Our Sermons

Bible Passage: Isaiah 61:1-3
Pastor: Pastor Berg
Sermon Date:  December 17, 2023

What do you want for Christmas this year? It’s a question that takes on more urgency as Christmas draws closer, doesn’t it? As the number of shopping days dwindles we are pressured by family and friends to declare what we want for Christmas. Don Gardner gave us the classic, “All I want for Christmas is my two front teeth.”  More recent artists have crooned, “All I want for Christmas is you.” But ask anyone under the age of 10 if they’d be happy with their two front teeth or “you” for Christmas they’d look at you incredulously and ask, “Are you joking?” We don’t want a lump of coal or even underwear or socks. So what do you want for Christmas this year? If you were given the choice of two items: either a bag full of ashes or a bottle full of oil, which would you choose? The oil, right? Why? Well, when compared to the ashes, the oil looks pretty good, doesn’t it? It actually has value. It has a variety of uses. The ashes–they’re basically useless unless you want to get dirty. So why ashes and oil?

Well, those two things are mentioned by Isaiah this morning. While we may not have too much stock placed in ashes and oil, that wasn’t true for Isaiah’s original audience. Try to put yourself back in ancient Israel for a moment. Where do ashes come from? They are the remnants of a fire, usually burned up wood. So really, ashes are the remains of something that has been lost, something that has been destroyed. While they don’t have to be, ashes can be the tangible, visible evidence that something terrible has happened. And when something terrible happens, how do we feel? Sad and in mourning? That’s what the Israelites always associated with ashes: sorrow and sadness. They would use ashes to outwardly express grief and pain. Men would shave their heads and actually pour ashes on them. They did this to express their deep sorrow and repentance for their sins. They did this to show sadness over some calamity that took place. They would do this when there was a death in the family. It’s not all that different than wearing black to a funeral. Destruction and death, sin and guilt are what ashes meant to the Israelite.

Oil on the other hand was even more of a staple in everyday life than it is in our society. Yes, it was used in meal preparation, just like it is today, but oil was for much more than lighting and heating and eating. Do you remember the parable of the Good Samaritan? How did he help the injured man on the side of the road? He bandaged his wounds and poured on oil. Oil was used for medicinal purposes. There is comfort and healing that oil gives. It was also common practice, on special occasions, to anoint the guests to your home with oil, as a sign of welcome and honor. Even more so, if you were welcomed into the royal courts and anointed this way. But perhaps most importantly, oil was used at God’s command to set apart a new king or priest. Oil brought healing and comfort, happiness and welcome. The oil of joy and gladness wasn’t just a cute catch phrase. It was reality for Israel.

And doesn’t that just bring alive the picture that Isaiah paints this morning? Oil instead of ashes! That’s what God’s anointed servant would bring. Joy instead of mourning! Praise instead of a faint spirit! Who wouldn’t want that for Christmas?

It seems like an obvious question, doesn’t it? So if it’s so obvious, then why do we need to ask it? Do you remember what Isaiah said to us last week? “ All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like a wildflower in the countryside. Grass withers, flowers fade, when the breath of the Lord blows on them. Yes, the people are grass.” Grass and flowers don’t make much ash, but they do burn up quickly, don’t they. How does Isaiah describe us today? “Afflicted, brokenhearted, captive, bound, mourning, a faint spirit…” How did we get this way? We are that way by nature. We are that way because of our sins. Our sin is so consuming, so vile, so dark and dirty, that we don’t even realize that there’s anything else out there. By nature we are buried in the ashes of our failures and our doubts and our sins. Just think about it for a moment. What consumes your thoughts more: a problem in your life or a success? What do you spend more time talking about: something that upsets you or something that satisfies you? There’s something about us that wants to relish and wallow in the ashes. That something is our sinful nature. That someone is the devil who would like nothing better than for us to wallow in the dust.

