as his own in Holy Baptism, nurtured us through his Holy Word, given us his own body and blood in Holy Communion, and promised us his eternal care.
Jesus is Mighty God. Knowing this, let us give him our thanks and praise.
Amen.
MAGNIFICAT (Stand) (sung responsively) LSB 231
My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God, my
Savior;
for He has regarded the lowliness of His handmaiden.
For behold, from this day all generations will call me blessed.
For the Mighty One has done great things to me, and holy is
His name;
and His mercy is on those who fear Him from generation to
generation.
He has shown strength with His arm; He has scattered the
proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones and has
exalted the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things, and the rich He has
sent empty away.
He has helped His servant Israel in remembrance of His
mercy as He spoke to our fathers, to Abraham and to his
seed forever.
Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit;
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever.
Amen.
OFFERING (Be seated)
Offerings support the church’s mission work – both here and through our many partners. Offerings may be placed in the box at the sanctuary entrance or sent to the church through our website or the mail. Fellowship Cards help us welcome new people and track participation. Please fill one out and place it in the offering box following the service.
VESPERS PRAYERS (Kneel) LSB 233-234
KYRIE LSB 233
Lord, have mercy;
Christ, have mercy;
Lord, have mercy.
LORD’S PRAYER
Our Father who art in heaven,
hallowed be Thy name,
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done on earth
as it is in heaven;
give us this day our daily bread;
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those
who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
For Thine is the kingdom
and the power and the glory
forever and ever. Amen.
COLLECT FOR PEACE
O God, from whom come all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works, give to us, Your servants, that peace which the world cannot give, that our hearts may be set to obey Your commandments and also that we, being defended from the fear of our enemies, may live in peace and quietness; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever.
Amen.
BENEDICAMUS LSB 234
Let us bless the Lord.
Thanks be to God.
BENEDICTION LSB 234
The grace of our Lord ✠ Jesus Christ and the love of God and the communion of the Holy Spirit be with you all.
Amen.
SENDING HYMN The King Shall Come When Morning Dawns LSB 348
1 The King shall come when morning dawns
And light triumphant breaks,
When beauty gilds the eastern hills
And life to joy awakes.
2 Not as of old a little child,
To bear and fight and die,
But crowned with glory like the sun
That lights the morning sky.
3 Oh, brighter than the rising morn
When Christ, victorious, rose
And left the lonesome place of death
Despite the rage of foes.
4 Oh, brighter than that glorious morn
Shall dawn upon our race
The day when Christ in splendor comes
And we shall see His face.
5 The King shall come when morning dawns
And light and beauty brings.
Hail, Christ the Lord! Your people pray:
Come quickly, King of kings!
POSTLUDE The King Shall Come When Morning Dawns Setting: Stephen R. Johnson
Those serving:
Greeter: Jim Easterly
Reader: Dan Buuck
AV/Streaming: Richard Irwin
Acknowledgments
Unless otherwise indicated, Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Created by Lutheran Service Builder © 2024 Concordia Publishing House.
345 Hark! A Thrilling Voice Is Sounding Text: Latin, c. 5th–10th cent.; tr.
Edward Caswall, 1814–78, alt. Tune: William H. Monk, 1823–89 Text and
tune: Public domain
348 The King Shall Come When Morning Dawns Text: John Brownlie, 1859–
1925, alt. Tune: Repository of Sacred Music, Part Second, 1813,
Harrisburg, ed. John Wyeth Text and tune: Public domain
ADVENT & CHRISTMAS AT ST. PAUL’S
2024
WORSHIP SCHEDULE
MIDWEEK ADVENT SERVICES
December 11, 18 at 7:00 p.m.
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Christmas Eve Worship – Tuesday, December 24
5:00 p.m. Candlelight service for families
7:30 p.m. Pre-service Music
8:00 p.m. Candlelight service with Holy Communion
Christmas Day Worship – Wednesday, December 25
10:00 a.m. Celebration of Christ’s Birth with Holy Communion
