LESSON: PSALM 43

He [John the Baptist] was not the light, but came to bear witness to the light. John 1:8

The Gospel endures no other doctrine beside itself; it simply wants to be a witness to Christ and lead men to this light, namely Christ. Therefore these words, “He was not the light,” are worthy of being written in large letters and carefully noted against those men who push themselves forward and want to enlighten men with their own doctrines and self-made laws. Reject anyone who does not preach the Gospel and give him no kind of hearing.

He who teaches you to believe in Christ and to put your trust in the eternal Light, without building on any of your own works, is preaching the Gospel. Hence, be on your guard against everything you are told that is outside of the Gospel. Do not rely on it, and do not regard it as a light which enlightens and improves your soul, but regard it as something external, like eating and drinking for the needs of the body, that you can make use of according to your will or to please another, but not for your salvation. In regard to the latter, nothing is useful or necessary for you apart from this Light.

What a horrible thing is the doctrine of men, now rampant, which has actually banished this Light! Men themselves want to be this Light, and not witnesses of the Light! They are silent about it, or teach it in such a way that they are prominent, close beside it.

Being silent is even worse than denying, for from this procedure Samaritans are shown as serving God and idols at one and the same time (2 Kings 17:33).

SL.XI.184,81-84
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PRAYER: Reign in our heart and reign there supreme, O Lord, so that we fully and completely believe your saving Gospel with all our heart, that Christ’s light may at all times lead and direct us in the way of your choice. Amen.

LESSON: JOHN 12:35,36

The life was the light of men. John 1:4

The thinking of human philosophy draws us away from Christ into ourselves. The evangelist wants to draw us away from ourselves to Christ. He refuses to deal with the divine, almighty, eternal Word of God and to speak about Him, except in the flesh and blood in which He walked here on earth.

He does not want to disperse us among the creatures created by Him, so that we should follow after Him, search for Him, and speculate about Him, as the Platonist do; he wants to gather us from the same wide-ranging and fleeting thoughts to Christ.

It is as though he said: Why do you step forth and search so widely? In Christ, the man, there is everything. He has accomplished all. In Him is life. He is the Word through which all things were made. Remain in Him and you will find everything. He is life and the light of all men. Anyone who tells you to look elsewhere for Him is misleading you. For He has given Himself to us in this flesh and blood, and He wants us to search for Him and find Him in this flesh and blood. Follow the witness of John the Baptist who points you to no other life or light than this man who is God Himself.

This light must, therefore, be understood as being the true light of grace – Christ – and not the natural light which sinners, Jews, heathen, and the worst enemies of light, also have.

SL.XI.171,44
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PRAYER: Thou only art true life;
To know Thee is to live
The more abundant life
That earth can never give.
O risen Lord, we live in Thee
And Thou in us eternally. Amen.

LESSON: ROMANS 5:6-11

In Him was life, and the life was the light of men. John 1:4

The evangelist says, “In him was life,” as though he were speaking of something in the past, and not, “In him is life.” But this must not be understood as a reference to the time before the world or the beginning. For the evangelist does not say here, “In the beginning there was life in him,” as he says just prior to this, “He was in the beginning with God.”

One must refer this to the time of Christ’s life or sojourn on earth, when the Word of God manifested Himself to men and among men. It is the evangelist’s intention to write about Christ and His life, during which He accomplished all that was needed for us to have life: “In him was life.” Jesus Himself said: “As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world.” John 9:5

We should understand the evangelist’s statements to refer simply to the time of Christ here on earth. This Gospel is not as difficult as is sometimes supposed. Men have made it difficult with their lofty, deep, and powerful researches. The evangelist wrote it for all Christians, however simple they may be, and he set forth his word in a manner that is quite comprehensible.

If someone simply disregarded Christ’s life and sojourn here on earth and tried to find by his own resources that He is now sitting in heaven, he would be sadly mistaken. We must seek Him as He was and sojourned here on earth. Then we will find life, for He came to bring us life, light, and salvation. During this life on earth, all was accomplished that we should believe concerning Him, so that John declares most emphatically, “In him was life,” not the He is not now our life and that He does not now do what He did then.

SL.XI.169-170,40-41
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PRAYER: Lord Jesus Christ, shine into our hearts with the light of your truth and be the true light of our life, for your truth’s sake. Amen.

LESSON: 1 John 1:1-4
He was in the beginning with God. John 1:2

These are statements on which our faith is based and to which we must cling. That there are three persons in the Godhead and that each person is completely the whole of the one God absolutely transcends all the powers of our reason. Moreover, there are not three Gods, but one God.

Our schoolmasters, with all sorts of fine-spun subtleties, explained it this and that way in an effort to make it comprehensible. But if you do not want to fall into the net of the evil foe, have nothing to do with their foolish refinements, conceits, and subtleties; take cover and remain in hiding like a hare in his stone crevice. If you go abroad and expose yourself to their human twaddle, the enemy will lead you on and finally trip you up so that you do not know where reason, faith, God, and you yourself eventually are.