But the dirty little secret that we don’t like to think about is how much we are still the cause of our own unhappiness. When the money is tight and the economy continues to struggle, we could be hearing Jesus saying, “Hey, don’t worry! You are far more valuable to me than birds and flowers and they are doing just fine. So don’t worry! I’ve got it covered.” But how often do we hear that? Or do we choose instead to trudge to the ashes of doubt, worrying until we make ourselves sick. We head to work dreading the thought of having to deal with that difficult person once again. But instead of hearing the Lord’s call to love your neighbor, to treat them better than yourself, to do all you can to improve that relationship, don’t we sometimes resort to complaining, holding grudges, and even try to be as bad as them? And so we take another step towards the ashes. At home, we watch our kids do the same things wrong again and again, we witness our spouse falling back into the same actions that drive us crazy. But instead of seeking to be patient and kind and refusing to keep any record of wrongs done in the past, haven’t we lashed out in anger, unleashing harsh words only meant to tear down. The march towards misery continues.

Isaiah was not at all far off when he described us as “Afflicted, brokenhearted, captive, bound, mourning,  faint spirits.” This is where we take ourselves with our abundance of bad choices, with our neglect of God’s commands. We rack up a massive debt with our never-ending sin, and have no way of paying it back. Our hearts are broken with guilt over what we have done. We are held captive by our wicked ways, trapped by the darkness of our sinful natures. Only ashes seem fit for this situation, because death is all that’s left. And yet, where does the world send us running with all of these problems? What peace and comfort and hope does the world offer? It tells us not to think about these things. It’s bad for our self-esteem. It tries to distract us with the lights and the tinsel and all that glitters and gleams in this world. And so we run after those things. We fill our Decembers with this party and that function and by the time Christmas rolls around we’re ready to be done with it all. Ashes, ashes, we all fall down.

The King shall come: Do you want him? It’s astonishing how many in our world don’t want Jesus or what he brings. It’s mind-boggling how many are dissatisfied with his salvation and would much rather do it their own way! It’s like comparing oil to ashes! Just look at his salvation! Just look at what he brings! “Good news, freedom, release, the Lord’s favor, comfort, a crown of beauty, the oil of joy, a cloak of praise.” One priceless gift after another all designed to bless us in this life.

And how does Jesus give us all this? By giving us himself. Jesus came down to earth, down to this place of ashes and dust, and took for himself the lowest place. My sins were heaped upon him, your sins were thrust on his back, and he bore them willingly. He became the poor, the captive, the prisoner, the debtor deserving of death. He exchanged his place of glory for our place of shame! That is the Good News that God has anointed Jesus to proclaim! That we no longer belong among the ashes. Christ has exalted us to the oil of joy! We’ve been anointed by his Holy Spirit and washed clean by his blood. Mourning, sorrow, and despair are gone. In their place we now wear a crown of beauty, a cloak of praise, and the robe of Christ’s righteousness. 

And there’s one more picture that we don’t want to miss here. Jesus says through Isaiah:  “He sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release for those who are bound, to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor…” Just what is the year of the LORD’s favor? In other places it’s called the Year of Jubilee. No corps were to be planted, no sowing or reaping, they were to depend completely on the LORD to provide from the fields. Also, all debts were canceled, all property returned to its original owners; any Israelites who became slaves were freed. When the Year of the Lord’s Favor came, the past was forgiven and forgotten, the slate was wiped clean and everyone was given a new beginning. Who wouldn’t like that for Christmas? Who wouldn’t like the chance to start over, the chance to wipe the slate clean? 

This is what Jesus does for us! No, we can’t take back the hurtful words; we can’t undo the mistakes of the past. But our debt of sin has been canceled, the prison door of death has been opened, our inheritance in heaven has been restored, and we have a new life, a new beginning in Christ!

So what do you want for Christmas this year? I’m sure there’s a gadget or gizmo that’s caught your eye. Perhaps a new pair of shoes; maybe a nice sweatshirt. Maybe it’s more time with your family or just some time to unwind. My dear friends, Jesus is coming this Christmas! He’s coming with gifts for you! Do you want him? Show him! Show him you want him by making time for him. Allow him to shower his gifts upon you through the good news of salvation won, sins forgiven, peace between God and men. Use the rest of this Advent season as a time to slow down and appreciate the gifts Christ gives. He’s coming. His light is growing brighter. We lit one more candle today. He’s Coming! Boy, do we want him! Amen.