467. Saturday after Twenty-seventh Sunday after Trinity.
Lord, let thy faithfulness stir us up
to penitence, and faith, and hope,
and joy, and thanksgiving. Amen.
Hebrews 13, 8. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.
❦
Truly, a sublime declaration! A good text with which to close the church year. Everything changes, but he is ever the same; all things become more gloomy and difficult, but in him there is no shadow of change. His power and love continue unchanged; his care for the church and for each individual believer is as great as it always has been. Our teachers pass away; but he remains. The apostles are dead; the fathers are dead; they who were the props of our youth are dead; our faithful and pious old leaders are dead; the pillars are shaken; the foundations are laid bare; but he lives, and is the same, and never deserts his church. As he loved you from eternity, he loves you today, and shall love you forever and ever. His heart remains evermore unchanged, as it was when he burned with compassion, and became man, and gave himself to suffer the most agonizing death for us. John and Peter and Paul found him to be infinitely merciful and good toward sinners; and so he is toward us also. As you have yourself in faith experienced his mercy, when he translated you from death to life, cleansed you in his blood, gave you his peace, and comforted you with his love; as he has heretofore preserved you, supported you, borne with you, kept you, showered mercies upon you, and given you bread from heaven to eat; — so he shall continue to deal with you forevermore; he is the same yesterday, and today, and for ever. His arm is not shortened, nor his wisdom restricted. He can and shall preserve his church, and protect it against all its enemies; and he knows how to guide it through all difficulties. “Fear not,” he says; “I am the first and the last; I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.” The Lion of the tribe of Juda; the Lamb, which was slain, in the midst of the throne, has taken the book (i.e., the whole course of the world’s development), and holds it in his hand, and opens its seven seals (Rev. 5). Shall he ever, do you think, be found wanting in power? or shall he fall short in wisdom? “Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.” (Isaiah 40, 28). He is “Jehovah,” who is and remains always the same. He it is, our Lord Jesus Christ, your Savior, your high priest, your prophet, and your king, who has guided you and saved you during the past year; and he shall guide you and save you through the year that is coming. You are growing older, and more needy, and more weary; you see more clearly how dark it is on earth; and you look back with sadness to the early days of your Christian life. Alas, it is gone by, that golden age, with the simplicity, the humility, the brotherly spirit, the bond of fellowship, which so beautifully knit the children of God together as one in the Lord; and evil times are come, with dissensions and schisms; and you are tempted to sit down and weep over your own distress and that of the church. Friend, dry your tears; “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and today, and for ever.” Yet, why say that you must dry your tears? Rather will I say: Brother, let us weep. Let us weep tears of penitence on account of our sins during the past year, and tears of joy on account of the love and truth of our God! May the sorrow of repentance never die in our heart, nor the tears of joy be wiped away from our eyes; until we reach that place where there shall no more be any yesterday and tomorrow, but where it shall be said: “The day of eternity is here; and the marriage of the Lamb is come!”*
Wilt thou come soon, Lord Jesus? “Surely I come quickly.” Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all! Amen.
O for a thousand tongues to sing
My great Redeemer’s praise!
The glories of my God and King,
The triumphs of his grace!
My gracious Master and my God,
Assist me to proclaim,
To spread through all the earth abroad
The honors of thy name.
Look unto him, ye nations; own
Your God, ye fallen race;
Look, and be saved through faith alone,
Be justified by grace.
[TLH 360 (listen here); or LSB 528 (listen here)]
* Here the head of the family says a short morning or evening prayer in his own words, and closes with the Lord’s Prayer and the Benediction. This is to be done every day. If the stanzas are not sung, they may be read in their proper place before the impromptu petition and the Lord’s Prayer.