Believe me, as one who has experienced this and struggled with it, I am not just talking rote. Scripture has not been given to us to no purpose. If reason could have given us correct guidance we would have no need for Scripture.

Let Arius and Sabellius* be warning examples. Had they been content to abide with the Scriptures and not sold out to reason they would not have been the cause of so much trouble. Our schoolmasters, too, would also have been Christian had they given up their tomfoolishness and subtleties and remained in the Scriptures.

SL.XI.164,26-27
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*An ancient Unitarian

PRAYER: Lord, keep us steadfast in Thy Word;
Curb those who fain by craft or sword
Would wrest they kingdom from Thy Son
And set at naught all He has done. Amen.

LESSON: JOHN 1:1-14

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1

“The Word was with God.” Where else could the Word be? Outside of God there was nothing. Moses also says this when he writes, “And God said, ‘Let there be light.’” Genesis 1:3. In order to speak, He had to have the Word with Him.

There is a clear distinction made here in the persons of the Godhead: the Word is a different person from the God with whom He was. This statement of John does not allow us to suppose that God was alone, because he states that something was with God, namely, His word.

If there has been only a single person there, why would he say, “The Word was with God”? To have something “with” Him is not being alone or by Himself. We should note particularly that the evangelist places special stress on the “with.” He repeats it (v.2) in order to give clear expression to the personal distinction in the Godhead and to counter the arguments of natural reason and future heretics.

Since natural reason more easily comprehends the fact that there is only one God and this doctrine is supported by many passages of Scripture and this doctrine is also true, natural reason still finds it very difficult to accept the fact that this same God is more than one person. The Son is a different person from the Father, but He is not a different God.
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PRAYER: Great indeed, O God, is the mystery of our religion. Your Son, Jesus Christ our Lord, the Word who was with you at the beginning and who is truly God, was manifested in the flesh to be our Savior and Redeemer. Thanks be to you, O God, for your inexpressible love! Amen.

LESSON: LUKE 2:15-20

They made known the saying which had been told them concerning this child. Luke 2:17

The faith of the shepherds produced action. St. Paul says, “The kingdom of God does not consist in talk but in power.” 1 Corinthians 4:20. So also here. The shepherds do not only say, “Let us go and see!” but they actually went; indeed, they do more than they say. For the text says, “They went with haste.” This is more than just going as they had proposed to do. Faith and love always do more than they actually propose to do, and whatever they do is always something living, busy, active, and abundant.

A Christian must be a man of few words, rich in deeds. He proves himself such if he is a true Christian. If he does not prove his faith in deeds, he is not yet a true Christian.

The shepherds also confess and openly proclaim the word which was told them concerning this child. This is one of the most important duties in Christian life. One must risk body and life, property and honor. For the evil spirit does not launch such a heavy attack against correct belief and a good life in secret, but he will not abide it if we venture forth to spread the faith, confess, preach, and praise it for the sake of others. So Luke says here that the shepherds not only came to see something, but they also made known what they had heard on the field, not only before Mary and Joseph, but before all men.

SL.XI.149,18-19
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PRAYER: Grant us the joyful faith of the shepherds, O Lord, that we may go forth as witnesses, confessing you and your salvation to all our fellowmen. Amen.

LESSON: LUKE 2:1-14

In that region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them and they were filled with fear. And that angel said to them, “Be not afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which will come to all the people; for to you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:8-11.

In a most clear manner the angel proclaims the Gospel besides which nothing else is to be preached in Christendom. He assumes the office of the Word in accordance with the Gospel and says, “I bring you good news.” He does not simply say, “I preach to you,” but, “I bring you the Gospel; I am an evangelist; my word is a Gospel.” Gospel means a good message of joy which shall constitute preaching in the New Testament.

Of what does the Gospel treat? Listen to what He says! “I am proclaiming a great joy to you; my Gospel tells you of a great joy.” Where is it? Listen further! “To you is born this day a Savior, who is Christ the Lord, in the city of David.” See here what the Gospel is, namely, a joyful proclamation of Christ our Savior.

SL.XI.132,42-43
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PRAYER: We thank you, dear Savior, for all the joy of Christmastide and especially for the glorious gospel that you are indeed our Savior, Christ the Lord. Amen.

LESSON: 1 JOHN 3:1-10

I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness. John 1:23

If you can now believe that the voice of John is true, fix your eyes in the way he is pointing and recognize the Lamb of God who is taking your sin upon Himself. You are victorious. You are a Christian, a lord over sin, death, hell, and all things.

Your conscience must also be joyful and begin to love the tender Lamb of God, and to love, praise, and thank our heavenly Father for such a boundless richness of mercy preached through John and given in Christ. Then, also, we will become most willing to carry out God’s will as much as we can and with all our strength.

What is more comforting and pleasant to hear than the message that our sins are no longer ours or lying upon us but upon the Lamb of God? How can sin condemn such an innocent Lamb? It must be conquered and destroyed in Him. And so, together with sin, death, and hell must also be conquered as the wages of sin.

SL.XI.117,53

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PRAYER: Gentle Jesus, Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, fill us with your love so that we readily do the will of our heavenly Father in the power of your grace. Amen.